When a person disappears, the words they utter moments before vanishing can become haunting echoes that linger in the minds of loved ones. In this roundup we examine 10 eerie last utterances that have frozen in time, each attached to a baffling disappearance that still puzzles investigators and families alike.
10 Eerie Last Words That Echo Into Mystery
On the night of April 20, 2019, Michael “Mike” McClain, a 29‑year‑old from Manchester, New Hampshire, found himself inside the Tropical Lounge nightclub in nearby Nashua. He was there with a group of friends, enjoying a regular night out with no hint that anything would go awry. As the evening progressed, a heated dispute erupted between two women outside the club. The argument spilled onto the sidewalk, drawing a crowd, and Mike – who knew one of the women – stepped in to break up the melee. Police were summoned, and the on‑lookers were eventually dispersed.
When the police cleared the area, Mike’s friends suddenly realized they had lost sight of him. In the early hours of the following morning, just before 2 a.m., he placed a frantic call to his boss, whispering, “They’re after me. More than one.” The call went unanswered on the other end, and the boss’s attempts to reconnect proved futile. Mike never answered again, and his whereabouts have remained a mystery ever since.
Mike’s family grew increasingly alarmed as he missed important calls on Easter and failed to reach his sister on her birthday. Investigators believe he may have slipped out of the club on foot. The last known ping from his phone placed it near a McDonald’s a few blocks away, coinciding with the time of his eerie phone call. No credit‑card activity followed, and his social‑media accounts stayed silent. As of now, Mike remains missing, with only that unsettling last sentence to haunt those who knew him.
9 ‘I’m Putting Dinner On.’
Will Cierzan, a 58‑year‑old veteran employee of Six Flags Magic Mountain, was a man of routine. On January 26, 2017, he spent the afternoon at his Santa Clarita home watching golf with his nephew. After his nephew departed, Will set about preparing a meal. At approximately 4:30 p.m., his wife Linda called, and he cheerfully replied, “I’m putting dinner on.” A second call around 5:00 p.m. found him in good spirits, confirming the chicken was cooked and the oven was off.
When Linda arrived home at roughly 6:00 p.m., the house was eerily quiet. The dinner was indeed ready, the oven was off, and Will’s coat, keys, and wallet lay where they always did. The family dog was present, and Will’s truck sat parked outside, untouched. Yet Will himself had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only the mundane details of a completed meal.
The investigation unearthed several puzzling clues. In February 2017, a small amount of Will’s blood was discovered inside the house, an odd forensic finding. Surveillance footage from a neighbor captured a white SUV briefly backing into Will’s garage shortly after 5:00 p.m., only to depart minutes later; police identified the vehicle as belonging to a family member. In May, detectives named Will’s nephew as a person of interest, though he cooperated fully. Later, a human skull was found near Valencia, but it bore no connection to Will. To this day, his disappearance remains an unsettling mystery.
8 ‘I’m Scared.’ / ‘Never Mind.’
June 21, 2013, was a whirlwind for 18‑year‑old Brookelyn Farthing of Madison County, Kentucky. After earning her driver’s license alongside her younger sister Paige, the trio attended their grandfather’s 70th‑birthday celebration. Later that evening, the three cousins – Brookelyn, Paige, and a cousin – joined a second birthday party held out in a field. As the night wore on, the cousin and Paige decided to leave early, while Brookelyn made plans to spend the night at a friend’s house.
The night took an unexpected turn when Brookelyn’s friend opted to spend the evening at a boy’s house instead, leading to a brief argument and the friend’s departure. Brookelyn was later seen leaving the party with two young men; one was dropped off, and the other escorted her to his home in Berea. In the early hours of June 22, she called Paige, asking if their cousin could fetch her. The cousin, intoxicated, could not drive, so Brookelyn reached out to her ex‑boyfriend, a third‑shift worker, who promised to pick her up later. Around this time, the man who had brought her to the house left.
Shortly thereafter, Brookelyn’s ex‑boyfriend received a flurry of texts: “Can you hurry,” “Please hurry,” and finally, “I’m scared.” A subsequent message, however, read “Never mind,” indicating she was heading to a party in neighboring Rockcastle County. The house’s owner later discovered a fire, with some of Brookelyn’s belongings still inside, suggesting she may have been smoking. No arrests have been made, and Brookelyn’s fate remains unknown.
