Remains found inside a vehicle that was recovered from a Franklin County pond has been identified as Ethan Kazmerzak, according to the State Medical Examiner's Office.
A 2006 Volkswagen belonging to Kazmerzak, who went missing in September 2013, was located last week near the city of Hampton. It was submerged in a body of water that was searched previously.
Remains were found in the car, and an autopsy performed Wednesday identified them as Kazmerzak.
The Medical Examiner's Office says the cause and manner of death are pending further studies, and that a formal death certificate should be finalized in the coming weeks.
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office tells Local 5 they will continue its investigation.
Kazmerzak's family had reached out Adventures With Purpose, an Oregon-based dive team, to search the water using sonar equipment.
The dive team contacted the landowners, and once the vehicle was discovered, notified law enforcement to complete the recovery.
The body of water where they found the Volkswagen had been searched twice before several years ago, but more up-to-date equipment helped in finding the car.
"The entire community's heart went out to the efforts put toward [Ethan Kazmerzak's] recovery and the peace it brings to his family," Franklin County Sheriff Aaron Dodd said.