The Disappearance of Justin Gaines: A Night Out That Never Ended

On the evening of November 1, 2007, eighteen-year-old Justin Gaines asked his stepfather a simple question: which shirt should he wear out that night? It was a moment so ordinary, so typical of a college freshman excited about going out with friends, that his mother Erika Wilson could never have imagined it would be one of the last conversations she'd have with her son.

Justin never came home. Eighteen years later, his family is still searching for answers.

A Promising Young Man

Justin Glen Gaines was born on March 31, 1989, in Westlake, Ohio. When he was six years old, his family moved to Snellville, Georgia, a quiet suburb east of Atlanta. As the second oldest of eight siblings, Justin grew up in a bustling household filled with laughter and love. He was a graduate of Brookwood High School and had recently started his freshman year at Gainesville State College (now the University of North Georgia) on the Oconee campus.

In one of his first English assignments that fall, Justin wrote about how much he loved college and expressed hope that he would do well so that one day he could take care of his mother—just as she and his stepfather Steve had taken care of him. He was exactly the kind of son every parent dreams of having: responsible, loving, and full of potential.

Justin kept in close contact with his family. He called regularly to update his mother on how he was doing at school. When he decided to come home to Snellville that first weekend in November, he had plans to spend quality time with his family and help his stepfather clean gutters to earn some extra money.

Thirsty Thursday at Wild Bill's

On Thursday evening, November 1, 2007, Justin made plans to go out with friends. A friend named Chris picked him up and dropped him off at Wild Bill's, a massive nightclub on Marketplace Street in Duluth, about thirty minutes from Snellville. Wild Bill's was a popular venue—think of a smaller version of the legendary Gilley's in Dallas—that could hold up to 3,700 patrons. That particular Thursday night, over 3,000 people were in attendance for what the club called "Thirsty Thursday."

Justin was a regular at Wild Bill's. He left his wallet, his car, and his identification at his mother's house—he was just going out for a night of fun with friends.

Surveillance cameras captured Justin inside the club that night. The last footage shows him around 1:30 a.m. on November 2, making phone calls in what appeared to be an attempt to find a ride home. He called several friends asking for help getting back to Snellville, but none of them were able to pick him up. Though his parents had always told him he could call them for a ride anytime, no matter how late, Justin never called home.

The last time anyone used his phone was shortly before 2:00 a.m.

After that moment captured on surveillance video, Justin Gaines simply vanished.

A Mother's Growing Fear

When Saturday came and went without any word from Justin, Erika began to worry. She tried calling him, but got no answer. She reached out to his friends, who initially told her not to be concerned—maybe he'd crashed at someone's place after the club.

But Erika's maternal instincts told her something was terribly wrong. "In my mom heart, I just knew that something wasn't right," she later recalled.

By Monday morning, November 5, even Justin's friends were growing anxious. Justin was supposed to give his friend Chris a ride back to school, but he never showed up. Erika had access to Justin's school portal and noticed that he hadn't turned in an assignment that was due Monday morning. For Justin, who was adamant about submitting his work on time, this was completely out of character.

The family filed a missing persons report. Justin Gaines had disappeared without a trace.

The Investigation and Theory

From the beginning, investigators theorized about what might have happened. Witnesses reported that Justin may have appeared intoxicated or under the influence of drugs that night. Some said he may have gotten into an altercation with another patron at the club.

Law enforcement developed a theory: Justin, who was wearing a diamond stud earring and had been flashing some cash, may have attracted the attention of someone with bad intentions. Perhaps he was lured into a vehicle by people who intended to rob him.

Justin had his own struggles. In June 2007, several months before his disappearance, he had been arrested after police found him passed out in his car with an open bottle of vodka and false identification. He was charged with possession of alcohol by a minor, second-degree forgery, and having an open container. He had a court hearing scheduled for November 21, 2007—weeks after he vanished—but obviously never appeared. His family was aware of these charges and has never believed they were related to his disappearance. By all accounts, Justin had a reputation as someone who liked to party, which was not unusual for an eighteen-year-old college student.

The 2015 Breakthrough and Confessions

For eight years, the case remained frustratingly cold. Then, in September 2015, authorities made arrests that seemed to crack the case wide open.

On September 2, 2015, the Walton County Sheriff's Office arrested 57-year-old Martin Leonard Wilkie and charged him with concealing the death of Justin Gaines. The arrest warrant contained shocking allegations: Wilkie and another man, Dustin Dylan Glass, had assaulted Justin in the early morning hours of November 2, 2007, in an encounter that ultimately led to him being shot to death.

According to the warrant, Wilkie and a third man then disposed of Justin's body in a black metal toolbox.

The information came from Dylan Glass himself, a 28-year-old career criminal and self-described gang member who was serving time in federal prison on unrelated drug charges. Glass had provided detailed accounts of what happened to Justin. A woman who claimed to be present during the assault corroborated parts of the story. Glass's mother, Thelma Ruth Ballew, also backed up elements of his account.

Authorities even recovered a photograph showing Dylan Glass at a pawn shop in Gwinnett County in the early morning hours of November 2, 2007, shortly after Justin disappeared. In the photo, Glass was wearing a diamond earring—one that investigators believed could have been Justin's.

