I've been doing as much research as possible. There's much more to do. But here's what I have gathered so far.
Lucas had a brother named Chad. He lost his brother almost three years ago. It really caused me to realize what these boys' parents must be going through. Losing one young son is a heartbreaking tragedy. I'm hopeful that they won't lose two. Chad enjoyed the outdoors and motorcycles. I have to think that is true of Lucas, too.
Unicoi appears to be in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and in the Cherokee National Forest. It is also very close to the Appalachian National Trail. The trail veers to the right about 5-10 miles south of Unicoi. There are a lot of Vances who own property in Unicoi County, but not one of them is named Lucas. A Google search has given me an address NNE of the city. But I'm not sure it's his correct address. The home is on a street with other houses nearby. The road dead-ends at the next house on the street. There are lots of trees to the east as the forest land takes over.
I watched a long Facebook video that provided almost no new information. There's talk on the video of a "trail cam." I'm not familiar with these cameras, but I wonder if there's actually a trail or if it's just a generic term. Apparently, it was this camera which picked up Lucas arriving home and then not leaving via the front.
I recall hearing something about him having watched half of a movie. I don't know how anyone could know when he watched it. I assume that it was paused on the TV.
I read that his car was parked in front. But I see photos on Facebook of a motorcycle. Where was the bike? Did he still have it? If not, why did he sell it? Did he need money?
A lot of people who live in rural areas with hills may own an ATV. Did he have one? Is it gone?
If he has no ATV and no motorcycle, then what? Why would he leave on foot? Where would he go? If the address I found is correct, I suppose he could walk out the back door and to another property. Perhaps someone had a bonfire going or perhaps he knew a neighbor and went to visit. Could he have been at a nearby home with a woman when someone walked in on a little unexpected romance? I just don't know. But I'm not buying that he just walked off. If someone was distraught, there are places you can go nearby. I mean, there are epic places where you can go out in a blaze of glory. I'm not getting that here. Sure, I can see signs that maybe things weren't good for Lucas. For example, it was late in the month. He owned a business. Perhaps a lease or rent payment was due, and perhaps he didn't have the cash. That might be upsetting. Perhaps he was upset over a failed relationship. I mean, he's at that age when life can seem overwhelming if you hit a hard spot. By age 35, you expect to have a smooth road to follow.
Someone asked if he lived alone. I don't know. The address that I googled is connected to another person who is close to Lucas's age. But I have heard nothing about a roommate or anyone being home when he arrived.
