What Were His Coworkers Hiding? | The Disappearance of Chris Thompkins

[@TheLoreLodge]

Install Raid for Free ✅ IOS/ANDROID/PC: clcr.me/Ap23_TheLoreLodge and get a special starter pack with an Epic champion ⚡️ Kellan the Shrike ⚡️

[@TheWhiteTrashPanda]

Booo! Raid shadow legends is the most obnoxious sponsor on KZbin. Booooo! Glad you're starting to get some decent dollar sponsors, though.

[@ericstevens8744]

Foul Play sounds most likely

[@waldorffordlaw9529]

Hell yeah get that bread

[@Anonymous38572]

Yikes, imagine sponsored by raid

[@silhouettespectre8126]

Don't accept raid ads. The company are deceptive and predatory and the game is a scam. That script you had to rattle off is bs and pushing it will lose you subs.

[@razorsharp170]

Ive always found this one interesting since i drive by the spot he disappeared every day for work. Ive always had a feeling his coworkers did something. Just suprised they havnt found the body yet.

[@deerichardz]

I'm thinking the same. Curious who the co-workers were and any 'ties' they had in the area. I'm getting a 'Mississippi Burning' vibe.

[@frankieb9444]

@@deerichardz It's crazy how much negative bias continues for Southerners yet ANTIFA everywhere else can assault minorities and are cheered for it...crazy times we live in.

[@ericstevens8744]

have you ever tried looking

[@razorsharp170]

@@ericstevens8744 pruvate property. And im sure they drove the body so.were else to dump it

[@kateajurors8640]

Honestly it's not a surprise I haven't found the body yet. Only about 30% of murder cases are actually solved last time I checked the statistics granted thinking of it it's probably been about 10 years but that's horrifically low and when you think of all the statistics that we have on you're more likely to be murdered by family members that's only coming from the 30% that are solved. And these are murder cases where people are deemed murdered not the ones where people were shot in the backs 6 times but it's deemed a suicide or missing persons alone . I did a big report with CDC statistics like I said probably about 10 years ago now hopefully the stats are higher but even if it's 60% The 40% that go on solves is still a huge number. Now throw in missing persons that they can't quite deem as murder now some they can depending on blood loss and DNA evidence that might be left behind but for the most part when there's a missing person they're deemed a missing person not a homicide. Even with all the true crime stories and everything there are so many more out there. Now another thing to know is for some reason back in I think the seventies we were having like a 70% solve right but you also have to think about The Times racism I think women could just open their own bank accounts without their husband or the man. At a time people would just assume someone they didn't like I was the murderer and they would stick with that period I mean h*** nowadays we've even seen cops framing people and the evidence obviously sjoe's something different than what their police report say. And then you look at all the innocent projects people who have been released et cetera It's really only going off maybe the past 20 to 30 years just because our own standards change. Just double check look like our solverate is about 50 to 60% on homthighs but that was from a new article I'm not findingThey're source it's just what they're claiming. I kind of hate things like this even when it's like scientific papers but you can only find a news article's about it rather than the actual research paper.Though I'm gonna take it with a grain of salt but hopefully it is higher and more accurate.

[@kpenrose04]

The "odd behaviour" brought to mind a similar case, Daniel Robinson, a Geologist who went missing in the desert. They found his car, but his Dad is still searching for him. a truely odd disappearance.

[@christopherkortum5535]

I was thinking about another case too, but the producer of that gold mining show from a few years back. Dude was acting a little odd all day, then at one point just bolts down a ridge face in a sprint and into the woods. The other people on the production went after him but the last anyone saw of him was when he hit the tree line at the bottom of the ridge.

[@dreamingahopefuldream4439]

@@christopherkortum5535 yikes. crazy how they can just be there one minute and gone the next

[@stephanielloyd4053]

​@Christopher Kortum I've heard of that case too! I thought that was this one he's talking about, but then I thought it was Daniel Robinsons case but perhaps it's yet another odd missing persons case! 😮 there's so many I lose track! Someone commented it was someone called Terrance Woods

[@amywill9185]

I thought the same.

[@scottcantdance804]

It's another case where the family insists there was no odd behavior, but literally everyone else says otherwise.

[@oneamong5571]

This is heartbreaking. He obviously didn't just leave. He was a small man and I think an easy target for someone. I agree the co-workers are the likely culprits in his disappearance. Would love someone to take a deep dive into this case.

[@TheLoreLodge]

I’m keeping an eye on it. Might file a FOIA request.

[@ethanbaran6158]

I'd like an update aswell, it would take some serious drugs or mental break downs to cause a guy to do what I'd claimed by police here. Foul play seems the most likely sadly.

[@coders1786]

@@TheLoreLodgeplease do🙏

[@ChaosMongrel]

​@@TheLoreLodgeWe'd all love that! Do you use MuckRock for your FOIA requests?

[@EstyVan222]

@@TheLoreLodgeyou’re a beast man, this video was awesome

[@n2da9]

I appreciate how you don’t dramatize the situation, and treat it with respect. 🔥 ❤ keep up the good work

[@truthalways]

This guy gave an irrelevant history lesson I learned in middle school. Had to fast forward that cringe

[@BWalsh737]

Very true

[@n2da9]

@@truthalways there’s some people who just don’t retain that shit, he’s just giving context

[@TheLoreLodge]

@@truthalways I don’t take jabs at Paulides, I mention when he got things wrong. Our channel started out as a mixed folklore and mystery channel, so we’ve really always done things this way because people like the format.

[@truthalways]

@@TheLoreLodge understood

[@roses7075]

It's nice to see a shift in most of the Missing 411/Strange Occurrences content creators to actually do a lot of personal research into topics and don't exaggerate stuff as much anymore. I remember first hearing this story framed as like "They were climbing up a mountain path in a column and they would pull on the rope to tell the person behind them to move up. They pulled on Chris' rope and *gasp* he was gone. They found a bunch of his belongings on the ground nearby line he was flipped upside down. Did Bigfoot grab him?? ooooo spooky". Feels a lot more like it was foul play when you simply add important context (looking at you Paulides).

