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

I wonder if he was going to meet someone before his final destination (Randy's home). He may not have shared that info with his family.
 
Maybe he stopped to help a disabled motorist and that person was bad?

Maybe his plate number should be publicized. Someone could have seen it on a wall or in someone's garage.

I'm just throwing out possibilities . . .
 
This is a sad story. Bob looks like a clean cut college freshman in his photo and it would have been heartbreaking for his Mum, Dad and whole family to not know what happened to him.

I mean people don't disappear into thin air. Someone knows something about this young man. IMO

I am interested if his friend Randy went missing too. The stealing of the tyres and battery feels to me like it could have been a random act, if the car was sitting there for too long unattended - as it is interesting that the thief/thieves didn't break in and rifle through the glove box or steal the hunting bow.

I have had a look on google maps satellite and Durward's Glen Road seems a way off from Baraboo.
What is the reference to Durward's Glen retreat site and the nun? Is there a retreat for nuns along that road? Where exactly did the lady see Bob and was it on Durward's Glen Road?

Even so it looks like farm land and some forest/bushland around those parts, with some national parks and large bodies of water.

I wonder how big the area was that they searched?
 
This is from the charleyproject website on Robert:

"After Christian's disappearance was reported, a witness came forward and said she had seen him and his car at a retreat in Durward's Glen. Christian told the witness he was looking for his friend, then said he must be looking in the wrong place. He then drove away eastward."


Saying that you are looking for a friend is a common excuse to say when you are in a place you know you shouldn't be. I ran into 2 situations where someone answered in that way. Both situations were people trying to commit a burglary. Now, I'm not saying Robert was going to burglarize, but he could have been fibbing to the woman about his reason for being in the driveway.
 
It is odd someone threw the old tires and rims in the gravel pit. Why not just leave them with the car? It suggests the person who took Robert's tires and rims lived in the area, because they knew of the gravel pit and were in the area to be able to spot Robert's car. I wonder if the police checked out Hornets registered to people in that area. Also, someone must have noticed an older Hornet suddenly equipped with new tires and rims. Seems weird no one came forward on it, such as a neighbor, girlfriend, etc. of the person who took them. There must have been some media coverage of Robert's disappearance at the time.
 
Maybe he stopped to help a disabled motorist and that person was bad?

Maybe his plate number should be publicized. Someone could have seen it on a wall or in someone's garage.

I'm just throwing out possibilities . . .

Good idea
 
His poor family!

I searched for Randy Griffith as well as Randall Griffith on the doenetwork but only Robert's case appears.

The same thing occurs when I googled it.

Where did ya'll see that Randy was missing? To me, that came way out of left field!

If Randy did disappear...depending upon the length of time between the two...the cases should be looked at together.

Anyhow in regards to Robert....
Landmarks that have been noted:
Madison: where he was last seen with his family
Baraboo: City/town he traveled to that night in order to meet his friend Randy, whose family obviously lived there.

Baraboo Bluffs: large forest area where Robert and Randy planned to hunt the following morning.

Likely route taken by Robert to meet Randy:
Madison Beltline Highway, headed west to Highway 12 and took it north to the Baraboo area.

Durward's Glen retreat site: location where a lady 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.

From Durward's Glen Retreat - going east away from the tower-- the direction she saw him drive to

State Patrol relay antenna on Tower Road southeast of the city: location where Robert's car was found WITH THE $25 in the glovebox

just south of the Badger Army Ammunition Plant and north of Prairie du Sac: Location of where the old tires were discovered

Sorry I am a visual person and I had to clarify each location.

Questions on my mind:
Where exactly was Randy's home?
How far away is it from Durwards Glen Road?

Also, I would be very interested to know if they collected any fingerprints from the car (sans tires etc), items in the car or on the old tires.

And if they did collect this evidence, do they still have it?

I mean, what happened to the car? I know that if it were my car and that it could hold the keys to finding a missing family member of mine...I'd keep that sucker for life.

falling asleep will re-post tomorrow if I re-read and it doesnt make sense
 
I think it's safe to say that the post regarding Randy missing was a mistake. Doing a search, I found a Randy Griffith in Baraboo who was born in 1957. Not sure if this is the same guy, but the age would be about right (2 yrs older than Bob).

