Found Deceased TN - Lucas Vance, 35, Unicoi County mountains, 29 Oct 2019

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A couple more things from the video by Jamie Wilson Amp, which I finished watching this morning. As I understood it, Jamie assisted in the search and talked to Luc's family, neighbors and friends on Saturday, Nov. 16, then started the video. He and Luc were very close friends as children and Jamie knew two of Luc's neighbors from that same time frame. It is said some of the neighbors are sleeping with the lights on and their guns beside their beds.

A. Jamie said it is now an investigation instead of a search, as he understood it.

B. The house was not taped off until Saturday. (CC: I think he was talking about Nov. 16). One person, a Jessica, watching the live feed, said she had gone inside the house and used the bathroom. No one told her she couldn't, she said, and seemed a bit worried that her finger prints will be in the bathroom.

C. Jamie clarified that as he understood it, the back door was not open but was unlocked.

D. Jamie was telling that everything: Vance's phone, wallet and ID were all there. When he started to say "keys" he brought himself up to mention that the keys were in the truck, parked in the driveway, which made no sense to him because that wasn't something Luc would have done, leave his keys in the vehicle. (CC: sounds as though the video of Vance arriving home needs another look to see if him removing the keys or leaving the keys is discernable.)

I've watched another video. It's the one of his family in the conference room of WJHL. A family spokeswoman (I didn't hear a name) said that all his vehicles were there: his truck, his motorcycle and even his bicycle were all at home.

I got the impression she may have been the one who went to the house to wake him because she said that at 8:30 that morning, something to the effect when she got there, it never occurred to her but that they would just find Luc, but here they are two weeks later and they have no idea where he is.

I'm personally curious about the phone in the floor, wondering how far inside the back door it was. Could it have been tossed inside by someone who didn't want to track and leave prints inside the house? Or was it far enough inside, or in a different room it could not possibly be tossed there from an open back door?

The Google photo of the Vance home is dated 2008. From the drone videos made in the past couple of weeks, I could not see a house that looked the same. The drone showed that some of the trees were fully leaved, others were bare and it varied from place to place. Some areas had enough leaves that the ground was not visible. Other locations, the ground, brush piles and old tires were easily visible.

The family is asking for prayers and for everyone to contact law enforcement for updates, hoping that numbers will keep LE involved. They seem frustrated at how the investigation is being handled and that they are not receiving updates.

The house from Google Maps has a basement, so I'm wondering if the basement had windows, which might have had wells to allow light in. People have been known to fall in and be unable to get out. Surely, if they exist, they have been checked.

Also, I suspect Vance would have guns in the house. Are they all accounted for? If he heard something outside, surely he would have taken a gun with him?
Very mysterious.
BBM re the phone on the floor: The battery was flat when recovered in the morning I have read. I would be interested to know as to whether that text around 1am was completed and signed off as per his normal sign-off.
More questions of course. Is 1am a normal time for him to be sharing texts? Was the contact with family? Could there have been frustration at the inability to make contact and phone discarded onto the floor by him as a result.

If there was already a problem with access/contact with his children, a phone battery going flat could well be followed by a mental breakdown/brain-whiteout.
If he were a person needing to be in-control (some would interpret as caring) then there could certainly be a psychotic event when we consider previous stress-related events.
 
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BBM re the phone on the floor: The battery was flat when recovered in the morning I have read. I would be interested to know as to whether that text around 1am was completed and signed off as per his normal sign-off.
More questions of course. Is 1am a normal time for him to be sharing texts? Was the contact with family? Could there have been frustration at the inability to make contact and phone discarded onto the floor by him as a result.

If there was already a problem with access/contact with his children, a phone battery going flat could well be followed by a mental breakdown/brain-whiteout.
If he were a person needing to be in-control (some would interpret as caring) then there could certainly be a psychotic event when we consider previous stress-related events.
very, very interesting.

Apparently, the text was to a "family member." I've never seen a name or relationship nor what the text actually said, just that there was no indication anything was wrong.

He worked until 10.

From experience, I believe the majority of people would go home and de-stress some before going to bed -- hence the movie and text.

If he were expected at work at 8:30 the next morning as the one woman at WJHL indicated, how late did he normally stay up?

Let's say, he was attempting to text, the phone went dead and he tossed it in the floor.

If his charger was in the truck, perhaps he grabbed his keys and went to get his charger. Now, personally, I have several chargers -- does everyone else? I also open the trunk of my car using my key fob and would not have to take the keys to the vehicle with me. But just to be sure, at that late hour both of getting inside the vehicle, then back inside the house, he grabbed his keys and went outside.

His friend Jamie Wilson Amp (That name has been worrying me. I wonder if that's his last name or if Wilson is his last name and the "Amp" on the video might mean something else) said only that his keys were in the truck. Not that they were in the ignition. So, he got to the truck to get the charger, then what?
 
Query re Marbleton community of Unicoi County. In the media, LV's residence is listed as Marbleton Rd, however there is also an address in Leach Road (which feeds off Marbleton Rd) as being his residence.

