Sunshine State Sonar Reopens Fort Lauderdale Cold Case
Sunshine State Sonar returns to Broward to search for missing teen Teresa Lyn Fittin.
Missing Since 1975: Who Was Teresa Lyn Fittin?
Teresa Lyn Fittin vanished from Fort Lauderdale on August 1, 1975. The 18-year-old high school senior was last seen leaving her apartment after an argument with her boyfriend. She was driving a green 1966 Nash Rambler, which has never been found.
Fittin attended Stranahan High School and worked as a hotel server along the beachfront. According to the Charley Project, she dreamed of becoming an artist or an oceanographer. But those dreams were cut short when she disappeared without a trace.
Sonar Search Rekindles Hope
Michael Sullivan, lead diver and owner of Sunshine State Sonar, tells Miami New Times that his team will head to Fort Lauderdale in June 2025 to begin searching the waterways near Fittin’s last known location. Their focus: canals and retention ponds near Davie Boulevard.
Sullivan’s team has made progress in similar cases. Over the past year, they’ve located seven missing persons in Broward County, including most recently Libby Ann Dibenedetto.
“Some of the older cars we’ve found while searching are just a stone’s throw from her apartment,” Sullivan says.
The Only Clue Left Behind
The only known trace of Fittin was her wallet, recovered from the Riverland Branch Library down the street from her apartment. Inside were photos of friends, but no leads emerged.
Sullivan hopes their sonar scans, which have uncovered 1950s and 1960s vehicles in the area, will finally reveal Fittin’s car—or her remains.
A Family Still Waiting
Fittin’s parents, who still live in the Fort Lauderdale area, remain hopeful. They’ve reserved a space under a memorial bench at Lauderdale Memorial Park Cemetery in case her remains are ever recovered.
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