WI WI - Robert Christian, 18, Madison, 16 Sept 1977

Richard

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Robert Louis Christian
Missing since September 16, 1977 from Madison, Wisconsin
Classification: Missing

Vital Statistics
Age at Time of Disappearance: 18 years old
Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Brown hair. Glasses.
Dentals: Available.

Circumstances of Disappearance

Robert Christian went missing during a trip from Madison to Baraboo on September 16, 1977. On September 16, 1977, he had dinner with his parents, at their Madison home. After eating, he tossed a change of clothes and his bow hunting gear into the back of the Hornet station wagon at about 5:30 p.m. and headed to the bank.

After picking up $25, he planned to drive to Baraboo and meet a friend, local resident Randy Griffith, for Saturday morning deer hunting in the Baraboo Bluffs. If they were not successful taking a deer, Robert planned to return to Madison that afternoon and attend a Wisconsin Badgers game.

He stopped at a nearby Walgreens and picked up a pack of small cigars. Robert probably drove to the Madison Beltline Highway, headed west to Highway 12 and took it north to the Baraboo area.

At about 9:30 p.m. Randy Griffith's mother, a longtime family friend, called to say Robert had not arrived in Baraboo. Robert's family began calling authorities in Dane, Sauk and Columbia counties to find out if Robert had been involved in a car wreck.

They also called the Madison police, who eventually took a report on the disappearance and conducted an investigation.

At about 8 p.m. the Friday of the disappearance, a Mauston woman visiting a nun near the Durward's Glen retreat site encountered a car in her friend's driveway that matched the description of the Hornet and had the same license plate. The young male driver of the car matched Robert's description and told the woman something like "I'm looking for my friend. I'm supposed to meet my friend." The young man said he must be at the wrong place and then drove away to the east, away from the relay tower.

Robert's vehicle was later recovered parked in a driveway near the State Patrol relay antenna on Tower Road southeast of the city. The wheels, tires and the battery was gone.

The Sheriff's Department followed up on a tip and found four old tires and the hubcaps from the Hornet in a quarry just south of the Badger Army Ammunition Plant and north of Prairie du Sac. Apparently, somebody had switched the tires from the new car for worn-out tires on their vehicle and then dumped the hubcaps. It is unknown if the stripping of the car and Robert's disappearance are connected, or if somebody found the Hornet after he disappeared and took what they could.

The Sheriff's Department brought in a bloodhound that followed Robert's trail a short distance from where he car was found, then lost the scent at Tower Road.

They also used a National Guard helicopter to search open fields in the area.

Information about Robert has been entered into the National Database of Missing Persons, and his dental records have been placed in the National Database for Human Identification.

At the time of disappearance Robert was a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was excited to begin studies leading to a degree in computer programing. He is described as a very relieable and honest person.

Investigators

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

Sauk County Sheriff's Department 608-356-4808 800-377-1195

Source Information:
Baraboo News Republic
The Doe Network: Case File 3569DMWI

LINK:

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/3569dmwi.html
 
Bump

This month marks 33 years that Robert has been missing. Come home soon.

Robert is not listed in NamUs at this time.

No archived articles at this time.
 

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Does anyone have info on his hunting buddy? What info did he provide; was he a person of interest? Had they entered in to some enterprise that went awry? Where and what is that friend doing today? My gut tells me these two young men were up to more than hunting, and something went wrong.
 
Bump

This month marks 33 years that Robert has been missing. Come home soon.

Robert is not listed in NamUs at this time.

No archived articles at this time.

Did the person who saw him in the driveway looking for his friend say that he seemed disorientated?

What is the topography like around the area where his car was found - dense forest, prairie, i.e. could he have been lost out there?

Mani
Australia
 
Let me see if the person who asked for Bob to be featured is able to come and answer some of these questions. I was wondering why the hunting buddy is named on the Doe Network also. But then, his mom did mention that he was missing so....? Very curious.
 
I am very curious to find out how Robert sounded when the woman spotted him in her friends' driveway. Is it possible he had some kind of an episode and became disoriented? Was he very familiar with the area he was in and the area he was supposed to be traveling to to meet Randy? If so, it would seem very strange that he suddenly lost his way. Did he have any kind of history of mental illness, even something minor?

I don't believe this was mentioned, but was his hunting bow and any other gear he had brought also still in the Hornet when it was found? I see where it specifies the car was stripped of tires and the battery, but I don't think anything was included about Robert's belongings.
 
