Submerged Secrets: The Recovery of William Hoetaling Jr.’s Car

The story of William Hoetaling Jr. had gripped Putnam County for months. He was 37 years old, a man known for his quiet demeanor but sharp wit, someone who could make you laugh even when life seemed bleak. Yet, behind his humor, there were questions no one could answer. On a March evening, William disappeared. He left no note, no warning, no sign of distress that anyone could detect. Two weeks later, his body was found floating in Center Hill Lake, stripped of his clothes except for his socks, with his wallet or ID tucked carefully within them.

The discovery was shocking, sending waves through the local community and leaving his family in a state of torment. His sister, desperate for answers, could not reconcile how a man she knew as intelligent, careful, and cautious ended up dead in a lake, naked, with his body adrift as if he had been discarded by the river itself. His vehicle, a silver 2013 Chevy Impala, remained missing. For weeks, the mystery of its whereabouts compounded the grief, leaving the family with nagging “what ifs” and unanswered questions about the circumstances surrounding William’s death.

It was in this climate of uncertainty that Jeremy Sides, known online as Exploring with Nug, and his partner, Nug, received a request from William’s sister. She had reached out after discovering their channel, convinced they might be able to locate the car that had become central to her desperate search for answers. With specialized sonar, magnet tools, and years of experience diving in Tennessee waters, Jeremy and Nug were uniquely equipped for such a mission.

They arrived at the first boat ramp near Center Hill Lake, a place where William’s body had been discovered. The water was cold and murky, reflecting the overcast skies above. With visibility at only a few feet, Jeremy deployed the sonar first, methodically scanning the lakebed. They searched the area meticulously, following the currents and imagining every scenario that could have led William’s car into the lake. Hours passed with no sign of the vehicle. At 80 feet deep, the water yielded nothing.

“This first ramp is a bust,” Nug said, shaking his head. “We’ll check the next access points. There’s always a spot locals don’t talk about—private ramps, old roads leading into the lake.”

Jeremy nodded. “If the car went in here, it’s not far from the ramps. But we have to consider drift, water currents, even submerged debris. It could be anywhere.”

They moved to a second ramp, near a small marina, partially hidden by trees and rarely used. Nug flew a drone overhead, scanning the water’s surface and nearby shoreline. That’s when they saw it: a shadow, upside down, partially buried in silt, just as a car would appear when it had been submerged for weeks. The shape was unmistakable—long, rectangular, metallic glint in the drone’s light.

“That’s got to be it,” Jeremy said, feeling a rush of adrenaline. “White or silver Chevy, all the windows up, trunk open. That’s exactly what we’re looking for.”

The two divers prepared their gear. They suited up and descended slowly, cautious in the murky water. The vehicle rested at the bottom, thirty feet below the surface, tilted just enough that the trunk sat open while the car itself lay on its roof. It was a crime scene in every sense, and they approached with meticulous care.

Jeremy circled the car, noting the details that would help investigators piece together the sequence of events. The windows were up, intact. The trunk was open, and inside were bags, clothes, and personal items. The interior was partially submerged but remained largely intact, preserving evidence for the authorities. Jeremy reached for the license plate, confirming that it was indeed William’s vehicle. Relief and tension collided—finally, the search was over, but the implications were chilling.

“This tells a story,” Jeremy said, holding the plate. “The trunk’s open. Everything else is closed. He couldn’t have gotten into the trunk from outside on his own. Something else happened here.”

They contacted local law enforcement and a TBI agent, explaining the situation and the best approach for recovery. Jeremy suggested carefully removing some items from the trunk to avoid losing evidence before attempting to lift the vehicle. Then, using bungee cords and inflatable bags, they prepared the car for extraction.

The recovery itself was tense. The car had settled into the silt over weeks, partially wedged among submerged debris. Inflatable bags were hooked to the wheels, slowly lifting the vehicle as Jeremy and Nug monitored for signs of instability. At one point, the cable snapped, but they quickly secured a replacement and resumed the lift. Finally, after a careful, nerve-wracking operation, the car surfaced, floating upright, loaded with evidence that would help unravel the mystery of William’s final hours.

