The lingering enigma surrounding the disappearance of Fort Drum soldier Trevor Nichols continues to haunt his family, six long years after he vanished without a trace. Despite his sacrifices and commitment to his country, America has abandoned him. Trevor is one of the only Active Missing Soldiers in American History that deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan that is missing. Despite this, the military closed the investigation the day after he vanished and the government has never looked into the case. The only ones investigating it, is a police department in a town of 300 people in Ohio.
Trevor Nichols, a specialist with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, was on the brink of a transfer to Fort Riley in Kansas back in 2017. However, he never reached his new duty station, leaving behind a trail of bewilderment and anguish. Having previously served deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, Trevor returned from his Iraq deployment in May 2017.
In November, Trevor was making plans to see his son and transfer to his new military base. He had packed his belongings into storage, called home to discuss plans. This was the last confirmed contact of Trevor by anyone other then 2 military personnel who claimed to see him that night and again on November 17th. Trevor failed to show up for formation the follow morning, November 15th, at Fort Drum, a troubling absence that initiated a frantic search. His car was found parked in the base garage, indicating he might have set out on foot. All his belongings such as his wallet, phone and IDs remained in his house.
Fort Drum officials declared Trevor absent without leave (AWOL) on November 15, 2017, and later classified him as a deserter on December 18, 2017, a perplexing designation given his recent reenlistment in the Army. This bureaucratic stance left his family in a state of limbo, unable to file a missing report until the 30-day mark had elapsed.
Erin, Trevor’s mother, vividly recalls her final conversation with him on November 14, 2017, where he expressed frustrations about the impending move to Fort Riley, lamenting the prospect of being separated from his young son. Accounts from Trevor’s acquaintances shed light on potential sightings and interactions leading up to his disappearance, including an alleged sighting at a Burger King in Pulaski and a withdrawal from an ATM in Watertown, New York.
However, the narrative takes a convoluted turn with conflicting reports about Trevor’s movements. While Trevor’s military comrades who had seen him last on November 14th, again claimed to have seen him board an Amtrak train in Syracuse, New York on November 17, there remains ambiguity surrounding how he made it to the train station. Despite exhaustive efforts to reconstruct Trevor’s steps, the truth eludes his family, compounded by the closure of the Army’s investigation and the absence of further law enforcement involvement.
Trevor’s exemplary character and dedicated military service portray a portrait of a committed soldier and loving father, rendering his sudden disappearance all the more confounding. His marital issues and the rigors of military life add layers of complexity to the mystery, intensifying his family’s yearning for resolution.
To this date, his digital footprint has not been checked, including his Facebook, bank and phone records, remains untouched.
As time marches on, Trevor’s loved ones refuse to relinquish hope, clinging steadfastly to the belief that someone, somewhere, holds the key to unraveling the truth behind his disappearance. With each passing day, they persist in their pleas for information, urging anyone privy to Trevor’s whereabouts to step forward and assist in bringing him home.
Despite the passage of time, Trevor’s memory persists in the hearts of those who knew and cherished him, fueling their unwavering resolve to seek the answers they so desperately seek. Until those answers materialize, the mystery of Trevor Nichols’ disappearance will linger, a poignant reminder of a life interrupted and a family’s unyielding pursuit of closure.
Trevor, standing at 6-feet-2-inches tall and weighing around 200 pounds, possesses brown hair, hazel eyes, and a small scar on his right forearm. Anyone with information is implored to contact the Tremont City Police at 937-328-2560.
Please help by spreading the word around about his disappearance, if able, print his flyer out and put it up. You can find a printable flyer in the interactive database link below.
Trevor’s Database Entry https://missingpeopleinamerica.org/missing/trevor-nichols
We recently interviewed the family, which can be viewed here. https://youtu.be/TYKRGr8VXF0?si=dpHzNUOLCbnQ_U6d