Christopher Thompkins: Gone Without a Sound Into the Forest

Christopher Thompkins was born at the very end of December 1981. His aunt Roselyn said he had become a Christian in the months before he disappeared and was active in his church. He lived with his mother, Ann. Two weeks before he vanished, his grandmother had helped him purchase a new car. His life was seemingly moving in a good direction. He worked for a surveying company owned by a local family. His mother, Ann, worked for the same family as a babysitter. I was unable to find how long either of them had been employed by the family.

The Day of the Disappearance

On the cool afternoon of Friday, January 25, 2002, Christopher was at work. He was a part of a four-man crew surveying an area in Harris County, Georgia. According to contemporaneous reports, Christopher and his co-workers were walking in a four-man formation, approximately 50 feet from each other. They were walking in a vertical line, and Christopher was at the end, near the road. ¹https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2602232243886-co-workers-said-georgia-man-just-disappeared-from-rural-job-site

Christopher’s co-worker stated that he was having an off and on conversation with him as they were walking. He turned away to take care of some quick task, asked Christopher a question, and received no answer. The co-worker turned around, and Christopher was just gone. The three men looked in the immediate area for Christopher but were unable to locate him. There are no reports of the men hearing anything, such as a scream, screeching car brakes, or animal sounds. Christopher Thompkins was gone without a sound.

Into the Woods

The area Christopher disappeared from has been described by local media as “lightly forested,” between Georgia 85/Manchester Highway and Warm Springs Rd., near County Line Rd. In the middle of January, any trees in the area would’ve lost most of their leaves allowing sound to travel easier than in full summer bloom. Property records show that, in 2002, there were a few homes in the area where the men were working. It is rural, but not desolate. Georgia 85 is a four-lane highway that connects Columbus to the Atlanta metro area cities of Riverdale and Forest Park.

Sources vary on exactly what time Christopher went missing. It varies from 12 p.m. before the crew broke for lunch to 1:30 p.m. after they returned from lunch. One of the survey crew members, a man named Gary White, was the son of the owner of the company. His children were the ones that Christopher’s mother babysat. Mr. White notified his wife of the disappearance within an hour of it happening, but not Christopher’s mother Ann, who was presumably at White’s house caring for his children at the time Christopher disappeared. ²Franklin, 2002. Ann was not notified until 4:15pm, several hours later. I was unable to find an explanation for the notification delay.

Family Searches on Their Own

After Christopher’s mother was notified of his disappearance, she immediately recruited family members and drove over to the job site. “What we found was puzzling and did not make sense in light of what Christopher’s co-workers told authorities. We found one of his boots, his work tools, a blue fiber from his pants, and 12 cents on the ground near the items.” Ann told the Ledger-Enquirer in 2008. These discoveries were made alongside a barbed wire fence dividing the surveyed property from the adjacent one. I was unable to find if any of Christopher’s co-workers assisted with any of the searches.

A 2002 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer article states that Christopher “apparently walked out of his shoes and left his clothes in the woods.” I was unable to find any more detail on this. Were more pieces of clothing found? It remains unclear.

According to historical weather data, the sun set that day at 6:00 p.m., giving them only two hours of daylight. The family tried to report Chris missing to the Harris County Sheriff’s Department but were told they had to wait 24 hours. The family returned to the area in the morning to continue searching but found nothing else. In July 2002, a property owner off Highway 85 located Christopher’s other boot. Some reports state the boot was found in a marshy area. That is all that has ever been found of Christopher Thompkins.

A Skeptical Sheriff

Harris County Sheriff Mike Jolley told the Ledger-Enquirer in September 2002, “It is a missing person report. That’s how we have it listed. We have done a lot of extra investigation activity for it to be just a missing person. I feel very comfortable with the work this office has done.” Sheriff Jolley went on to say that both bloodhounds and cadaver dogs were brought in to search the area. Two lakes were searched, and no evidence of foul play was found. Christopher was an adult and legally could walk away from his life.

Sheriff Jolley’s initial theory was that Christopher had walked off the job site, through the woods, and over towards Georgia 85. He believed that Chris got into a vehicle and left the area. Furthermore, he did not elaborate on whether he believed this was something Christopher had arranged prior to that day or if, alternatively, he had resorted to hitchhiking. In 2002, cell phone service in rural south Georgia would have been spotty at best. It is unknown whether Christopher even had a cell phone on him that day.

A Desperate Family

Christopher’s Aunt Roselyn told WTVM in 2023, “I don’t believe that Chris walked away. I don’t believe he disappeared with one shoe. Who’s going to walk around with one boot on in the cold weather on a rural road? I just don’t believe that happened. They know what happened to Chris; they’re just not telling.”

Sheriff Jolley told local media that Christopher’s mother “acknowledged he had done drugs the week before,” and Chris’ boss reported that he had been “acting strangely” in the days before he disappeared. Ann said, “Chris lived with me, and I saw him every day. There was neither strange behavior on his part nor any distress.” ³Sledge, 2008.

A Quest for Answers

Antonio D. Carter, the Georgia chair of National Action Network, began working with the family within months of the disappearance. Friends and family held several protests asking for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to be brought in to the investigation. Carter asked that the survey team members working with Christopher that day be given polygraph tests.

Christopher’s mother Ann stated that the family had begged authorities to search wells and other lakes. They asked police to check with people who lived in the area to see if they saw anything the day Christopher disappeared. It is unclear if any of this was ever done. The G.B.I. has not released any further information on the case since they took over.

“He’s not the type of person who’s just going to walk away.” – Jasmine Houston, friend

Human remains were discovered near Pine Mountain, Georgia, in 2009, approximately 30 miles from where Christopher disappeared. They did not turn out to be his.

Where is Christopher Thompkins?

With such little actual evidence and such mysterious circumstances surrounding Christopher’s disappearance, theories extend across the board. People have theorized that Christopher was abducted by aliens or somehow dropped into a different dimension. The truth is likely closer to earth. Christopher’s family doesn’t believe that he would’ve walked away from this life. They question the logistics of why and how he would have left, seemingly walking miles in just his socks. If he was going to leave, why not make it easier on himself and take his car? If he didn’t leave voluntarily, what fate could have befallen him? Only one person who was with him that day has been publicly named. I was unable to find if any of his co-workers were questioned and what their statements were.

Answers Prove Elusive

Christopher’s mother Ann told the Ledger-Enquirer:

“I am not a citizen with great influence. I am simply a grieving mother who wants to keep this case in the public light in hopes that one day someone will come forward with some information about what happened to my son.”

Christopher Thompkins is described as a 20-year-old Black Male. 5’7″ and weighed 120 lbs. with black hair and brown eyes. He has a tattoo of his name on his right arm.

If you or someone you know has any information about what happened to Christopher Thompkins, please contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation at 404-244-2600. Tips can also be submitted online here.