On December 23, 1986, 25-year-old Nancy Debra Willis, also known as Debbie, was last seen by her family in Gate City, Virginia. She was in town for the Christmas holiday and was expected to return to her home in Ringgold, Georgia, afterward. At the time of her disappearance, Nancy and her husband, Howard Hawk Willis, were in the process of building a home in Bradley County, Tennessee.
Nancy was described as being 5'3' tall and weighing around 125 pounds, with light brown hair and brown eyes. It was uncharacteristic of her to not maintain contact with her family, which immediately raised concerns when they did not hear from her again.
Nancy's husband, Howard Hawk Willis, provided a conflicting timeline of her disappearance, stating that the last time he saw her was on March 11, 1987. He claimed that she told him she was leaving him and that he had taken her to a bus station in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This was the last time anyone reported seeing Nancy. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance, and while her husband has been considered a suspect, he has never been charged in connection with her case. The investigation into her disappearance remains open, with the Bradley County Sheriff's Office as the primary investigating agency.
The circumstances surrounding Nancy's case became even more troubling years later when her husband, Howard Hawk Willis, was implicated in other violent crimes. In 2002, he was charged with the murders of a newly married teenage couple, 17-year-old Adam Ray Chrismer and 16-year-old Samantha Leming Chrismer. Their dismembered remains were discovered in a storage unit and a lake. In 2010, Howard was convicted of their murders and sentenced to death. Additionally, he is considered a suspect in the disappearance and death of his stepfather, Sam Thomas, who also went missing in 2002. The investigation into Nancy's disappearance continues, a case marked by the unsettling criminal history of her husband and the profound uncertainty of her whereabouts.Last Seen: Dec 23, 1986
