On October 2, 2011, a respected Nashville cardiothoracic surgeon, 55-year-old Dr. William Coltharp, told his wife he was going kayaking on Center Hill Lake in DeKalb County, Tennessee, and would be home for dinner. When he hadn't returned by 1 a.m. the following morning, she reported him missing, setting in motion a search that would uncover puzzling clues but leave his ultimate fate a mystery for years. Authorities were notified, and an investigation into the surgeon's sudden disappearance from the Smithville area began. Dr. Coltharp was a former standout football player at Mississippi State University and had worked as a surgeon at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville since 1988, where he was a valued and accomplished physician. His disappearance sent a shockwave through his community and left his family anxiously awaiting answers.
The search for Dr. Coltharp quickly yielded perplexing discoveries. His kayak was found overturned in the lake, about a mile from the Hurricane Bridge boat ramp where his vehicle was parked. Inside a dry storage compartment of the kayak, investigators found a life jacket and his laptop computer. The computer was later sent to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for analysis. Adding to the mystery, a witness reported seeing a man who matched Dr. Coltharp's description loading a cinder block into his kayak before paddling out onto the lake. Near the boat ramp, under some rocks, an empty gun case belonging to the doctor was also located. Despite extensive searches of the lake, which included the use of cadaver dogs, Dr. Coltharp was never found.
As time passed with no sign of Dr. Coltharp, the official search was eventually called off. Though the investigation remained open as a missing person case, hope for his safe return began to fade. Nearly two months after he vanished, his wife filed court documents to have a conservator appointed to manage his estate, expressing her belief that he had died on the lake. The lack of any significant leads or new evidence left both law enforcement and his loved ones in a painful state of uncertainty. The case of the accomplished surgeon who vanished on a calm day of kayaking remained a perplexing mystery, marked by strange clues but no definitive answers. In April 2015, a memorial service was held for Dr. Coltharp, and an obituary was published, bringing a somber close to his family's long and painful wait for resolution.
Last Seen: Oct 02, 2011
