In a 2016 news conference, David Abbott's ex-wife, Regina Darlene Snyder, said David suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and had not been taking his medication for about a month. She said that he'd begun talking about seeing and hearing things that weren't in the room. Abbott also had numerous other health issues. According to NamUs.gov, David had a paranoid schizophrenic episode and left in his truck at 10pm on June 23, 2016. His truck was found 2 days later 60 miles from home in Athens, Tennessee. He was seen walking down the road, seemingly disoriented.

UPDATE: The remains of David Abbott were found Oct. 19, 2023 by hunters in a wooded area off Highway 30 west of Athens, Tennessee, less than a mile away from where his car was left. According to wdef.com, Fort Oglethorpe Police Department Sheriff Joe Guy stated, “Investigators say that there is no evidence of foul play; that Mr. Abbott seems to have walked off into the wooded area and passed away shortly after leaving his truck on County Road 126.”