7 ‘I’ll Call You Back.’
Marion Barter, a primary‑school teacher from Australia’s Gold Coast, seemed to lead an ordinary life until the mid‑1990s, when her third marriage dissolved. Fast‑forward to 1997: Marion sold her home in a sudden move and booked a trip to England. After months of silence, her daughter Sally received a message on July 31 from Marion’s answering machine, followed by a brief pay‑phone call. Marion reported she was in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, enjoying tea and scones with a group of elderly women.
The call was fragmented, as Marion repeatedly added coins to keep the line alive. When her balance finally ran out, she concluded the conversation with, “I’ll call you back.” At the time, Marion was 51 years old, and her words seemed like a simple promise to reconnect. Yet after that, she vanished without a trace.
Things grew stranger in October 1997 when thousands of dollars were withdrawn from Marion’s Australian bank account. A bank employee disclosed that the money had been taken in Byron Bay, New South Wales. Despite extensive searches, police in Byron Bay never uncovered any trace of Marion. Her disappearance remains unresolved, leaving her family with a lingering promise that was never fulfilled.
6 ‘Can You Send Me A Picture Of My Son In The Movies?’
On the evening of July 13, 2019, at 9:30 p.m., 29‑year‑old Erika Gaytan of El Paso, Texas, sent a text to the father of her seven‑year‑old son, asking, “Can you send me a picture of my son in the movies?” She had been at the El Paso County Coliseum for a concert, accompanied by a date whose presence was corroborated by social‑media posts. After the concert, Erika waited for an Uber, and her date departed, leaving her alone.
At the time of her disappearance, Erika faced pending criminal charges for credit‑card abuse and criminal mischief, with a court date slated for July 26. Despite this legal backdrop, El Paso detectives do not believe the charges directly caused her vanishing. They continue to treat her case as suspicious, urging anyone with information to come forward.
To this day, Erika’s whereabouts remain unknown. The lingering question of why she would request a photo of her son in a movie, combined with the legal pressures she faced, adds an unsettling layer to an already perplexing case.
5 ‘I Love You, Pop.’
Chase Allen Lackey, a 25‑year‑old member of a recreational softball league, spent June 30, 2017, playing a game that his father, Craig, attended. After the match, Chase turned to his dad and uttered the heartfelt words, “I love you, Pop.” The following day, witnesses saw Chase strolling his dog outside his Houston‑area apartment. After that brief sighting, both Chase and his canine companion vanished without a trace.
Investigators noted that nothing was taken from Chase’s residence, and his truck remained parked where it had always been. While his life appeared “normal” on the surface, foul play is suspected. Some of his acquaintances have been linked to illicit activities, though no concrete evidence has emerged linking them to his disappearance.
Despite public appeals and a reward for information, no arrests have been made, and the mystery endures. The simple yet poignant last words to his father have become a lingering echo in a case that still haunts the community.
4 ‘I Just Want To Talk While I Have The Chance.’
Matthew Weaver, a 21‑year‑old power‑line worker, moved from his parents’ home in Simi Valley to an apartment in Granada Hills, Los Angeles, during the summer of 2018. He was eager to travel the world, and his future seemed bright. On August 9, he told his father he was heading out with a new female acquaintance. After picking her up around 9:30 p.m., they spent the night together, later sharing a “private talk.” Matthew then drove to Topanga in the Santa Monica Mountains.
At sunrise, Matthew posted a Snapchat snap of a scenic vista, suggesting he had entered a hiking trail. Hours later, his female friend received unsettling texts: “Like some crazy is going onsh— is going on” and “I jusst to talk while i have the chance.” No further communication followed. According to Snapchat and cell‑phone records, his last known location was near Rosas Outlook.
In the early hours of August 11, hikers in the area dialed 911 after hearing cries for help. Simultaneously, California Highway Patrol officers reported hearing screams and a possible shout, “He’s got a gun!” Matthew’s car was later located near a trail, but its keys weren’t found until January 2019, when hikers uncovered them just 25 feet from the vehicle. Drone imagery later revealed a baseball cap and torn T‑shirt believed to belong to Matthew. Despite these clues, his whereabouts remain unknown.
3 ‘Don’t Ever Say Goodbye.’