[@wilhathaway1987]

Wtf are you listening to? I have never heard that version ever, I have listened to multiple podcasts on this

[@jadeykg123]

I think you might be confusing this story with another about some guys going up a mountain

[@roses7075]

@@jadeykg123 Yeah I thought it was MrBallen that framed it like that, but he just said the facts wrong how Aidan pointed out (the coworkers found his stuff, the barbed wire fence was on the trail, etc). If I were to guess, I saw another video by some guy trying to imitate him mixing up that story and another one. Because I definitely heard Chris Thompkins as being “on a mountain” because I distinctly remember thinking it was similar to another “true” story I heard where something similar happened.

[@Dripping-Liquidity]

You’re confusing this story with the Rainier climber who disappeared off the end of the rope on his 7th summit expedition

[@roses7075]

@@Dripping-Liquidity yeah I found it it was a shitty reddit post that mixed them up which then fucked me up

[@PL4Y3R_0n3-]

The change from his pocket makes me think he was being carried. If someone is being carried it makes sense that items would fall out of their pocket.

[@sherylrider6929]

If I was a big creature I'd carry u off by ur leg after snapping ur neck. Thats what happened

[@seanheaney8303]

This whole thread is filled with nonsense.. a logical explanation - he got to the barbed wire fence, takes off a boot to shimy through, in the process he dumps the change and a piece of fabric is caught on the fence..for one reason or another he doesn't go back through for the other boot maybe can't reach it or is actively having a psychotic break. The evidence is exactly what I would expect to find of somehow slipping themselves through a barbed wire fence.

[@elonever.2.071]

@@seanheaney8303 Why didnt his coworkers see him do this?

[@seanheaney8303]

@@elonever.2.071 because they were working in a wooded area / limited visibility and he wondered away on purpose ??? How would they see it ?? Let's use some common sense here! To boot they are doing a job, when your doing a job are you 100% of the time keeping an eye on each of your coworkers. Someone slipping away for 5 or 10 mins isn't uncommon in any work field. I've seen people flip and just walk out of a job not uncommon.

[@elonever.2.071]

@@seanheaney8303 Your point is taken into account. He didnt walk off the job, he disappeared permanently so far. How many times have you been with several people and someone steps aside for a piss break or whatever and never comes back? Yeah, lets use some common sense here. He got a ride to the spot he disappeared, why would he drop his boots in two different places along with his tools and some change if he is planning on legging it somewhere? Have you ever seen the show naked and afraid? If those people dont fashion some kind of footwear out of natural resources their wanderings are very limited and very slow going. From my view either something criminal or unusual happened here.

[@GattisonPrime]

I just gotta stop the vid real quick and say: I LOVE how thorough Aiden is, and I love all this random, extra information. This channel is dope!

[@annaschwirian7548]

I find the similarities between this case and Daniel Robinson concerning.they both... - worked in the outdoors - Had coworkers saying they were acting weird - Had one group look for them and find nothing where the second group found something big. - left random things behind - Had police who didn't handle the cases well - we african American Would love to here your opinion on the two cases together

[@aliasif8498]

Agree and Terrace woods junior as well, he was a cameraman working on some documentary in the forest with his team. And he also just took off running, never to b seen again...all of them were behaving strangely the day of their respective disappearances as well

[@johnnycaldwell8281]

​@@aliasif8498The camera person never dies... Right... Right???

[@SlenderSporty]

Rasheem Carter.

[@Sgt.Dornan117]

As someone who wears Dickies for work I feel personally attacked

[@DrBusiness9]

Right? Bro had a nice fit honestly

[@Janellabelle]

I used to have a Dickies MINI DRESS girl!! I'm wayyy to fat for it now though, unfortunately. Oh and don't feel attacked. This dude talking shit's best fashion moment ever was a t shirt.

[@JustSomeGoy]

Damn fine work wear👍🏻 Great value buy👍🏻

[@Prof.Tarfeather]

MY Dad wore Dickies for work. My Husband wore them even when they weren't popular!Because those pants last forever and you can wash almost any damned stain out of them! 😮 😊👍

[@gholamdapantaloonsniffer8218]

Hahaha I'm wearing a dickies shirt atm 😂 so I cracked up

[@cabalarcana6996]

I'd like to know more about where they found the second boot. Can't help but wonder if the property was connected to one of the coworkers, or maybe to one of the local cops.

[@ThomasDowning-ud6fz]

Exactly,cross reference the geographies , hunting cabins, common routes to and from known locations, properties connections through deeds and such. Any possible way that someone known is connected to the place or vicinity where that second boot was found!!!

[@SlenderSporty]

Just like Rasheem Carter. These racist demons can’t help themselves. They have to do stuff like this every so often. It’s fun for them but also ritualistic and serving the devil/darkness.

[@LordMephilis]

As someone who... Not gonna say I like these cases, but I do have a fascination with unsolved cases. I find that it is not uncommon for local police to not try very hard on missing persons and cone up with stupid explanations. While others go truly above and beyond. Some police stations seems to just not take missing persons cases seriously, regardless of who it is that is missing.

[@dbeast03]

I've got the phrase for you, that sensation of interest in something violent, disturbing, or related to death in any way is often called a *morbid* *fascination* . I'm more into tornadoes than this type of disappearance, but both fall into that category and both are interesting in disastrous ways and both hinge on the unknown or unexplained, just on the edge of what kind of randomness the human mind can put together.

[@icecoldgazpacho]

I don't like the police, but I think they all have their own budgets and kind of operate like a business in a sense. Lack of funding may play a part in lack of action. The wasted time doesn't help. Negligence is also definitely possible.

[@kristinsevin]

I find that sometimes, the area or town located near the area they disappeared from has a lot to do with it. If there is a predisposition of "well stuff like this just doest happen here," plays into it in a lot of these cases. It seems like the local authorities are almost turning a blind eye to the possibility of foul play simply because they are not equipped to handle something like that or it just doesn't happen very often in those areas, so they sort of predetermine that the person in question must have went off on their own volition. Which, obviously, that's a negligent and lazy cop out, but it is common in small rural areas like this.

[@BrodyWalker-k2w]

I can tell you, the Columbus police just suck in general, I’m local to the area so, I can attest to the fact that they straight up don’t care about much of anything besides shootings

[@shadow_td]

There's a channel called adventures with purpose who look for missing people nesr bodies of water (suicide/accidental death etc) And sometimes police love helping vut other times the police have been against it and get angry wheb they find a car with a body. Its extremely odd

[@MKUltra42]

I feel like so many of these “missing 411” cases are actually deaths caused by the missing person’s companions.

