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Crime Junkie

MISSING: Christopher “Cole” Thomas

May 18, 2026·42m

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.