24-Years MISSING: He Asked for Directions… Then Disappeared Forever (Willis Stark) | HO!!

TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA – It’s the kind of story that keeps families up at night and small towns whispering for decades: a beloved grandfather vanishes after asking for directions, and for 24 years, not a trace is found. But now, thanks to a pair of YouTube “scuba sleuths,” the mystery of Willis B. Stark has resurfaced—with some shocking new twists.

The Day Willis Stark Vanished

August 2000. The temperature in Alabama was pushing 100 degrees. Willis B. Stark, a 74-year-old retired mechanic suffering from early Alzheimer’s, set out in his navy blue 1991 Buick Century for what should have been a routine trip home to Tuscaloosa. He never made it.

Last seen near Pell City, Stark had stopped at a body shop, confused and disoriented, asking for directions back to Tuscaloosa. Witnesses recall the old man’s polite Southern drawl and the way he nervously double-checked his map. Then, he drove off into the Alabama heat—and straight into the unknown.

His family reported him missing that night. The police searched highways, rivers, and back roads. Flyers went up across the state. But as days turned to weeks, and then to years, hope faded. Had Willis gotten lost and crashed? Did someone take advantage of his confusion? Or did he simply vanish into thin air?

Enter the YouTube Detectives

Fast forward to 2024. While most of the world has moved on, two unlikely heroes are still on the hunt: Jeremy Sides and Adam Brown, better known online as “Exploring with Nug.” What started as a hobby—cleaning up trash from rivers—has turned into a crusade to solve America’s coldest missing persons cases.

Armed with sonar, magnets, and a state-of-the-art underwater drone, Jeremy and Adam travel the country searching for submerged cars and lost souls. Their mission: bring closure to families who have waited too long for answers.

“It’s a public service, but it’s also personal,” Jeremy says. “Every car we find could be someone’s father, mother, or child.”

Back to Tuscaloosa: The Hunt Resumes

On a muggy summer morning, Jeremy and Adam returned to the murky waters of Tuscaloosa. They’d been here before, years earlier, but equipment failures and high water had forced them to turn back. Now, better prepared and determined, they launched their boat and began scanning the riverbed.

Thunder rumbled in the distance as the team maneuvered their boat along a notorious dumping ground near a local boat ramp. Tires, trash, and—most disturbingly—sunken vehicles littered the depths.

“It’s like a graveyard down there,” Adam remarked, peering at the sonar screen.

A Vehicle Upside Down—and a Shocking Discovery

Suddenly, the sonar pinged: a vehicle, upside down, half-buried in the silt. Then another. And another. Three vehicles, clustered near the old river wall, all in various states of decay.

Excitement—and dread—filled the air.

“Could one of these be Willis’s Buick?” Jeremy wondered aloud.

The team dropped a magnet and sent down their underwater drone, the Chasing M2S—a high-tech, eight-thruster beast that can explore places no human diver can safely reach. The live feed showed a twisted pile of rust and debris. Door panels, electric seat switches, a steering wheel, and—most importantly—an old, spoke-style hubcap.

“Is it a Buick?” Adam asked, squinting at the screen. “That hubcap looks close, but it might be an older model. Hard to tell.”

The vehicle was a mess—decades underwater had taken their toll. The team debated: Was this the 1991 Buick Century they were looking for? Or just another abandoned car, left to rot at the bottom of the river?

The Search Gets Personal

For Jeremy and Adam, every car is a potential breakthrough—or a heartbreak. They know the families are watching, desperate for news. The comments on their YouTube channel are filled with pleas: “Please help us find our dad.” “My brother disappeared in 1999. Can you search our lake?”

After hours of scanning, the team found more vehicles—one with a “Bama” sticker and a vanity plate reading “4ROCKET.” Another, a battered GMC, half-buried in the mud. They dove down, scraping away years of grime, searching for clues: a license plate, a VIN, anything that could identify the car.

But none matched Willis Stark’s missing Buick.

A Mystery That Won’t Let Go

As the sun set over Tuscaloosa, Jeremy and Adam surfaced, exhausted but undeterred. They had cleared three vehicles—none belonging to Stark or another missing local, Herman Matthew Gamble.

“It’s bittersweet,” Adam admitted. “We didn’t find Willis, but we know now those cars aren’t his. That’s closure for someone, at least.”

The team reported their findings to the local police. One vehicle, likely a college kid’s stolen blue Subaru, was identified by its “Bama” sticker and vanity plate. Another, a GMC, was too decayed to ID on the spot. The rest? Just more ghosts in the river.

Why So Many Cars in the River?

The answer is as old as the river itself. For decades, the boat ramp has been a dumping ground for stolen, wrecked, or unwanted vehicles. Some are insurance jobs, others the result of joyrides gone wrong. But every car tells a story—and sometimes, that story is tragic.

“It’s crazy how many secrets these rivers hold,” Jeremy says. “You never know what you’ll find.”

The Human Toll: Families Still Waiting

For the Stark family, the wait continues. After 24 years, every phone call, every news report, every “vehicle found” headline brings a surge of hope—and, too often, disappointment.

“Willis was a good man,” his daughter told reporters. “He loved his family, his church, and his old Buick. We just want to bring him home.”

The case has become a haunting legend in Tuscaloosa. Locals still remember the day he vanished, the endless searches, the rumors. Some believe he’s still out there, lost in the woods. Others whisper about foul play. But until a body or car is found, the truth remains as murky as the river itself.

The Rise of the “Scuba Sleuths”

Jeremy and Adam aren’t giving up. Their channel, once a niche for underwater treasure hunters, now boasts millions of views and a devoted following. They’ve helped solve dozens of cold cases, reuniting families with lost loved ones and bringing long-overdue closure.

Their methods are simple but effective: sonar scans, magnet fishing, drone dives, and old-fashioned grit. But their real weapon is empathy.

“We do this for the families,” Jeremy says. “We want to give them answers, even if those answers are hard.”

What’s Next for the Case of Willis Stark?

The search continues. Jeremy and Adam vow to return to Tuscaloosa, to scan new areas, and to follow up on every lead. They urge anyone with information to come forward.

“Someone out there knows something,” Adam insists. “Maybe you saw an old Buick go off the road. Maybe you heard something back in 2000. Don’t let this family wait another 24 years.”

The Legacy of a Disappearance

As the YouTube detectives pack up and head for their next case, the river keeps its secrets. But thanks to their efforts, hope remains alive for the Stark family—and for countless others waiting for the truth.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Willis B. Stark or other missing persons in Alabama, contact the Tuscaloosa Police Department or your local authorities.

In a world full of mysteries, sometimes it takes a couple of hobbyists, a camera, and a lot of heart to make a difference. The search for Willis Stark goes on—but so does hope.