In the late hours of November 18, 2017, 36-year-old Stephen Michael Cole, known to his friends as "Lurch," was with friends in Clarksville, Tennessee. This would be the last time he was seen or heard from by his loved ones. When Stephen failed to make contact and left his personal belongings behind, concern grew among his family and friends. A missing person report was filed with the Clarksville Police Department, initiating an investigation into his sudden and uncharacteristic disappearance. Initially, authorities sought the public's help in locating him to check on his welfare, but as the investigation progressed, a more sinister narrative began to emerge. It soon became clear that Stephen had not just vanished; police determined he had been taken from a Clarksville residence against his will.
The investigation into Stephen's disappearance uncovered his association with the Clarksville chapter of the Mongols Motorcycle Gang.
It was revealed that Stephen, a former member, was accused of stealing motorcycles that belonged to another member, William Boylston. This act was seen as a sign of disrespect that jeopardized Boylston's reputation within the gang. In the days following his last sighting, federal indictments revealed a brutal sequence of events. On November 19, 2017, members of the Mongols gang kidnapped Stephen at gunpoint, stripping him of his personal belongings. He was then transported from Clarksville to a residence in Trenton, Kentucky.
Tragically, the investigating agency reported that Stephen Cole was found deceased. In Kentucky, he was subjected to hours of interrogation, torture, and a brutal beating. The horrific ordeal ended with his murder. Subsequent investigations led to a federal racketeering conspiracy case against numerous members and associates of the Clarksville Mongols. Several individuals were charged in connection with Stephen's kidnapping and murder. The case brought to light the violent criminal activities of the gang in and around the Clarksville area. Ultimately, six members of the Mongols Motorcycle Gang were convicted on charges of racketeering conspiracy, which included the kidnapping and murder of Stephen Cole, bringing a measure of justice to a case that began as a local missing person report and unraveled into a complex federal investigation into organized crime.Last Seen: Nov 18, 2017
