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Seventeen months after 88-year-old Myrtle Polk disappeared dallas Next door, there’s finally a break in the case – but not the one her family was praying for.
This week, police recovered Polk’s 2004 black Lexus sedan from Five Mile Creek in southern Dallas. But the overturned and submerged car near Wagon Wheels Trail and South Lancaster Road was empty. Polk was nowhere to be found.
Family members confirmed Tuesday night that the vehicle, which had long been searched for since its disappearance in June 2024, had been pulled from the bay by tow truck crews.
Her son Phil Polk said, “The family is preparing for any information about Myrtle Polk and we are grateful for it.” WFAA“We are now focused on finding him.”
Children playing in the area first spotted the vehicle upside down in the water more than 100 yards from the nearest road, WFAA reported. Authorities scoured the banks of Five Mile Creek but found no sign of the beloved grandmother and retired teacher.
Polk was last seen on June 8, 2024, sitting outside his Laurel home, talking with a neighbor who stayed there. The next day, she never came to Sunday service at Exciting Singing Hills Baptist Church, where she had been a devoted member for more than 30 years, and her loved ones became concerned.
A Silver Alert was issued after Polk’s disappearance, but was discontinued after a month without any new leads. Police still classify him as “critically missing”.
The former Dallas ISD teacher and administrator was in the early stages of dementia when she went missing, according to family.
“She’s 88 years old and has some memory issues,” Phil Polk told Fox 4 shortly after her disappearance. “So our concern is that she’s stuck somewhere, and she’s confused and doesn’t know where she is. And we just want to get her home safe.”
his son told dateline It was reported in February that despite her memory problems, she was still living independently and was “fully functional”.
“Because she had such a strong community and village and she was alone for 14 years, I felt safe knowing that she had people around her,” he said.
Phil believes that on the morning his mother disappeared, she may have gotten lost on her way to church.
He said, “The only thing I can think of is that she was going to church, which is down a road about a five-minute drive from her house. And missed her turn and kept driving and just got confused.”
On Tuesday evening, as tow trucks and police converged on the bay, neighbors stood across the street and watched silently as a black Lexus caked in mud and debris was pulled from the water.
“I just know there were a lot of people looking for him,” neighbor Danny Shepherd told WFAA. “Please convey my condolences to the family.”
In the months since her disappearance, vigils have been held in her honor. Everywhere, neighbors and former students describe her the same way – a woman of grace, faith and endlessly kind.
“She’s like everyone’s mom,” her son said.
Polk is described as 5’3″ tall, 130 pounds, with short silver-white hair and brown eyes. He has a mole on the side of his nose.
Anyone with information about her disappearance is asked to contact the Dallas Police Department at 214-671-4268.