Found Deceased AL - Anthony Wilborn, 39, truck found with hood up, motor running, Phenix City, 21 Oct 2020

[yurintroubl]

Nothing new, but interview with Anthony's uncle sheds some light on why they think someone was injured.

Exclusive: Uncle pleads for answers in bizarre disappearance of Phenix City man | WRBL

There is definitely blood on the ground. Don't know if it's human or animal blood just by looking at it. Is it possible he hit somebody's pet that was running loose and its angry owner came out while he was checking for damage?

 

[PixieStix]

Well, at least that article seems to have cleared up the question of who found the truck. Even though the area has dirt roads and seems so rural it must be fairly traveled if a family member randomly stumbled across the vehicle without deliberately looking for it, or, even knowing if AW was missing at that point. How strange. Someone could have given him a jump which would explain his engine running, but that doesn't explain what happened to him or where he is.

 

[Dnp2be]

This is so weird. Really I haven’t seen much background information about Anthony. It would be helpful to know his routines, if is single? married? Kids? Any previous history with addiction, arrests. etc. I can’t even begin to theorize with what I’ve read. I find it baffling someone didn’t take him to the hospital if that was an injury he obtained.

is anyone from the area? Is it possible he was injured badly and went walking to seek help and maybe became too weak to continue on and hasn’t been located yet? Are there areas nearby that are more desolate? I hope he is found soon.

 

[Grammar]

I’d say he could have gotten hit by the fan blade and cut but that doesn’t explain where he is. I truly hope he is found soon

 

[bombardier]

for those who can't access the link/play the video, this is a screenshot of the blood on the road.

So, just a little bit of blood, which is good, because it doesn't look like he was gravely injured there (i.e. shot or stabbed). I wonder if this is the only blood found at the scene, or is there more leading in a 'trail' which might indicate which way he went? Weird. I am also leaning towards an accidental injury atm but there doesn't seem to be any damage to the car, right? A closed head injury wouldn't necessarily bleed much but would be very devastating.

 

[PommyMommy]

for those who can't access the link/play the video, this is a screenshot of the blood on the road.
View attachment 269149
So, just a little bit of blood, which is good, because it doesn't look like he was gravely injured there (i.e. shot or stabbed). I wonder if this is the only blood found at the scene, or is there more leading in a 'trail' which might indicate which way he went? Weird. I am also leaning towards an accidental injury atm but there doesn't seem to be any damage to the car, right? A closed head injury wouldn't necessarily bleed much but would be very devastating.

There are more. The screenshot below is from the same video at about the 1:01 minute mark just before the cutaway to a street sign. There are red markings at the bottom left, bottom right, and near the grass. Possibly in the grass. Either way, the entire street is not visible in the video so we don't know how many more of those red markings there are. Hopefully, not many.



Link to video: Exclusive: Uncle pleads for answers in bizarre disappearance of Phenix City man | WRBL

 

[MntnHiker]

That looks like a fairly rural road from the photos above. At least, fairly secluded. I wonder if he was having car trouble or hearing a weird noise, so he pulled over and popped the hood, and a crime of opportunity occurred. Someone came upon him, incapacitated him and grabbed him. Why? I have no idea. Sorry if this was mentioned and I missed it, but was his wallet left behind? I know a lot of times, men will have their wallet in their back pocket and on their person.

I feel like if someone accidentally hit him and tried to cover that up, there would be a lot more blood here. MOO

 

[FlamingoLady]

I'd like to know, for certain, if that blood is actually his.

 

[bombardier]

There are more. The screenshot below is from the same video at about the 1:01 minute mark just before the cutaway to a street sign. There are red markings at the bottom left, bottom right, and near the grass. Possibly in the grass. Either way, the entire street is not visible in the video so we don't know how many more of those red markings there are. Hopefully, not many.

View attachment 269157

Link to video: Exclusive: Uncle pleads for answers in bizarre disappearance of Phenix City man | WRBL

thanks for pointing that out! can't believe I missed that what a weird scene...I can't see the 3-line spraypaint mark in the picture of the whole road so I am inclined to believe that there are more blood markings cut off in the photo.. it does look a bit like a trail.
If it wasn't for the weird detail with the hood, I would be saying it looks like saying had an injury and wandered off. The hood makes me worry about foul play.
I noticed you can see a bunch of tire marks on that road; I hope LE has analyzed that and can tell if another car stopped nearby (i.e. where the blood ends).

