Two Missing South Bend Women Found Dead Inside Submerged Jeep in Michigan River

The families of Vanessa Bautista, 24, and Alexa Navarro, 23, are mourning after the two South Bend, Indiana, women were found dead inside a submerged Jeep in the St. Joseph River in Niles, Michigan, days after they disappeared.

The close friends were last seen during the early morning hours of September 13, 2026, after attending Vanessa’s birthday celebration at a nightclub in Elkhart, Indiana. The women reportedly dropped off a friend before continuing in Vanessa’s gray 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Police said they were last seen in Elkhart, while family members said the vehicle’s last known phone location was in Niles.

When Vanessa and Alexa failed to return home, their families began searching for them and contacting police departments in South Bend, Elkhart and Niles. The families remained in communication with investigators as authorities worked to determine where the women had gone.

The search ended in tragedy on September 15, when Niles police discovered the Jeep submerged in the St. Joseph River. Two bodies were found inside the severely damaged vehicle. Family members said the clothing matched descriptions of Vanessa and Alexa.

On September 16, the Western Michigan University Office of the Medical Examiner confirmed that the bodies were Vanessa Bautista and Alexa Navarro. Authorities used medical X-ray comparisons to assist with the identification. Autopsies were performed, but officials said the cause of death remained pending, with toxicology testing expected to take additional time.

Niles Police Chief James Millin later said investigators believed the Jeep went over a steep embankment at approximately 4 a.m. on September 13. The vehicle reportedly fell about 60 to 70 feet, striking trees during the descent before entering the river. Millin said the steep drop helps explain the extensive damage to the Jeep.

The circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation. Police have said there was no confirmed evidence at that stage that another vehicle or outside force pushed the Jeep into the river. Investigators were nevertheless following reports that the women may have been chased before the vehicle went off the embankment. That possibility had not been confirmed.

The deaths have left two families grieving young women whose lives extended far beyond the circumstances of their disappearance. Vanessa, who had just celebrated her 24th birthday, was remembered by loved ones as a devoted mother, while Alexa was also remembered by family and friends as a loving and outgoing young woman.

As investigators await the complete autopsy and toxicology findings, many questions remain about what happened during the final hours of Vanessa and Alexa’s lives. For their families, the discovery of the Jeep finally provided an answer to where the two women had gone—but not yet why the tragedy occurred.

Source: NY Post