MISSING: Christopher “Cole” Thomas

The gist

On Thanksgiving 2016, Cole Thomas drove coworkers Julian Vaez Jr. and Jeremy Carpenter from Minnesota to North Carolina for what he thought was a family visit—but was actually a methamphetamine purchase from drug dealers Rodolfo "Rudy" de Leon Jr. and Anthony "TJ" James Jr. After the deal, Cole panicked and fled on foot around 1 a.m. He was never seen again. Surveillance footage and phone records revealed the men's stories kept changing, and evidence suggested Cole encountered additional people, possibly including someone called Gordo, before disappearing into Wayne County.

Key takeaways

• The cover-up story: Julian and Jeremy initially told police Cole simply ran off alone due to paranoia, but surveillance from a Walgreens showed Jeremy following Cole at 1:10 a.m.—proving they lied about the basic facts.
• The drug deal: The trip was to buy meth from Rudy and TJ in Mount Olive, NC. Police verified this with convenience store footage showing all three men between 11:37-11:50 p.m.
• Phone evidence: Cole's phone was left in the car and later retrieved by the group. When turned back on hours later, it was in Wayne County—not Benson—suggesting Cole never made it back to the car.
• The theory: Private investigator David Marshburn believes Julian may have been double-crossing the drug dealers, planning to sell them meth then steal it back. Cole may have understood Spanish and overheard the real plan, explaining his panic.
• Witness cooperation: Gordo, allegedly present that night, eventually agreed to work with police. He claimed he was instructed to find and detain Cole, suggesting Cole was taken into a vehicle against his will.
• Charges and outcomes: All four men were charged with concealing Cole's death; obstruction charges were later dropped to preserve potential future homicide prosecutions. Jeremy Carpenter died in 2024.
• What we don't know: Despite phone records, surveillance, and witness interviews, Cole's location remains unknown. Everyone claims ignorance about what happened after Cole left the car.

Notable quotes

• "I think they killed him." — Steven, Cole's work supervisor, speaking to Cole's father Chris
• "He's gone with y'all." — TJ, when confronted by Cole's mother Kathy about her missing son
• "Somebody knows where Cole is, and it's time that they say it out loud before the data does the talking for them." — Crime Junkie hosts

Worth a full listen?

Anyone invested in unsolved disappearances should listen: the episode meticulously reconstructs a night where surveillance and data create a damning narrative that contradicts every suspect's story, making this a frustrating but compelling case of obstruction preventing justice.