Can a local confirm for me please, as to whether the Leach Road address is where wife and children live, or his current location. If he's in Marbleton Rd - that's a VERY long road for us to explore possibilities of where he may have headed. Is there any mention of something more refined than this generalisation?
 
Query re Marbleton community of Unicoi County. In the media, LV's residence is listed as Marbleton Rd, however there is also an address in Leach Road (which feeds off Marbleton Rd) as being his residence.

Can a local confirm for me please, as to whether the Leach Road address is where wife and children live, or his current location. If he's in Marbleton Rd - that's a VERY long road for us to explore possibilities of where he may have headed. Is there any mention of something more refined than this generalisation?


My niece works at his restaurant and has told me that Leach Rd is the road he lives on and that he lives alone at that residence. I found, through an internet search, his name connected to 116 Leach Road Unicoi, TN. I also found an image from his business on the Maple Grove Restaurant Facebook Page of a house that matches the google map image of 116 Leach Rd. Maple Grove Facebook- Maple Grove Restaurant Last image under photos of a house with a giant rooster statue.
 
I'm glad more people are taking an interest in Lucas. And we have new details. Thanks for that. So the motorcycle was still there. Did he have an ATV? I saw a photo of one on his FB page.

It looks like Lucas has a large fire pit in the back yard. That's what a Google Maps pic seems to show. But that photo is old, I believe.
 
I'm glad more people are taking an interest in Lucas. And we have new details. Thanks for that. So the motorcycle was still there. Did he have an ATV? I saw a photo of one on his FB page.

It looks like Lucas has a large fire pit in the back yard. That's what a Google Maps pic seems to show. But that photo is old, I believe.
During the family interview with WJHL, one of the women said all his vehicles were at the house.

She listed truck, motorcycle, bicycle -- then stressed all his vehicles were at the house.
 
From Unicoi Co. Sheriff Michael Hensley Facebook Page Posted about 10am today-

Michael K. Hensley

10 hrs ·
Last night , I asked all my friends on Social Media to share Luc’s picture and information. This morning, it’s been shared over 4,000 times. Some of these friends are in surrounding states and abroad. This morning TBI is at my office conducting polygraph examination. My investigators are interviewing friends and known associates of Luc. I have called in sonar specialist to search ponds that is in close proximity of Marbelton Road,and we are conducting this search at this time We have NOT received anymore information on Luc that has not been reported. We are using every resource possible to find Luc and following every lead. I ask for prayers for Luc and his family. We will not quit until we find him.
 
From Unicoi Co. Sheriff Michael Hensley Facebook Page Posted about 10am today-

Michael K. Hensley

10 hrs ·
Last night , I asked all my friends on Social Media to share Luc’s picture and information. This morning, it’s been shared over 4,000 times. Some of these friends are in surrounding states and abroad. This morning TBI is at my office conducting polygraph examination. My investigators are interviewing friends and known associates of Luc. I have called in sonar specialist to search ponds that is in close proximity of Marbelton Road,and we are conducting this search at this time We have NOT received anymore information on Luc that has not been reported. We are using every resource possible to find Luc and following every lead. I ask for prayers for Luc and his family. We will not quit until we find him.

Isn't this wonderful? Shared over 4,000 times. There's no way to calculate how many people might now be aware. Word is getting out and things are being accomplished. I think we all knew LE was working hard behind the scenes, but it helps to be told that. I'm hoping that knowing that will give Vance's family and loved ones some comfort as they continue the search. Now, my curiosity is piqued -- who is being polygraphed?
 
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the front page for the local newspaper dated March 13, 2019.
From the "About Us" page on the website: The Erwin Record is an award-winning weekly newspaper based in Unicoi County, Tenn., with a circulation of nearly 5,000.
https://erwinrecord.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ERW_ERW_A01_111319.jpg


while I can still edit this: From a news story in the Erwin Record written by Richard Rourk and dated Nov. 14:

“We searched around Mr. Vance’s house with cadaver dogs today, but did not find anything,” Hensley said.

Hensley is the county's sheriff.

Tidbits from that same story Hensley listed the steps taken: "Hensley reported that the four-day search involved drones, dogs and horses as well as numerous volunteers. In the search, the UCSD was joined by Town of Unicoi Police Chief Andy Slagle and Unaka Mountain Search and Rescue, as well as almost 100 local volunteers. The searched covered the Marbleton community."

"When asked if the investigation is now a recovery search as opposed to a rescue search, Hensley said, 'No, we are still searching.'

"Hensley acknowledged that there has been no new information since Vance’s disappearance."
 
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I live about 25 miles from Erwin and know the area fairly well, but judging from the information provided I firmly believe foul play is involved in this mans disappearance. Unicoi Co is mountainous & rural, but if the info provided on jere is correct he does not live very far from I-26 just outside the Johnson City limits. So getting lost for a man from the area is just not possible. The noise from the interstate and thr city itself is enough to follow back to a main road.
I dont know Luc or any of his family, but something just doesn't add up. Obviously he has been dealuing with dome drama over his children and his ex, as well as his neighbor so that is where I would look for clues to start.
Regardless I hope they find him alive and well for his family and friends sake, especially his children.
 
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