Following a two-day recovery effort, the mystery surrounding a 2004 Ford Taurus pulled from the bottom of the Sunflower River is beginning to unravel.

On Thursday, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office announced it was able to trace the car’s VIN number through an insurance database, which showed that an insurance claim had been paid off on the car following its disappearance.

The sheriff’s office contacted the Jackson Police Department, the city where the claim was processed, and obtained a copy of the police report.

“We haven’t been able to locate the owner or their family,” Sheriff Martin Pace said. “But this is not a carjacking.”

The police report indicated the vehicle was stolen out of a parking lot in Jackson in the fall of 2005. At this time the sheriff’s office is working to find the person who filed the original report in order to notify them that their car was recovered.

“Again I would like to thank the Vicksburg Fire Department dive team and the recovery specialists with Ward’s Wrecking Service for their diligence and dedication in recovering this car in nearly 30 feet of water,” Pace said.