So what kind of establishments are there that he would "frequent" other than the school and his gym? It seems he may have some other regular habits in that area besides his gym.
Found Deceased NC - Clinton "Clint" Bonnell 50, Green Beret, Gray's Creek area, car at home in Fayetteville, 27 Jan 2025 *Arrest*
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Could be something as simple as gas stations or fast food restaurants he would stop at regularly on his way to/from school and gym?
Can't find anything new so far.
Still wouldn't it be great if he left of his own free will and just cannot bring himself to call or contact anyone ?
A little more unusual when a seemingly stable middle-aged person just ups and disappears.
Admittedly I do fear for him, only because it doesn't appear that he had reason to leave.
Imo.
Omo.
Still wouldn't it be great if he left of his own free will and just cannot bring himself to call or contact anyone ?
A little more unusual when a seemingly stable middle-aged person just ups and disappears.
Admittedly I do fear for him, only because it doesn't appear that he had reason to leave.
Imo.
Omo.
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I am a bit surprised by the fact that CB’s wife Facebook messaged his sister to let her know Clint was missing, as opposed to calling her on the phone—which IMO seems a much more suitable way of sharing such urgent and troubling information! I wonder if the relationship between the two women was at all strained (which, to me, would account for messaging rather than calling), and if the relationship between Clint and his wife had any issues that might’ve strained the wife’s relationship with Clint’s sister.View attachment 564221
x.com
x.com
Family concerned for missing North Carolina man, Clinton Bonnell
The retired Green Beret was last seen on January 27, 2025, in Fayetteville, North Carolina.www.nbcnews.com
February 12, 2025
“My brother is a Green Beret and perfectly capable of taking care of himself,” Stefanie Firkins told Dateline. “There’s very suspicious circumstances surrounding his disappearance.”
*****
Clint had once worked for Motorola but eventually made his way to the Army. “After 9/11, he joined the military,” Stefanie said. Not only was he a Green Beret, “he was also the spokesperson for the Gold Star Families.”
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Stefanie says not only did Clint get in to the school, he quickly became the president of his cohort. “He was completely enamored with medicine and excited about his career path,” she said.
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On January 29, less than a month into the new year, something happened that immediately caused alarm. “I got a Facebook message from his wife asking if I had spoken to my brother and then telling me that he had not shown up for class two days in a row and that the sheriff had been out to her house four times,” Stefanie recalled.
Stefanie says she learned that Clint’s school had called the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and asked them to conduct a welfare check on him.
*****
“He would not walk away from his life and his school and his daughter,” she (Stefanie) said.
*****
See the linked article for more.
The obvious questions after reading it: Are Clint and his wife separated? Do they live at the same residence? His sister said he would never leave his daughter, she didn't say his wife and daughter, so from that it seems that they might not be together. It sounds like the wife didn't know he was missing until she was contacted by the school. Even after she was contacted, it was the school that contacted the sheriff. In the article, the sister, Stefanie, says that she understands that "the property" has been searched. Stefanie lives in Texas and is doing what she can from long distance.
It doesn’t sound to me like Clint and his wife were living together, and the fact that the sheriff visited the wife’s address four times looking for Clint after the school requested a welfare check could mean that the school didn’t know Clint and his wife were living separately (would that be a big deal to—or violate a student code of conduct/ethics at—the religiously affiliated university at which he was studying? If so, then maybe Clint had a good reason to not let the school know that he lived at a different address than his spouse!).
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I believe the quote was that he sent a text to a friend, in which he said that he was arriving home. I don't recall seeing anything about the message in the text. I can think of any number of reasons why he might have mentioned that he was arriving home, none of them odd. Just one example, maybe he responded to an earlier text by saying "sorry I couldn't get back with you sooner, I'm just arriving home now." Or maybe someone wanted to meet up with him, and he said "not tonight, I just got home."
Depends on who it is, I guess ?
I think clues might be found by looking at his communications with others & his electronics, which I imagine LE have ?
Unless he has his phone with him.
Any security cameras would show who was at his house that day as well.
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As for his daughter, she might be an adult, and whoever said "he wouldn't leave her" may have meant that he wouldn't do anything deliberate that would harm her.
dogface 82
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The flyer on Clint Bonnell was vague. I found a home on 3265 Butler Nursery Road listed as his home. On google map satellite view it is tucked away in the pine forest and not visible from the road.
If this is the correct location a white clubcab pickup is in the driveway.
Rockfish creek a swift stream of varying depth is only about 60 feet north of the home. Normally the area near the creek would be covered in thick low vegetation. Thorny vines capable of tripping and entangling a full grown man are generally in this area. These notorious "wait a minute" vines are climbers and can form a large high web. Most likely he arrived home well after dark. Whether it happened that night or early the next morning, the simplest chore in the yard could have turned into a deadly slip and fall under those conditions.
If this is the correct location it needs to be thoroughly searched by people who know what they are doing. If he has a dog use it. He is probably close by.
