ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Jan. 27, 2024 — that’s the last day Gabriel Thor Crow was seen.
Since then, there have been several searches in the Starnes Cove and Spivey Mountain areas of West Asheville — close to where a Buncombe County deputy talked with Crow.
Searchers who gathered in West Asheville last April said Crow, a noted Cherokee basket maker, rented a vehicle on Jan. 25, 2024.
According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, a Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office deputy found the rental car in a field off Starnes Cove Road about 12:23 p.m. on Jan. 27. The doors were open, but no one was around. The deputy found Crow further down the road near Yosemite Trail.
The deputy talked with Crow, the NamUs website said.
“He stated that he was visiting a friend and found out things he did not like and did not want to be involved with them anymore,” the website said. “Gabe made the statement to the deputy that he thought someone had put something in his car.”
According to a nightowlrecon Instagram post, Crow mentioned visiting a friend, discovering troubling information and wanting to leave the situation.
The friend’s name has not been mentioned in any social media posts or interviews.
The NamUs website said Crow told the deputy the friend had thrown the keys into the field where the car was. He told the deputy he was trying to get to a gas station. The deputy offered him a ride, but Crow declined, saying he was OK to walk.
The deputy left the area as Crow was walking down Starnes Cove Road, according to the website. That was the last time he was seen.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office could not confirm the interaction between the deputy and Crow. However, last year, family members said a deputy was the last person to have seen Crow.
Crow was reported missing by his family the next day, Jan. 28, 2024.
AUTHORITIES SEARCH SPIVEY MOUNTAIN FOR MISSING MAN
The Asheville Police Department said Crow’s disappearance remains an open and ongoing investigation.
“Unfortunately, since the multi-agency search efforts of April 29, 2024, there has been no new information that has led to a resolution,” APD spokesman Rick Rice said.
Crow, a Native American, stands 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs about 170 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing dark-colored jeans and a black jacket.
SPIVEY MOUNTAIN SEARCH FINDS ‘NO EVIDENCE’ OF MISSING MAN’S WHEREABOUTS
Anyone with information about Crow’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Asheville Police Department by calling 828-252-1110, submitting an anonymous tip using the TIP2APD smartphone application (search “Asheville PD” in your app store) or texting TIP2APD to 847411.