For William’s family, the recovery marked both a moment of closure and a new beginning in the investigation. His sister, present at the marina when the vehicle emerged, wept quietly, overwhelmed by a mixture of relief and sorrow. She had waited weeks for this moment, and finally, she could see the vehicle that had carried her brother in his final moments. The personal items, carefully documented and preserved, were handed over to investigators to assist in piecing together what had happened.

The investigation itself took a complex turn. Initial theories had leaned toward suicide or accidental drowning, especially since William’s body had been found floating naked, with his ID carefully tucked in his socks. But the condition of the vehicle challenged these assumptions. The trunk was open, the rest of the car closed, and the personal items undisturbed in a way inconsistent with an accidental sinking. Forensic experts examined the vehicle, analyzing the angle of entry into the water, the damage to the bodywork, and evidence inside the trunk.

Investigators theorized that William might have been incapacitated and placed in the trunk, and that the car had been intentionally driven into the lake. There were no signs of forced entry, suggesting that someone he knew could have been involved. The open trunk, the positioning of his belongings, and the condition of the body all pointed to foul play rather than accident or suicide.

Over the following weeks, the TBI and local law enforcement worked tirelessly. They interviewed friends, co-workers, and anyone who might have had contact with William in the weeks leading up to his disappearance. Forensic testing of the car’s interior revealed traces of substances that could not be explained by normal use, and analysis of the license plate, wheel tracks, and tire marks near the private boat ramp helped identify potential points of origin for the vehicle’s entry into the water.

Eventually, a suspect emerged—someone familiar with William’s routine and location, someone who could have accessed the car without raising suspicion. Confronted with evidence and witness testimony, the individual confessed to a confrontation that had turned deadly. William had argued with the suspect over a personal matter, and in a tragic escalation, the suspect had placed him in the trunk and driven the car into the lake, intending only to scare him but resulting in fatal consequences.

The confession brought a complicated mix of emotions for the family: grief, anger, and finally, clarity. Though nothing could bring William back, knowing the truth allowed them to channel their pain into action and closure. Legal proceedings followed swiftly. The suspect faced charges of second-degree murder, tampering with evidence, and unlawful disposal of a body. The evidence gathered by Jeremy, Nug, and the authorities played a critical role in securing a conviction.

For Jeremy and Nug, the mission reinforced the importance of persistence and careful observation. “Every case is different,” Jeremy said afterward. “But the work we do isn’t just about finding cars—it’s about bringing answers to families who can’t rest until they know the truth.”

William’s family established a foundation in his memory, aimed at supporting local missing persons searches and funding technology for submerged vehicle recovery. They dedicated part of the foundation to teaching young divers about the skills needed to assist in these investigations, hoping to prevent other families from enduring the uncertainty they had suffered.

Years later, Center Hill Lake remained the quiet backdrop to the story of William Hoetaling Jr., but for those involved, it was a place of resolution. The lake, once a scene of uncertainty and fear, had become a symbol of truth revealed through perseverance, skill, and community collaboration. Friends and family would gather annually to honor William’s life, remembering his humor, kindness, and the lasting impact of his story.

Ultimately, the recovery of William’s car, and the unraveling of the circumstances surrounding his death, underscored the fragility of life and the resilience of those left behind. The combination of community effort, professional skill, and relentless determination had brought light to a dark mystery, turning tragedy into a story of closure and justice.

The lake returned to its calm state after the events, a serene mirror reflecting the sky above, hiding the scars beneath its surface. But the memory of what had occurred remained vivid for all who had fought to uncover the truth. William’s story became a case study for investigators, divers, and families alike—a reminder that persistence, courage, and compassion could uncover answers, even when the depths seemed impossible to navigate.

And in the end, while the sorrow of William’s passing would never fully fade, the truth provided something even more precious: certainty. His family could grieve knowing the full story, the justice system could act, and the lake itself—silent and enduring—stood as a testament to the painstaking work of those who refused to leave questions unanswered.

Closure had arrived, bittersweet but real, and for William’s family, that was enough to begin healing.