[@elonever.2.071]

They sure are high on my list of suspects. And if one or more of the suspects are related to officers a lot of evidence can go missing quickly before it is catalogued. If you want to keep it logical and straight forward, I agree the companions are involved somehow. Otherwise you start going down the woo-woo rabbit hole.

[@katmack4215]

I've looked into this case extensively,and either his coworkers are big fat liars,or this is one of the strangest cases I have EVER come across!!

[@jessthemess1018]

Im from Columbus, born and bred, and I 100% believe they know what happened to him! Harris County FAILED THIS MAN AND HIS FAMILY....beyond words!!

[@samjean3007]

I'm sure I've said this before, but I always appreciate the attention you give to the history of the native people who lived here. I love learning about other tribes than my own and the one I grew up near! You're just thorough in your research and it's really fun to listen to.

[@Libbathegreat]

This reminds me in many respects of Rasheem Carter (a 25-year-old Black man) who went missing in Taylorsville, MS, in October last year. He was a welder and apparently got crossed up with his employer at a worksite. Rasheem tried *twice* to get help from Taylorsville police, and they blew him off both times by their own admission. Then he called his mother one night claiming he was being chased by a bunch of white men in trucks. That was the last she heard from him. His mother called the Taylorsville police and they didn't really do anything to try to find him. They talked to his co-workers and boss and they all just said he'd been "acting weird" in the days before the disappearance. Body was found skeletonized and dismembered (probably by animals) in a wooded area a month later (Nov. 2022). The story is only getting weirder now because the family hired a private investigator who last month came out with the stunning (and so far totally unsubstantiated) claim that when Rasheem was found, his severed penis was in stuffed in his mouth. This "investigator" hasn't been named, there's no indication at all of where this "information" came from, and no evidence presented. It makes no sense if it's true Rasheem was literally just bones when he was found, which is very possible if you've been left dead in the woods for a month. The PI also has latched onto local scuttlebutt that Rasheem was fed to someone's pigs. So did the pigs put his penis in his mouth?/s As bizarre and contradictory as these claims are, I honestly don't know what to believe. That part of Mississippi is known for its "sundown towns". It's two counties over from a town (Brookhaven) where a father and son shot at a Black FedEx driver last year. Also, the Taylorsville police chief seems pretty cozy with the local white power set. Whatever you believe happened, there's no question that local law enforcement failed Rasheem miserably and is continuing to fail his family. There's plenty more weirdness about this case I could add, but this comment is plenty long enough. I'd encourage anyone to read more about it for themselves.

[@damianstewart3273]

Said the same thing. We're still being hunted for game till this day.

[@yuno1781]

@@damianstewart3273😂

[@IvanSacofski]

Sounds like a suicide

[@mellamobrittney]

​@@IvanSacofski How so?

[@sport1girl]

​@@IvanSacofskiit sounds like murder.

[@MR.B00_]

If the coworkers had looked for him, they would have found the boot and the money. I think they lied.

[@Libbathegreat]

Not only that, unless Aiden was reporting incorrectly, the co-workers blew it off as "he got fed up and walked off the job" but then spent hours looking for him before notifying anyone. Would you immediately spend hours looking for someone when they depart your company of their own accord and had no reason to believe anything was wrong? That's a case of 2+2=5. Also, it's always a big red flag in these cases when someone goes missing and the people who "discover" they're missing call the person's family members rather than calling authorities. That's them trying to decrease their proximity to the case. Also, before they "spent hours looking for him", why didn't they call his mom or whoever first to make sure he hadn't just gone home? Sketch.

[@kjvonly2451]

I also case BS on the workers. I live in Ga. No one is going to spend hours or even over 15 min to look for someone who they think has just quit and walked off the job site. Someone messed up and then tried and succeeded in hiding him. I would go back and talk to the employee’s if I was the one working cold cases.

[@SlenderSporty]

@@kjvonly2451Are you black by chance? I considered moving to Georgia from NY but I can’t get over all the racism down there, all the black people that continue to get kidnapped and murdered and it gets covered up because even law enforcement involved.

[@Your_local_therian_weirdo]

I've been waiting for this one! This has to be the strangest missing 411 I've heard so far.

[@BWalsh737]

Your videos are so clear, concise and entertaining. Thats why you guys are one of the few channels that I get notifications for when you drop a new video. So glad Wendigoon got you guys a bit of a jump. I knew once people saw your content they were gunna sub and stick around.

[@Lesbiwolf92]

To be fair with the workers finding him acting strange vs the fam saying he was not acting strange, how many times has there been cases where the family swears black and blue someone was fine, happy and loving life yet the person committed suicide due to crippling depression and believing they had no other option than to end it. I think sometimes family will, especially with parents, ignore red flags in their kin under the guise that hey if they were going through some shit they would say something cos we are family.

[@randomfan4521]

I agree with this. People who are thinking those things don't want to hurt or worry family or friends. They will pretend to be very happy and will give away things sometimes. In this case, I think the coworkers did something or know what happened. I do not understand how the cops didn't keep looking and question them big time. I'm sure if questioned again now someone will probably spill or at least the story will probably change.

[@diddyfaplord]

That doesn’t explain the boots

[@horsinacz]

@@diddyfaplordThat was not the point of the original comment... You have really bad reading comprehension

[@brutusthebear9050]

While I can't speak for Columbus, the Civil War museums in Georgia tend to be fairly good.

[@victoriafreeman3984]

Yeah. I don't know why he felt it necessary to make a comment like that.

[@tgagaming3104]

Yeah that was a bit crazy that he said that

[@johnharker7194]

I didn't get that either, what does he think would be unaccurate in the museum. The American Civil War is the most well documented conflict of the 19th century

[@robsellers6541]

That was a weird stance to take.

[@danbeard1283]

I used to live close to where this happened. I lived in a camper out in the woods while I was stationed at the near by military base. There’s always strange noises and sounds at night and I always felt like I was being watched. Basically I didn’t leave my camper at night unless I had to and I was armed.

