It’s January 2nd, 2000—just two days into the new millennium—when 18-year-old Zebb Quinn clocks out of his Walmart shift in Asheville, North Carolina, and vanishes. He was last seen heading off to look at a used car with an older friend and former coworker, Jason Owens. What happens next is a cascade of bizarre clues: a frantic phone call, a staged car scene, a lipstick mark on the window, and a puppy left behind.

In Part 1 of this three-part case, we introduce you to Zebb—kind, consistent, and still finding his way in the world. We unravel the early days of the investigation, the shifting story from Jason Owens, and the mysterious presence of a woman named Misty Taylor. Through news clips, archival reporting, and family accounts, we trace the haunting disappearance that left a mother searching and a community stunned.

This is a story of red herrings, long shadows—and a boy who never should’ve gone missing.

Zebb Wayne Quinn was just 18. And he never came home.