Name: Nancy Debra Willis
Age: 25 years old
Last seen: December 23, 1986
Location: Gate City, Virginia
Status: Still missing
Case Information
25 year old Nancy Debra Willis was last seen by her family on December 23, 1986 in Gate City, Virginia. She hasn’t been seen or heard from since.
Background
Nancy Debra Willis was born on January 28, 1961, and raised in Yuma, Virginia. Before moving to Ringgold, Georgia she had lived in Johnson City, Tennessee, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Denver, Colorado.
She has two children, and was married to Howard Hawk Willis.
They were in the process of building a home in Bradley County, Tennessee, but Nancy disappeared before they could move in.
Disappearance
Nancy Debra Willis was last seen visiting her family for Christmas on December 23, 1986 in Gate City, Virginia.
She was supposed to head back home to Ringgold, Georgia after the visit, but never made contact with her family again which is unusual for her.
Investigation
Nancy’s husband, Howard Hawk Willis, said the last time he saw her was on March 11, 1987.
According to Howard, she told him she was leaving him and he took her to a bus station in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Howard Willis Convicted in Murder of Teenage Married Couple
In 2002, Howard Willis was charged with the murders of 17 year old Adam Chrismer and 16 year old Samantha Chrismer, a newly married couple from Chickamauga, Georgia.
At the time of their disappearance the couple had been living with Howard’s mother in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Shortly after their disappearance, fishermen in Washington County, Tennessee found a head and hands at two separate locations in Boone Lake, later identified as belonging to Adam Chrismer.
Parts of Samantha’s body, along with parts of Adam’s, were found in a rented storage unit on Buffalo Drive in Johnson City.
In 2010, Howard was convicted in their murders and sentenced to death.
Howard Willis is also a suspect in the disappearance of his stepfather, Sam Thomas, who went missing in September of 2002.
Sam’s body, missing the head and hands, was found a few weeks after he disappeared in a remote area of Lookout Mountain in Georgia.
No one has been charged in his murder, but authorities believe it may be connected to the Chrismer homicides.
Authorities also believe Howard is responsible for Debbie’s disappearance, though he’s never been charged in her case.
Whereabouts
The location of Nancy Debra Willis, as well as the circumstances regarding her disappearance, remains unknown.
Nancy’s husband Howard Willis is a suspect in her disappearance, but has never been charged. Her case remains unsolved.
Appearance
Caucasian female born on January 28, 1961. Nancy has brown hair, brown eyes, stands 5’3, and weighs 125 pounds.
Her nickname is Debbie. Her right leg was previously fractured in about eight places following a car accident.
It is unknown what she was wearing at the time of her disappearance, but she would normally wear blue jeans and flannel shirts in the winter.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Nancy Debra Willis please contact the Bradley County Sheriff’s Department at (615) 476-0572.
Resources & Further Information
Nancy Debra Willis – NamUS
Nancy Debra Willis – The Charley Project
News & Media Links
Willis Also Suspected in Mysterious Disappearance of His Wife in 1987 – The Chattanoogan
Ex-Wife of Willis Delivers Bombshell Recording – The Chattanoogan
Headless Body of Murder Victim Sam Thomas Found on Lookout Mountain – The Chattanoogan
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