 

[bombardier]

That looks like a fairly rural road from the photos above. At least, fairly secluded. I wonder if he was having car trouble or hearing a weird noise, so he pulled over and popped the hood, and a crime of opportunity occurred. Someone came upon him, incapacitated him and grabbed him. Why? I have no idea. Sorry if this was mentioned and I missed it, but was his wallet left behind? I know a lot of times, men will have their wallet in their back pocket and on their person.

I feel like if someone accidentally hit him and tried to cover that up, there would be a lot more blood here. MOO

good point! i can't find any information about if his wallet, or other personal items (cell phone, mask, etc) where left in the car or gone. it's such a quiet road, and he vanished sometime between 6-9am, so I'll be surprised if this was a crime of opportunity but you never know; stranger things have happened! if another person was involved though, I'm inclined to believe he knew them.

 

[kimmie0313]

Any news about this gentleman? Where are you sir?
I’m familiar with this area, as my husband was stationed at Ft Benning for a short stay during 2014.

 

[Auntie_Seagull]

Note: I'm not at all an auto mechanic sooo

Does a person with a car issue usually work on it with the engine running? I always thought you turned off the car before you put the hood up to work on it?

MOO

Maybe someone stopped Anthony asking for help, claiming the battery in their car died? Anthony got off of his car, popped up the hood, put the wires between his battery and whoever stopped him, turned the engine of his car on... and when he got off, he got attacked. The perpetrator threw him in his (perp's) car, dismantled the wires and drove away, leaving on the scene Anthony's truck with the hood up and engine running.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

I was catching up on local information on him. Unfortunately, there's bad news: "the Russell County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a homicide after a body was found in a creek in Hatchechubbee, an unincorporated community in Russell County. Sheriff Taylor says the body is believed to that of Anthony Wilborn. The 39-year-old man has been missing for more than a week." Hatchechubbee looks like it's about 5-10 miles SW of Phenix City. RIP Mr. Wilborn.
Homicide investigation underway in Russell County, Sheriff Heath Taylor confirms | WRBL

 

[Auntie_Seagull]

I was catching up on local information on him. Unfortunately, there's bad news: "the Russell County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a homicide after a body was found in a creek in Hatchechubbee, an unincorporated community in Russell County. Sheriff Taylor says the body is believed to that of Anthony Wilborn. The 39-year-old man has been missing for more than a week." Hatchechubbee looks like it's about 5-10 miles SW of Phenix City. RIP Mr. Wilborn.
Homicide investigation underway in Russell County, Sheriff Heath Taylor confirms | WRBL

Ouch Not the outcome I hoped for

 

[Dnp2be]

Oh no! What in the world? This is so unfortunate. I can’t wrap my head around it. Is this a small area with low population? Just wondering if it was more of an accident and someone panicked or if he was targeted purposefully. At any rate, my thoughts go out to all his loved ones. How awful.

 

[Dnp2be]

The article says it appears there was a struggle at the scene so I’m leaning towards a purposeful attack whether known to the perp or just a crime of opportunity.

 

[PixieStix]

I was catching up on local information on him. Unfortunately, there's bad news: "the Russell County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a homicide after a body was found in a creek in Hatchechubbee, an unincorporated community in Russell County. Sheriff Taylor says the body is believed to that of Anthony Wilborn. The 39-year-old man has been missing for more than a week." Hatchechubbee looks like it's about 5-10 miles SW of Phenix City. RIP Mr. Wilborn.
Homicide investigation underway in Russell County, Sheriff Heath Taylor confirms | WRBL

Thanks for the update. This was not the outcome I was hoping for but it was the likely outcome considering how long he was missing and condition the area and car were found.

 

[bombardier]

The article says it appears there was a struggle at the scene so I’m leaning towards a purposeful attack whether known to the perp or just a crime of opportunity.

If it was a crime of opportunity, I feel like the assailants wouldn't have bothered to dispose of him in a different town. It's a quiet road, they surely could have just dumped him somewhere close by in the woods? So very sad, and confusing. Hope there was evidence left with Anthony's body.

 

[Dnp2be]

If it was a crime of opportunity, I feel like the assailants wouldn't have bothered to dispose of him in a different town. It's a quiet road, they surely could have just dumped him somewhere close by in the woods? So very sad, and confusing. Hope there was evidence left with Anthony's body.

Good point

 

[kimmie0313]

So sad to hear of this. I wonder what happened? Stranger? Someone he knew?
My condolences.