Cole Younger Middleton, a 20‑year‑old white male from Gatesville, Texas, disappeared under mysterious circumstances in mid‑August 2015. According to the Charley Project, Middleton was last seen on August 13 or 14, 2015, in Gatesville, with no confirmed sightings thereafter. He was classified as an “endangered missing” person at that time.
His mother reported that she last spoke with him on July 19, 2015, and had no further contact until reporting him missing in late September, after a relative had arranged a hotel stay that lasted only one night before he abruptly left and his duffel bag of clothing was left behind.
Initial investigations by Gatesville police yielded no substantial leads. Though deputies reportedly had contact with Middleton in early August, he vanished without trace soon after the hotel incident. His disappearance remained unsolved and eventually a cold case, with few clues and no signs of inclement activity apparent at first.
Nearly seven years later, on April 23, 2022, skeletal remains were discovered on a rural property along Riverbend Lane in Coryell County, outside Gatesville. Authorities confirmed human remains and recovered additional items at the scene, including a folding pocketknife and a piece of a T‑shirt. The site was described as remote, and investigators noted the presence of wild hogs in the area, complicating the condition and interpretation of the remains.
Following the recovery, Cole’s remains were sent to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification for DNA testing. His mother, Julia Middleton, provided a saliva sample, which matched the remains, confirming his identity in November 2024. Official confirmation was announced in mid‑November 2024, at which point authorities removed his name from the Texas Crime Information Center missing persons record.
To date, the cause and manner of Middleton's death remain undetermined. Law enforcement has stated that no evidence of foul play was found at the scene. The remote location, scavenging by wildlife, and lack of witnesses have hindered efforts to reconstruct the final days leading up to his disappearance. Investigators have continued to encourage anyone with relevant information to come forward to help clarify the circumstances.
Though the outcome was not what his family had hoped for, the identification of Middleton’s remains after nearly a decade brought some measure of closure. Coryell County Sheriff Scott Williams expressed that while the resolution was tragic, confirming Middleton’s identity was a necessary step for his family, friends, and community to find some peace.Last Seen: Aug 13, 2015
