Amateur Missouri investigator, YouTube creator helps break decade-old missing person cold case

By SUMMER BALLENTINE and TRISHA AHMED
Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A decade-old cold case of a veteran who went missing without a trace in rural Missouri has a new start after an amateur sleuth and YouTube creator found the man’s car. Camden County deputies say they’re once again investigating the December 2013 disappearance of 59-year-old Donnie Erwin. His disappearance caught the attention of local true crime enthusiast James Hinkle. Hinkle spent a year searching the area near Erwin’s mid-Missouri home and documenting his efforts on YouTube. He eventually found Erwin’s car hidden in a tiny pond after retracing the route Erwin took from his home to the store where he bought cigarettes.