On September 14, 2015, Ballew told police that she had assisted Wilkie and another man in disposing of Justin's body in a well in High Shoals, Walton County. This led to an intensive three-day search involving cadaver dogs, well drilling, and exhaustive ground searches.

But they found nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Ballew was subsequently charged with making a false statement. The elaborate story that had seemed so promising fell apart under scrutiny.

Conflicting Stories and Credibility Issues

The problem with the 2015 breakthrough was that the stories kept changing. Every time Glass or others involved were interviewed or arrested, a new version of events emerged. Details shifted. Locations changed. The narrative wouldn't hold together.

Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter expressed deep skepticism about the investigation's direction, stating that these leads had been essentially discredited. The inconsistencies made it nearly impossible to pursue charges.

In recent years, Sean Kipe—an investigative podcaster who also covered the Rhonda Sue Coleman case—created "Drowning Creek," a podcast dedicated to Justin's disappearance. The podcast, which debuted in June 2024, shot to number one on Apple Podcasts within hours of its release. In it, Kipe interviews Dylan Glass for the first time publicly.

Glass now maintains his innocence. In recorded conversations from prison, he insists he never killed Justin and never even met him, despite his earlier detailed confessions. When pressed about the inconsistencies and his previous statements, Glass claims he was lying to investigators—though he won't clearly explain why.

Kipe's investigation has uncovered references to other individuals potentially involved, including dealers known by street names like "New York" and "Money," as well as references to locations like Andy Pickens' houseboat on Lake Lanier, which was allegedly refurbished and later sank under mysterious circumstances.

False Leads and Dashed Hopes

Over the years, the Gaines family has endured numerous false leads that raised their hopes only to crush them again.

Multiple times, human remains have been discovered in the area, particularly near Lake Lanier and along Drowning Creek Road. Each time, Erika Wilson has had to wait anxiously for DNA testing, wondering if this would finally be the moment she'd learn her son's fate. Each time, the remains have been someone else—or remain unidentified.

In 2019, skeletal remains were found near Lake Lanier, and Erika received confirmation they were not Justin's. "There's so many families out there wondering, right now, if this is their loved one," she said with compassion for others still waiting. "And my heart goes out to them."

The uncertainty is perhaps the cruelest part of the ordeal. Without a body, the family cannot properly lay Justin to rest. Without clear answers about what happened, they cannot find closure.

The Unsolved Mystery and Family's Perseverance

Multiple law enforcement agencies have worked on Justin's case over the years: Gwinnett County Police, Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office, Walton County Sheriff's Office, and investigators from the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office. The case originated in Gwinnett County where Justin disappeared, though some investigation has focused on Walton County based on alleged disposal locations.

Investigators believe several people in the community know what happened to

Justin Gaines but have remained silent out of fear or other motivations. They've interviewed dozens of people and followed leads that have taken them across multiple counties. While they hold certain information back to help filter out false leads, they do have working theories.

One anonymous tip that came in shortly after Justin's disappearance mentioned a man who lived near the intersection of Pleasant Hill Road and Club Drive who the caller believed was involved. Despite efforts to track down this caller—possibly a middle-aged woman, possibly a mother herself—she has never come forward again.

Adding to the family's heartbreak, Justin's younger brother tragically died of asphyxiation at home in January 2011. Authorities were unable to determine whether his death was an accident or suicide. The Gaines family has endured unimaginable loss.

Yet through it all, Erika Wilson has never stopped fighting for her son. She has opened her life to journalists, podcasters, and investigators, willing to relive her worst nightmare again and again if it means someone with information might finally come forward.

"It's hard. It's wearing," Erika has said. "Every time we hear something about skeletal remains, it makes your mind run and wonder and relive everything you've heard over the years."

But she continues to hope. She continues to believe that one person—just one person with knowledge and compassion—will finally provide the answers that bring Justin home.

What We Know

Last Confirmed Sighting: Surveillance video captured Justin at Wild Bill's nightclub in Duluth around 1:30 a.m. on November 2, 2007, making phone calls in the parking lot trying to arrange a ride home.

Last Phone Activity: His phone was last used shortly before 2:00 a.m. that morning.

What He Left Behind: His wallet, car, and identification were all still at his mother's house in Snellville.

Physical Description: Justin was 18 years old, with closely cut hair, wearing diamond stud earrings (possibly in one or both ears). He was wearing casual clothing appropriate for a night out at a club.

Status: Justin Gaines remains officially listed as a missing person. Despite confessions, alleged witnesses, and numerous searches, no arrests have resulted in convictions, and his body has never been found.

How You Can Help

If you have any information about the disappearance of Justin Gaines, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, please contact:

• Gwinnett County Police Department, Criminal Investigations Section: (770) 513-5000 or (770) 513-5300

• Walton County Sheriff's Cold Case Investigator Michael Rising: (770) 266-1558

• Drowning Creek Podcast: info@seankipe.com

  
  

You may remain anonymous if you choose. After 18 years, someone knows what happened that November night. Someone knows where Justin is. Someone can finally give Erika Wilson and her family the closure they desperately deserve.

Justin Glen Gaines: March 31, 1989 - Missing since November 2, 2007