A protracted mystery surrounding the disappearance of a Broward County mother of three has been resolved with the discovery of her remains and vehicle in a Plantation pond. Following extensive searches, the remains of Libby Ann Dibenedetto, reported missing since 2000, were located submerged in a vehicle by volunteers from Sunshine State Sonar, as stated in a Local 10 news report.
In the years since Dibenedetto's disappearance, after she was last sighted at Duke's Bar and Grill in Davie, the search for her and her gold 1996 Toyota Camry had continued with little success. Dibenedetto had made her final known phone call to her therapist, an action documented before she vanished, according to NBC Miami. Her car was eventually found in a retention pond also off of Sunrise Boulevard and Flamingo Road, in about 13 feet of water.
Through the persistent efforts of Sunshine State Sonar, a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding law enforcement in cold cases, approximately 400 bodies of water were meticulously examined. The group, in a Facebook post, said their search for Dibenedetto began in July 2022 and involved nearly 36 deployments in Broward County to locate her specifically.
The discovery, which was made on Sunday, offers a somber conclusion to a case that persisted in the region's collective memory for 25 years. Plantation Police confirmed the vehicle's relation to the long-standing missing person's case. The local community, once haunted by the enigma of her disappearance, may now find some solace. "Very sad to think that she has been here this whole time. Hopefully the family will get some closure now," Dulcita Bare, a nearby resident, told Local 10.
While the formal identification process for the remains continues, both law enforcement and the descendants of Libby Ann Dibenedetto face the onset of closure mingled with the remnants of grief. As Sunshine State Sonar expressed in their announcement, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Libby’s family during this difficult time."
