In the late summer of 2009, Brian Wehrle, a 39-year-old land surveyor, traveled from the Atlanta home he shared with his partner to his parents' house in Carrollton, Georgia. He was in his hometown to handle matters related to his parents' estate and had a probate court appointment scheduled. The journey itself was fraught with difficulty due to catastrophic flooding in the region, turning what was normally a short drive into a four-hour ordeal. On the evening of September 23, 2009, he spoke with his niece and his partner, and nothing seemed amiss. A neighbor, accustomed to Brian's insomnia-fueled late hours, saw him in his garage around 2:00 a.m. By 8:30 a.m. the next morning, both Brian and his light blue 1992 Buick LeSabre were gone. He never made it to his 9:00 a.m. court appointment, and from that moment, he vanished.
Left behind at his parents' home were nearly all of his personal belongings, including his cell phone, medication for a heart condition and rheumatoid arthritis, clothing, and toiletries. The only significant items missing were Brian, his car, and his iPod. For months, there was no sign of him or his vehicle. Then, in December 2009, his Buick was found abandoned in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a city over two hours north where he had no known connections. The car's discovery only deepened the mystery. The key was in the ignition, and while some of his personal items were inside, the original Georgia license plate had been replaced with a stolen Tennessee plate. A local resident reported seeing a man park the car sometime around the last week of October, more than a month before it was officially found.
The investigation into Brian Wehrle's disappearance has spanned over a decade, with law enforcement suspecting foul play from early on. Despite numerous searches, including an aerial search and the use of cadaver dogs which alerted to a spot near a boathouse on his parents' property, no trace of Brian has been found. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation processed his recovered car but found no definitive evidence to lead them to his whereabouts. His family, tormented by the unknown, has continued to advocate for him, raising money for billboards and working to keep his story in the public eye. The case remains an active investigation, a painful puzzle with a missing centerpiece. The sudden and silent nature of his disappearance, the strange circumstances of his car's recovery, and the complete lack of communication since that September morning have left his loved ones and investigators with more questions than answers, holding onto the hope that someone, somewhere, knows what happened to Brian Wehrle.
Last Seen: Sep 24, 2009
