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MISSING: Christopher “Cole” Thomas

May 18, 2026 · 47 min

Show notes

On Black Friday 2016, 22-year-old Christopher “Cole” Thomas was driving through rural North Carolina with two coworkers. Hours later, the coworkers approached police and said Cole had suddenly panicked, pulled over, and ran into the dark, never to be seen again. But their story later changed. Surveillance footage showed Cole was not alone. Phone data appeared to place the group at the scene of a late-night drug deal that went wrong. And somehow, the only person who disappeared was Cole. In the years since, multiple men have been arrested, questioned, and released, but no one has been charged with his disappearance. His body has not been found. And despite conflicting statements, investigators believe someone knows exactly what happened that night.
  • Anyone with information is asked to contact the Benson Police Department at 919-894-2091 or [email protected]. You can also call the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation at 919-779-8188.
Head over to our Crime Junkie YouTube channel to WATCH this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmxt6Ok6Qmo Source materials for this episode cannot be listed here due to character limitations. For a full list of sources, please visit: https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/missing-christopher-cole-thomas/ Did you know you can listen to this episode ad-free? Join the Fan Club! Visit https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/fanclub/ to view the current membership options and policies. Don’t miss out on all things Crime Junkie!
Crime Junkie is hosted by Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat. Text Ashley at 317-733-7485 to talk all things true crime, get behind the scenes updates, and more!
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