Graves was last seen in Sumter, South Carolina on January 30, 2010. He lived and worked in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, but had gone to Sumter on a spur-of-the-moment trip to attend Morris College's homecoming. He went to Sabastian's Club, a nightclub in the 3200 block of Broad Street, at 11:00 p.m. The bouncer turned him away at the door because he appeared to be intoxicated. He left the scene in with two acquaintances in a white car, but then jumped out of the car and ran back to the nightclub. When his friends went to look for him, they couldn't find him. Graves made several phone calls in the early hours of the next morning, the last one at 4:00 a.m.; he called a friend in Myrtle Beach and said he'd see him the next day. The conversation was normal and he didn't sound as if he was in trouble. This was the last time anyone heard from him.

The two acquaintances Graves was with the night of his disappearance were both interviewed by police and one of them passed a polygraph, but the other refused to take the test. Graves's cousin stated Graves had an argument with that man earlier on January 30 after he showed up at his home unannounced and uninvited and asked to be allowed to stay. Investigators stated the man was a person of interest in Graves's case, but he hasn't been publicly identified or charged with anything in connection with it.

Graves attended Morris College for a year before transferring to Coastal Carolina University. He was a trainer for their football team and graduated in December 2008. He doesn't have a criminal record, he didn't associate with drug dealers at the time of his disappearance and he was well-liked with no known enemies. Graves's family stated it's uncharacteristic of him to be out of touch with his family and, though he liked to make spontaneous trips, he always kept his loved ones informed of his whereabouts. His mother died when he was a toddler and he was raised by an aunt, who now lives in Arkansas. He visited her home every weekend.

Authorities believe foul play was involved in Graves's disappearance. His case remains unsolved.