This is Robert's NamUs page -- https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/9586/65

I had thought about this overnight, because yesterday, I noticed an UID from Orange County who looks a lot like Robert Christian, but 10 years have passed between when he went missing and the UID was found in Fullerton, CA. I am also not sure if the circumstances are compatible with each other. Both wear glasses and have the same hair color, but that is really not much to go on.
8705618f.gif

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Sheriff-Coroner%20-%20Sandra%20Hutchens/Commands%20and%20Divisions/Professional%20Services%20Command/Coroner/Unidentified%20Dead/John%20DOES/87-05618-MA
https://identifyus.org/en/cases/7662
 
I would also like to know his demeanor before he left. Something tells me that bow was taken for protection vs hunting. They were in over their heads is my guess.
 
Interesting case!

Here is Charley Project's Report:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/christian_robert.html

I have a bad feeling that sometime between the time the witness saw who could have been Robert and the time his car was found, that he somehow met up with foul-play. The later condition of the car with no sign of Robert. I think something terrible happened. I think Robert may have even started out to go hunting and than something terrible happened. It would be interesting to hear from Robert's family and his friend Randy as to what they make of this.

Satch
 
Interesting case!

Here is Charley Project's Report:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/christian_robert.html

I have a bad feeling that sometime between the time the witness saw who could have been Robert and the time his car was found, that he somehow met up with foul-play. The later condition of the car with no sign of Robert. I think something terrible happened. I think Robert may have even started out to go hunting and than something terrible happened. It would be interesting to hear from Robert's family and his friend Randy as to what they make of this.

Satch
e?

After reading the charleyproject case report, I would have to strongly agree that he met with foul play. The fact they stripped his car, and the fact it was found the *very* next day is especially peculiar. Did I understand that his hunting buddy is registered as missing as well? I'm confused...anyone know the story there? The hunting buddy could obviously be a wealth of information. Are his parents still living?
 
Hi everyone,
thanks for all of the insight on Bob's case. He was my next door neighbor and I think of him often. I don't know much more than what is already listed, but will try to answer questions.

I did not know that the hunting buddy was also missing. I had always heard that he was meeting his cousin to go hunting. Maybe Randy is his cousin? Or, maybe they were close and just referred to themselves as cousins.

I remember hearing that the $25 Bob withdrew from his bank account and his bank book were both found in the glove compartment.

The area that he was going to has a lot of woods and bluffs and is near Devil's Lake State Park. I heard at the time of his disappearance that there had been a problem up there with people growing marijuana on or near the State park. Maybe he saw something he should'nt have seen, or was involved.

His mother passed away a few years ago. As far as I know, his father, brother and sister are still living. He had another sister, Cathy, who was murdered approximately 5 years after his disappearance. She associated with a motorcycle gang and was a police informant. She was hit over the head and left to die in a building they set on fire.

Thanks for looking at Bob's case and making suggestions. Maybe I should see if I can get ahold of the police reports to see if there is anything else we don't know.

Thanks!
 
Kimster, Can you please post a link to Randy Griffith's missing page? I'm new to this and cannot find it. thanks!
 
Kimster, Can you please post a link to Randy Griffith's missing page? I'm new to this and cannot find it. thanks!

Thanks for the new information, Buster. Maybe it will bring some closure. I also did not know that Randy had disappeared. Was this at the same time as Bob? Yes, if anyone has a link for Randy, WS' should make a thread for him too. Thanks WS for featuring Bob's case!

Satch
 
Hi everyone,
thanks for all of the insight on Bob's case. He was my next door neighbor and I think of him often. I don't know much more than what is already listed, but will try to answer questions.

I did not know that the hunting buddy was also missing. I had always heard that he was meeting his cousin to go hunting. Maybe Randy is his cousin? Or, maybe they were close and just referred to themselves as cousins.

I remember hearing that the $25 Bob withdrew from his bank account and his bank book were both found in the glove compartment.

The area that he was going to has a lot of woods and bluffs and is near Devil's Lake State Park. I heard at the time of his disappearance that there had been a problem up there with people growing marijuana on or near the State park. Maybe he saw something he should'nt have seen, or was involved.

His mother passed away a few years ago. As far as I know, his father, brother and sister are still living. He had another sister, Cathy, who was murdered approximately 5 years after his disappearance. She associated with a motorcycle gang and was a police informant. She was hit over the head and left to die in a building they set on fire.

Thanks for looking at Bob's case and making suggestions. Maybe I should see if I can get ahold of the police reports to see if there is anything else we don't know.
Thanks!
Was the sister hanging out with the motorcycle gang at the time of the dissapearance? There could be a connection there.
 
So we need some more info on Randy. It's sounding more and more like he is the center of this case and his innocent friend (bob), got caught in the middle. Remember that bob was in a strange driveway looking for his friend....a friend who was in trouble apparently. We need background info on randy griffith. Bob,s neighbor.....what do you remember about randy?
 
Are there other friends of Robert from that time, who may know something, but were afraid to say something back then? Also, did he ever pick up hitch hikers?
 

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