In the late afternoon of a Sunday in early November 2007, 18-year-old Aaron John Watkins departed from his residence in Plainfield, New Jersey. He was driving a 1997 Jeep that belonged to his roommate, who was also his supervisor at a construction job. Aaron had told his roommate he was going to an acquaintance's house to retrieve some of his personal belongings. This was the last time he was reportedly seen.
Later that evening, at approximately 6:45 p.m., the Jeep he had been driving was discovered abandoned on the shoulder of the Driscoll Bridge, which spans the Raritan River on the Garden State Parkway. Aaron's cell phone was found inside the vehicle, but there was no sign of the young man himself.
The discovery of the abandoned vehicle immediately prompted a search of the river below. Authorities dispatched a dive team to scour the waters, but their efforts were met with no success. Complicating the initial theory that he may have jumped, no witnesses reported seeing anyone leap from the bridge. Fishermen who were in the area at the time recalled hearing a 'thump' at the base of the bridge, but they were unable to determine the source of the sound. Aaron had a history of personal challenges. Adopted at the age of nine, he had been diagnosed with both ADHD and bipolar disorder. In his teenage years, he was known to run away from home and was reportedly struggling with substance use at the time of his disappearance. While he had made threats of suicide in the past, his biological mother did not believe he would have taken his own life.
At the time he went missing, Aaron was described as a white male with brown hair and blue eyes, standing between 5'6' and 5'8' and weighing around 140 pounds. He had several distinct features, including pierced ears, a pierced tongue, and a small mole located under his right eye. When last seen, he was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, black shoes, and a green baseball cap. The investigation into his disappearance has remained open, with the Plainfield Police Department leading the efforts. Despite clearing everyone they interviewed of any involvement, the circumstances surrounding Aaron's vanishing remain a painful mystery for his loved ones. The case is a distressing puzzle, caught between the possibilities of a deliberate disappearance, an unfortunate accident, or other possibilities, leaving a family without answers for many years.Last Seen: Nov 11, 2007
