For nine episodes, Adventures with Purpose (AWP) has taken on one of the most intense missing person operations in the Sacramento River— and the results have been nothing short of astonishing.
What started as a mission to find one missing person quickly escalated into a full-scale effort to uncover the river’s secrets, and over the course of just a few days, the team made shocking discoveries that left families both devastated and relieved to finally have answers.
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At the heart of this mission are the names that families have been searching for years to find—some for decades.
Julie Margaret Vessigault
Last seen January 2024, leaving her mother’s house in Elk Grove, CA, driving her tan 2005 Toyota Camry. She left behind her phone, cash, and checks, vanishing without explanation.
John Atkins
Missing since 1973, last seen driving a GMC Sprint near the Freeport Bridge. His family has spent 50 years wondering if he could still be somewhere beneath the water.
Norma Houghland and her sons, Thomas and Richard
Disappeared in 1978 while out on a summer drive in a 1965 Pontiac LeMans. The case remains a complete mystery.
Jose Guadalupe Cortez
Last seen April 4, 1992, leaving a bar in Stockton, CA, intoxicated, driving a red Toyota Celica. He never arrived at his destination.
Uriel Cantu
Missing since 2006, last seen heading to Washington State for a paycheck he never picked up.
Each name represents a story left unfinished, a family left in agony. And in just one week, AWP has managed to uncover pieces of their lost histories—some confirmed, some still in question.
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We Found
🔎 50 vehicles identified
🔎 10 vehicles pulled from the water
🔎 1 Missing Person Found
One of the biggest breakthroughs came with the discovery of Karmen Neilson, who had been missing since 2016. Her silver Honda Civic was found in the Sacramento River, ending a mystery that had tormented her family for six long years. While it wasn’t the outcome they had hoped for, they finally have answers.
The team found 11 submerged vehicles in just five minutes near a boat ramp close to Julie’s workplace. Could one of these cars be hers? Could one of them hold the key to solving another missing persons case?
Then, just when the team thought they were closing in on Jose Cortez, the search took an even wilder turn.
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The Mystery of the Red Toyota
Sonar had detected what appeared to be Jose Cortez’s 1992 Toyota Celica—a red car, upside down, buried in the riverbed. The divers suited up, knowing what they might find inside. But when they reached the vehicle, something didn’t match.
It was a four-door.
Jose’s Celica was a two-door coupe.
The team quickly realized they had discovered something else entirely: a 1978 Toyota Corolla. Not the car they were looking for. **Not Jose’s car.**
So, the question now is—whose car is it?
Had they just uncovered a missing person they didn’t even know about?
AWP has now turned to law enforcement, working to verify missing persons records and determine whether this newly discovered vehicle is tied to a long-forgotten cold case. The pieces are falling into place, but there is still so much work to be done.
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What’s Next?
With multiple cars still to be identified and removed, and several missing persons still unaccounted for, the mission is far from over.
The river still holds answers.
For some, the waiting has lasted decades. For others, it has only been months. But for every single one of these families, the pain is the same—the pain of not knowing.
And that’s why AWP will never stop searching.
🎬.. Previous Searches in the Sacramento River
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Day 1:
7 MISSING: Our Most INTENSE Search and Recovery Mission of 2024
https://youtu.be/jbwl_8XPR8U
Day 2:
18 Cars Found... 7 Missing... The Search for Julie Vessigault
https://youtu.be/Pq1XDpIM08E
Day 3:
Searching for John Atkins – A Family’s 50-Year Nightmare
https://youtu.be/c_-_eDODsds
Day 4: SOLVED
Karmen Neilson Found in River After 6 Years of Searching!
https://youtu.be/SgKh8AYVkPw
Episode 7:
MISSING: The Search for Julie Margaret Vessigault Intensifies
https://youtu.be/bpBPeO0b6Xk
Episode 8:
11 Submerged Vehicles Found as Search for Missing Persons Intensifies
https://youtu.be/1cHq8I6Acv8
Episode 9:
Uncovering Clues in a 32-Year Old Cold Case
https://youtu.be/DvtVo-lNAd0
Episode 10: This Video
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