The father of missing Arkansas man Chris Palmer believes his son may have taken his own life after a terminal illness diagnosis.
Chris Palmer was out with his dog Zoey when the two appeared to go missing. (Facebook/Bren Palmer)
Chris Palmer, 39, was reported missing by Arkansas authorities on January 16, following the discovery of his abandoned red 2017 Ford F-250 at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Palmer was believed to be traveling with his German Shepherd, according to the National Park Service (NPS).
Family requests search halt
In a Facebook post on January 24, Palmer’s father, Bren Palmer, said the family had “made the difficult decision to request all active search efforts for our son cease.” He noted that recent searches had focused on the Outer Banks.
“We recently learned that Christopher was facing a terminal illness,” Bren Palmer wrote. “Knowing this has helped us understand the choices he made. Christopher loved the outdoors and valued his independence. The treatments ahead would have taken much of that away, and he did not want that future for himself.”
Investigation details
The NPS reported that Palmer’s truck was first observed in Dare County on January 9, and was later found stuck on the beach at Cape Hatteras National Seashore on January 12. A blue and white kayak, seen in surveillance footage, was missing from the truck.
Mobile phone pings suggested Palmer’s phone was near Avon on January 10 and near Cape Point in Buxton on January 11.
As recently as January 23, the Buxton community had organized a search for Palmer. In his statement, Bren Palmer expressed gratitude for volunteers, first responders, and community members who assisted in the search.
“We are deeply proud of the man Christopher was, and we hope his story brings awareness to the emotional and mental burdens people can face during serious medical challenges,” Bren Palmer wrote. He asked that the family’s privacy be respected as they seek closure.
The original article was written by Chris Palmer’s father:
With heavy hearts and profound sorrow, we, the family of Christopher Palmer, have made the difficult decision to request that all active search efforts for our son cease
We recently learned that Christopher was facing a terminal illness. Knowing this has helped us understand the choices he made. Christopher loved the outdoors and valued his independence. The treatments ahead would have taken much of that away, and he did not want that future for himself.
Personal belongings of Christopher’s were found along the coastline, and our family believes our son perished in the sea. As heartbreaking as this is, we have found a measure of peace in that understanding.
We are deeply proud of the man Christopher was, and we hope his story brings awareness to the emotional and mental burdens people can face during serious medical challenges.
We would like to thank the United Cajun Navy and every volunteer, first responder, and community member who searched for our son. It has been profoundly humbling to see so many people care for someone they never met. Our family is at peace and asks that Christopher’s memory and the safety of others be respected as we seek closure.
Most recently, Chris’s father continued to share heartbreaking details about Zoey, his son’s loyal dog, which brought many people to tears:
This will the only time I comment on Christophers beloved Zoey. This for those that dont know him or us that have been speculating. She was a beautiful well behaved 11 year old German Shepard that he loved. She has been by his side since she was a puppy. Zoey was very sick took several medications and also had sever hip dysplasia. Its our belief that our son spent some time in the woods to be with her in her final days. Evidence of that was a shovel found in his truck and after her passing he laid her to rest and continued his trip to the coast. We thank everyone for their concern and prayers for Zoey.
