Friends, Raleigh police search for missing 39-year-old man Andy Banks; SUV he was reportedly trying to sell found in Danville, Virginia

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Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Friends issue social media plea for help finding missing Raleigh man
Raleigh police are looking for a missing 39-year-old man last seen on Saturday afternoon.

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Raleigh police are looking for a missing 39-year-old man last seen Saturday afternoon.

William Anderson Banks Jr., known as "Andy" to his friends, was last seen around Woodburn Road close to Cameron Village.

The 911 caller who originally reported him missing Saturday said he hadn't heard from him in five or six hours and was "worried" because Banks was supposed to be selling a car.

Banks had recently posted an ad on Craigslist for a 2011 Range Rover Sport. One of his friends told ABC11 on Monday that he was supposed to show the car during the weekend to someone he met on the website.

The 911 caller said Banks was going to sell the car and then walk to his friend's apartment complex nearby, but never showed up.

"I can see on his text messages that he last checked his phone at 1:42 p.m.," the caller said. "He has not looked at his phone since then. His battery is on and it's ringing and all that."

Raleigh police originally said they were looking for the silver Range Rover in connection with the man's disappearance but announced Monday afternoon that it had been found in Danville, Virginia. Banks was not in it and was still missing.

Fliers were seen Monday in the area of his disappearance encouraging people to contact police if they see him.

His friends were also in Raleigh helping with the search.

They said Banks is a great guy who even delivered flowers and groceries to one friend's mom when she was afraid to leave the house because of COVID-19.

He makes money buying and selling cars, they said.

Banks was last seen in a parking lot outside of the now-closed K&W Cafeteria.

Cliff Cash, a friend of Banks, drove in from Wilmington to help with the search.

"Their family is just literally the best people you could ever hope to meet. Genuinely incredible people," he said. "I don't know that I'll be able to do anything much that will make any kind of difference but it feels better to do this than to sit around and wait to hear something."

Banks was reportedly wearing blue Patagonia shorts, a grey shirt with a picture of a mountain on the front and flip flops.

Anyone who believes they may know where Banks is or believe they may have seen him since Saturday afternoon is asked to call 911.