Who was Robert Hoagland? CT man missing since 2013 found dead in NY after living under ANOTHER name
ROCK HILL, NEW YORK: A Connecticut man who went missing more than nine years ago was found dead in New York on December 5 and was apparently living under another name. Robert Hoagland, 59, was last seen on July 28, 2013, in gas station surveillance footage. Hoagland's family reported his disappearance after he failed to pick up his wife from the airport the following day.
As per the reports by NewsTimes, the 59-year-old left his valuable belongings such as his wallet, cell phone, and medication at home. On the previous day, he had been seen using a credit card at 6.45 am at the gas station at 11 Church Road in Newton, Connecticut. The card was, however, never used again. Authorities also said they received some tips about Hoagland's possible whereabouts, but nothing ever worked out. According to CBS News, law enforcement believed that they were close to finding Hoagland in Los Angeles, California in December of 2013.
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After almost half a year of disappearance, a lieutenant from Newton PD noted that Hoagland could "literally be anywhere." Police then believed that he was working at a restaurant in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in November 2014, reports The Newtown Bee. It did not work out either.
Hoagland's case received a lot of media attention in the following years and it was even aired on an episode of Investigation Discovery's 'Disappeared' in 2016, titled 'A Family Man', as per IMDb. The 43-minute documentary consists of interviews with his family and friends, with the primary focus being on an interaction that he had days before his disappearance. Hoagland is claimed to have met some 'shady men' that one of his sons said stole the entire family's computers. Initially the police were unable to identify Hoagland when his body was found. They were able to find documents with his name on them, however, leading them to the widely known missing case.
Hoagland had been living under the name Richard King for years, said Newtown Police Detective Lt Liam Seabrook. "The detectives learned that Robert Hoagland had been living in Sullivan County since around November 2013 and was using the name Richard King,” Seabrook said in a statement, according to The Sun. There were no signs of foul play in Hoagland's death. However, his remains have been taken to the medical examiner's office for an autopsy. Sullivan County law enforcement initially responded to a report of the "untimely death" of a man in a house in Rock Hill, but immediately contacted Newton PD after finding documents with Hoagland's name.
Seabrook explained that due to the nature of Hoagland's disappearance, they do not intend to release more information. “The police department does not plan to release any further information as there was no criminal aspect to Robert Hoagland's disappearance," he said. “The family requests that their privacy be respected during this difficult time." Hoagland is survived by his wife and three sons.