South Florida

Divers Search Sunrise Canal for Clues in 1978 Missing Person's Case

Broward County Sheriff's Office dive teams resumed their search Tuesday of a Sunrise canal where a car and human remains believed to be connected to a 1978 missing person's case were recently found.

A search last Friday uncovered human remains in the canal. Those remains were handed over to the medical examiner's office.

Just the day before, a partially disintegrated car, believed to be a 1969 Dodge Coronet, was found in the canal near the 14100 block of State Road 84 by South Florida Water Management Workers who were dredging the canal.

That same car was believed to be carrying 15-year-old Dana Null and her boyfriend Harry Wade Atchison who disappeared on October 7, 1978.

The couple was last seen inside a mobile home park where Atchison lived. They went to see the band Journey in concert, and then came back to his home. Investigators said the couple then got into a violent argument and Atchison jumped in the car and took off.

Detectives said Null took off after him, stopped him, and jumped in the car. The two haven’t been seen or heard from since that night.

Broward Sheriff's Office officials said both parents of Null and Atchison have died, but both have sisters who are still alive.

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