On December 20, 2025, 57-year-old Randall Spivey and his 33-year-old nephew, Brandon Billmaier, were reported missing after they failed to return from a deep-sea fishing trip off the coast of Fort Myers, Florida. The two men, both attorneys, had departed early that morning in a 42-foot Freeman boat for what was intended to be a day-long excursion. Concerns arose when they did not come back as expected that afternoon, and family members were unable to contact them, prompting them to alert the
authorities that evening. Spivey was the president and founder of the Spivey Law Firm in Fort Myers.
A multi-agency search and rescue operation was quickly launched, led by the U.S. Coast Guard. In the early hours of the following morning, the Coast Guard located the missing men's boat, the "Unstopp-A-Bull," approximately 70 miles off the coast of Fort Myers. The vessel was found adrift with the engines still running, but there was no sign of Spivey or Billmaier on board. The discovery of the empty boat intensified the search efforts, which involved air and sea crews from the Coast Guard, the Lee County Sheriff's Office, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, covering a vast expanse of the Gulf of Mexico. Spivey's son, Randy, made a public plea for assistance from boaters and pilots to help in the search, expressing the family's belief that the men had flotation devices and were awaiting rescue.
After days of extensive searching that covered approximately 6,700 square miles, the U.S. Coast Guard made the difficult decision to suspend their active search efforts at sunset on December 22, 2025, pending any new information. The weather conditions during the search were reported as manageable, with 10 mph winds and three-foot seas. Following the suspension of the official search, the investigation into the disappearance of Randall Spivey and Brandon Billmaier was taken over by the FBI. Notably, it was reported that just a month prior to his disappearance, a federal investigation into Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, in which Spivey was a key witness, had been concluded with no charges filed. This has led to public speculation about the circumstances surrounding the men's disappearance. Authorities have asked anyone with information to contact the Lee County Sheriff's Office or SWFL Crime Stoppers.Last Seen: Dec 20, 2025