[@thefoilcollector9392]

I have a feeling a gun is useless for anything other than a false sense of security if there is something out there in that area, especially at night.

[@sherylrider6929]

TAKE NOTE OF THE COMMENT FROM DAN. I HAVE THE FEELING THAT A LARGE CREATURE TOOK HIM. MASON LODGE IN THE AREA? DISSAPEARED AFTER LUNCH? BOOT IN FENCE? NOTHING HUMAN ABOUT THIS

[@nancywelsh4309]

Local boys are a cult. No way are they going to break a code.

[@yomanink]

My big issue with the theory that the coworkers did something and hid the body is why would they leave the boots? Just to throw off the trail?

[@Ibalistic_hedge]

Criminals make mistakes

[@SlenderSporty]

Literally because they think it’s funny. It gives them an ego boost knowing they can leave behind a ridiculous scene and story that makes no sense and get away with it. More so than abducting and leaving no evidence. Gives people something more to talk about and for them to laugh about.

[@johnharker7194]

My big issue is that there isn't actually any reason to believe his coworkers did anything. I've worked in crews were some drama queen threw his stuff down and stomped off the job. I've even had a guy just disappear in the middle of the job. Turns out he was quietly suffering from psychological problems. It's pretty surreal to realize that if any of them had disappeared permanently or turned up dead people would be pointing the finger at me and my fellows.

[@johnz85]

It’s the simplest explanation 99% of the time. Coworker killed him over an argument, could very well have been racist remarks being made. Boss helped cover it up, because he didn’t want to lose his company. No signs of a struggle, because he was probably hit over the head with something very suddenly. They moved his body to a different location before calling someone. (that’s why the bloodhound couldn’t pick up his scent) Probably moved it a third and final time later on, and at night. They placed his belongings to make it appear like a strange disappearance. Due to the lack of details of the so-called disappearance - the crew wouldn’t have to add too many details to the story. All they would have to collectively say was that he vanished. Not hard too hard to keep that story straight. And like every other missing person case - bad police work is the reason this case is more mysterious than it actually is. Coworkers added that he was acting “strange” was to draw attention away from themselves. He was murdered by a coworker, and it was covered up. No bigfoot, no aliens, no sacred burial grounds, no elves or fairies. Plain and simple murder with abysmal police work.

[@lifestudent9031]

Bingo

[@stalecisco666]

I really appreciate how much you humanize the people you report on.

[@joshmccart46]

Bro..... the shade at the museum was uncalled for😂

[@rhondaburke2231]

I've visited the Indian mounds in Macon Georgia many times. They are absolutely fascinating.

[@p.k.5455]

Very good presentation of facts as you see them, as well as the facts that are not and should be present! Thanks guys, another out of the park shot!!!

[@clintlovewinds7525]

If it was foul play by his co-workers, I would expect their story, of how he just vanished, would be less bizarre and more believable. Unfortunately, this almost exact strange story has been told in dozens of cases within these missing 411 books.

[@Dripping-Liquidity]

I doubt a couple of surveyors would have both kept a straight story. But what do ik I wasn’t there

[@tiffanym4202]

I know of 3 people who were affected in odd ways by panic disorder. The first tore her clothes off and ran down a busy street. The second, who was camping, bolted from the bath house and crashed through heavy brush and trees to get back to his campsite. The third ran down a street with a knife and got arrested. The first and third remembered nothing. A genuine panic attack leads the person to think they are dying. Fight or flight sets in, in most cases flight. I can't help but wonder if this is what happened to some of the missing. The boots and belongings become irrelevant when you are running for your life.

[@xxxxxxxxxxxxxyz]

Now introduce a gas that's tested on unsuspecting people

[@Elemarth]

Your cold opens are the best thing you do. I lost it on this one.

[@natalieulsamer9806]

Hi Aidan..I live in PA too. A small town near Williamsport..love your videos..I'm interested in missing persons stories as well...have you ever thought about doing a video of missing people only from Pa? There are so many especially tons of kids in the 40's, 50's, & 60's..would love to see you do this! You're a great researcher & I've yet to seen a video of its kind. Thanks! Hope to see it soon

[@cecelia3045]

Me too!! So much weird stuff happens here...

[@abethepunk]

Same! Are there PA 411 cases?

[@ruggedrick]

I'm always impressed by the amount of effort you put into researching each case. I don't impress easily.

[@jarod6460]

Believe it or not, most museums I’ve been to in Georgia are pretty honest about how bad we got beat during the civil war

[@Rameus]

You got beat in the civil war? How old are you?

[@godwarrior3403]

​@@Rameus To some, the war never ended. People do crazy things out of spite. Even live 150 years longer just to say fk you.

[@agargoyle12345]

If he'd said 'they', you'd be bitching that he was trying to distance himself...

[@JrSouless]

Yeah it's really the public school system that tried to avoid it and put a spin on it

[@lightningcrush7795]

@@loadishstone The confederates did not fight just for slavery dude. But they fought hard and had better tactics than the union.

[@Chris-bv4ko]

I think in stories like this we give eye witnesses far too much credit. Coworker saying he only looked away "for a moment" is almost certainly not true. Also I doubt that they began searching "immediately." Could easily be coworkers not noticing Chris's disappearence for quite some time and then feeling guilty about it and claiming later that they began looking right away.

[@EcclesiastesLiker-py5ts]

Regarding flood stories in the Miskogie (I'm defintely getting that wrong), EVERY culture has flood stories, they're pretty universal.

[@kenziecarter9458]

I enjoy everything from lore lodge

[@Cheshire_Cat137]

This might be a case where people jumped too quickly to look for someone to blame. Perhaps the coworkers were being honest with what they said, Chris walked off after lunch, but something happened, maybe he walked further off than he intended, maybe he caught a snag somewhere or saw someone that shouldn't be there. Chris walking off on his own isn't an immediate accusation that he disappeared himself or ran away, it literally could've just been Chris wanting a brief hike after lunch, with that hike going wrong unexpectedly. For some people, they don't want to assume a loved one did something to themselves, or hell, even that they got caught in an accident. For some it is just easier to say someone was responsible for something, and this could potentially be a case of that. But then again, without much of a trace of Chris and with eyewitness accounts being unreliable, it's hard to know what actually happened with him, whether this was an accident, a coverup, or something animal related.

