In fact, he had actually resettled in Rock Hill, New York, under an assumed name, Richard King, which was not discovered until after his death in late 2022.

On the morning of July 28, 2013, security footage at a Mobil gas station in Newtown captured Hoagland, a local chef and property appraiser, buying a map along with fuel for his wife's car.

He was last seen by anyone who knew him later that morning, when his son bid goodbye as Hoagland was mowing the lawn of the family home, a conversation also witnessed by a neighbor.

Hoagland failed to show up for work the next morning or pick up his wife when she returned home from an overseas trip that afternoon.

Theories about his disappearance ranged from foul play possibly connected to his son's drug problems to an attempt to start a new life.

[5][6] Hoagland's disappearance was resolved almost a decade later when his body was found by a roommate in a Rock Hill, New York, apartment on December 5, 2022, where he had been living under the name Richard King.

Deputies from the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office found paperwork with his real name on it, and notified Newtown police.

[9] Robert and Lori's 24-year-old son, Max Hoagland,[9] had a history of problems with drug addiction and had been in rehab earlier in 2013.

Robert left his restaurant job for a position in a friend's law firm to better help his son with his recovery; he also worked as a real estate appraiser.

Robert came to believe that Max had taken them to either sell or exchange in order to obtain drugs, and sent an email to Lori apologizing for having let it happen.

[11] Robert and Lori spoke briefly by phone on the evening of July 27, confirming his plan to pick her up upon her return from Turkey at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City two days later.

Instead she found his phone, keys, passport and prescription high blood pressure medications,[5] as well as his dirty clothes in the laundry.

[11] The mower Robert had been using had been returned to its usual storage location, and the loafers he had been wearing when he went on his morning shopping trip – his preferred summertime footwear – were also in the house, as was his other pair.

Along with friends of the family, the Park Service printed and distributed flyers with Hoagland's picture, and worked to bring media attention to the case.

[12] The Newtown police looked into the case as well, and soon learned of the events before Robert's disappearance such as the confrontation in Bridgeport and the cash withdrawal.

"[14] The next month, Chris Hoagland, the couple's eldest son, left his job in the tourism industry in Hilton Head, South Carolina, to take over his father's responsibilities around the house.

[13] In September 2013, the Hoagland family began the court process necessary to appoint a trustee to represent Robert's interests, although they hoped it would not be necessary.

[10] Later in September 2013, two sightings of men matching Hoagland's description were reported in Rhode Island, which borders Connecticut to the east.

They believed the possibility of criminal activity was highly likely in the case, and that the police had tacitly concluded that he had left the area of his own accord in order to devote fewer resources to the investigation.

[9] In November 2014, Newtown police received another tip that Robert might be working in a restaurant in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

At that time, Richard Robinson, a Newtown supervising detective, stated, "We cannot say how long it may be before it's known whether Mr. Hoagland is [in South Carolina] or not.

Since there had been no significant leads or sightings since late 2014, Newtown police and the Hoagland family (who cooperated) were hopeful that it would produce some new information.

[5] After Lori discovered her husband's wallet and keys hidden in their bedroom, she came to believe foul play was a stronger possibility.

"[13] Later in 2013, Hoagland, using the name "Richard King", began working on a contract basis as a property appraiser for a small firm in the Town of Wallkill, New York, outside Middletown.

He moved into a rented home in Rock Hill, New York, roughly a hundred miles (160 km) west of Newtown, with a local high school music teacher and musician named David.

They exchanged Christmas gifts and developed a routine of eating Sunday dinner, which Hoagland usually cooked, and watching sports, particularly football, together.

David says Hoagland told him a few details about his former life in Connecticut, including that one of his sons had struggled with drug addiction.

Hoagland began cooking seafood and grilled vegetables for Sunday dinner instead of the steaks and barbecued ribs they had customarily enjoyed.

He reviewed security-camera footage that showed Hoagland had been holding his back as he entered the house the night of December 3.