NC NC - Travis Lynch, 21, Middlesex, 24 Dec 2003

Investigators are reexamining this young man's disappearance and are asking for people to come forward that may have information. His family has never stopped looking for him.


NamUs

NAMPN

Charley Project


Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
• Missing Since: December 24, 2003 from Middlesex, North Carolina
• Classification: Endangered Missing
• Date of Birth: March 6, 1981
• Age: 22 years old
• Height and Weight: 5'4, 180 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics: African-American male. Black hair, brown eyes. Lynch has a tattoo of the letter T on his right forearm and a birthmark near his mouth on the left side of his face.
• Clothing/Jewelry Description: A light brown t-shirt and blue jeans.

Details of Disappearance
Lynch was last seen on Christmas Eve, 2003. He had been drinking heavily at a friend's house, and he and his girlfriend went to her house on Claud Lewis Road in Middlesex, North Carolina so he could sober up. He was last seen leaving his girlfriend's home at 1:00 a.m., trying to get to his own home in Wilson, North Carolina. Lynch was supposed to call his girlfriend when he arrived, but he never did. He has never been heard from again and his white 1992 Pontiac Grand Am with the North Carolina license plate number RZS 4814 has never been found. His mother reported him missing on December 26.

It's uncharacteristic of Lynch to leave without warning. He has a violent temper and investigators theorize he got into a physical altercation with someone that resulted in his death. He may have been involved with drugs at the time of his disappearance and drugs may be a factor in his case. Authorities believe Lynch is deceased, but little evidence is available in his disappearance.



"SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS: Family, investigators seek to solve mystery following young man's 2003 disappearance"

http://www.wilsontimes.com/News/Feature/Story/37375820---SEARCHING-FOR-ANSWERS

Family members have no illusions there will be a happy reunion but they desperately need closure after living with their loved one’s disappearance since Dec. 24, 2003.

"Somebody knows something,” Jackie Lynch said.

"They never found his car, anything,” said his aunt, Avalean Lynch. "How does a man go missing in a car and you never find either one?”

The case was reopened this week by the Nash County Sheriff’s Office. In addition, a $5,000 reward has been attached to the case for information leading to an arrest and conviction, said sheriff’s investigator Miste Strickland.

Click to expand...

Deputies reopen case of man missing more than 11 years

Last month, a vigil was held for Travis. The reward was raised to $10,000.

http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/News/2016/09/14/Vigil-to-be-held-for-missing-man.html

A dozen years have passed since Jackie Lynch last saw her son Travis Lamont Lynch. Lynch, who was 21 years old at the time, left his girlfriend’s home in Middlesex in the early morning hours of Dec. 24, 2003, and has not been heard from since.

In the years since his disappearance, leads continued to come in but eventually the trail went cold. Capt. Tom Wells of the Nash County Sheriff’s Office said the case has never officially been closed, but remains a cold case.

Increased interest in Lynch’s disappearance last year led the Nash County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the case more thoroughly again. The reward for locating Lynch was just recently increased to $10,000. But Lynch’s case is still no closer to being solved.

Click to expand...

So sad.

Man's disappearance remains a mystery - November 2017

The family held a memorial for Travis last year. They've accepted he's dead, but they need, desperately, to find out what happened to him.

“We need something of him back,” Avalean said. “We've got nothing to bury. Whoever did this to him has let us suffer for years. They don't have a conscience.”

Click to expand...

Travis, who lived in Wilson with his mom, was in Middlesex at his girlfriend's house on Claude Lewis Road on Christmas Eve. The girlfriend claims Travis left late that night in his white 1992 Pontiac Grand Am.

Not only has Travis never been found, his car is missing as well, which is a very unusual situation, according to detectives working the case.

“We can't rule anyone out,” Brake answered when I asked him whether the girlfriend was a suspect in Travis' disappearance. What I didn't know at that time was the girlfriend's family had threatened Travis. Turns out he had a rocky relationship with his girlfriend, and her family didn't care much for him.

