Christopher and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Kristina Branum, vanished from Hardin County, Tennessee, on July 27, 2006. The couple, who lived with Christopher’s mother, Cheryl Flatt, had plans to visit Christopher’s father that evening but never arrived. When Flatt returned home, she found the clothes they had purchased during a shopping trip laid out on a bed, but the couple was gone. Their dark green 1994 Geo Prizm was discovered abandoned near a pond in rural Lawrence County, Tennessee, approximately 50 miles from their home. The vehicle was unlocked, and one of their cell phones and other belongings were left inside. Flatt discovered a lockbox in her home containing items she believed might have belonged to George Edward Baugus. This led to speculation that Christopher and Kristina might have had some form of interaction with Baugus before their disappearance. However, no direct evidence has linked Baugus to the case. In 2010, Baugus was fatally shot by his wife, who claimed self-defense and was later acquitted of murder charges.