Southern Gone

Christopher “Cole” Thomas went missing on November 25, 2016, from Benson, North Carolina. He was 22 years old at the time of his disappearance. According to investigators he was taking a road trip from Minnesota to Durham, North Carolina with two new friends - Jeremy Carpenter and Julian Valles Jr. The three men were planning on buying drugs from an acquaintance in North Carolina.

After obtaining drugs the three men drove past a police car. Cole became very nervous and threw the drugs out of the car. According to Jeremy and Julian, Cole fled from his car shortly after 1 a.m. No one has seen or heard from Cole since.

Join Kristi as she interviews Laura Raynor, a podcast listener and armchair detective, who has taken a personal interest in this case. Laura has such a passion for this case she went to CrimeCon in New Orleans to help raise awareness of Cole’s disappearance.

You can follow the Facebook page “Find Cole Thomas” facebook.com/findcolethomas/ to stay updated on this case. Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Christopher Cole Thomas is asked to contact Benson Police at 919-894-2091.

Southern Gone is an independently produced podcast. This means everything we do is on our time and our dime. If you enjoy this podcast please leave a review and comment for a chance to be featured on a future episode. For everything Southern Gone visit our website www.SouthernGone.com.

Investigating these cold cases is truly our passion project and we would not be able to do it without you! If you would like to support this podcast consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/southerngone.

Grab a chair, a glass of sweet tea, and get GONE with Southern Gone!

Jennifer Kesse went missing on January 24, 2006 from Orlando, Florida. Jennifer did not come in to work that day and missed an important meeting. This was unlike her so her work contacted her parents to let them know what was going on.

Her parents, Drew and Joyce Kesse, drove to Jennifer’s apartment to check on her. Everything appeared in order at her apartment, however her car was missing. Her car was later discovered about one mile from her home. The only piece of evidence in this case is a grainy video that shows a figure dropping off Jennifer’s car where it was found.

If you have any information about this case call Central Florida Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477) and remain anonymous or call Orlando Police at 407-246-2916.

Southern Gone is an independently produced podcast. This means everything we do is on our time and our dime. If you enjoy this podcast please leave a review and comment for a chance to be featured on a future episode. For everything Southern Gone visit our website www.SouthernGone.com.

Investigating these cold cases is truly our passion project and we would not be able to do it without you! If you would like to support this podcast consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/southerngone.

Grab a chair, a glass of sweet tea, and get GONE with Southern Gone!

John Adam Brewer Jr. went missing on May 8, 2013, from Nashville, Tennessee. He had a successful career as a Captain with the Davidson County Sheriff's Department. He was last seen at the Community Bank and Trust in Pegram which is roughly 20 miles east of Nashville. John struggled with mental illness and has not been seen or heard from since he disappeared.

Kristi speaks with John's daughter Brandi Stockton about her father and his mysterious disappearance. His family is desperately searching for answers and have started a Facebook Group called Missing: John Adam Brewer Jr.

If you have any information about John’s disappearance please call Detective Kenneth Miller with the Cheatham County Sheriff's Department at 615-792-2021.

Southern Gone is an independently produced podcast. This means everything we do is on our time and our dime. If you enjoy this podcast please leave a review and comment for a chance to be featured on a future episode. For everything Southern Gone visit our website www.SouthernGone.com.

Investigating these cold cases is truly our passion project and we would not be able to do it without you! If you would like to support this podcast consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/southerngone.

Grab a chair, a glass of sweet tea, and get GONE with Southern Gone!

Welcome to a special bonus episode of Southern Gone featuring the disappearance of Brian Samples. Brian’s family recently contacted Kristi to ask if she could help raise awareness about Brian’s case.

Brian went missing on July 6, 2019 and was last seen in East Dublin, Georgia. He had recently left a rehab facility where he was being treated for alcoholism. The last anyone heard from Brian was a text that he sent to a handful of people that said "I think I am about to be robbed".

Brian’s family is committed to finding out what happened to him. If you have any information about Brian’s disappearance, please call the Dodge County Sheriff's office at 478-559-1130. You can also contact Brian’s sister Lori at [email protected].

To stay informed about this case visit the Facebook page @briansamplesmissing.

Southern Gone is an independently produced podcast. This means everything we do is on our time and our dime. If you enjoy this podcast please leave review and comment for a chance to be featured on a future episode. For everything Southern Gone visit our website www.SouthernGone.com.

