The body of a woman who disappeared 10 years ago has been found in a minivan submerged in a Florida pond.
Yekaterina “Katya” Belaya, a mom of three, was last seen heading to a store in 2014, Fox affiliate WOFL, CBS affiliate WKMG-TV and NBC affiliate WESH reported.
Ten years later, the Melbourne woman’s body was found inside her white Honda Odyssey, which was discovered upside down in a retention pond, according to the reports.
Sunshine State Sonar said in a Facebook postthat its team located the vehicle on Friday, Dec. 20, off Viera Boulevard, about 1.6 miles from her home.
“We hope this finding can offer her loved ones some solace after years of grieving her mysterious disappearance,” the team said.
Katya Belaya, the woman who was found dead inside a submerged minivan on Dec. 20, 2024.
Brevard County Sheriff’s Office
Mike Sullivan, owner of Sunshine State Sonar, said the team learned about the case after someone messaged them and showed them “some of the heartbreaking messages” posted online by Belaya’s daughters, according to WESH.
Sunshine State Sonar, a private company, said in its post that their team reached out to Belaya’s family and authorities on Thursday, Dec. 19, and “requested additional information” about the case.
Sullivan said the team received cellphone ping data that led them to the vehicle’s location, WOFL reported.
More than 30 bodies of water were searched before finding Belaya’s minivan in the retention pond in Melbourne, Sunshine State Sonar said in the Facebook post.
“I was a little surprised we were able to actually get her that quick, just because there’s probably 500 bodies of water in that area,” Sullivan said, according to WKMG-TV.
Sullivan said he has been in contact with Belaya’s daughters, who “expressed their gratitude” to Sunshine State Sonar, WESH reported. “I think they were still in shock,” he added.
The minivan where Katya Belaya’s body was found on Dec. 20, 2024.
Sunshine State Sonar/Facebook
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed the remains belong to Belaya, according to WKMG-TV.
An investigation into Belaya’s death is ongoing, according to WKMG-TV and WOFL.
“We’re running down some other leads,” Brevard County Sheriff Public Information Officer Tod Goodyear told WKMG-TV.
He added, “There’s a lot still to be done. But as I said, it does bring closure to the family.”
