When Things Turned Insane: The Shocking Last Hours of Zebb Quinn

The disappearance of 18-year-old Zebb Quinn in January 2000 remains one of North Carolina’s most bizarre and haunting cold cases. After finishing a shift at a Walmart in Asheville, Zebb vanished into thin air, leaving behind a trail of cryptic clues that baffled investigators for over two decades.

From a mysterious puppy and a hotel keycard found in his abandoned car to lipstick-drawn lips on the back window, the evidence in this case was as strange as it was chilling. This video dives deep into the "twisted romance" involving Misty Taylor, the suspicious behavior of Zebb’s coworker Robert Jason Owens, and the shocking connection to a later triple murder that finally broke the case wide open.

We explore the 20-year timeline of the investigation, the disturbing forensic discoveries on Owens' property, and the ultimate confession that revealed a dark story of betrayal, dismemberment, and a secret meeting in the Pisgah National Forest.

Transcript

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A Twisted Romance, a Backstabbing Friend, a Young Man's Murder. Today's video is about 18-year-old Zeb Quinn who disappeared right after his work shift one January evening. The year was 2000, and Quinn was a fairly regular guy enrolled in an ROTC program. He also worked at the local Walmart to make some extra cash. But things weren't as simple as they seemed in the young man's life. One big complexity was a woman named Misty Taylor. Quinn and Misty were allegedly romantically involved with each other, but Misty already had a boyfriend named Wesley Smith. The triangle of emotions between Zeb, Misty, and Wesley became a constant source of secrets and ultimately led to tragedy. Zeb Quinn would vanish without a trace, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions. His car was found abandoned just days later, but what they found inside it shocked the authorities. The back window had lips drawn on it with lipstick, and inside it was a black Labrador mixed puppy, a plastic hotel key card, and some other puzzling items. Were these clues deliberately left behind or just coincidential items? Keep watching as we delve into the story of Zeb Quinn and find out what happened to him after his disappearance on January 2nd, 2000. It was Sunday and the 18-year-old Zeb finished his shift in Walmart's electronics section at around 9 p.m. He had plans to check out cars in Leicester with his co-worker Robert Jason Owens. The two drove separately and later stopped at a gas station to grab some sodas around 9 15 p.m. However, Zeb signaled to Owen that he needed to respond to a page. After returning from a nearby payphone, Zeb canceled their plans and drove off. Owen described Zeb as frantic after his call. However, according to Owen, Zeb ended up rear-ending his truck in a hurry. The story gets twisted and facts get blurred with each minute because Owen later ends up at the hospital saying he was banged up from a second car crash. Suspiciously, no formal report documented this alleged crash. So, how did he end up getting so hurt? This put a big question mark on Owen's role in Zeb Quinn's disappearance. Two days after Zeb went missing, the Walmart where he worked received a call. The person on the phone claimed to be Quinn. He told Quinn's co-worker that he wanted to call in sick. However, suspicion arose in the worker's mind because the voice didn't sound like it was Quinn himself. The authorities later traced the call and found out it had come from Owen's workplace. Concern turned to panic as hour turned to days. Finally, Zeb's mother, Denise Vlahakis, filed a missing person's report when he still hadn't returned home. As the investigation into Zeb Quinn's disappearance began, the tangled threats of his life were revealed. It was time to dig deeper into the hidden connections and mysterious events, especially those related to his secret girlfriend, Missy Taylor. They had gotten close in weeks leading up to his disappearance, but had kept things discreet, not because they preferred it that way, but because of Missy's own complicated personal life. At the time, she was already involved with a man named Wesley Smith. Quinn had confided in friends and family that he felt threatened by Wesley after he found out that the two had been interacting. Wesley also had an intimidating personality and was abusive. The police followed these threads, attempting to find Quinn and solve the mystery. However, they never found any substantial links between Owens, Taylor, or Smith. But the story took another turn, leaving the investigators with more questions than answers. The page that had set off the sequence of events was traced back to Quinn's paternal aunt, Ina Eustach, a relative with whom Quinn had limited interaction. Eustach denied making the call, stating that she was having dinner at a friend's house during the specified time. An unexpected intrusion at her home later raised eyebrows as belongings were found moved around. In the meantime, the