[@Cocc0nuttt0]

I've done the same thing on multiple occasions, just less extreme. Chris is literally me

[@coriespringer9785]

I have worked jobs that people have walked off before, and 9 times out of ten they call someone to pick them up.

[@brutusthebear9050]

I agree. No parent wants to say "maybe he was acting weird and I just didn't pick up on it." The fact that he had just recently become a born again Christian sticks out to me.

[@Minzobinzo]

Lol this is so dumb

[@deerichardz]

The only thing is, he lost one shoe. If it was just an after-lunch hike, why would he leave behind a shoe? As well, the co-workers had stated he went missing as they were 'all' walking. I'm going with there was an altercation during their lunch, that carried over, and 'something' occured after. There was about two and half hours they had, to cover up whatever happened. They said they searched, and found nothing, but Chris' family members were able to locate several items.

[@elleofmusic]

Hmmm, I dunno, I think if the coworkers were involved, they would have made sure that they didn't leave clear evidence that he hadn't just walked off. If they'd done something to him, accidentally or otherwise, it would've been right in the area where his things were found, meaning they would have seen his shoe come off and his tools drop at the very least before moving his body. The lack of blood is also weird, bc from how much his things were scattered, right down to the contents of his pockets, it sounds like he wouldn't have gone quietly if he had been jumped by anything normal. His second shoe being in a totally random location with no other evidence around is even more unlikely with foul play. How do you not notice the body you're moving losing his shoes like that?? If he was being dragged by the arms or something, that'd leave a pretty obvious trail with more torn fibers and even blood from all the rough winter forest terrain. I think it's more likely that they just hadn't actually looked for him at all, or at least not as thoroughly as they claimed, but said otherwise to avoid seeming like they were lazy asses who didn't care about him when he just blipped out of existence. It's also entirely possible that he had been doing his best to hide whatever odd behavior he might have been exhibiting from his loved ones, but slipped while at work with ppl who clearly weren't the type to pry. Not exactly unusual for ppl dealing with stress/depression/etc. which means it could easily be unrelated to his disappearance. Really, this case reminds me of the guy who vanished while mountain climbing with his friends, where all they found was his backpack and again, the contents of his pockets, as if he'd been snatched up into the air by his feet and taken away.

[@RustCole01]

Right on. It's easy to jump to conclusions from the safety of our computer chairs, but the reality is, when you are with a group of people in the woods, you don't expect something tragic to happen. Out of all the camping trips and excursions that I have been on, I can only think of 2 or 3 instances where I noticed someone was missing from the group and I had no idea how long they were gone. Usually, you point out that so-and-so is missing, and someone in the group will say that they went to use the bathroom or gather fire wood. But there was one occasion where someone broke off from the group and no one knew where they went. Turns out, he woke up early to fish at the nearby lake and didn't want to wake anyone up. We got to the point where we started to look for him and call his name and we caught up with him eventually. The thing is, we were looking for a person and over-looked the fact that he marked a bunch of tree branches with electrical tape in order to mark his trail. It's easy to miss obvious things like that when you are in the middle of navigating a stressful situation. I firmly believe that everybody is capable of killing another human being, but I think very few people have an actual appetite for murder. I also don't think that many people have the ability to carry out a spontaneous murder and then cover it up perfectly. And those odds get even slimmer when you are talking about a group of people pulling off something like that and then maintain their silence for decades. So ya, I agree.... I'm reluctant to accuse the co-workers just because their story doesn't sufficiently exonerate them. Actually, I would be more inclined to think they were NOT involved due to the fact that they had plenty of opportunities to stage the scene and coordinate a better story.

[@shadow_td]

But he was working.. The moment he didnt return from lunch should've been a red flag they waited before saying anything

[@brieharkey1956]

This is gonna be a little off the subject of Chris’ case, but can I just say, you are awesome & your channel is awesome. I’ve recently become obsessed with True Crime(ish) type YT vids. I watch in bed for hours every night, always staying up far later than I should. Since this ritual is new to me, I’m only now deciding what channels fit my interests. Anyway, I was on Facebook today reading a post (abt Riley Strain) in one of the True Crime groups I frequent, and someone commented on how Lore Lodge had done a great video on his case. I have no idea how it was the first I’d heard of you, but I am so happy I did find my way here. I’ve already saved a bunch of your stuff to ‘watch later’. Again, I’m a huge fan so far. I love the way you tell a story. As for my thoughts on this case, I with you in in thinking that the only plausible explanation is that his coworkers know more than they claim. The lack of police work/interest likely hindered the probability of finding him.

[@fixfalcon2628]

I remember the first time hearing about this case, and someone said that a couple of his co-workers had previous drug charges. I think it's very likely that Chris heard or saw something he wasn't supposed to, and one of his co-workers arranged for someone ELSE to be on or near that trail and they snatched him.

[@kerryrook8868]

I can appreciate the way you communicate the content and the way you communicate your content is well informed information and I've watched a lot of other channels on KZbin and I will say I find myself looking for more of your content so thank you for making your videos so informative cheers mate 👍

[@peterleyden5069]

Harris County GA is a big area with no large towns, I wonder how much funding and man power the police department had for a large missing person search; could explain their seeming lack of interest. As for the co-workers I wish we knew if any of them had a criminal record prior or since. If not then twenty years is a very long time to lay low and hide your true nature. Its a tough one, there is no easy answer. Murdered by co-workers is the easiest explanation but if they have no prior or post history and the boss literally knew the guys mom it is a tough pill to swallow. I wonder if there was an accident? If safety protocol wasn't being followed and they didn't want to get in trouble for it? But then again they were just surveying, unless he slipped and fell off something what could have happened?

[@audreyyork9633]

I clean for a family that lives right on Lake Olive, off of Ginn Rd. I wonder if they ever heard of this case. I obviously don't love that this happened to Chris (or anyone else), but I do love when y'all cover stuff in my home state. Keep up the good work!

[@scratchedaviators1254]

That was your best intro, me and my brother turned this on and just spit everywhere no disrespect to the victim but that shit was funny.

[@cherylcampbell9369]

Most videos, you start with the history of the place before invasion. This is so nice, and is a small, yet important, step in helping to re-wire thinking processes. And it enriches and informs the account.