Click to expand...

Updated Charley Project link:

http://charleyproject.org/case/travis-lamont-lynch

JAN 1, 2020
Search continues for missing man and his car


This photo provided by law enforcement shows a 1992 Pontiac Grand Am similar to the one Travis Lynch drove when he disappeared in 2003. The vehicle was last seen in Middlesex. A reward for useful information is being offered in the case.

• Travis Lamont Lynch vanished on Christmas Eve 2003 along with his white 1992 Pontiac Grand Am.
• “He was so proud of that car,” Travis’ mother JL said in a recent interview.
• Travis was in a fender-bender and needed another car. Two days before Christmas, his mother helped him get his Grand Am.
• His mother sent him to pick up some gifts, and he was going to stop by his girlfriend’s house in Middlesex.
• The car, with NC license plate RZS-4818, hasn’t been seen since it was at Travis’ girlfriend’s house on Claude Lewis Road.
• The NCSO's search has repeatedly focused on the Gallberry area between Middlesex and Bailey. But it’s included other areas as well, detectives said.
• Deputies have dragged bodies of water, searched junkyards, and used borrowed equipment from other agencies to check underground.
• Anyone who might know anything about a car fitting the description is asked to give Sheriff’s Maj. Miste Strickland a call at 252-532-4574. There’s a $20,000 reward for information in the case.

JAN 3, 2020
Nash County family still hoping for closure 16 years after young man’s Christmas Eve disappearance
A Nash County man and his car vanished on Christmas Eve. Travis Lynch’s family is still waiting and wondering what happened to him 16 years ago.

[...]

Lynch was 21 years old when he went missing.

“December the 24th, we were waiting for him to come home for Christmas and he never showed that day,” his aunt said. The family reported him missing the next day.

[...]

Investigators said he had been drinking at a friend’s house with his girlfriend. They went back to her house on Claude Lewis Road in Middlesex to sober up. Authorities said Travis left her home in his white 1992 Pontiac Grand Am around 1 a.m. That was the last time anyone saw him.

[...]

“He didn’t just disappear into the air. So, somebody has to know. They just won’t talk. But one day, one day.” Lynch said.

The Nash County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate every lead. They’re offering a $20,000 reward for information in the case.

JerseyGirl said:

6,000 days of prayer for missing man

Click to expand...

From the article:

The pastor of a man missing for 16 years has been praying every day for resolution in the case.

[...]

Perry led a vigil for Travis in 2016. Family and friends gathered at Union View to share memories, seek God’s guidance and attract attention to the years-old case.

In December, Perry met with members of Travis’ family and Nash County sheriff’s Maj. Miste Strickland at the Lynch family home on Glendale Drive in Wilson.

[...]

During discussion, Perry said Travis was quiet.

“When he came to church, you wouldn’t know he was there if you didn’t speak to him,” Perry said.

The pastor said Travis was one of the most polite young men he had ever met.

[...]

This story is part of an ongoing series by Restoration NewsMedia examining Travis’ disappearance. Anyone with knowledge about Travis can call Strickland directly at 252-532-4574. There’s a $20,000 reward for useful information in the case.

JAN 21, 2020
Tips about missing man pouring in
Nash County sheriff’s deputies have been inundated with tips in recent weeks in the case of a man missing for more than a decade.

[...]

A small circle of people are involved with Travis’ disappearance, said sheriff’s Maj. David Brake.

“We want the people in that circle to sweat,” Brake said. “And we want people to be inspired to call us.”

[...]

“People are talking,” Sherrod said. “We are receiving a lot of tips. Some of it is what we’ve already heard, but some of it is new. We’re not just taking the information over the phone. We are going to meet everyone face to face.”

[...]

Detectives have been looking for Travis’ car. They have dragged bodies of water, searched junkyards and used sophisticated equipment borrowed from other agencies to check underground.

