Longley was last seen in the Zeigler Street area of Chattanooga, Tennessee sometime during August 1997. He told his aunt that he was leaving and no one would ever see him again. Longley may have lived in Rossville, Georgia after his disappearance, or he may have traveled to Atlanta, Georgia to seek employment. The circumstances in his case are unclear, but his family says it is uncharacteristic of him not to contact them.