Robert Hoagland

Name: Robert Hoagland
Age: 49 years old
Last seen: July 28, 2013
Location: Newton, Connecticut
Status: Found deceased on December 5, 2022
Disappeared: Season 7 Episode 8 “A Family Man”

Case Information

49-year-old Robert Hoagland was last seen in Newton, Connecticut on July 28, 2013.

He disappeared that morning from his family home on Glen Road in the town’s Sandy Hook section, a day before he was supposed to pick up his wife at the JFK airport.

Background

Robert Hoagland was born on June 9, 1963. Married for 25 years to his wife Lori, the couple raised their three sons in a home on Glen Road in the Sandy Hook section of Newton, Connecticut.

Hoagland initially worked as a professional chef in a local restaurant, but later left for a position at a friend’s law office in Bridgeport.

He also worked as a self-employed real estate appraiser in his home office in order to be closer with his family. His wife, a culinary arts teacher, worked at Newtown High School.

Their middle son, 24-year-old Max, had a history of problems with drug addiction and went into a rehabilitation center in 2013. He was living at the family house at the time of Hoagland’s disappearance..

In early July 2013 his wife went on a 17-days trip to Turkey with some friends, and the couple regularly exchanged emails during her vacation.

In the week before her return, two of the family’s laptop computers were stolen. Robert believed his son took them to be sold in exchange for drugs.

On the evening of July 27, 2013, Hoagland called his wife to confirm his plan to pick her up two days later at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.

Disappearance

On the morning of July 28, 2013, Hoagland drove to the Bagel Delight shop to buy bagels for breakfast. Later that morning a security camera at the Mobil gas station on Church Hill Road near Interstate 84 captured Hoagland in the store at 6:45 a.m.

He was seen approaching the counter to pay for gas, and he also bought a map of the eastern United States with a credit card before driving back home.

Upon returning home, Hoagland ate breakfast with his son Max before playing three Scrabble games online, texting some messages, and paying some bills.

Between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m, Hoagland went outside to mow the lawn while his son drove off in his mother’s red Volkswagen Golf, saying he would be back a few hours later. A neighbor witnessed the father and son talking on the lawn.

His wife landed at JFK airport at 4:00 p.m on July 29, 2013, but Hoagland was nowhere to be seen. Text messages and calls to his cell phone and home went unanswered.

After two hours of waiting, she left to visit a relative’s home in Brooklyn, but grew concerned upon receiving a call from Hoagland’s boss’s wife saying he was absent at the law firm that day.

Lori returned to their family home in Newton, but her husband and son were nowhere to be found. Hoagland’s car, a Mini Cooper, was still parked in the driveway.

Investigation

Robert left behind his cellphone, keys, passport, and his blood pressure medication in his office. His dirty clothes were found in the laundry, and he took no personal belongings with him.

The mower was returned to its usual storage location in the basement, and the loafers he had been wearing that morning to the convenience store were found in the living room.

Upon examining Hoagland’s work computer, investigators found he had repeatedly searched an address in Rhode Island. The address was later investigated, but brought up no leads.

A further search into his personal computer was concluded, but a program downloaded onto the computer a month before he disappeared cleared out all internet searches.

Investigators have found no indication that Hoagland has used any credit cards or a cellphone since he was last seen on July 28. They did discover a $600 cash withdrawal from one of the family’s accounts on July 25, 2013, at the south Newtown branch of Union Savings Bank.

On August 6, 2013, his wife discovered Hoagland’s wallet and car’s keys hidden in their bedroom under a doll on a chair, ten days after his disappearance.

Arrest of the son in Bridgeport, Connecticut

On the evening of July 28, 2013, patrol officers from Bridgeport arrested Hoagland’s son Max for buying drugs in an area with no trespassing signs. He was charged with third-degree criminal trespassing and held on a $2,500 bond.

Investigators later discovered that Hoagland went to the same abandoned industrial building in Bridgeport where his son Max was arrested a few days before his disappearance. The location in 136 Washington Terrace was known to the police for drug sales and prostitution.

Hoagland reportedly confronted some men described as Max’s “associates” over the theft of the family’s computers. When interrogated, the men denied the theft of the laptops.

Police found no evidence linking them to Hoagland’s disappearance, nor evidence that his son Max’s activities or associations had anything to do with his disappearance.

Reported sightings in several states

In the aftermath of his disappearance, several alleged sightings of Hoagland were reported, but none yielded any positive results.

In November 2013, witnesses saw a man matching Hoagland’s description walking with a backpack near Warwick, Rhode Island. Police were unable to locate the man to determine his identity.

In December 2013 someone reported seeing Hoagland driving a car with New York license plates in Brookfield, Connecticut.

A witness claims to have seen Hoagland going into a county jail in Putnam County, New York in July 2014. After reviewing surveillance footage from the jail police were unable to determine the man’s identity.

In November 2014 police received a tip that Hoagland might be working in a restaurant in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This sighting has not been confirmed.

Robert Hoagland Found Deceased in 2022

Robert Hoagland was found deceased in Rock Hill, New York on December 5, 2022. He was found after his roommate called 911 around 3:00 pm, stating that he was having a medical emergency.

According to police there were no signs of foul play. A cause of death is under investigation by the coroner’s office.

“The detectives learned that Robert Hoagland had been living in Sullivan County since around November 2013 and was using the name Richard King,” Newtown Police told the Middletown Press.

The police do not plan on releasing any further information, as there was no criminal activity involved in his disappearance.

Appearance

Caucasian male. Short brown hair, mostly bald with closely cropped hair on sides, and blue eyes. He is 6′ 0″ tall and weighs 175 lbs. He was called Hoagie by his family.

Hoagland was last seen wearing khaki shorts and a white tee shirt.

Investigating Agency

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Robert Hoagland please contact the Newtown Police Department (203) 270-4229 or (203) 426-5841.

Resources & Further Information

HelpUs Find Hoagy – Facebook
Help Find Hoagie – Twitter
Missing Person: Robert Hoagland – NamUs
Missing Robert Hoagland – LostMissing

News & Media Links

Missing man remains a mystery – CTpost 08/13
Man’s disappearance still a riddle – CTpost 08/13
Missing Newtown Man Could Be in Rhode Island – NBC Connecticut 08/13
Search widens for missing Newtown man – CTpost 09/13
No Breakthrough In Hoagland Case, But ‘Actual Tips With Actionable Info’ – CTpost 09/13
Police, Family Continue Search For Hoagland, Probate Hearing Set – The Newton Bee 09/13
Search Continues, But Mystery Still Surrounds CT Man’s Disappearance – Patch 09/13
Police: Missing Newtown Man Possibly Sighted In Rhode Island – Patch 09/13
Search widens for missing Newtown man – News Times 09/13
Missing Conn. man seen in Rhode Island – WJAR 09/13
Police In Connecticut Think Man Missing Since July May Be In Southland – CBS Los Angeles 12/13
Police Search Lake Zoar For Missing Sandy Hook Man – The Newton Bee 09/13
Six months after Newtown man’s disappearance, no clues – News Times 02/14
One year later, Newtown man’s disappearance still troubles loved ones – News Times 08/14
Documentary sheds light on Newtown disappearance probe – News Times 05/16
Family Man Mysteriously Vanishes – Medium 11/19

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