Key facts
- Name: Justin Glen Gaines
- Born: March 31, 1989
- Age at disappearance: 18
- Last seen: November 2, 2007, ~1:30–2:00 a.m.
- Location: Wild Bill’s nightclub, Duluth, Gwinnett County, Georgia
- Height / build: 5’10″–5’11”, 210–230 lbs (official records vary); brown hair, blue eyes; diamond stud earring(s), discolored front tooth, bumps on nose
- Status: Still missing — Gwinnett County Police Department, open investigation
- Case numbers: Gwinnett County PD 07-121590; NamUs MP5696
- Investigating agency: Gwinnett County Police Department
The last call from Wild Bill’s
At about 1:30 on the morning of November 2, 2007, Justin Gaines was standing in the parking lot of Wild Bill’s nightclub in Duluth, Georgia, calling his friends one by one. He needed a ride home. He was 18, a college student, and he’d gone out to the club that night the way thousands of Georgia teenagers did.
None of his friends could come.
What happened in the minutes and hours after that last call is the hole at the center of the case. Justin was last seen at Wild Bill’s between 1:30 and 2:00 a.m. — wearing a gray Abercrombie long-sleeve shirt, ripped blue jeans, and white tennis shoes, with a diamond stud in his ear, a discolored front tooth, and small bumps on his nose. He never made it home. He has never been seen again.
He would be 37 years old today.
The confession that changed nothing
In 2015 — eight years after Justin vanished — a man came forward and confessed to taking part in Justin’s murder. The confession was detailed. It described what happened to an 18-year-old who never got his ride home.
No arrests were ever made.
That is the maddening arithmetic of the Gaines case: a named confessor, a detailed account, and still no body, no charges, no resolution. The Gwinnett County Police Department kept the case open. Justin’s family kept searching. The confession sits in the file like a locked door — an answer that isn’t one.
Justin was about 5’10″–5’11” and 210–230 pounds (official records vary slightly). He is listed in NamUs (MP5696) under Gwinnett County case number 07-121590. His case has been covered by the CounterClock podcast’s “Drowning Creek” series (from the In the Red Clay team) and by former Hunting with John Walsh investigator Derrick Levasseur’s Detective Perspective — national attention drawn by the same paradox that defines the case: how does a confessed murder produce no arrests?
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office cold case investigator has also fielded the case, a sign of how the search for Justin has crossed county lines over the years. Tips still come in. None has brought him home.
Theories: what might have happened
He was murdered, as the 2015 confession describes. This is the theory with the most direct evidentiary support — a detailed confession from a participant. Against it: confessions can be false, coerced, or self-serving, and in nineteen years it has produced no body, no corroborating evidence made public, and no arrests. A confession without corroboration is a claim, not a conviction.
He accepted a ride from a stranger and met harm. The most plausible reconstruction of the night itself: an 18-year-old stranded at 2 a.m. outside a nightclub, calling friend after friend, finally getting into someone’s car. It explains how a young man vanishes from a crowded parking lot without a trace.
Voluntary disappearance. There is nothing in the record to support this — no history of running, no contact in nineteen years, no reason an 18-year-old college student with an active social life would erase himself that night.
Have information?
Contact the Gwinnett County Police Department at (770) 513-5000, or the Walton County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Investigator at (770) 266-1558. In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- March 31, 1989 — Justin Glen Gaines is born.
- November 2, 2007, ~1:30–2:00 a.m. — Justin calls friends for a ride from Wild Bill’s nightclub, Duluth, GA. None can come. He is last seen at the club.
- 2007–2014 — Gwinnett County PD investigation; searches; appeals for tips. No trace found.
- 2015 — A man confesses to taking part in Justin’s murder, in detail. No arrests are made.
- 2019–2023 — CounterClock (“Drowning Creek”) and Detective Perspective cover the case.
- Today — Still missing. Case open with Gwinnett County Police.
FAQ
Is Justin Gaines still missing?
Yes. As of October 2026, Justin Gaines has been missing for nearly 19 years. His case remains open with the Gwinnett County Police Department.
Was Justin Gaines ever found?
No. Justin has never been found, alive or deceased.
Did someone confess to killing Justin Gaines?
Yes. In 2015, a man gave a detailed confession to taking part in Justin’s murder. Despite the confession, no arrests have ever been made and no body has been found.
How old would Justin Gaines be today?
Justin was born March 31, 1989. He turned 37 in March 2026.
What was Justin Gaines wearing when he disappeared?
A gray Abercrombie long-sleeve shirt, ripped blue jeans, and white tennis shoes. He had a diamond stud earring, a discolored front tooth, and small bumps on his nose.
How can I help?
Share this case file. If you have any information, contact the Gwinnett County Police Department at (770) 513-5000.
Sources
- Official / law enforcement: NamUs MP5696 (Gwinnett County PD case #07-121590); meaningmint.com, “Justin Gaines Missing Since 2007” case summary.
- News: Atlanta Journal-Constitution coverage of the Gaines case; Gwinnett County news coverage of the 2015 confession.
- Reference: Uncovered, “Missing: Justin Gaines | Duluth, GA”; The Charley Project.
- Media: CounterClock podcast, “Drowning Creek” series (In the Red Clay); Derrick Levasseur, Detective Perspective episode on Justin Gaines.
Corrections (October 2026 fact-check): MATERIAL — physical description corrected throughout. BEFORE “5’8″, 230 lbs; brown hair, brown eyes” → AFTER “5’10″–5’11”, 210–230 lbs; brown hair, blue eyes” (Georgia Bureau of Investigation missing-persons page: 5’11”, 210 lbs, blue eyes; FBI missing-person poster via amwfans: 5’10”, 230 lbs, blue eyes; meaningmint case summary, likely drawn from NamUs: 5’10”, 230 lbs, blue eyes, diamond stud earring, discolored front tooth, bumps on nose). The article’s 5’8″ height and brown eyes were unsupported by any authoritative source. Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 2026.