Investigating these cold cases is truly our passion project and we would not be able to do it without you! If you would like to support this podcast consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/southerngone.

Grab a chair, a glass of sweet tea, and get GONE with Southern Gone!

Sources:

https://www.macon.com/news/local/article233382942.html

https://wgxa.tv/news/local/dodge-investigators-need-help-finding-missing-man

Welcome to Part 3 of our investigation into the disappearance of Chris Sanders. This episode features an interview with Tina Sparks, a close friend of the Sanders family. Tina helped Chris’s mom Sandy file his missing person report and has been supporting her efforts to find out what happened to Chris.

Chris was last seen on Sunday, August 13, 2017. He was living in a trailer park in Monahans County, Texas. He had moved there in April 2017 to work in the oil fields with his mother’s brother-in-law.

The day before his disappearance he was having dinner with co-workers. They reported that he appeared agitated and had an animated phone call with his wife Angela. The next morning he went for a walk around 9:30 am. His mother’s brother-in-law’s nephew tried to call Chris but his phone was turned off. His wife Angela also tried to reach him several times that day.

No one has seen or spoken to Chris since the morning of August 13, 2017.

If you have any information on Chris’s disappearance, please call the Monahans Police Department at (432) 943-3254. You can also contact Kristi directly at [email protected].

Southern Gone is an independently produced podcast. This means everything we do is on our time and our dime. If you enjoy this podcast please leave review and comment for a chance to be featured on a future episode. For everything Southern Gone visit our website www.SouthernGone.com.

Investigating these cold cases is truly our passion project and we would not be able to do it without you! If you would like to support this podcast consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/southerngone.

Grab a chair, a glass of sweet tea, and get GONE with Southern Gone!

Sources:

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/missing-in-america/texas-man-chris-sanders-vanishes-while-walk-near-his-home-n847296

http://charleyproject.org/case/christopher-lynn-sanders

https://www.facebook.com/bringdogghome

Welcome to Part 2 of our investigation into the disappearance of Chris Sanders. This episode features an interview with Karen Knuckles, a close family friend of Chris Sanders.

Chris was last seen on Sunday, August 13, 2017. He was living in a trailer park in Monahans County, Texas. He had moved there in April 2017 to work in the oil fields with his mother’s brother-in-law.

The day before his disappearance he was having dinner with co-workers. They reported that he appeared agitated and had an animated phone call with his wife Angela. The next morning he went for a walk around 9:30 am. His mother’s brother-in-law’s nephew tried to call Chris but his phone was turned off. His wife Angela also tried to reach him several times that day.

No one has seen or spoken to Chris since the morning of August 13, 2017.

If you have any information on Chris’s disappearance, please call the Monahans Police Department at (432) 943-3254. You can also contact Kristi directly at [email protected].

Southern Gone is an independently produced podcast. This means everything we do is on our time and our dime. If you enjoy this podcast please leave review and comment for a chance to be featured on a future episode. For everything Southern Gone visit our website www.SouthernGone.com.

Investigating these cold cases is truly our passion project and we would not be able to do it without you! If you would like to support this podcast consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/southerngone.

Grab a chair, a glass of sweet tea, and get GONE with Southern Gone!

Chris Sanders was last seen on Sunday, August 13, 2017. He was living in a trailer park in Monahans County, Texas. He had moved there in April 2017 to work in the oil fields with his mother’s brother-in-law.

The day before his disappearance he was having dinner with co-workers. They reported that he appeared agitated and had an animated phone call with his wife Angela. The next morning he went for a walk around 9:30 am. His mother’s brother-in-law’s nephew tried to call Chris but his phone was turned off. His wife Angela also tried to reach him several times that day.

No one has seen or spoken to Chris since the morning of August 13, 2017. Chris’s mother Sandy Sanders has been desperately trying to find her son. This episode features an interview with Sandy.

She describes her son as the life of the party, people-oriented, and dependable. He was dedicated to taking care of his family and his kids were everything to him. Sandy shared that Chris was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and had been taking medication for it. She suspects he may have stopped taking his medication prior to his disappearance.

If you have any information on Chris’s disappearance, please call the Monahans Police Department at (432) 943-3254. You can also contact Kristi directly at [email protected].

