Missing
Timothy Douglas Moreau
Moreau, approximately 1990
Date and time person was reported missing : 01/23/1990
Missing location (approx) :
Portland, Oregon
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Male
Ethnicity :
White
DOB : 05/03/1968 (53)
Age at the time of disappearance: 21 years old
Height / Weight : 6'0 - 6'2, 165 pounds
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian male. Red hair, blue eyes. Moreau's nickname is Tim.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Moreau was last seen in Portland, Oregon on January 23, 1990. He did promotional work for Larry Hurwitz, the owner of the Starry Night rock club, at the time of his disappearance. On the night of his disappearance, Moreau was summoned to meet with Hurwitz. He has never been heard from again.
His 1981 Datsun was later found at the long-term parking lot of the Portland International Airport, but there was no evidence he had taken a plane anywhere. When police searched Moreau's apartment, they found checkbooks, credit cards and cash left behind. He also left $230 in his bank account.
Moreau's parents believed Hurwitz was involved in their son's disappearance. In March 1990 they climbed the fire escape of the Starry Night and went inside to confront Hurwitz, but he simply denied having anything to do with his employee's disappearance and offered to let them attend a concert for free.
When questioned by authorities, Hurwitz said Moreau used illegal drugs and had gotten involved in a counterfeit ticket scam. He said Moreau had left of his accord when Hurwitz confronted him about the counterfeiting. Police declared Moreau's case a probable homicide a year after he went missing, and Hurwitz was named as a suspect in his case.
In 2000, Hurwitz pleaded no contest to killing Moreau. Evidence leading to the murder charges was uncovered in 1997, when Hurwitz came under investigation for tax evasion. George Castagnola, a former stAge at the time of disappearance: hand at the Starry Night, was charged with Moreau's murder in 1998; later that year, Hurwitz, who was incarcerated for tax evasion, was also charged.
Castagnola pleaded guilty to the killing and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He testified against Hurwitz. Castagnola said he had dug the grave in advance and had driven Moreau's car to the airport after Moreau was strangled with a garotte.
Investigators believe Hurwitz committed the murder to cover up his involvement in the counterfeit ticket scam. He pleaded no contest to aggravated murder and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but at sentencing he denied having killed Moreau. He agreed to help authorities find Moreau's body, which he said was wrapped in garbAge at the time of disappearance: bags and buried in a rural wooded area Skamania County on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge.
Several searches were conducted based on Hurwitz's statements and nothing was located, but prosecutors agreed he had made a good-faith effort to lead them to Moreau's remains. Moreau's family sued Hurwitz for wrongful death after he was sentenced, in part because he continued to deny responsibility for Moreau's death.
In December 2001, Hurwitz finally admitted he had killed Moreau and agreed to pay $3 million to his family. He was released from prison in 2008, after serving two-thirds of his sentence. Since his release, he has returned to the Portland area and has been arrested for driving under the influence and for drug charges. Castagnola has also been released from prison and has moved to Hawaii.
Moreau grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he was an Eagle Scout and graduated high school with a straight-A averAge at the time of disappearance: . He traveled to Oregon in 1986 to study philosophy at Reed College. He had an A-minus grade point averAge at the time of disappearance: , but in 1988 he took a leave of absence from school and pursued a career in music promotion. His loved ones stated he looked up to Hurwitz as a mentor.
Foul play is suspected in Moreau's case due to the circumstances involved.
Other information and links : ncy
Portland Police Department
503-823-0000
September 2021 updates and sources
The Doe Network
The Oregonian
The Slabtown Chronicle
The Portland Tribune
A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe.
By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends.
Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece.
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