If this is the correct location a white clubcab pickup is in the driveway.
Rockfish creek a swift stream of varying depth is only about 60 feet north of the home. Normally the area near the creek would be covered in thick low vegetation. Thorny vines capable of tripping and entangling a full grown man are generally in this area. These notorious "wait a minute" vines are climbers and can form a large high web. Most likely he arrived home well after dark. Whether it happened that night or early the next morning, the simplest chore in the yard could have turned into a deadly slip and fall under those conditions.
If this is the correct location it needs to be thoroughly searched by people who know what they are doing. If he has a dog use it. He is probably close by.
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dogface 82
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The only confirmed address I found 3265 Butler Nursery Rd has a white club cab pickup which matches the one in the flyer. If you look using the overhead satellite view on google maps it backs onto Rockfish Creek. This creek empties into the Cape Fear River less than a thousand yards east from his backyard.
The sandhills are low rolling hills covered in pine forest. Imagine a beach or the cimarron country with a 60-120 ft canopy of pines and low leafy undergrowth. Snow melt or rainfall can turn a low lying yard into a swamp or pond overnight. The weather was 50F sunny Sunday January 26, 2025. Partly cloudy high 49F low 35F Monday January 27, 2025. Cloudy high 60F low 41F Tuesday January 28, 2025. Sunrise was between 07:20 AM and 07:14AM. Sunset was between 5:33PM and 5:43 PM that week.
I hope that info is helpful understanding the conditions in the Gray's Creek neighborhood. I found a previous address on higher ground in a suburban neighborhood northwest of the Grays creek area.<modsnip: Publicly sleuthing family is not allowed>
He was last seen wearing brown pants and black hoody over a brown plaid shirt. If he had a medical incident, or an accident and fell that is instant camouflage. He could be 20 feet from his door and be "invisible".
If he decided to go back to the Ramsey St area and hang out he probably changed and got some kind of a ride. That introduces many new dangers from predators. Kelly Bordeaux was abducted and murdered at Froggy Bottoms (no longer existant) at the intersection of Ramsey and 295. This is just north of Methodist University. Southwest of the University is where Debbie Wolfe was found stuffed in a burn barrel. Further south where Murchison crosses Ramsey is where Heather Williams was found dead recently. You don't have to wander far from the "safe hangouts" to be vulnerable. Most of these areas are bordered by pine forest.
Hopefully thorough organized searches will be conducted.
Last edited by a moderator:
I live in NC and this case bothers me. So, I did some poking as well. A few things I found that haven’t been mentioned:
The property is 15.19 acres, wooded as you say. In the prior listing, you can see the driveway is gated although it doesnt seem like the entire property is. The home is very near the creeks edge, however the creek is typically only 3-4 ft deep at the nearest gauge and has not been in a flood stage or higher depth this year. CB is the only person listed on the title, purchased in 2019 and refinanced in 2020. North Carolina is a one to buy, but two to sale state.
Someone posted he was affiliated with Boncloud, LLC which was founded in 2023 <modsnip>. When I looked at the business filings it says the nature of business is: septic inspection, equestrian training, risk management and survival techniques.
<modsnip: Sleuthing family is not allowed>
Here are some links:
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Feb 20, 2025 article
[…]
She said a friend filed a missing person's report Jan. 29.
[…]
It's been three weeks since a Cumberland County vet went missing. Where is Clinton Bonnell?
The recently retired Green Beret was reported missing by a friend after he didn't show up for classes at Methodist University in Fayetteville.
www.fayobserver.com
[…]
She said a friend filed a missing person's report Jan. 29.
[…]
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Firkins said she has been in contact with Bonnell's daughter, who is away from the area at college, and said she is also "absolutely perplexed and concerned" about her father's disappearance.
Bonnell's parents, who live in Texas, have also not heard from their missing son, Firkins said.
Attempts to reach Bonnell's wife were unsuccessful.
The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Bonnell is still missing.
Bonnell's parents, who live in Texas, have also not heard from their missing son, Firkins said.
Attempts to reach Bonnell's wife were unsuccessful.
The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Bonnell is still missing.
It's been three weeks since a Cumberland County vet went missing. Where is Clinton Bonnell?
The recently retired Green Beret was reported missing by a friend after he didn't show up for classes at Methodist University in Fayetteville.
eu.fayobserver.com
dogface 82
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I am very disturbed that there is nothing about searches.
There is so much that can go wrong quickly this time of the year. You can get killed checking your mailbox by a careless driver as one of my neighbors did in the 90s. Hunting season usually extends into February for small game. The intermittent weather always effects the plumbing. And the short warm spells bring out the copperheads and cottonmouths.
I no longer live within driving distance or I would "saddle up". A couple of people with dogs could do a nonintrusive but good search. It is a bit late for human trackers but their experience and heightened visual skills would be an asset.
I am going to say again: There needs to be a thorough search of the property!
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