Deceased/Not Found NC - Christopher 'Cole' Thomas, 22, Benson, 25 Nov 2016 *Arrests*

[Tabirey]

I live in Benson and this whole thing is perplexing. Benson is a small, small town. The "downtown" area has maybe 3 stoplights...a couple more at the I95 Interchange. The main "downtown" part of Benson is easily accessed off I95. When you exit, you are on the main street. If you access it off I40, you have to go through a bit of "country" (maybe a couple of miles) until you get to hwy 301. Once you get to 301, you turn right, go about 1/2 mile and you will be on the opposite end of the main street from 95. The police station is a block over on a street that runs parallel to the main street. I have a friend who is a county Sheriff's Deputy who I am going to speak with tomorrow...I don't like how the story keeps changing, ever so little (details). My Uncle is Chief of a PD in a town about 45 minutes away and I am also going to see what he knows or thinks. In the meantime, I will pray for Cole and his family. I don't think the folks he was with were "friends" as initially reported. :fishy:

Thank you for describing Benson so much better than I could! And hello neighbor! 😊

I'm with you, this story makes absolutely no sense and I agree that the guys he was with do not sound like they were close friends. Why would you travel thousands of miles without your phone? I recently just drove that almost exact same trip (NC to Minneapolis, MN and back ) and there is NO way I'd leave my phone behind!

 

[LisaWL7TR]

Do we know if the acquaintances that were with Cole continued on to Durham, have stayed in Benson to help search or returned up north assuming they were living up north and possibly coworkers of Cole?

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[BlkMtnGirl]

Okay, am I losing my mind? Cole was originally reported as having been last working in Arizona, right?

ETA: maybe I assumed that because his current employer is in AZ. My bad, I guess.

 

[LisaWL7TR]

Okay, am I losing my mind? Cole was originally reported as having been last working in Arizona, right?

MN

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[LisaWL7TR]

Okay, am I losing my mind? Cole was originally reported as having been last working in Arizona, right?

ETA: maybe I assumed that because his current employer is in AZ. My bad, I guess.

Well he did seem to move around and work at various places.

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[LisaWL7TR]

Cole's Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/colemfthomas/

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[Damarna]

Okay, am I losing my mind? Cole was originally reported as having been last working in Arizona, right?

ETA: maybe I assumed that because his current employer is in AZ. My bad, I guess.

IIRC he was working in Pine Island, MN. Caught my eye since it is very close to me.

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[PirateGirl]

Thank you for describing Benson so much better than I could! And hello neighbor! ��

I'm with you, this story makes absolutely no sense and I agree that the guys he was with do not sound like they were close friends. Why would you travel thousands of miles without your phone? I recently just drove that almost exact same trip (NC to Minneapolis, MN and back ) and there is NO way I'd leave my phone behind!

double post grrrr

 

[PirateGirl]

Thank you for describing Benson so much better than I could! And hello neighbor! 😊

I'm with you, this story makes absolutely no sense and I agree that the guys he was with do not sound like they were close friends. Why would you travel thousands of miles without your phone? I recently just drove that almost exact same trip (NC to Minneapolis, MN and back ) and there is NO way I'd leave my phone behind!

Hey, Neighbor to you! :greetings: Did I misread (or read one of the many changed stories) that he left his phone and wallet behind in the car? Before the still pics from the surveillance video were released, I had serious doubts he had ever made it to Benson. I wish we knew MORE about exactly when and where that was taken. :thinking:

 

[PirateGirl]

Well he did seem to move around and work at various places.

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Just from his own FB page (which I am fairly certain we are allowed to reference), his does have an extensive work history.

 

[LisaWL7TR]

Just from his own FB page (which I am fairly certain we are allowed to reference), his does have an extensive work history.

I'm concerned he could have made some enemies along the way.

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[ninij9]

I think a lot could be explained by what their story is of what they were doing before this and where they were going. The last story I read about where someone jumped out of a car at an intersection and ran off, he was found hung in a tree in a nearby yard.

Justin Rhodes Mackinna (spelling wrong I'm sure) I have thought of him from first moment of this thread. Many, including myself thought the friends "set him up". That child's death did me in for awhile. Hanging in someone front yard all that time. Awful. I will never forget him.

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[cotswoldemmie]

Police say "Thomas was living in Florida but was working in Minnesota. Officials said he was headed to North Carolina to spend Thanksgiving with a Minnesota coworker who lives in Durham"

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/wncn.c...son-after-jumping-from-car/amp/?client=safari

 

[Tabirey]

It's rainy and chilly here tonight, I hope Cole is somewhere warm and dry.

 

[JadeSLeuth]

Following along

 

[Tabirey]

There was a candlelight vigil for Cole, several posts about it on his FB find page :
https://m.facebook.com/findcolethomas/

 

[BlkMtnGirl]

There is some dissatisfaction with LE efforts in finding Cole; check out the Find Cole Thomas page. This has dragged on longer than I had hoped. :-( Hoping Cole is found soon.

 

[Damarna]

As I drive past Pine Island, MN, I can't help but think of Cole and his family.

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[linda2011]

Why not use the help that is being offered? Unless the police dept. knows more than they are telling the family which is highly possible.

 

[Tabirey]

Why not use the help that is being offered? Unless the police dept. knows more than they are telling the family which is highly possible.

Definitely possible, but I can't see what it would hurt to allow a search. Unless LE is 100 % positive that he is not in the area. I have a feeling that LE is sitting on this one because they have a general knowledge of what happened but need more evidence to back up an arrest(s).