“We dug up a junkyard,” Brake said.

[...]

Anyone who might know anything about a car fitting the description is asked to give detectives a call. Sheriff’s Maj. Miste Strickland can be reached at 252-532-4574. There’s a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Recent case gives hope to missing man’s family

Posted Tuesday, February 11, 2020 2:21 pm

• 

The recent discovery of a missing woman’s body has given hope to the family of a man who’s been missing for more than a decade.

Travis Lamont Lynch vanished on Christmas Eve 2003.

Snip

Jackie Lynch said her heart stopped for a moment in October when she heard the news that a body had been found in southern Nash County.

She simultaneously hoped and feared the body belonged to her son. She soon learned the body wasn’t Travis, but Deborah Elaine Deans.

Snip

Jackie Lynch said she prays every day that a tip will help solve her son’s case.

“I feel like if they can find this woman then one day, they will find my son,” Jackie Lynch said.
#

Article also goes into detail about Ms. Dean's case.

PommyMommy said:

JAN 21, 2020
Tips about missing man pouring in
Nash County sheriff’s deputies have been inundated with tips in recent weeks in the case of a man missing for more than a decade.

[...]

A small circle of people are involved with Travis’ disappearance, said sheriff’s Maj. David Brake.

“We want the people in that circle to sweat,” Brake said. “And we want people to be inspired to call us.”

[...]

“People are talking,” Sherrod said. “We are receiving a lot of tips. Some of it is what we’ve already heard, but some of it is new. We’re not just taking the information over the phone. We are going to meet everyone face to face.”

[...]

Detectives have been looking for Travis’ car. They have dragged bodies of water, searched junkyards and used sophisticated equipment borrowed from other agencies to check underground.

“We dug up a junkyard,” Brake said.

[...]

Anyone who might know anything about a car fitting the description is asked to give detectives a call. Sheriff’s Maj. Miste Strickland can be reached at 252-532-4574. There’s a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Click to expand...

Snipped from above - “We dug up a junkyard,” Brake said.

Dang! I wonder what kind of tip convinced them to dig up a junkyard? What a task that must have been.

Don’t wait to report a missing person

The family of a Wilson man who vanished 16 years ago reported him missing as soon as he disappeared — the right thing to do, according to authorities.
The Nash County Sheriff’s Office confirmed two weeks ago that Carlisha Whitley’s uncle Sean Whitley is a person of interest in Travis’ disappearance.

Sean Whitley is serving a prison sentence on federal drug convictions that came together in part due to Travis’ missing person case.


Anyone with knowledge about Travis’ whereabouts can call Nash County Sheriff’s Maj. Miste Strickland at 252-532-4574.

A reward of up to $20,000 is available for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Missing man's description given; $20,000 reward offered for information

May 4 article

Nash sheriff vows to never give up on missing man
May 11
Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone vowed Friday that he will never stop seeking justice for a man missing for 16 years.

Stone said his team of detectives continues to work the case with diligence. Stone said one of his detectives was following up a lead Friday.

Investigators have access to increasingly precise technology that allows detectives to inch ever closer to the culprits, Stone said.

New leads bring hope to missing man's mother

June 23
The mother of a man missing for more than a decade said recent action in the case gives her hope.

Jackie said information being shared with the public now after so long has reinvigorated her desire to learn the truth.

Detectives with the Nash County Sheriff’s Office have confirmed that Travis’ girlfriend, Carlisha Whitley, is a suspect in Travis’ missing person case.
Another suspect in Travis’s disappearance and probable death is his girlfriend’s uncle, Sean Whitley, currently serving federal prison time on crack cocaine trafficking convictions.

Family searches for spotlight in missing man's case

The family of a man missing for more than a decade now searches for ways to bring his case back into the spotlight.

Travis Lamont Lynch, 21, vanished without a trace from southern Nash County on Christmas Eve 2003.

