Christopher Cole Thomas was 22 when he vanished in the early morning hours of November 25, 2016, in Benson, North Carolina. He had moved from Florida to Minnesota to begin an electrician apprenticeship after studying sports medicine at the University of Florida and was traveling with two coworkers on a trip from Minnesota when he disappeared. The last confirmed sighting placed him near North Elm and East Morgan streets wearing a blue t-shirt over a black long-sleeved shirt, black pants, a blue and white baseball cap, and dark-colored Hurley shoes.

Cole’s companions initially said he unexpectedly left the car and ran off, citing paranoia, but their accounts reportedly changed. Investigators later developed evidence — including surveillance footage and phone data — that did not fully match the original story. Authorities say the group had stopped in Benson for what was alleged to be a drug transaction. Searches by the Benson Police Department and the State Bureau of Investigation in Johnston and Wayne counties turned up no trace of Cole. The case is being treated as a homicide, his body has not been found, and the investigation remains open.

Did anyone in the Benson area see Cole that night or recall a blue and white cap near North Elm and East Morgan streets?