In the summer of 2006, a young couple, 21-year-old Christopher Dale Mittendorf and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Kristina Branum, vanished from Savannah, a city in Hardin County, Tennessee. The pair, who were living with Christopher's mother, Cheryl Flatt, were last seen on July 27, 2006. On the day they disappeared, they had been out shopping. When Flatt returned to their residence in the 15000 block of Highway 64, she found the new clothes they had purchased laid out on a bed, but
Christopher and Kristina were gone. They were never heard from again. Christopher, also known as 'Hogman,' was described as a white male with light brown hair and blue eyes, standing between 5'4' and 5'6' and weighing between 115 and 125 pounds. He had a noticeable burn scar on his left hand between his thumb and forefinger. At the time of his disappearance, he was believed to be wearing a t-shirt with a design on the front, Old Navy blue jeans, white tennis shoes, and a white baseball cap.
The initial days following their disappearance yielded few answers. Five days later, the dark green 1994 Geo Prizm that Christopher and Kristina had been driving was found abandoned and unlocked. The vehicle was located near a pond in a rural area of Lawrence County, approximately 50 to 60 miles from their home. Inside the car were some of their personal belongings, including one of their cell phones. A witness reported seeing the couple exit their vehicle and get into a white car before it drove away, but this sighting was never confirmed. Despite numerous possible sightings in Tennessee and as far away as Oklahoma, none could be definitively verified. The families were left in a state of turmoil, pleading for any information about their loved ones' whereabouts.
A significant development in the case came when Christopher's mother, Cheryl Flatt, discovered a lockbox in their home containing items belonging to a local man with a criminal record named George 'Eddie' Baugus. This led to speculation that Christopher and Kristina may have robbed or burglarized Baugus before they went missing. Baugus, however, was never able to provide any information, as he was killed in March 2010. In June 2025, authorities announced a major breakthrough in the case. They stated they had identified the person responsible for the couple's deaths and the disposal of their remains, and that this individual was deceased. While this provided a degree of closure, the remains of Christopher Mittendorf and Kristina Branum have never been found. The investigation into their disappearance is now considered closed. The case remains a tragic story of two young lives cut short, leaving their families with unanswered questions and the enduring pain of their loss.Last Seen: Jul 27, 2006
