Missing
Robert Lee Hourihan
Hourihan, approximately 2011; Hourihan's 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
Date and time person was reported missing : 04/08/2011
Missing location (approx) :
Palmyra, Virginia
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Male
Ethnicity :
White
Age at the time of disappearance: 33 years old
Height / Weight : 5'8 - 5'11, 215 - 250 pounds
Description, clothing, jewerly and more : A work uniform consisting of navy blue pants, a plain gray pocket t-shirt and boots.
Medical conditions : Hourihan suffers from a serious heart condition requiring daily medication. If he misses even one dose, he will have symptoms including cold sweats, vomiting and a severe headache. His condition will become life-threatening if he goes a week without his medicine. Hourihan left his medicine behind and has never refilled his prescription.
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian male. Blond/red hair, blue eyes. Hourihan has a beard. His nickname is Rob.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Hourihan was last seen in Palmyra, Virginia on April 8, 2011. On the day of his disappearance he put on his work uniform and left at 6:30 a.m. as if to go to work at his electrician job in Richmond, Virginia. He wasn't scheduled to work that day, something his wife was unaware of. He was driving his wife's car, a white 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier with a Winnie the Pooh sticker in the back window and a vanity license plate reading TARA MAE; a photo of it is posted with this case summary.
Instead of going to work, Hourihan drove northwest on Route 53. He had breakfast at the E.W. Thomas Grocery Store in Palmyra at 8:00 a.m.; he had previously worked at the business and was well-known there as a result. He was planning to meet a male friend, but never arrived for the meeting. When he had breakfast was the last time anyone saw him; he has never been heard from again.
On May 28, a fifty days after his disappearance, Hourihan's car was found parked on the edge of the parking lot of a Target store in La Plata, Maryland. This is 115 miles away from his home. Some of Hourihan's belongings, including his brown work shirt and his valuable electrician's tools, were still inside it and there was no evidence of a crime. Authorities tried to find security footAge at the time of disappearance: of when the car was parked in the lot, but by the time they'd learned where the car was, the footAge at the time of disappearance: had been recorded over.
Hourihan had been married for nearly thirteen years prior to his disappearance, and they had a six-year-old daughter together. His wife believes he was murdered, as she doesn't think he would have abandoned their daughter. She doesn't believe he was being unfaithful or was involved with drugs, and describes their relationship as a close and loving one. She stated they don't know anyone in Maryland and she doesn't know why Hourihan might have traveled there.
Investigators believe multiple people were involved in his disappearance, and that the perpetrator(s) were probably known to Hourihan. His case remains unsolved and foul play is suspected.
Other information and links : ncy
Fluvanna County Sheriff's Office
434-589-8211
September 2021 updates and sources
Virginia State Police
The Fluvanna Review
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
