Sixty-nine-year-old Richard Brinkley lived in Vero Beach, Florida. His wife had recently passed away, and neighbors reported that he was understandably very upset at her death.
Richard was last seen at around one p.m. on April 14th, 2015, but afterward, neighbors became worried when there was no subsequent sighting of him around the house; they further noted that his pets had been left unattended, which Richard would never have done. The neighbors called in a welfare check, but authorities likewise found no sign of him or his 2004 blue Chevy van.
Two days later, on Thursday, April 16th, 2015, Richard Brinkley and his vehicle were discovered in a canal in the 300 block of 8th Avenue Southwest, in the Vero Beach area of Indian River County. Richard was already dead when he was found.
At first glance, a vehicle submerged in a canal might suggest an accidental crash. South Florida’s extensive network of drainage canals and waterways can present hazards to motorists, particularly at night or in areas with limited visibility. However, investigators examining Richard Brinkley’s death uncovered evidence that indicated something other than an ordinary traffic accident.
According to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, injuries sustained by the victim led authorities to classify his death as a homicide. The agency has not publicly specified the nature of those injuries. It is also unclear whether Richard was killed before his vehicle entered the canal, whether he was attacked inside the vehicle, or whether the vehicle’s presence in the water was connected to an attempt to conceal the crime.
Further, investigators have not publicly explained whether forensic testing, witness interviews, or other investigative techniques produced promising leads.
As of November 2026, more than eleven years have passed since Richard Brinkley was discovered dead in the Vero Beach canal, and the strange crime remains unsolved.
