The Missouri constable’s workplace that recovered the remains of a man who had actually been missing for a decade credited the work of a YouTuber for the discovery. Today, the Camden County Constable’s Workplace said videographer James Hinkle tipped them off about the possible whereabouts of Donald L. Erwin, who vanished in December 2013.
However, Hinkle’s participation in the event was far more substantial than a simple tip-off. While he’s been documenting his look for Erwin on his YouTube channel Echo Divers for 9 months, he began searching more than a year back.
In an interview with Outdoors.com, Hinkle discussed that he had compassion with Erwin and his household, due to the fact that 59-year-old Erwin was a Marine Corps veteran, which Hinkle associates with since his kid is likewise a Marine and other close family members were veterans also.
“People in the military, I hold them on high,” Hinkle stated. “I think those guys ought to be treated with the utmost regard and assisted when they require it.”
What’s more, he said he’s been drawn to missing out on person cases since the 1991 kidnapping of 17-year-old Angela Hammond, which took place in his hometown of Clinton, Missouri.
Donald Erwin, 59, vanished in December 2013, but authorities recovered his 2002 Hyundai Elantra in December 2023. Image: Camden County Sheriff’s Workplace
“That never left me. I have actually followed that case my entire life,” he stated, adding that he offered with others in his neighborhood to assist look for her.
Since that experience, Hinkle stated he’s been compelled to help out when can. He even went so far regarding become a certified scuba diver, become a volunteer firefighter, and help an independent cold case investigation group called Beyond the Case. However the kidnapping had another effect on him as well. He developed an interest in true criminal activity, though he stated he dislikes that expression.
“Sadly, this type of home entertainment is a double-edged sword,” Hinkle stated. “People take a look at it as entertainment due to the fact that they’re naturally curious, however, it gets the word out and sometimes you catch that a person who thinks ‘oh, I bear in mind that night’… and that causes finding somebody.”
As a professional videographer with the skills needed to search bodies of water, he decided to assist in the look for Erwin. “The idea was to bring individuals along and tell the story of how this was done. The hope was that we would discover Donnie. That was always the hope,” Hinkle stated. “But at the very same time, it assisted awareness of the circumstance.”
In his videos, Hinkle explores a range of outdoor locations utilizing drones, a kayak and sonar devices, and obviously, scuba gear. He also walks audiences through theories of what may have happened to Erwin.
Before he vanished on Dec. 29, 2013, Erwin told his spouse that he was leaving to get a pack of cigarettes. Then, as Hinkle discusses in a video, there are two theories about what may have taken place. The first theory was that Erwin dedicated suicide. The reasoning behind that is Erwin lost his leg, which affected him mentally, and when he left, he didn’t take with him daily products like his glasses, wallet, and wheelchair. Hinkle wasn’t completely persuaded, though.
Hinkle stated that he thinks Erwin most likely didn’t believe he needed his glasses due to the fact that he was running an errand to a familiar place like a gasoline station down the roadway. Plus, returning inside to obtain them would’ve been troublesome due to his disability. Hinkle added that Erwin did grab a debit card.
“When you take a look at it like this, the mishap theory sort of make good sense,” Hinkle stated. “It just does.”
With that in mind, Hinkle increased and down the highway near Erwin’s home and checked gasoline station and possible areas where Erwin might’ve had an accident. 5 months after posing his theory, Hinkle searched a pond on personal property about 3.5 miles far from Erwin’s home utilizing a drone, and he discovered a vehicle submerged in the water. He alerted the authorities, who recuperated the car with tags and a description that matched Erwin’s car.
Then, on Christmas Eve, searchers with cadaver pet dogs and scuba divers found human remains and an artificial hip that matched one that came from Erwin. In a declaration, the constable’s workplace stated they were positive it was Erwin, however they would still require confirmation through forensic analysis, and investigators would require to complete their examination.
For his part, Hinkle said he was delighted he could bring closure to the scenario. On the Monday after the cars and truck was gotten rid of, he said he met Erwin’s household.
“Although they understood he’s been gone for 10 years, as soon as they knew for sure that he had passed away … they could go through that grieving process,” he said, including, “For the a lot of part, our goal was to go there and help with the healing procedure.”
READ MORE
James Hinkle, whose views were formed by the 1991 kidnapping of a girl in his home town, stated he was forced to assist and record his search.