
Yates had been living in Hot Springs, Arkansas, but had returned to Yell County on a fishing trip on June 16, 2003. He was last seen in Story, Arkansas, and then in Rover, Arkansas at a convienence store where he had stopped prior to going fishing near Onyx, Arkansas.
His truck was found abandoned on June 17, 2003, on County Road #130 off State Highway 314 in Onyx, Arkansas, at a location that he was reported to have fished frequently. Yates was reported to have been very familiar with the area in which he was fishing, and would have normally left his vehicle and traveled on foot fishing in the creek and river.
An exhaustive search of the area at the time yielded few clues to Yates' whereabouts.

Lamb was last seen in May, 1995, while mowing his yard in Plainview, Arkansas. His wife returned home late and found all the lights on, and all his personal belongings, including his wallet, checkbook and keys, still present. Their lawnmower was parked in the middle of their yard, which had only been partially mowed.
Lamb is reported to have a pacemaker and a scar from a gunshot wound he received earlier the same year.