[@scallopohare9431]

How was the group hired, and how long had they worked together? I don't see a groupof civilians being that tight to cover up a murder. Military, maybe, but not civilians.

[@stammdaws]

Funnily enough Columbus is home to a ton of people in the military due to it being right next to Fort Moore. It’s not unlikely that some or all of those guys had military experience of some sort

[@scallopohare9431]

@@stammdaws Okay, that makes sense. Thank you.

[@dangerxbadger2300]

Your intros never fail to make me cackle so loud it scares my dog 😂

[@TehFlush]

A raid ad? My boy finally made it.

[@deadfall0324]

Lmao

[@DaddyDRock]

I love when you do videos like this. The podcast gets less structured and off point. It’s great, but I’m here for a point.

[@MrKush815]

I completely agree with you.

[@kyledamron]

This seems like something fishy definitely happened. His co-workers don't look too good in my eyes. But why would they want to do anything to him?

[@katmack4215]

People don't commonly "walk off the job" by walking out of their boots..🤨 js

[@pooder53]

If someone in the work crew took him out, why wouldmt any of the other co-workers have come forward? The idea that they *_all_* conspired to kill this guy is as absurd as all the other theories. 4 miles by almost a half mile strech of wilderness isn't nearly enough land for someone to disappear completely for an extended period of time. My idea is that the guy had a mental break and took off. He made it out of the woods and went off on his own accord. I just don't think he's still hidden somewhere in that plot if forrest

[@briantomcollins]

Just found this channel. Went back and watched about 6 or 7 vids. Great work. Seems very thorough with the research.

[@alisonancell6047]

So desperately sorry for his family. Things don't add up. What about the bones found that turned out not to be Chris's??

[@thegunfoogle2864]

Every time you cover one of these I'm not enthusiastic as I was already familiar with the case. Or so I thought. I gain interest as it goes because the facts are so much different than other sources report.

[@meepmoopiethe3rd]

A lot of the south (Georgia included) is incredibly karst. It's all limestone out here. If his coworkers killed him and happened to know of a cave in the area, they could dump him with almost complete certainty that he'd never be found. So many cave entrances are impossible to find unless you know they're there, so great place to hide a body.

[@barbarianblood2316]

I’m a lil more than 1/2 way into this. I think the co-workers know what’s up. My gut thinks so…but isn’t there a few missing cases where footwear and change was found? Like the victim was snatched and flipped upside down?

[@johnposey1455]

If you ever find yourself around GA, I’m a local and can take you to where this happened. I just visited - hoping to do a video myself. Basically, West Georgia has a very corrupt local government dating back to the Civil War. At the time, blacks outnumbered whites because the slave population was so huge. After the war, cotton prices plummeted, and whites blamed the blacks, so sheriffs would intimidate them. Sheriff Jolley’s predecessors actually coordinated several lynchings, all covered up. Through the sixties to even modern day, cops are more corrupt than racist, but still have a habit of covering up racist acts

[@kp9869]

Did the cops ever search the property and/or house where the second boot was found? maybe he was being held captive inside before his death

[@TheLoreLodge]

I asked for police reports but was denied

[@Light_910]

They never searched. If you go by Occam's Razor it's a cut and dry case of Southern Good Ol' Boys getting away with murder by a racist town. But idk. I wasn't there.

[@deerichardz]

@@Light_910 'Mississippi Burning' oO....cept they got caught

[@michaelyork7844]

​@Justin-kf5hu funny it's always racist town against blacks somehow

[@sherylrider6929]

I'm almost certain it was a large creature that took him. I assure u from the eery feeling this one gives me

[@Theeccenteictherapist]

Just to state the obvious, this seems like a mystery only because we're missing information. The only thing that really stood out to me in what little info we have is the call from the owner to his wife at 1:30. That makes no sense to me whatsoever. Who eats lunch with a bunch of co workers, they go missing, and immediately the boss calls his wife to tell her that someone went missing? Wouldn't you look around for a while first, before calling anyone? And why call the wife? Just in the hopes that she will tell the missing guy's mom? Idk, something about that doesn't resonate with me at all. It just didn't make sense. And this happens to be one of the things we "actually know."

[@allykatt1908]

Exactly so fucking weird

[@Lesbiwolf92]

Because maybe his in case of emergency contact is his wife? most jobs will have you supply an emergency contact/next of kin contact number and that is the number they call if something should happen to you and not everyone will put down their parents as the contact.

[@justanotherloreaddict]

I was n o t prepared for that opening. And yes, I do feel bad for chuckling.

[@joshuaglaude1549]

I've heard this story a few times from different sources. I always feel that the co-workers no more than they said.

[@sherylrider6929]

Know* know that ur wrong. Disappeared after lunch because the smell brought the creature in

[@joshuaglaude1549]

@@sherylrider6929 *you're. Know that I have an opinion, also that you have an opinion. However, just because we have differing opinions does not mean that either of us is wrong. No one knows for sure what happened. It's all speculation and opinions. Next time you try to correct someone's typo, ensure that you, yourself are not misspelling simple words.

[@deplorablelibertarian]

I worked as a Land Surveyor for 4 years, and worked in some really desolate areas....its easy to lose something or someone. I lost my rodman for 2 hours on 600 acre boundry survey. I checked my backsight where he was at, boxed it, picked up my Total Station and legs, moved to the hard point....and the dude was gone. It took 2 hours to find him, and there was only 500 feet between us. Yes, we had radios and I couldn't find him. The survey party in this case, carries some burden here.

[@faxenmacher4633]

There are black bears, coyotes and to a lesser degree mountain lions in that region. It'd quite possibly be the sanest reason to throw you change, boots or tools then climb through a barbed wire fence and try to find another way back.

[@sherylrider6929]

Unless a large creature is carrying ur limp body by ur leg, then the boot in the fence makes perfect sense

[@faxenmacher4633]

@@sherylrider6929 Like "Yo lemme just untie your boot laces and put it in the fence before I abduct you"?

[@pailhorsegaming6762]

That opening made me snort laugh. Thanks for that.

[@waltonsmith7210]

Something grabbed him from the air and whisked him away. Some...thing.Think about the implications of that.

