In the early morning hours of November 25, 2016, 22-year-old Christopher 'Cole' Thomas vanished from Benson, North Carolina, leaving behind a trail of conflicting stories and unanswered questions. He was a young man with a promising future, having recently moved from Florida to Minnesota to start an apprenticeship as an electrician after studying sports medicine at the University of Florida.
Traveling with two coworkers on a trip from Minnesota, Cole found himself in Benson for reasons that would later become a focal point of the investigation. The last confirmed sighting of Cole was near the intersection of North Elm and East Morgan streets. According to his companions, Cole abruptly stopped the car, got out, and ran off into the darkness. He was wearing a blue t-shirt with a black long-sleeved undershirt, black pants, a blue and white baseball cap, and dark-colored Hurley shoes.
The initial account provided by Cole's coworkers was that he had become paranoid and fled. However, their stories reportedly changed over time. The investigation uncovered that the group had allegedly stopped in Benson to conduct a drug deal. This revelation was a shock to Cole's family, who said that everything seemed normal in their text communications with him shortly before he disappeared. As law enforcement delved deeper, surveillance footage and phone data seemed to contradict the initial narrative, suggesting a more complex and troubling sequence of events leading up to his disappearance. The Benson Police Department, with the assistance of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation conducted numerous searches in Johnston and Wayne counties, but found no trace of the missing man. His father, Chris Thomas, has expressed his belief that his son is no longer alive and that the situation took a turn for the worse after the alleged drug transaction.
In July 2017, the case saw a significant development when four men, including the two coworkers who were with Cole when he vanished, were arrested. The charges were serious, including concealment of a death and obstruction of justice. However, in a surprising turn in September 2019, all charges against the four individuals were dropped. The prosecution stated that this was a strategic move to avoid compromising a potential future homicide investigation, as Cole's disappearance is being treated as a homicide, although his body has never been found. The case remains open and active, with the SBI continuing to investigate any new leads. The family continues to hold out hope for answers, and a substantial reward is available for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in connection with Cole's disappearance. The overarching narrative of this case is one of a young man who mysteriously vanished after what was supposed to be a routine trip with colleagues, with the circumstances of his disappearance pointing towards foul play. Despite arrests being made, the subsequent dismissal of charges has left the case in a state of uncertainty, with a family still desperately seeking closure and justice for their son.Last Seen: Nov 25, 2016
