NC NC - Nancy Bunly, 31, Lexington, 23 Sep 2024

[Knox]

Search efforts are continuing but are somewhat hampered by the continuous frigid weather we are experiencing. This morning it was 15°F. I was out searching numerous areas during the week of Christmas. More searches are planned as soon as the weather warms up a tad. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks. We have a winter storm hitting this area on Friday/Saturday. Uncertain if this will be a snow or freezing rain event. ( I am so over winter...)

Due to the ongoing investigation by LPD into the circumstances surrounding Nancy's disappearance, I am unable to post specifics of the search at this time. LPD and Nancy's family are being frequently updated.

Wish you luck in your searches, stay safe!

 

[truthfinder2019]

Thank you @Vern_S for the update and stay safe

 

[truthfinder2019]

157K views · 1.5K reactions | What happened to Nancy Bunly? | Missing People In America

What happened to Nancy Bunly?.

www.facebook.com

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 28, 2025

Investigation into disappearance of Triad woman leads to man being charged

While officers were investigating the disappearance of Nancy Bunly, detectives developed probable cause that Ricky Lam possessed a firearm in 2023.

www.wxii12.com

Lam was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged by the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office with possession of a firearm by a felon.

Officials said the charge is not directly related to Bunly’s disappearance. He is being held in the Rowan County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond.

 

[Knox]

JAN 28, 2025

Investigation into disappearance of Triad woman leads to man being charged

While officers were investigating the disappearance of Nancy Bunly, detectives developed probable cause that Ricky Lam possessed a firearm in 2023.

www.wxii12.com

Lam was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged by the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office with possession of a firearm by a felon.

Officials said the charge is not directly related to Bunly’s disappearance. He is being held in the Rowan County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond.

I fully expect more charges will be coming his way, JMO.

 

[Vern_S]

I fully expect more charges will be coming his way, JMO.

This case is certainly getting interesting.. A couple weeks ago, in between winter storms, I was able to get a day in searching and located a vehicle. It was not the Honda Pilot we are looking for. Determined pretty quick with my underwater ROV that it was a Chevy Lumina and had been there for awhile. A Public Safety diver was able to scrape gunk off the plate and get a number. Its a 1996 Chevy Lumina and was reported stolen in 2008. Probably a dump. Waiting for the water to warm up before pulling it. Entire roof is silted in. Needs to be lifted with lift bags first and then flipped before pulling it out.

Plate before diver scraped the gunk off. Can make out some of the numbers if you squint and turn your head upside down.

Weather is much better now. Lot's of searching to do this week.

 

[CrimeSlog]

oh wow @Vern_S !! Good job... and that Lumina was purchased at what looks like the old Barber Chevrolet in Madison. That decal/emblem was prior to the Barber-Pauley merger or Smart Chevrolet that is there now

 

[Vern_S]

oh wow @Vern_S !! Good job... and that Lumina was purchased at what looks like the old Barber Chevrolet in Madison. That decal/emblem was prior to the Barber-Pauley merger or Smart Chevrolet that is there now

You are correct! Was the first thing I researched the night after I found it. Will be out this weekend and most of next week searching. There are many more areas to search. For reference, NC is number 10 on the list of most water by area.

 

[Knox]

This case is certainly getting interesting.. A couple weeks ago, in between winter storms, I was able to get a day in searching and located a vehicle. It was not the Honda Pilot we are looking for. Determined pretty quick with my underwater ROV that it was a Chevy Lumina and had been there for awhile. A Public Safety diver was able to scrape gunk off the plate and get a number. Its a 1996 Chevy Lumina and was reported stolen in 2008. Probably a dump. Waiting for the water to warm up before pulling it. Entire roof is silted in. Needs to be lifted with lift bags first and then flipped before pulling it out.
View attachment 561326

Plate before diver scraped the gunk off. Can make out some of the numbers if you squint and turn your head upside down.

Weather is much better now. Lot's of searching to do this week.

I have faith you will find the Honda Pilot and more, thank you for the update!!

 

[Vern_S]

Quick update.