authorities found another piece of evidence to trace the lost young man. Zeb's abandoned car with a puppy and other items was discovered on January 6th, piquing the police's interest even further. Lipstick marks in the shape of lips and an exclamation mark adorned the back windshield. Police also found a mysterious puppy and plastic hotel keys. Additionally, Zeb's driving seat was pushed back, making it obvious that someone else had been driving it at the time. But what did all this evidence mean? Whose puppy was sitting alone in the vehicle, and where had the keys come from? Zeb's mother held a unique theory that the car's placement was a deliberate act intended to send a message to those connected to the hospital. However, the presence of the puppy was still a mystery. A glimmer of hope emerged when a couple reported spotting Quinn's car in downtown Asheville. They were then questioned by the police for more details. Their assistance in creating a composite sketch of the driver seemed to bear a striking resemblance to Misty Taylor. Could she be the one behind the chilling disappearance of her secret lover? Or was there more than meets the eye? Stick around as we find out. On July 10, 2017, the Buncombe County Grand Jury indicted Robert Jason Owens, charging him with first-degree murder for Sab Quinn's death. This indictment marked years of relentless work by the Asheville Police Department detectives in collaboration with the Quinn family and the Buncombe County District Attorney's Office. But there was more to be uncovered in this terrible tale. Fifteen years passed, and not much could be found about Quinn's disappearance until a name re-emerged in front of the police. It was Robert Jason Owens, the enemy in a friend's disguise, but it wasn't Quinn's case at the time. Owens had found himself under arrest for a crime that chilled the public to their bones. He faced charges connected to the disappearance and murder of Christy Schoen, a Food Network star contestant, her husband J.T. Codd, and their unborn child. Owens admitted to running over the family by accident, but his crimes turned darker when he confessed to dismembering their remains. He had later proceeded to burn the victims. Owens received a 60 to 75 year sentence without the possibility of parole for his crimes against the Cod family, but it was time to pay for his crimes from over a decade ago. A name, once just a piece of the puzzle, became a central figure in an entirely different tragedy. The twists didn't stop there. In June 2015, investigators revisiting Seb Gwynn's case made an unsettling discovery on Owens' property. Fabric, leather materials, and unknown hard fragments were found beneath a layer of concrete. Other odd items included an unknown white pottery substance, pieces of metal, and concrete. Plastic bags containing a mysterious powdery substance were also uncovered. Now, the chilling question loomed. Did the fragments hold the key to Seb Quinn's fate? Stay tuned as it is all revealed. Finally, in July 2022, it was announced that Owens had told investigators back in 2018 that his family member killed Quinn, dismembered his body, and burned the remains. He also said that the evidence could be found in Bent Creek Experimental Forest. But what role did Owens play in all of this? On July 25th, 2022, Owen stood before the legal system, admitting guilt to a lesser charge, accessory after the fact to first degree murder. This confession would pave the way for revelations that would send shockwaves through the case. According to him, his uncle Gene had manipulated both him and Quinn into a sinister meeting at the Pisgard National Forest under the guise of meeting Taylor. However, instead of Taylor's presence, Gene awaited them. In a horrifying act, Jean allegedly shot Quinn with a 22-long rifle, ending his life in the forest depths. He claimed that Gene proceeded to dismember and burn Quinn's remains, with Owens himself assisting in the grisly cover-up. The apostle pieces fell into place, painting a haunting picture of betrayal and darkness. The verdict was delivered. Owens was sentenced to 12.5 to 15 and 3 quarter years in prison, a sentence to be served concurrently with his existing life term for unrelated killings. The district attorney declared that this conviction established in the eyes of the law that Zeb Quinn was indeed murdered. However, both murders involved dismembering bodies and then burning them. So there's a good chance that Owens was the one to murder Quinn. On the other hand, the argument stands that he had seen his uncle do it, so he used the same technique in the Cod family murder, but nobody will know the complete truth. Even though the legal proceedings have ended, the location of Zeb's remains still a mystery over 20 years later, leaving us with lingering questions and a sense of unresolved sorrow. Zeb Quinn suffered the consequences of a taboo love and trusting the wrong person. This story serves as a reminder that some mysteries may never fully unravel. And remember, stay safe out there.