Nichols was last seen in the morning of June 8, 2004, at his residence in the vicinity of the 2500 block of east Parley Way in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was supposed to meet his ex-wife and young son for breakfast at a McDonald's restaurant in Midvale, Utah, but his ex-wife stated Nichols called them to say he would be unable to keep the appointment. He has never been heard from again.

Nichols's girlfriend reported him missing on the morning of June 9. His white 2000 Ford Ranger pickup was located in the vicinity of the 4800 block of south State Street in Salt Lake City on July 15, over a month after his disappearance, and was towed two days later. That location is just three blocks from the restaurant where Nichols planned to meet his ex-wife and son.

Nichols's loved ones say it is uncharacteristic of him to leave without warning. Investigators believe his disappearance is suspicious. There has been no activity on his bank accounts or credit cards since his disappearance, and no unusual activity on them in the months prior. At the time of his disappearance, he was planning on visiting his sister in Wisconsin and had already purchased the plane tickets and made hotel reservations.

Nichols's ex-wife had filed for bankruptcy prior to his disappearance. She moved out of the area with her and Nichols's child two weeks after Nichols vanished and his family has lost touch with them. Nichols's wife and son have since left the country and she has been indicted for bankruptcy fraud. There is a warrant out for her arrest.

Nichols was employed as an air traffic controller for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at Salt Lake International Airport at the time of his disappearance. He is originally from northern Virginia and moved to Utah in 1998. He lived in the Parley’s Way area, east of Salt Lake City, at the time of his disappearance. Police stated there was no evidence of foul play in his case, but his family believes his disappearance is suspicious. His case remains unsolved.