Chaos Divers found the submerged Nissan Altima near a Chester street ending after using the missing woman’s last known locations to guide its search.
CHESTER, Pa. — A volunteer dive team searching for a missing Chester woman located her gray Nissan Altima submerged in the Delaware River within minutes Sunday, leading authorities to recover a body that police believe is 33-year-old Kortney Staples.
The Delaware County Medical Examiner’s Office had not formally identified the body as of Monday evening and was working to determine the cause of death. Chester police said identifying features on the body, including tattoos, were consistent with Staples. Divers also recovered a license plate matching the vehicle she had been driving before she disappeared.
Staples was last seen by her family July 11 and was reported missing July 18, according to Chester police. The department had circulated information about her and the gray Nissan Altima while investigators and her family searched for signs of where she had gone. Police said a photograph taken at 4:23 a.m. July 12 showed the car on Highland Avenue South.
The search shifted Sunday after a friend of Staples’ family contacted Chaos Divers, an Illinois-based volunteer group that searches waterways for missing people and vehicles. Lindsay Bussick, the group’s manager, told 6abc that the team used Staples’ home address and the location shown in the last known image of her vehicle to narrow the places it wanted to examine.
Divers concentrated on the Delaware River near the point where Norris Street ends in Chester. Bussick said the team located the vehicle in less than 10 minutes after entering the search area. The car was underwater near Front and Norris streets, not far from the Commodore Barry Bridge.
The vehicle was recovered from the river Sunday evening with help from local authorities and recovery crews. Police said the body of a woman was found inside. Authorities emphasized that the medical examiner must complete the formal identification process before officials can confirm that the person recovered was Staples.
The location is now part of the continuing investigation into what happened before the car entered the river. Police said a fence that had previously blocked the area was damaged. Investigators also noted damage to the front of the recovered car. Authorities have not said what caused either condition or whether they are connected to Staples’ disappearance.
Police said they have found no indication of foul play so far, but the investigation remains open. Officers are still trying to reconstruct Staples’ final movements and determine whom she may have seen or spoken with before she disappeared. Police Commissioner Katrina Blackwell said even brief contact with Staples could help investigators better understand her last known hours.
The recovery brought an important development in a disappearance that had drawn sustained attention from Staples’ family and the Chester community. The dive team said finding a missing person can provide answers for relatives even when the outcome is painful. Chester officials also expressed condolences to Staples’ family after the vehicle and body were recovered.
Authorities are awaiting the medical examiner’s findings on identity and cause of death while Chester police continue gathering information about Staples’ movements and the circumstances surrounding the submerged vehicle. Police have not announced evidence showing that another person was involved.
Author note: Last updated August 11, 2026.