Southern Gone is an independently produced podcast. This means everything we do is on our time and our dime. If you enjoy this podcast please leave review and comment for a chance to be featured on a future episode. For everything Southern Gone visit our website www.SouthernGone.com.

Investigating these cold cases is truly our passion project and we would not be able to do it without you! If you would like to support this podcast consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/southerngone.

Grab a chair, a glass of sweet tea, and get GONE with Southern Gone!

Welcome to part 4 of our investigation into the Carrie Smith Lawson disappearance! We are not done with this case and are still looking for answers. Carrie was kidnapped in 1991 in Jasper, Alabama and has never been seen again.

Did Jerry Bland, one of Carrie’s kidnappers, really kill himself or was he murdered? How involved was Karen McPherson in the kidnapping and should she be serving a life sentence? Finally, we discuss the corruption that is deep rooted in Walker County, Alabama and try to figure out who the real mastermind was in Carrie’s disappearance and presumed murder.

Join Kristi as she delves back into the Carrie Lawson case with an exclusive interview with James Lancaster, Karen’s brother. We continue to believe there is more to this story and more people involved in Carrie's disappearance than the one person, Karen McPherson, in prison for her kidnapping. Who were the others, not including Jerry Bland and Karen McPherson, who were a part of this kidnapping?

Our hope is to bring everyone who was involved in Carrie’s case to justice. We also want to bring peace and justice to Carrie’s family. If you have information about this case please contact Kristi at [email protected].

Southern Gone is an independently produced podcast. This means everything we do is on our time and our dime. If you enjoy this podcast please leave a 5-star review and comment for a chance to be featured on a future episode. For everything Southern Gone visit our website www.SouthernGone.com.

Investigating these cold cases is truly our passion project and we would not be able to do it without you! If you would like to support this podcast consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/southerngone.

Grab a chair, a glass of sweet tea, and get GONE with Southern Gone!

John Smith South Jr., U.S. Army Vietnam Veteran, was last seen in Mountain City, Tennessee on December 17, 1998. He was 54 years old at the time of his disappearance.

His daughter, Pam Brambson, and granddaughter went to visit him on December 20. However, when they arrived he was not home. Pam said this was strange and it was out of character for John not show up when they had plans.

His white 1985 Subaru Justy Hatchback was also missing. Pam and her family suspected foul play from the beginning. It has been 21 years since John disappeared and his daughter is still wondering what happened to her dad. This episode features an exclusive interview with John’s daughter Pam.

If you have information related to John’s disappearance, please contact the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND or email [email protected].

Southern Gone is an independently produced podcast. This means everything we do is on our time and our dime. If you enjoy this podcast please leave a 5-star review and comment for a chance to be featured on a future episode. For everything Southern Gone visit our website www.SouthernGone.com.

Investigating these cold cases is truly our passion project and we would not be able to do it without you! If you would like to support this podcast consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/southerngone.

Grab a chair, a glass of sweet tea, and get GONE with Southern Gone!

Sources:

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/cold-case-spotlight/vietnam-veteran-john-smith-south-still-missing-two-decades-after-n950891

http://www.missingveterans.com/1998/john-smith-south/

http://charleyproject.org/case/john-smith-south-jr

This episode is a follow-up to Episode 19. On the afternoon of August 26, 1995, 23-year-old Heather Teague disappeared from Newburgh Beach in Henderson County, Kentucky. She was sunbathing on the beach next to the Ohio River when a witness saw a white man approach her. He allegedly grabbed her by the hair and dragged her into the woods.

Heather’s mother Sarah has not given up on seeking justice for her daughter. In her attempt to find answers she hired attorney Chip Adams. This episode features an exclusive interview with Chip who details the circumstances around Heather’s disappearance and his efforts to bring peace to Heather’s family.

If you have any information on this case please contact Heather’s mother Sarah Teague (270-836-7643).

Southern Gone is an independently produced podcast. This means everything we do is on our time and our dime. If you enjoy this podcast please leave a 5-star review and comment for a chance to be featured on a future episode. For everything Southern Gone visit our website www.SouthernGone.com.

Investigating these cold cases is truly our passion project and we would not be able to do it without you! If you would like to support this podcast consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/southerngone.

Grab a chair, a glass of sweet tea, and get GONE with Southern Gone!