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Derek Lueking Missing Person Case

Last seen in Cherokee, North Carolina on Mar 17, 2012

Victim Details

Apr 09, 2012

Jun 12, 2018

Derek

Lueking

38

24

70 inches

72 inches

215 lbs

225 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

Mar 17, 2012

Cherokee

North Carolina

Swain County

28719

11641

National park Service

Cherokee

North Carolina

,

12-1076

2012-03-17

National park Service

Brown

Hazel

Hazel

07/05/2026


Area Last Seen:

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Appalachian Unsolved: Derek Lueking, missing in the Smokies

Case Description

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In the early morning hours of March 17, 2012, 24-year-old Derek Lueking was seen on surveillance video leaving a Microtel Inn in Cherokee, North Carolina. This would be the last confirmed sighting of the young man. Concern for Derek's welfare had begun a couple of days earlier when he failed to show up for his job as an aide at Peninsula Behavioral Health Center in Tennessee and was not answering his phone. His family, after being alerted by his roommate, drove from Virginia to his home in ...
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Last Seen: Mar 17, 2012

Links to Additional Sources (10)

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  • Appalachian Unsolved: Derek Lueking, Missing in the Smokies
  • Appalachian Unsolved: Derek Lueking, missing in the Smokies
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    Forum Posts (3)

    Did anyone else notice how eerie it is that Derek's note simply said, "Don’t follow me"? It almost... ...Read More
    10/18/2024
    I've been following Derek Lueking's case for a while, and something that sticks out to me is the det... ...Read More
    07/16/2024
    Has anyone looked into the specific spot where Derek's car was found, Newfound Gap? It's a pretty po... ...Read More
    04/24/2023
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