The search for two missing firefighters in Georgia ended in tragedy over the weekend… but the case is far from closed.
Chandler Kuhbander and Raegan Anderson, both firefighters in Liberty County, had been missing since June 24. The Hinesville Police Department posted a sad update on Sunday June 30, revealing they had been found dead in Raegan’s parked car in Cocke County, Tennessee. Local cops investigated the scene, they said.
So what happened?? The facts are unclear, but what Chandler’s mother has to say definitely paints a picture. According to Jane Kuhbander, her son and Raegan were high school sweethearts, having dated for about seven years in total — before very recently breaking up.
The breakup was apparently messy as hell. According to a Pooler Police Department report obtained by local outlet WJCL, on June 22, just two days before they disappeared, Raegan had spotted Chandler on a date with another woman at Olive Garden. She interrupted the date and then keyed his car in the parking lot. The spurned ex ended up going to jail over the incident, being charged with criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct.
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Jane told the outlet her son had complained on Monday, June 22 about Raegan contacting him recently:
“He was telling me she was blowing up his phone, and he said that she had threatened that she was going to commit suicide. And it’s not the first time that she’s done it.”
That was the last she spoke to her son.
That same day he went to his gym and vanished. In her search, Jane said the mall allowed her to look at their security footage from that morning. They saw Raegan’s car, a black 2017 Ford Focus, driving around in the parking lot. Chandler could be seen leaving Crunch Gym. Jane recalled:
“At 11:40 my son walks out of the building and he looks very comfortable, like he just had his workout. He doesn’t look rushed as he walks through the parking lot. After that, we don’t see him again.”
During that week of searching, Jane wrote on her Facebook that she believed her son had been “coerced” into getting in the car, telling those on the lookout that “he is believed to not be with her willingly.”
And now we know the end of the story. A passerby saw the car on the side of the road in Cosby, Tennessee, about an hour east of Pigeon Forge — over 6 hours from Liberty County.
Both exes were dead in her car in Tennessee. It’s starting to look, based on all this, like a murder-suicide. Hinesville Police Chief Tracey Howard told WJCL:
“I don’t believe that the investigation in any way is yielding an idea that whatever happened involved anybody else other than the two that were found.”
Now the investigation is in the hands of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. A spokesperson told People:
“The bodies have been sent for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death and to be positively identified. At this time, the investigation remains active and ongoing.”
We hope they’re able to give Jane and the rest of the loved ones of the deceased some measure of solace. But it doesn’t seem like there’s any happiness to be found here. If you want to help out, a GoFundMe has been set up for Chandler’s family. You can donate HERE.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, help is available. Consider contacting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, by calling, texting, or chatting, or go to 988lifeline.org.
[Image via Hinesville Police Department.]
