Was Someone Planning Something ELSE... #truecrimeshorts #truecrimestories #crimejunkies #podcast | Forensic Files

David believes that whoever that was who called him is part of something bigger.
And that this was more than just a one-off drug deal gone wrong. Through all of the conversations that he
has had and the phone data that he's mapped out, David starts to piece together what he now believes may have
been the plan all along. He thinks it's possible that Julian may [music] have been double-crossing everyone. Meaning
what? Based on everything David's hearing, Cole and honestly maybe even Jeremy probably
thought that the plan was simple. They were going to go there, pay for drugs, [music] bring them back to Minnesota,
maybe even sell them to like the guys at the job site, but like that's what they
thought. >> Yeah. But David believes that maybe Julian was working with the guys that
they met up with and the plan was actually for them to sell the guys this like meth and then somehow, somehow that
night steal the drugs back. So, they get paid for the drugs they sold, but they get to keep their supply. Precisely. And
according to David, there are a couple of things that could have thrown off this whole plan.
First of which is Cole himself. Everyone we spoke to still believes that when Cole agreed to drive his co-workers down
to North Carolina, he probably had no idea the level of danger that he was actually getting himself into.
But according to David, it seems like Cole may have slowly [music] and surely been figuring it out like on
the fly. You see, Julian didn't know something about Cole. >> [music] >> He'd only known him for a month and
might have made some assumptions about him. Like for instance, that this [music] pre-med white kid from rural
Florida only spoke English. But that wasn't the case and it's very possible that Cole picked up on the fact
that he was in danger that night before he was supposed to ever even know. From what we heard, Cole actually knew a good
bit of Spanish. Enough that if Julian, Rudy, or their guys started talking about the real plan around him, Cole
might have been able to pick up on it. Which could have been why he was panicked on that drive back. Like it
could have been warranted. >> Right. David believes that could explain why Cole was so freaked out. Maybe why
they were cutting through Benson to begin with. Why he didn't just think that they were being followed. He may
have known that they were being followed. >> And it wasn't the cops he was afraid of.
It was the drug dealers following them.

As people connected to Christopher “Cole” Thomas’ disappearance continued talking over the years, one theory began to emerge about what may have happened during the group’s trip to North Carolina in 2016.

According to information shared with Cole’s family, some believe the trip may have involved more than a simple drug purchase and that Cole may have realized something dangerous was happening before he disappeared.

One theory suggests the group may have planned to steal drugs back after a sale, and that Cole may have overheard conversations.

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Brief Summary

David suspects betrayal in a drug deal involving Cole and Julian.

Key points

David's Revelation. David suspects Julian was double-crossing everyone involved in the drug deal.
Cole's Hidden Skills. Cole's knowledge of Spanish may have put him in danger during the deal.
The Real Fear. Cole's panic on the drive back may have stemmed from knowing they were being followed.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Maybe Julian was working with the guys they met up with.

David's theory about Julian's involvement.

0:46WatchMay 26, 2026

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