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Matney, 24, was last seen in April 2002 at a business on West State Street in Bristol, Tennessee. His car was found in the parking lot, but he was never located. The case remained unsolved for decades, a TBI news release stated.

In 2024, new information led Bristol detectives, the TBI and the 2nd Judicial District Attorney General’s Office to reopen the case. Investigators determined that Christopher James Havrilla kidnapped and murdered Matney before disposing of his body.

On March 12, a Sullivan County Grand Jury indicted Havrilla on charges of first degree murder and first degree murder in perpetration of kidnapping. He was arrested in Orange Beach, Alabama, on March 14 and later extradited to Tennessee, where he is now in the Sullivan County Jail.

The investigation remains ongoing, according to TBI. Police believe other people from the Bristol area may have information about Matney’s disappearance.

Anyone with details is encouraged to contact the Bristol, Tennessee Police Department at 423-968-1426 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.