Missing
Christopher Ray Douthat
Douthat, approximately 2013
Date and time person was reported missing : 10/25/2013
Missing location (approx) :
Roanoke, Virginia
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Male
Ethnicity :
White
Age at the time of disappearance: 24 years old
Height / Weight : 5'11 - 6'1, 170 - 200 pounds
Description, clothing, jewerly and more : A dark gray hooded sweatshirt with a Snap-On Tools logo on the front, khaki pants, white shoes and a brown baseball cap.
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue eyes. Douthat's nickname is Chris. He has a tribal band tattooed on his right bicep; a photo of the tattoo is posted with this case summary. Douthat is right-handed. He smokes Marlboro Red Shorts or L&M Red Shorts cigarettes.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Douthat was last seen on October 25, 2013. His mother drove him to his roofing job that day, and after finishing work early, he got a ride to a Kroger grocery store in Vinton, Virginia and cashed his paycheck at 3:30 p.m. A friend dropped him off at Chap's Tavern in the 800 block of Campbell Avenue in Roanoke, Virginia at 4:30 p.m.
He was supposed to meet a female friend in the parking lot of the Food Lion grocery store at 5:00 p.m., but he wasn't there when his friend arrived. Other patrons from Chap's Tavern recalled that he stayed at the bar until 8:00 p.m. and left on foot. He wasn't reported missing for almost two weeks. Since his disappearance, there has been no activity on his bank account.
In February 2013, nine months before Douthat's disappearance, he and his live-in girlfriend, who was pregnant at the time, were assaulted by an acquaintance who broke into their Kingston Road home with his brother. Douthat and his girlfriend sustained cuts and bruises in the attack. Douthat testified at the trial of one of the assailants, who was found guilty, but the trial for the other hadn't yet happened by the time Douthat disappeared. The second suspect was later also found guilty.
Authorities don't believe Douthat's disappearance is related to the earlier crime, but he is considered to be missing under suspicious circumstances. He had had a somewhat troubled life with some prior arrests.
His infant son died in August 2013, just a few months before Douthat disappeared. His son had a surviving twin sister, and Douthat had recently ended his relationship with her mother. They were fighting over custody of their daughter, and she had taken out an order of protection of Douthat. He disappeared three days before a court hearing on the matter.
Douthat's mother stated her son enjoyed hunting, fishing and working on cars, and that he adored his baby daughter. His mother doesn't believe his personal problems would have caused him to abandon his family. His case remains unsolved.
Other information and links : ncy
Virginia State Police
540-375-9589
September 2021 updates and sources
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
