Florida Woman Who Went Missing 10 Years Ago Found Dead in Minivan Submerged in Pond Near Her Home

A Florida woman who went missing 10 years ago has finally been found, bringing some answers to her grieving family.

Yekaterina “Katya” Belaya, a mother of three from Melbourne, Florida, disappeared in 2014 when she was last seen driving to a store. Her body was recently found inside her white Honda Odyssey minivan, which was submerged in a pond not far from her home.

The discovery was made on December 20, 2024, by a private search team called Sunshine State Sonar. They located the van upside down in a retention pond off Viera Boulevard, just 1.6 miles from where Katya lived. The team said on Facebook that they hope this discovery will give her family some peace after so many years of not knowing what happened to her.

Mike Sullivan, the owner of Sunshine State Sonar, explained how they got involved. Someone contacted them after reading messages posted online by Katya’s daughters, who were still searching for answers about their mom’s disappearance. Using cellphone signal data, the team narrowed down the search and found the minivan after searching over 30 ponds and lakes in the area.

Sullivan admitted he was surprised they found her so quickly because there are around 500 bodies of water in the region. He also said he has been in touch with Katya’s daughters, who were thankful for their help but understandably in shock.

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the remains inside the van were Katya’s. They are still investigating the case to understand how she ended up in the pond. Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tod Goodyear said there is a lot more work to do but acknowledged that finding her body gives the family some closure.

For years, Katya’s family had been left wondering what happened to her. Now, although the investigation continues, they finally have some answers and can begin to heal from this long and painful chapter.