During the summer of 2013, Candice L’hommecourt of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, celebrated her daughter’s first birthday. Among the guests was her older sister, 25‑year‑old Shelly Dene. Shortly after the festivities, Shelly vanished without a trace. Her final words to Candice were, “Don’t ever say goodbye.”
Shelly was known for her adventurous spirit and love of travel, often speaking of a trip to the Yukon. Over the ensuing months, calls and texts to Shelly went unanswered. By November, her phone had been disconnected, prompting a missing‑person report. A witness later reported seeing a man removing suitcases from Shelly’s apartment around the time she disappeared.
Candice has expressed frustration with the police, accusing them of labeling her sister’s case as “high‑risk” due to her First Nations heritage and lifestyle, rather than thoroughly investigating. Although Shelly had struggled with drug and alcohol addictions, Candice insists the focus should be on societal factors, not victim blaming. To date, Shelly Dene remains missing.
2 ‘Things Are Going To Get Better.’
Olivia Medel, a single mother of two—Enrique and Delfina—worked hard to keep her family afloat. After losing her job in Kansas City, Missouri, the family relocated back to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the children were born. While Olivia secured new employment, her teenage son Enrique began to fall in with the wrong crowd.
Enrique, then 13, started hanging out with a 19‑year‑old named Andy, who seemed to have a negative influence. Olivia sensed danger, especially after discovering that Enrique was disappearing at night and later being expelled from school for possessing a firearm—an act Olivia believes Andy encouraged. On March 16, 2011, Enrique called his mother, saying, “Mom, I know you’re going through a hard time, but things are going to get better.” That was the last time Olivia heard from him.
Later that night, Enrique’s uncle spotted him outside an Allsup’s convenience store. When urged to go home, Enrique insisted on staying with friends. He stopped answering calls thereafter, and his whereabouts have never been discovered. Olivia feels the police dismissed her concerns, treating Enrique as a runaway rather than a missing person. Though Andy was questioned multiple times and found with some of Enrique’s belongings, no arrests have been made, and the case has grown cold.
1 ‘No, I Need The Cops.’
In 2013, 26‑year‑old Brandon Lawson lived in San Angelo, Texas, with his long‑term girlfriend Ladessa and their four children. An oil‑field worker, Brandon had secured a more stable job with better hours and was set to start soon. However, on the night of August 7, he failed to return home, sparking a heated argument with Ladessa on August 8. With a history of drug use and a recent relapse, his prolonged absence raised alarms.
At 11:53 p.m., Brandon grabbed his phone, charger, keys, and wallet, and left his house. His pickup truck was low on gas. He called his father Brad, asking to stay the night, but Brad, who lived three hours away in Crowley, urged Brandon to return home and resolve things with Ladessa. Ladessa then suggested he stay with his brother Kyle, who lived only five minutes away. Kyle was later contacted, and Ladessa left a gas can on the porch for him before taking a bath.
Brandon attempted to call Ladessa twice at 12:34 a.m. and 12:36 a.m. with no answer. At 12:38 a.m., he called Kyle, reporting that he’d run out of gas on Highway 277 near Bronte. Kyle fetched the gas can at 12:45 a.m., but Brandon continued to call Ladessa at 12:48 a.m. without response. At 12:54 a.m., Brandon placed a 43‑second 911 call. He described running out of gas and being in a field, mentioning that he had “accidentally run into” some people. Background noise suggested possible gunshots. When the operator asked if he needed an ambulance, Brandon first said “yes,” then changed to “No, I need the cops.” The call ended abruptly, with the unsettling sounds growing louder.
Four minutes later, a passing trucker reported spotting Brandon’s pickup parked oddly on the highway and called 911. At 1:10 a.m., Kyle and his girlfriend Audrey arrived at the scene, finding a Coke County sheriff’s deputy already present. The truck showed no damage. Believing Brandon might be hiding in the field because of an outstanding warrant, Kyle and Audrey called him again. Brandon answered, saying he was ten minutes into the field, bleeding, and begged his brother to get to him quickly. After that frantic plea, all communication ceased.
Searches yielded no trace of Brandon. His bank accounts and phone remained inactive after that night. Investigators later considered Kyle a suspect, interrogating him and administering a polygraph, which he passed. To this day, Brandon Lawson remains missing, his final plea for police assistance echoing in the night.