Nicholas Kyle Downey, age 37, was last seen on February 26, 2023, in Bristol, Florida, under circumstances that remain deeply puzzling. Originally from Bradenton, Florida, Downey had taken time off work to visit his wife Holly, who was staying at a rehabilitation center in Mississippi. He rented a Tesla through the Turo app in Tampa for the trip. On his return journey, he stopped to recharge the vehicle behind a McDonald’s in Marianna, Florida. Surveillance footage captured someone exiting the car to charge it, then driving south on State Road 71 instead of rejoining Interstate 10 as expected.
The Tesla’s owner, monitoring the car’s location remotely, noticed the deviation and sent a message to Downey via the app, which would have appeared on the car’s dashboard. No response was received. Downey was scheduled to return to work on February 27 but never showed up. On March 3, he was officially reported missing from Gulfport, Mississippi.
The vehicle was later discovered abandoned in Liberty County, Florida, in a remote hunting lease area between Turkey Creek Road and Prison Road. It had minimal battery charge but was still operable. The windshield was damaged, likely from driving under a cable, and white paint transfer was found on a cable about a mile and a half from the car’s location. Inside the vehicle were two cell phones—one belonging to Downey and the other to his wife—as well as a change of clothes and a drone used for his job.
Authorities conducted extensive searches of the area using canine units and aerial surveillance, but found no trace of Downey. Sheriff Buddy Money noted the lack of footprints around the vehicle, stating, “Something’s not adding up.” The case remains classified as endangered missing and unsolved.
Downey is described as a white male with brown hair and green/hazel eyes. He has two tattoos: an anatomical heart with the name “Holly” on his chest and an all-seeing eye on the back of his neck. He is the father of two children who live with their mother in Kentucky. Despite multiple investigations and public appeals, no confirmed sightings or leads have emerged regarding his whereabouts.
Last Seen: Feb 26, 2023
