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GADSDEN, Ala. (WIAT) – A body discovered in a car submerged in the Coosa River has been identified as a missing Rainbow City man from Rainbow City who disappeared nearly 40 years ago.
On April 16, 1983, Alan Livingston was reported missing by a coworker who had not seen him for several days. According to the Gadsden Police Department, the 25-year-old was last seen at Forest River Apartments (now called Summer Waters) and owned a 1980 brown Ford Bronco.
Nearly two months after Livingston was reported missing, William Roth Jr. was questioned about the case, where he reportedly admitted to hitting Livingston in the head with a board during an argument. However, Roth was inconsistent about what he did with the body and Livingston’s Bronco and after several attempts by police to find them, the trail went cold.
In January, Virginia scuba diver and EMT Chris Overstreet was conducting a water search on the Coosa River using sonar. Overstreet, who travels across the country looking into missing persons cases, soon discovered a 1980 Ford Bronco 18 feet underwater, approximately 30 feet from the shoreline behind Summer Waters Apartments. Overstreet then called police, who launched an investigation alongside the Etowah County Dive Team.
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Police report that the car, which was encased with mud and silt up to the windshield, had disintegrated to the point of falling apart if not properly handled. Gadsden Police Chief Lamar Jaggears then asked for the FBI’s assistance to securely retrieve the car.
The Bronco remained in the river until earlier this week, when the FBI Dive Team used a dredge to remove silt and other objects from inside the Bronco on Tuesday and Wednesday. Skeletal remains and identification belonging to Alan Livingston were located inside the car and have since been sent off to forensics for further analysis.
Roth is currently serving a life sentence in Texas on an unrelated murder charge and is currently in the care of a nursing facility due to his deteriorated health.
