In the late summer of 2022, a sense of unease began to settle over Julian, North Carolina, with the disappearance of 50-year-old Stuart Lee Carter. A white male, standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing a slight 120 pounds, Stuart was a familiar face to some in the area. He was last seen on September 20, 2022, and what he was wearing that day would become a key piece of information in the search for him: blue jeans, possibly with holes in them, a polo shirt with a diamond pattern, black
Champion shoes, and a distinctive orange baseball hat. Concern for his welfare grew, and he was officially reported missing to the Guilford County Sheriff's Office three days after he was last seen. In the initial stages of the investigation, authorities appealed to the public for any information, noting that Stuart was known to frequent several areas in nearby Greensboro, including Old Julian Road, Alamance Church Road, and Summit Avenue. The first days of a missing person case are often the most critical, and as days turned into weeks, the hope of his safe return began to dwindle, elevating the concern among law enforcement and his loved ones.
The search for Stuart Lee Carter continued for an agonizingly long period, stretching from weeks into months, and then into years. The Guilford County Sheriff's Department, along with other law enforcement agencies, friends, and family, persisted in their efforts to uncover what had happened to him. Nearly two months after his disappearance, the Sheriff's Department reissued a public plea for assistance, a testament to the ongoing and increasingly desperate search. The case remained a painful and unanswered question for the community and all who knew Stuart. The mystery surrounding his disappearance was a heavy weight, and the lack of answers only compounded the grief and uncertainty for his family.
After nearly two years of searching and investigation, a significant and grim development emerged in the case. In April 2024, the Guilford County Sheriff's Office announced a major breakthrough. On April 25, detectives charged 27-year-old Skyler Chance Kearns with first-degree murder and concealment of a death in connection with Stuart Carter's disappearance. This turn of events was the result of a long and painstaking investigation by the Major Crimes Investigative Unit. The following day, as part of the ongoing investigation, law enforcement, with the assistance of the Triad Blood Hounds Group, conducted a search of a wooded area in Randolph County, where they discovered unidentified human remains. Though the remains were not immediately identified, the tragic reality of the situation became clear. The case of the missing man from Julian had transitioned into a homicide investigation, bringing a heartbreaking conclusion to a search that had spanned almost two years and confirming the worst fears of his family and the community. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to piece together the events that led to this sorrowful outcome.Last Seen: Sep 20, 2022
