In a tragedy that has gripped Florida, Deborah Billmaier, the newlywed wife of 33-year-old attorney Brandon Billmaier, has shared heartbreaking details about the last moments she communicated with her husband before he disappeared during a fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico.

Brandon, a trial lawyer at the Shiner Law Group in Boca Raton, set out on December 19, 2025, for a deep-sea fishing excursion with his uncle, 57-year-old Randall Spivey, a seasoned Fort Myers attorney. The pair departed early aboard a 42-foot Freeman boat named “Unstopp-A-Bull,” planning a routine day of bottom fishing about 70 miles off the coast near Fort Myers Beach. They were expected back by evening, but as night fell with no word, alarm bells rang.

Deborah recounted their final phone call, which occurred just 30 minutes before all contact was lost forever. She described a sense of foreboding – an inexplicable gut feeling that something terrible was imminent. “I had this linh tính (premonition) that something wasn’t right,” she later shared in interviews, her voice breaking with emotion. When hours passed without updates, she rushed to the scene, only to find authorities already there. Police handed her Brandon’s phone, recovered from the empty vessel, along with a strange, unsettling image frozen on the screen – a detail that has fueled speculation and added layers of mystery to the case.

The U.S. Coast Guard located the boat early on December 20, drifting with its engine still running but completely abandoned. Notably, two life jackets were missing, offering a sliver of hope that the men might have donned them and entered the water intentionally or due to an emergency. No signs of distress or foul play were immediately apparent, yet the circumstances remain puzzling.

A massive search ensued, one of the largest in Southwest Florida history, covering thousands of square miles with aircraft, vessels, and volunteer boaters. Deborah organized efforts via social media, offering rewards and pleading for help. The couple, married for about 15 months and having recently celebrated their first anniversary in Paris, had traveled to over 30 countries together. Brandon was described by colleagues and family as kind, selfless, and passionate about his work helping injured clients.

Despite exhaustive efforts, the Coast Guard suspended active searching on December 22, a “difficult decision” after determining that if the men were afloat, they would have been found. The case has since transitioned to an FBI missing persons investigation, exploring all possibilities in this baffling disappearance.

Deborah clings to hope amid profound grief, remembering Brandon’s final text: “I love you. I’ll see you tonight.” As Christmas passed without answers, she urged respect for the search suspension while vowing to never give up. This story of love cut short by the unforgiving sea leaves many questioning what truly happened in those final moments – a sudden accident, rogue wave, or something more sinister hinted by that bizarre phone image?