In a stunning escalation to the baffling disappearance of Florida attorneys Randall “Randy” Spivey, 57, and his nephew Brandon Billmaier, 33, a passing fisherman’s eyewitness account has thrust the case back into the spotlight. The uncle-nephew pair vanished during a fishing excursion in the Gulf of Mexico on December 19, 2025, their 42-foot Freeman boat found adrift and empty the next day. Now, with search efforts reignited by a mysterious underwater signal and this new testimony, investigators are reevaluating everything—including a curiously misplaced seismograph among the boat’s equipment that has dramatically altered the working hypothesis.

The saga began when Spivey and Billmaier launched from Fort Myers before dawn, bound for bottom fishing about 70 miles offshore near Marco Island. Family raised the alarm that evening when they didn’t return, prompting a massive U.S. Coast Guard operation involving aircraft, cutters, and helicopters. The vessel, named “Unstopp-A-Bull,” was located upright with engines running but no occupants. No life jackets were missing, and the emergency beacon remained inactive, suggesting no deliberate distress call. Volunteers, including private boats coordinated by relatives, scoured thousands of square miles amid moderate seas. Spivey’s wife, Tricia, and Billmaier’s wife, Deborah, led emotional appeals, describing the men as devoted family men and skilled outdoorsmen. Spivey, a prominent personal injury lawyer known for community service, stood 6’1″ and 245 pounds with brown hair; Billmaier, also an attorney, was 6’2″ and 250 pounds with strawberry blonde hair.

The Coast Guard suspended the active search at sunset on December 22, 2025, after no signs emerged, leaving families heartbroken but determined. The FBI joined shortly after, probing potential foul play given the men’s legal professions. Then came the breakthroughs: First, sonar detected a rhythmic ping from the ocean floor just 12 miles from the boat’s recovery site, prompting dive teams to investigate possible wreckage or beacons. But the real game-changer arrived via a local fisherman who reported sighting two figures moving near the vessel moments before it appeared abandoned. His detailed account, corroborated by radar logs, described unusual activity—perhaps a struggle or transfer—sparking theories of piracy, accident, or something more clandestine.

Search teams, reviewing the boat’s inventory, zeroed in on a single anomaly: a seismograph, typically used for detecting ground vibrations, found stowed improperly among fishing gear. Experts speculate it might have been repurposed for underwater mapping or even illicit activities, like monitoring seismic events for oil exploration ties—though the men’s backgrounds offer no obvious links. This “misplaced” device has shifted the hypothesis from a simple overboard mishap to potential sabotage or environmental intrigue, especially in the Gulf’s resource-rich waters. Ocean currents and weather data from that day show no anomalies, but the signal’s proximity and witness report suggest the men could have been targeted or involved in an unforeseen event.

As of January 3, 2026, divers continue probing the depths amid choppy conditions, while authorities urge tips. Families cling to hope, with Tricia Spivey stating, “Every clue brings us closer.” The case highlights the Gulf’s dangers, where routine trips can turn fatal. With the seismograph under forensic analysis, this mystery deepens, blending personal tragedy with broader questions about what lurks in familiar seas. Will this lead to answers, or more enigmas? The ocean isn’t yielding easily.