Missing
Eduardo Masoller
Masoller, approximately 2005
Date and time person was reported missing : 01/31/2005
Missing location (approx) :
Ocean City, Maryland
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Male
Ethnicity :
Hispanic
Age at the time of disappearance: 52 years old
Height / Weight : Unknown
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Hispanic male. Brown hair. Masoller is a native of Uruguay.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Masoller, a construction contractor, traveled from his home in northern Virginia to Ocean City, Maryland in January 2005 to install roofing and siding. He was last seen at a the Bull on the Beach restaurant in Ocean City on on January 31. He was having dinner with one of his employees, Jose Damian Hernandez. He has never been heard from again. He was reported missing on February 3.
After his disappearance, police found evidence of a violent struggle and a great deal of Masoller's blood in his condominium at the Sea Mark on 63rd Street in Ocean City. Most of the blood was in the master bedroom next to the bed, but drops were also found in the kitchen and dining room. The stains were still damp when they were discovered.
All the bedding and linens, as well as a large futon mattress and a kitchen knife, were found to be Missing location (approx) : the condominium. Another large knife was found on the floor inside the residence. The amount of blood in Masoller's home indicated that he could not have survived his injuries.
Hernandez used Masoller's credit card after his disappearance. He later returned it to Masoller's family, saying he had been given permission to use it. He was arrested for possession of stolen property on February 8, 2005.
Authorities found Masoller's van, which had disappeared with him, parked at Hernandez's apartment in Columbus, Ohio. They also discovered that Hernandez had pawned some of Masoller's work tools the same day he disappeared. Hernandez was convicted of the charges in June 2005 and sentenced to five years in prison. He has since been released and deported to his native El Salvador.
There is a second suspect in the theft, Jose Roberto Orellana Romero, also known as Beto. Romero worked on Masoller's contracting crew and was one of the last people to see him prior to his disappearance. Romero is wanted for questioning about Masoller's disappearance and the theft of his belongings. Both Hernandez and Romero are from El Salvador and were in the United States illegally in 2005.
Authorities did not learn Romero's true identity until August 2005; he was initially thought to be named Roberto Garcia. He is described as 18 to 25 years old, with straight black hair and a medium build. Romero remains at large. He was last known to be living in Columbus, Ohio, but he may have returned to El Salvador. Hernandez and Romero are the prime suspects in Masoller's presumed murder.
Police believe Masoller's body was wrapped in bedding and dumped somewhere within a 30-mile radius of Ocean City. However, there is insufficient evidence to charge anyone in the disappearance.
Masoller's family says it is uncharacteristic of him to be out of touch with them. He was declared legally dead in June 2005 and a death certificate was issued. Foul play is suspected in his case, but it remains unsolved.
Other information and links : ncy
Ocean City Police Department
410-723-6604
September 2021 updates and sources
Times Community Newspapers
The Maryland Coast Dispatch
WMDT -- Delmarva 47 News and Weather
WKYC-TV
ABC 7 News
The Daily Times
WBOC 16
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