Over the years, his family has placed posters in area convenience store windows and other locations.

The family considered a march through Middlesex, as it’s the last place Travis is believed to have been before his disappearance and likely death. But plans for a march have been shelved for right now due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Maj. Miste Strickland will appear live with the author of this report at 8 a.m. Thursday to discuss the investigation as part of “The Kay Files,” a new television program on WHIG-TV about local unsolved murders and missing person cases.

Missing man’s family seeks justice

Gathered together Friday at Joe Lynch’s home in Red Oak, the family reminisced about Travis and pleaded for someone to come forward with information to close his unsolved case.

Joe Lynch, who is Travis’ uncle and a retired state trooper, said his family has been through so much heartache since Travis disappeared.

Detectives: Crushed car will lead to missing man

Travis Lamont Lynch, 21, vanished on Christmas Eve 2003. Disappearing along with him was his white 1992 Pontiac Grand Am.

The car, with North Carolina license plate RZS-4818, hasn’t been seen since it was at the home of Travis’ girlfriend Carlisha Whitley. She lived on Claude Lewis Road near Middlesex at the time.

Travis’ aunt Avalean Lynch said she doesn’t understand how his car hasn’t been found by now.

“How does a man go missing in a car and you never find either one?” she asked.

A strong investigative theory is that the Whitley family killed Travis, placed him in his car and drove to a junkyard where the car was compacted into a metal cube, which was then disposed, possibly by burying it in the Middlesex area. Authorities have named Whitley and her uncle Sean Whitley as suspects in the case.

At the time of Travis’ disappearance, the Whitley family knew a junkyard operator who has since died.

Detectives with the Nash County Sheriff’s Office have been looking for Travis and his car since he disappeared. Their search has repeatedly focused on the Gallberry area between Middlesex and Bailey. But it’s included other areas as well, detectives confirmed.

AUG 4, 2020
Police relations improved in town where man went missing
[...]

Travis Lamont Lynch, 21, disappeared Christmas Eve 2003 after being seen in public with his girlfriend’s family at a notorious nightclub on the outskirts of Bailey.

The nightclub — known at different times as Club Twilight, the Twilight Zone and Bananas Sports Bar — was the site of shootings, stabbings, drug sales, prostitution and human trafficking.

Located at 8076 Stoney Hill Church Road, the club closed down about five years ago.

Bailey Police Chief Steve Boraski said his officers have now developed close ties with town residents.

[...]

The nightclub remains part of Travis’ case mostly due to a nearby mobile home. The trailer belonged to the family of Travis’ girlfriend, Carlisha Whitley, at the time. It sat within a short walk of the nightclub 16 years ago, according to property records.

A set of suspicious fires destroyed the mobile home in April 2004 as detectives continued to ask the Whitley family about Travis.

The mobile home’s occupant at the time, Sean Fontae Whitley, is serving federal prison time on drug convictions. His arrest came about during investigations into drug activity at the nightclub, detectives said.

Carlisha, who lived in Middlesex when Travis vanished, and her uncle Sean Whitley have been named as suspects in Travis’ disappearance and likely death.

Anyone with information about Travis’ case is asked to call Maj. Miste Strickland of the Nash County Sheriff’s Office at 252-532-4574.

A reward of up to $20,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest in the case.

SEP 1, 2020
Search for Travis Lynch continues — forever, if necessary


This building on Stoney Hill Church Road outside Bailey was formerly known as Club Twilight, the last place Travis Lynch was seen publicly.

After eight months of continued coverage in this newspaper, detectives have developed new leads and witnesses in the case of a Wilson man missing from southern Nash County for nearly two decades.

[...]

Maj. Miste Strickland of the Nash County Sheriff’s Office is one of the case’s lead investigators. She said she’s interviewing new witnesses and pieces of the puzzle are falling into place. The case is no longer cold.

[...]