James Thomas Stanley, known as Tommy, vanished in the autumn of 1974 at age 25 after telling his family he was in some kind of trouble and needed to go to Florida and could never return to Ohio. He packed his car, said goodbye, and left behind two young daughters. Worried that reporting him might endanger him, the family did not alert authorities immediately.

Days later his green 1969 Fiat was found abandoned on the side of Interstate 95 near Kenly, North Carolina. The trooper who found it thought it had been there at least 48 hours; the keys were in the ignition and all of Stanley’s personal items remained inside, including his wallet, clothing, and photo albums. The car was towed and a broken radiator hose was noted; after that the trail went cold. There have been no credible sightings or Social Security activity since 1974. The family filed a missing persons report in 2007, and Stanley was declared legally deceased in 1981.

What information might explain why Tommy left everything behind or where he went after his car was abandoned?