Dateline: Cold Case Spotlight - 5 harrowing details of 30 year old Chad Austin's missing case, explored

Dateline: Cold Case Spotlight recently highlighted Chad Austin’s story, which still brings heartbreak and confusion to his family half a decade after his death. The case sheds light on a man who went missing under strange circumstances and whose death remains unsolved.

On Memorial Day in 2019, Chad left his home in Buena Vista, Virginia, with his dog Gunner and headed to Panther Falls, a peaceful natural spot he loved along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Later, his car was found at Panther Falls, locked with Gunner still inside.

Chad, however, was nowhere to be seen. After months of searching, a fisherman discovered human remains nearby in March 2020. By May, the remains were confirmed to be Chad’s. But due to the condition of the body, a cause of death could not be determined. To this day, the police or Chad's parents don't know what happened to him.

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5 harrowing details about Chad Austin's Dateline: Cold Case Spotlight

Chad Austin's missing case was a strange one, filled with harrowing details. Years later, these details haunt his family, but no one knows who killed Chad or why.

1. Chad's dog was found locked inside the vehicle

One of the earliest signs of something wrong came when Chad’s car was found at Panther Falls. The car was off, the doors were locked, and inside was his dog. His cousin, Crystal Floyd, told Dateline,

“Chad’s dog, Gunner, was actually locked inside the car,”

Gunner was safe, but it was obvious that Chad hadn’t planned to be away for long. His family immediately knew this wasn’t normal.

2. Heavy rain delayed initial search efforts

The weather played a major role in delaying the first search efforts. Ellen Austin, Chad’s mother, told Dateline,

“It was like a torrential downpour that day. It was — it was awful.”

Police were not able to begin their official search until May 30, three days after Chad was last seen. Even then, they didn’t find anything, despite using scent dogs and collecting personal items to help guide the search.

3. The family found potential evidence on their own

After the police suspended their search, Chad’s family continued looking on their own. As Dateline reports, during one of their early searches near Panther Falls, they discovered two knives. Crystal Floyd said,

“We actually collected them and gave them to the police. We had gloves and baggies with us.”

Though the significance of the knives remains unclear, the family’s dedication was evident. They spent nearly every day in the area looking for Chad.

4. A wallet appeared months later without damage

In December 2019, months after Chad disappeared, a wallet believed to belong to him was found on a trail in the same area. According to WSLS, authorities insisted that the wallet had shown up suddenly, as they had not seen it before when they had searched the area thoroughly. The other reason why authorities thought so was because, as WSLS said, the wallet was

'‘not weathered, damaged or destroyed in any way when it was found.’”

This led many to believe it had been placed there after the initial searches, raising questions about whether someone was trying to send a message or cover their tracks.

5. His remains were found, but the cause of death was unknown

The biggest development came in March 2020, when a fisherman found human remains near Panther Falls. Chad’s father, David Austin, explained to Dateline,

“[It] was about a half a mile above where the car was. And to get to the creek, you had to walk down inside — down the mountain, literally, probably two or three hundred yards.”

In May 2020, the remains were officially identified as Chad’s. However, due to how long it had been since the crime was committed and the nature of the remains, no cause of death could be confirmed. His mother, Ellen, shared with Dateline,

''It was very devastating. It was really difficult.”

His cousin, Crystal, felt deep regret, telling Dateline,

“I felt like I failed him because how many times did I maybe walk past him? Did I miss him?”

She added,

“Four to seven days a week. I had two friends who were fantastic and if I wanted to go look for Chad, they would jump in the car with me and we would go. I never went alone.”

The family's Facebook group has been renamed from “Bring Chad Home” to “Justice for Chad Austin.” They are holding on to hope that the case will be solved. Despite the years that have passed, the Austin family remains determined.

New episodes of Dateline come out every Friday at 10 pm ET, and you can stream older episodes on Peacock.