Disappearance of Robert Hoagland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Hoagland
Image of Hoagland distributed after his disappearance, showing scar over his left eye.
Born	1963
Disappeared	July 28, 2013 (aged 49–50) Sandy Hook, Connecticut, U.S.
Status	Missing for 11 years, 11 months and 3 days
Nationality	American
Occupation	Chef, property appraiser
Known for	Mysterious disappearance
Height	6 ft (183 cm)

On July 28, 2013, Robert Hoagland (born 1963) disappeared from his home in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. He was a chef and also worked as a property appraiser, which means he estimated the value of homes. Security cameras at a gas station showed him buying a map and gas for his wife's car that morning.

Later that day, his son saw him mowing the lawn. A neighbor also saw them talking. Robert was supposed to pick up his wife, Lori, from the airport two days later, but he never showed up. He also didn't go to work. His family reported him missing, and no one has seen him since.

Police have looked into many possible sightings of Robert. Some tips suggested he was in southern California or South Carolina. However, none of these led to finding him. People have different ideas about what happened. Some think he might have been harmed, while others believe he chose to start a new life. His story was even featured on a TV show called Disappeared.

The Day Robert Hoagland Disappeared

Robert and his wife, Lori, talked on the phone on July 27, 2013. They confirmed he would pick her up from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City two days later. Early the next morning, Robert drove his wife's car to buy bagels for breakfast.

He then stopped at a Mobil gas station. Security cameras recorded him buying gas and a map of the eastern United States. This was at 6:45 a.m. It was the last time he was seen by cameras in public.

After returning home, Robert had breakfast with his older son, Max. Max later said his father paid some bills and played Scrabble online. Around 10 or 11 a.m., Robert went outside to mow the lawn. While he was mowing, Max left in the car, expecting to be back in a few hours. A neighbor also saw Robert and Max talking on the lawn.

The next day, Lori arrived at the airport around 4 p.m. Robert was not there. She tried calling their home and his cell phone, but got no answer. She thought he might be stuck in traffic or his phone battery was dead. Lori said this happened sometimes.

Lori did not go straight home to Newtown. She stayed at a relative's house nearby. She then learned from Robert's boss's wife that he had not shown up for work. When Lori finally got home on July 30, Robert was not there. She found his phone, keys, passport, and blood pressure medicine. His dirty clothes were in the laundry. The lawnmower was put away. His favorite summer shoes, loafers, were in the house, along with his other pair. His Mini Cooper car was still in the driveway.

The Investigation Begins

The Hoagland family told the National Park Service that Robert might have gone hiking. They thought he might be on the Appalachian Trail. The Park Service and family friends printed flyers with Robert's picture. They worked to get media attention for the case.

The Newtown police also started investigating. They learned about Robert's actions before he disappeared. A week after he went missing, Robert's information was added to a national database for missing and unidentified people.

About a week later, Lori found Robert's wallet and car keys. They were hidden under a doll on a chair in their bedroom. She said this made her think he might have been taken. She had first thought he left on his own.

Police searched Robert's work computer. They found he had searched for an address in Rhode Island several times. However, no connection to his disappearance was found. His home computer was harder to check. He had installed a program that could delete all search history.

In the fall, Lori and volunteers searched wooded areas around Sandy Hook. Police also used search dogs. In September, the Newtown police used sonar to search Lake Zoar. This lake is on the edge of town. None of these searches found any trace of Robert. Lori said these searches were about "eliminating possibilities."

Robert's oldest son, Chris, left his job in South Carolina the next month. He came home to help with his father's responsibilities. In September 2013, the family started a court process. They wanted to appoint someone to manage Robert's affairs. They hoped it wouldn't be needed.

Possible Sightings of Robert

In September 2013, two possible sightings of Robert were reported in Rhode Island. This state is next to Connecticut. A man with a backpack was seen walking near Warwick. It turned out to be someone else. Later, road workers also saw a similar man with a backpack. He was walking near the Connecticut state line. Police could not find this man or figure out who he was.

In December 2013, the Los Angeles Police Department asked people to look for Robert. His family said he had connections to areas near Los Angeles. No clear sightings were reported there. Another sighting came in January. Someone reported seeing Robert at a thrift store in Brookfield. This town is just north of Newtown. He was reportedly driving a car with New York license plates. However, security camera video from the store was not clear enough to confirm it.

Around the one-year anniversary of Robert's disappearance, in July 2014, another sighting was reported near Newtown. A man told officials he saw Robert go into the county jail in Carmel, New York. This town is close to Connecticut. The man said Robert left after two minutes. However, the only video footage was from outside the building. The person on the video could not be clearly identified.

At that time, some friends of the Hoagland family were concerned about the slow search. They thought it was very likely that something bad had happened to Robert. They felt the police had decided he left on his own. This might mean less effort was put into the search. One officer said, "All we know is that he went to the Church Hill Road Mobil gas station, filled up his car and bought a map. We're at the same place we were at Day One." Police said they were still working hard on the case.

In November 2014, Newtown police got another tip. It suggested Robert might be working in a restaurant in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Police clarified that the tipster had not actually seen him. Police in Horry County, where Myrtle Beach is, helped with the investigation.

TV Show About the Case

In 2016, the TV show Disappeared made an episode about Robert Hoagland. There had been no new clues or sightings since late 2014. The Newtown police and the Hoagland family hoped the show would bring new information. The episode was called "A Family Man" and aired on May 31.

Ideas About What Happened

Newtown police chief Charles Kehoe said in 2014 that "Everything is on the table." This means they consider all possibilities for what happened to Robert. Two main ideas have come up. One is that he was the victim of foul play, meaning someone harmed him. The other is that he decided to leave his life behind. There is evidence for both ideas, and neither seems more likely than the other.

After Lori found Robert's wallet and keys hidden, she started to believe foul play was more possible. She also thought the amount of money he withdrew was strange if he planned to disappear. It was too much for an ATM, but not enough to live on for a long time. She said if he wanted to end their marriage, he would have just said so. His son Chris also finds it unlikely that his father left without his favorite shoes.

Lori thinks it's possible Robert might have made someone angry enough to hurt him. She told a newspaper, "I've seen him chase people down the street with baseball bats." Family and friends also don't believe he would have just left his children. Lori said, "I don't believe he just left. Wouldn't he have surfaced by now?"

The Hoagland family believes Robert is no longer in the Newtown area. Lori said, "He's going to be stumbled upon. Someone's going to find him accidentally, and I hope that's sooner than later." His son Chris said, "What if he was taken ... and he's in a hole somewhere? ... I don't want to think it, but I have to."