[@yetimcsomethin3517]

One of my favorite things about Lore Lodge is Aiden going out of the way to contact people involved in cases and deep dive on research so much. It really is above and beyound compared to most creators. And I appreciate that.

[@smrtrthnu1571]

I don't see how who found his boots holds much bearing on whether it's foul play by the coworkers or not. And if it was foul play don't you think they would have come up with something better than "he just disappeared into thin air" ? Like one of them would have moved his car and left it at a mall or something and then just claimed he left work like usual and that's the last they saw him ? Who would draw attention to themselves by saying "yup. He disappeared into thin air in front of our eyes in the middle of the day" ? Not only drawing attention to themselves but making it so that they were definitely the last people to see him and that whatever happened was in the middle of the day so it would seemingly have to be them if someone did do something to him. Hell, it's a miracle they weren't charged just based on what's known already and their own story. You'd literally have to be a complete moron, and I know plenty of criminals are but this would be a really special kind of stupid that's not often seen.

[@adamwest8256]

Very well said. I agree with your analysis on this case.

[@Wynngrem]

Actually in this day and age, including back in the early 2000s, moving someone's car you're likely to be seen on surveillance camera. Which will immediately indicate foul play and lead authorities to do a deep dive into your life resulting in possible additional evidence and charges will be soon to follow. In a way, leaving the car and claiming ignorance of his whereabouts and what happened is smarter. Especially if the body is hidden in a good spot so that it is never found, you're not going to get charged. Police can be reluctant to charge murder in a case without a body unless the evidence is very strong. Nobody is getting charged on the fact that they were the last to see the missing person if that is the only evidence!

[@Lesbiwolf92]

@@Wynngrem But leaving the car contradicts their story, if they murdered him and left his car why would they tell the cops they thought he walked off the job and went home when they would clearly see that isn't what happened since they would have seen the car when they left the site and went to get in their own vehicles?

[@Jim-Mc]

Yeah, "he just wandered into the forest" isn't a great alibi. But I suspect the co- workers shared info that cleared them, that the family is ignoring. For instance the drug use he mentioned.

[@catmcc3464]

Well defense attorneys like to bring that up as a “gotcha,” like “if he was guilty, why would he do this suspicious thing” when ultimately it’s about people under stress making silly mistakes. It makes them poor criminals but not necessarily innocent

[@panzer948]

What many should keep in mind is that survey crews actually face some very big safety challenges with property owners (or adjacent) I spent a summer as in intern for a state DOT survey crew and we are sometimes the first outsiders to enter private property that is being sold for development, either voluntary or imminent domain. Remember, before the bulldozers come, it's the surveyors marching thru on foot. Long story short, many property owners see us surveying on adjacent properties (or theirs's in the case of imminent domain) are not happy to see us. Since we are the first humans they see that represent potential big changes to their area, some take out their anger in very violent ways. This didn't happen to me but the guys I worked with talked about having guns pulled on them and we had special training to deal with it. This is usually avoided by communicating up front, but that doesnt always avoid these clashes. I doubt it was his coworkers; but more likely some ahole property owner that figured he would get one of the three. Many folks that live out in undeveloped land don't like to see that change!

[@DamePiglet]

I appreciate that someone said this, as I was going to say something similar. I know many, many survey field workers. Most have been threatened - even at gunpoint - for being where they "didn't belong." It's entirely possible that when he ducked out to relieve himself, someone was there & hurt him. When the crew went to look for him, they probably expected him to just be walking around. They wouldn't think to check for fabric scraps on barbed wire or to scour brush for a boot & change. The automatic assumption that it's the co-workers, or that it was racially motivated is really disappointing.

[@panzer948]

@@DamePiglet agreed 100%. If people understood the nature of their business better, then the first most simplest solution is usually the correct one. And to be honest, if one of the guys on the crew was also the owner, he would be crazy to allow some coworker scuffle occur right under him knowing his business would be at risk for all kinds of financial and media strife. If they really didnt like the guy, they would not allow him to continue to work for them. No, the coworker angle makes no sense to me.

[@antoniatomaselli5338]

I agree that this case of Chris is very sus indeed. And I have come to the conclusion that his coworkers might've been involved in his disappearance somehow, which is solidified by the fact that they didn't "realize" that was gone plus the fact of how they didn't "find his items" until Chris' family members did. Finally I thought it was pretty weird that his mother wasn't aware of his disappearance until about 3, 4 hrs later on and that also his boot was found along with a number of his things. Also, the fact that he was able to get through the fence without scratching himself or any blood being found is very weird as well which leads me to believe he was carried off

[@Heyymynameisjbells]

Shout out to my old summer destination, Columbus GA. I spent so many afternoons sunning on the riverbank looking at Phenix City, AL.

[@raeoverhere923]

Since we don't have any official reports to study, this one is kind of a toss-up on exactly what occured for me, but completely explainable. Acting strange could mean almost anything in this context; maybe he was unusually short tempered, maybe he was unusually placid, it's hard to know without the specifics. My guess is that they walked ahead of him father than they thought, and the amount of time they weren't looking at him was longer than they suggested out of fear of persecution, or a way to feel less responsible for his disappearance. Most people over-exaggerate how fast something happened (ie, "I only looked away for a second!") to soothe their own consciences, because if they admit to themselves it was a longer amount of time, they start to feel like they could have helped what happened. If they killed him, they probably stripped him down to avoid anyone identifying him by his clothing; one shoe thrown away, pants thrown the same direction, the pants caught on the fence, they retrieved them and packed everything else up to hike out with, but didn't notice things like loose change fall out. The other shoe got thrown out somewhere else and it eventually made it miles away, the clothes are probably burned. If they didn't kill him, he might have slipped, concussed himself, started stripping down because head injuries make you do weird stuff, and a predator did the rest as he wandered. Sad case, I hope it's solved eventually. His family deserves it.

[@BELINDASPIRIT]

I totally agree that his co-workers are somehow involved!! When you think about other people who go "missing" or die in strange circumstances and no-one talks (especially kids), it is quite possible to be the same thing in this case.

[@ThePortalTheory]

Maybe something was carrying him off and his feet were kicking fast and they flew off. Did he actually remove them?