Almost 30 miles of shoreline on 2 reservoirs and one lake were sonar scanned this weekend. Saw many places a vehicle could access the water in out of the way places such as back roads and trails, railroad lines that run along the waters edge, and where high tension power lines cross portions of the water. By running all of the shoreline, we can rule out much of the area more quickly and efficiently then trying to identify and access all of these points by land. Most of it is private property. 30 miles may seem like a lot but it's a small fraction of the waters in central NC.

The search continues for Nancy.

My custom sonar search boat. Small but capable of accessing waters larger boats cannot. i.e. Boat Ramps are optional.

On the water scanning with State-of-the-Art Garmin Sidescan and Livescope sonar.

 

[Vern_S]

When searching small bodies of water, such as retention ponds and quarries, or to do a quick scan at a boat ramp, we are using a custom remote operated sonar search boat, also with Garmin Sidescan and Livescope that I developed. We found the Chevy Lumina with this boat. It's been a true game changer in our search efforts for Nancy.

Quickly deployed from the back of a pickup of SUV with complete control of the boat and sonar from shore out to 600ft.

Then we have plenty of tools to access what we find below.

Just wanted to give people a sense of what technology is being used in the search for Nancy.

 

[truthfinder2019]

This is amazing. Thank you !

 

[Knox]

When searching small bodies of water, such as retention ponds and quarries, or to do a quick scan at a boat ramp, we are using a custom remote operated sonar search boat, also with Garmin Sidescan and Livescope that I developed. We found the Chevy Lumina with this boat. It's been a true game changer in our search efforts for Nancy.

Quickly deployed from the back of a pickup of SUV with complete control of the boat and sonar from shore out to 600ft.

Then we have plenty of tools to access what we find below.

View attachment 562351

Just wanted to give people a sense of what technology is being used in the search for Nancy.

Impressive!! Necessity really is the Mother of Invention. Nice job developing a tool to make your search easier!!

Curious if you would be able to find a body using that same equipment - not just large objects like a vehicle.

 

[Vern_S]

Impressive!! Necessity really is the Mother of Invention. Nice job developing a tool to make your search easier!!

Curious if you would be able to find a body using that same equipment - not just large objects like a vehicle.

Yes. We can locate bodies as well. The sonar is the same that public safety uses just on a remote controlled boat. After you have hauled a small boat into a few dozen retention ponds you start to develop solutions. As I always say, Search Smarter, Not Harder!

 

[Vern_S]

We then post process the raw sonar data and import the sonar tracks into Google Earth Pro to evaluate the imagery looking for anomalies such as structures and vehicles. This is a section of Falls Reservoir just upstream of Falls Dam that was built in 1919. You can see in the imagery that there was a road and a bridge crossing the Yadkin River at this point prior to the dam being built. It's fascinating what you can find hidden under the waters surface.

Depth was 40' to 60' heading towards the dam. I was casting 150' with the sidescan once the depth exceeded 30'.

Running the shoreline gives us the most efficient and detailed look at what is underwater. When a vehicle enters the water it will not travel far and sink relatively fast. In calm waters it will not be far from shore. In fast moving current, the vehicle can be swept further downstream and more towards the middle. That is not the case in reservoirs.

 

[Vern_S]

Quick update. The search for Nancy continues. Conducted aerial flights over some locations of interest I think are relevant to the case. Working on getting permission/access to some of these locations that require a "deeper dive" to be cleared. Will post more when I can.

 

[Vern_S]

A couple years ago, I was working another missing persons case in this area. Guy Earl Hall. I exhausted accident and self harm scenarios. I Searched nearby woods and ponds. My conclusions after talking with family members and friends of Guy, as well as investigators, pointed me in a different direction. There are some foul play elements in this case that lead me to believe the Guy met a dire end and his body is probably where stolen and stripped vehicles in this area are dumped. In my search for Nancy, I am now getting access to just such a place where criminal elements could dump vehicles. I wanted to search this site when looking for Guy but it was just a hunch. With Nancy's case, it's more then just a hunch. I will be searching for Guy and well as Nancy at this site over the next week.

 

[Vern_S]

Live Interview with the family Nancy Bunly​

 

[caradana]

Very cool to see the science shared by @Vern_S around this case. Go Vern go!!!

 

[Vern_S]

Very cool to see the science shared by @Vern_S around this case. Go Vern go!!!

This coming week will be intense. Search has taken on a new twist.