Show Notes
On Black Friday 2016, 22-year-old Christopher “Cole” Thomas was driving through rural North Carolina with two coworkers. Hours later, the coworkers approached police and said Cole had suddenly panicked, pulled over, and ran into the dark, never to be seen again. But their story later changed. Surveillance footage showed Cole was not alone. Phone data appeared to place the group at the scene of a late-night drug deal that went wrong. And somehow, the only person who disappeared was Cole. In the years since, multiple men have been arrested, questioned, and released, but no one has been charged with his disappearance. His body has not been found. And despite conflicting statements, investigators believe someone knows exactly what happened that night. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Benson Police Department at 919-894-2091 or [email protected]. You can also call the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation at 919-779-8188. Head over to our Crime Junkie YouTube channel to WATCH this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmxt6Ok6Qmo Source materials for this episode cannot be listed here due to character limitations. For a full list of sources, please visit: https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/missing-christopher-cole-thomas/ Did you know you can listen to this episode ad-free? Join the Fan Club! Visit https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/fanclub/ to view the current membership options and policies. Don’t miss out on all things Crime Junkie! Instagram: @crimejunkiepodcast | @audiochuck
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More from Crime Junkie
It’s the kind of detail that lingers: a meeting, just after midnight… that no one can explain. In May 1997, 20-year-old Keith Mann was building a future—new apartment, new job, new fiancée. But sometime after being dropped off at home late that night, Keith stepped back out into the dark to meet someone. By morning, he was gone. The only thing left behind was a borrowed car from the dealership he’d been working at. Found abandoned in a church parking lot right next to his parent’s home. Decades later, that midnight meeting is still a mystery. No one has ever come forward. If you remember Keith or anything about his life in Wichita Falls in 1997, his family is still searching for answers. You can share information or memories through the Missing Mann Project website or connect with them on the Missing Mann Project Facebook page, where they continue to keep Keith’s story alive – and hope that one day, the person he went to meet will finally be known.
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