[@4Deadserious]

If they were work boots and they were on a job I'd assume they were fully laced. Might be hard to kick off

[@Griggboat]

@@4Deadserious not all the time, cheap boots wear easily, in about 1 month they'd be fucked up depeong on worked he'd do. Resulting in less tighter boots. Worked as a mechanic there's def some cheap loose boots in the world after use

[@sherylrider6929]

I believe whole heartedly that a large creature took him. Rip brother

[@CarnivalCrow]

I love my timeshare at the lore Lodge never disappoints🎉

[@Airfryer208]

you not being able to dig up much information on him gave me anxiety about myself. If i died right now no one would know me

[@nonagrey3422]

Great stuff and congrats on the sponsorship!

[@NebraskaWilliams8491]

I enjoy the puns and jokes you make at the start of the videos. I also like the content of your videos. Keep it up!

[@CowMaster9001]

The thing that leads me away from the coworkers as just ending him is that they would have known that mysterious disappearances would get far more attention than simple workplace fatal accidents. Like, far more ink has been spilled on the fate of USS Cyclops than her sister, USS Jupiter aka CV-1 Langley, which was bombed and sunk by Japanese planes during the early days of WW2.

[@markpettie681]

Why are people saying his co workers probably had something to do with it?? People, this is how the 411 phenomenon happens! A person will be right behind someone who just talked to them 15 seconds ago and said person turns back around and the person has literally evaporated into the either......

[@saljustsal]

I was looking through your videos and I may have missed it. But if you haven’t yet, is there any chance of you covering The Yuba Five?

[@captainexcabier]

I wouldn't rule out a Sasquatch grabbing him, but the co-workers are definitely lying about their part in it. It could be they conspired to kill him and hide his body somewhere, but I find it more likely that they did not walk with him and he did not suddenly disappear from behind them, and since they didn't find that stuff, they probably didn't look all that well or all that long. Probably what happened is they left well ahead of him, they got asked about him, they lackadaisically looked for him, and when they didn't see him they made up that story about him suddenly disappearing from behind them and trying to make it seem like he walked off on his own. The mysteriousness didn't really start until the family located that evidence, and by then the co-workers were committed to their story. I personally think he was taken, based on what was found. He was lifted over that fence and his pants snagged on it as he was. One boot fell off where it was found and the other fell off where it was found. Big Foot? Aliens? Cannibalistic hillbillies? Who knows?

[@Vhayes92]

Maybe the coworkers know but don’t think anyone will believe them.

[@matthiasthulman4058]

Alright, but why? Why would his coworkers have reason to do anything to him? Or is this just pure speculation on your part

[@Spring_Forward_Fall_Back]

I lived in WV for a few years, out in the boonies. Can confirm "cannibalistic hillbillies" lol, :) Seriously though this is the first time I've heard this case and I have all the questions...

[@lyndasarsfield8531]

I enjoy your videos and the amount of research you must do for awesome content. Thank you!!!

[@Thorstendeal]

If Chris’s disappearance is due to drug use then he would have to have been so high that there’s no way that the people around him would not have been able to be in any doubt that he was under the influence of something

[@gwencatz2483]

ngl that coffee bag being tossed into frame at the end jumpscared me 💀

[@CharlieB.-]

I hope his Mom gets some answers soon

[@sherylrider6929]

She knows that a creature killed him. Chris was a likeable dude.

[@CaptainTryx]

Being from the area this case took place in, there are currently 9 high schools in Columbus GA. I think you may have just gotten the info there mixed up with Phenix City AL. They are super close and the latter does, in fact, only have 4 high schools. So, I would be surprised if something you looked at just had the wrong info.

[@Sparten7F4]

OKay that opener was GENUINELY funny lmao

[@kevinvandeford6785]

This case is similar to the terrace woods jr disappearance , where he went missing with a crew in Idaho shooting a documentary about an old mine out there and they said he just randomly started running and was never seen again , or atleast that's what his crew said he supposedly did

[@bottled_leviathan9376]

Climbing through barbed wire is a weird process, I myself have been both cut by barbed wired without having clothes tear as well as had clothes tear without getting cut.

[@kredonystus7768]

The internet likes to shit on Raid Shadow Legends but they do a better job supporting our favourite creators than youtube.

[@CommendedMoth]

Didnt one of the coworkers lawyer up pretty quickly?

[@emelielonnberg.]

Unless the authorities can definitely rule the coworkers out, they should be on their radar. Shady as heck 🧐🧐🧐

[@FrankOliver-c2q]

I dont know why people cannot understand how common it is for people to have mental breaks. When this happens, the subjects actually avoid search & rescue personnel and sometimes they succumb to the elements in their panicked mental state until they litterally thirst and/or starve to death. That's why they and belongings are sometimes found in place that had already been searched, hence making it seem so mysterious. Also, his second boot was NOT found "several miles away", as from what I read it was found by a nearby land owner only 900 yards away from the first boot.

[@Gopniksquat]

Yeah, honestly a lot of his points here were pretty weak, and even seems inconsistent with his logic in previous videos. Still a weird case and maybe it was foul play, but psychosis absolutely could have caused him to wander off, take off boots, and ‘carefully get through a barbed wire fence’

[@dereklaverne7608]

HOW COME when I Google his co workers, THE PRIME SUSPECTS, ARENT ANYWHERE ONLINE? WHERE ARE THEIR PHOTOS? WHAT ARE THEIR NAMES? WHY IS IT SO HIDDEN?

[@TheHaratashi]

Why are you shouting?

[@littlemalbigmal8106]

Your dig at Hancock while supporting Thornton is pretty funny to me

[@TheLoreLodge]

Wasn’t really “supporting” Thornton here, more just pointing out that the criticism has been mainly targeted at his lack of credentials rather than his arguments. As for Hancock, not sure when I took a dig at him?

[@sherylrider6929]

Ppl are littered withStupidity

[@phillipgrubb2443]

You have reached it my sons. You have reached Raid: shadow leggings sponsored status.

[@haileybalmer9722]

As someone who follows The Black News, I'm not out to accuse anyone, but I'll say this: Georgia is notorious for it's unsafety, specifically for young Black men. There is a history of violence that the police often will not investigate in Georgia. So yeah, I think it's likely he met foul play, and it think it's likely the cops know exactly what happened to him and don't feel like doing anything about it.