The family and friends of a University at Albany student who was reported missing want answers after police found his remains and vehicle in the Hudson River, 12 years after his disappearance.

"Rohan was a great friend. He was like a big brother to everyone. He was very silly," Brown's friend, ShaMecca Allah, said.

For the past twelve years, family and friends have been searching for Rohan Stefon Brown who went missing on August 8, 2008. At the time of his disappearance, the Poughkeepsie resident was set to start his senior year at U-Albany that fall.

"The last we heard was, he had got pulled over. And it was a routine traffic stop, he got pulled over and then after that, we never seen him again," says Allah.

Unfortunately for Brown’s family, the hopes of him returning home were washed away as his remains were found in a sunken vehicle in the Hudson River last month by state police off the Poughkeepsie shore during a training exercise.

"From that day we were like, you know what happened, you know. Like what led up to his body in his car being in the Hudson River, like right here, but we spent, we spend all this time like we're down here all the time you know having birthday parties or just celebrating baby showers," Allah said.

Friends say they have so many questions about what happened to Brown. Including, why his vehicle had not been discovered earlier considering the location where it was found.

"How many times has the Hudson River been dredged since 2008? How many times have they searched for someone in the Hudson River right there in that exact same spot? And you didn't find this car, or this man," says Allah. "The story that they're given, you know, doesn't make any sense and they're not, it doesn't seem like they're trying hard enough, it's been 12 years."

Wanting to find answers and help the family lay Brown to rest, friends have started a GoFundMe page to raise money for his funeral and to hire a board-certified forensic pathologist to conduct their own examination on the remains.

"There's all kinds of unanswered questions that we all have because nothing's at enough and nothing at all is making sense whatsoever," says Allah. "You can't just tell a person's mother, that was their only child. You know that, you know, oh it's undetermined we don't know what happened. Maybe this, may be that, it's never maybe I need a specific answer, you know, she needs a specific answer. There has to be justice severed for Rohan."

Wanting to find some closure and to know the truth behind the disappearance and death of a beloved son and friend.

Allah says, "It was hard, it was very hard. It's still, it's hard to this day. Because, you know, he was such a good person, it was like why would someone want to do this to someone who had, you know, no bad bones in their body."

Police say the death doesn't appear suspicious, but the investigation remains open. If you would like to donate to the Go Fund Me, click here.

Friends and Family will also gather at Waryas Park in Poughkeepsie for a candle light vigil and memorial cookout on Saturday, August 22.