BOCA RATON — Steven MacKrell loved baseball, golf and spending time with his brothers. He was the youngest of three sons, known for his wide smile, easy laugh and generous heart.
For nearly a decade, those who loved him searched for answers after he vanished from Fort Lauderdale in 2015. On Oct. 2, 2025, they finally got one.
Fort Lauderdale police said a private research company, Sunshine State Sonar, discovered MacKrell’s remains and his 2013 Ford Fusion that day, submerged in a lake near Peninsula Corporate Circle in Boca Raton.
Boca Raton police recovered the vehicle from the site, off Congress Avenue near Yamato Road, and found skeletal remains inside, later identified through dental records as MacKrell’s.
Mother ‘numb’ after receiving call that her son’s body was found
The call came unexpectedly, said Astrid MacKrell, Steven’s mother. The news came first to her daughter-in-law, who then called Astrid’s husband.
“I felt numb,” Astrid MacKrell said. “It was like nothing on my mind. No feeling in my body. I couldn’t think.”
For much of the decade, she had held onto the belief that her son was still alive.
“It was a hope to find him alive,” Astrid MacKrell said. “That he would knock at the door, that he would just walk through the door.”
Steven MacKrell was 25 when he disappeared. He had spent the evening of July 29, 2015, in downtown Fort Lauderdale before driving off alone.
Surveillance-camera footage later showed him at a Valero gas station in Pompano Beach at about 2:30 a.m. on July 30. Investigators said he appeared to have a brief dispute with the occupants of another vehicle before leaving the station. That was the last confirmed sighting of him.
In a statement, Fort Lauderdale police said investigators canvassed the surrounding streets and waterways, but neither MacKrell nor his vehicle was found. For years, the case remained open, with detectives periodically reexamining leads.
“Detectives have exhausted all leads and are encouraging anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Mackrell to call,” a July 2019 update from the department read.
That changed on Oct. 2.
How did Steven MacKrell’s car end up in a lake in Boca Raton?
In an update released the following day, authorities said the circumstances surrounding how MacKrell and his car ended up in the lake remain under investigation.
Shortly after the discovery, MacKrell’s family set up a GoFundMe online fundraising page to help cover the costs of travel, cremation and a memorial service.
The fundraiser describes the years following his disappearance, marked by uncertainty and grief for his family, particularly his daughter, Skylar, who is now 11.
“If you cut her hair, that’s Steven,” Astrid MacKrell said. “Personality? That’s Steven.”
Steven MacKrell is survived by his daughter, Skylar; his parents, Astrid and Donald MacKrell; and his brothers, Michael and Kevin.
Detectives are asking anyone who may have had contact with MacKrell on the night of July 30, 2015, or who may have information about his disappearance to contact the Fort Lauderdale Police Department or Broward County Crime Stoppers.
Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at jfernandez@pbpost.com and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @jasminefernandz. Help support our work. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Man’s body found in Boca Raton lake after he vanished more than 10 years ago
Reporting by Jasmine Fernández, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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