Body pulled from submerged van in Baltimore's Inner Harbor identified as man reported missing 11 years ago

A body found in a van that was pulled from Baltimore's Inner Harbor last year has been identified as a man who was reported missing more than 11 years ago, police said Friday.

Officials said Franklin Roosevelt Daniels was reported missing from another jurisdiction. His body was found in a van that was pulled from the water in July 2025.

Police divers spotted the vehicle during a training exercise. 

The van went missing in December 2014 from Waldorf, Maryland, and had likely been submerged for years, officers said. 

The Honda minivan had the logo for the Silver Taxi Cab Service of Waldorf on the side. It had broken windows and was covered in dirt when it was pulled from the water behind the National Aquarium in the 500 block of East Pratt Street. 

Officials have not yet identified Daniels' cause of death. 

Inner Harbor safety measures 

Some neighbors have been calling for improved safety measures around the harbor, especially after the body of a missing 27-year-old man, Branson Oduor, was recovered from the water weeks after he was reported missing from a night out in Fells Point. 

In a petition, advocates are asking for protecting railings and vehicle barriers to be put in place, along with increased lighting along the waterfront, visible warning signs in nightlife areas and clearly marked and accessible life rings and emergency ladders.