Since Bob knew the area well (family from there and had been there often), it does seem like either he was disoriented or perhaps he was supposed to meet an unknown person at a new location (as others have posted).

My recollection from the time is that he was going to stop by and check his tree stand and then go pick up his "cousin". As I think about it now, it seems odd that he would stop at the tree stand first. Why not just get his friend? Unless, he was dropping off stuff and they were going to hunt in the morning.

Someone asked if his sister who was murdered was involved with the motorcycle gang when Bob disappeared. I don't know, but she would have been 16 yrs old at that time, so I doubt it.

I haven't been in contact with any of his family for a long time. I did find his sister on facebook, though. I'm trying to decide if I should contact her about this. I don't want to upset her if she doesn't want to delve back into this.

Thanks everyone!
 
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?

I never met Randy. Bob and I lived in Madison. Randy lived in Baraboo, which is approx 30 minutes away.
 
His poor family!

I searched for Randy Griffith as well as Randall Griffith on the doenetwork but only Robert's case appears.

The same thing occurs when I googled it.

Where did ya'll see that Randy was missing? To me, that came way out of left field!

If Randy did disappear...depending upon the length of time between the two...the cases should be looked at together.

Anyhow in regards to Robert....
Landmarks that have been noted:
Madison: where he was last seen with his family
Baraboo: City/town he traveled to that night in order to meet his friend Randy, whose family obviously lived there.

Baraboo Bluffs: large forest area where Robert and Randy planned to hunt the following morning.

Likely route taken by Robert to meet Randy:
Madison Beltline Highway, headed west to Highway 12 and took it north to the Baraboo area.

Durward's Glen retreat site: location where a lady 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.

From Durward's Glen Retreat - going east away from the tower-- the direction she saw him drive to

State Patrol relay antenna on Tower Road southeast of the city: location where Robert's car was found WITH THE $25 in the glovebox

just south of the Badger Army Ammunition Plant and north of Prairie du Sac: Location of where the old tires were discovered

Sorry I am a visual person and I had to clarify each location.

Questions on my mind:
Where exactly was Randy's home?
How far away is it from Durwards Glen Road?

Also, I would be very interested to know if they collected any fingerprints from the car (sans tires etc), items in the car or on the old tires.

And if they did collect this evidence, do they still have it?

I mean, what happened to the car? I know that if it were my car and that it could hold the keys to finding a missing family member of mine...I'd keep that sucker for life.

falling asleep will re-post tomorrow if I re-read and it doesnt make sense

Good post. I also would like to know if they found the keys to the car and if his other personal items (clothes, hunting gear, etc.) were found in the car.
 
His poor family!

I searched for Randy Griffith as well as Randall Griffith on the doenetwork but only Robert's case appears.

The same thing occurs when I googled it.

Where did ya'll see that Randy was missing? To me, that came way out of left field!

If Randy did disappear...depending upon the length of time between the two...the cases should be looked at together.

Anyhow in regards to Robert....
Landmarks that have been noted:
Madison: where he was last seen with his family
Baraboo: City/town he traveled to that night in order to meet his friend Randy, whose family obviously lived there.

Baraboo Bluffs: large forest area where Robert and Randy planned to hunt the following morning.

Likely route taken by Robert to meet Randy:
Madison Beltline Highway, headed west to Highway 12 and took it north to the Baraboo area.

Durward's Glen retreat site: location where a lady 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.

From Durward's Glen Retreat - going east away from the tower-- the direction she saw him drive to

State Patrol relay antenna on Tower Road southeast of the city: location where Robert's car was found WITH THE $25 in the glovebox

just south of the Badger Army Ammunition Plant and north of Prairie du Sac: Location of where the old tires were discovered

Sorry I am a visual person and I had to clarify each location.

Questions on my mind:
Where exactly was Randy's home?
How far away is it from Durwards Glen Road?

Also, I would be very interested to know if they collected any fingerprints from the car (sans tires etc), items in the car or on the old tires.

And if they did collect this evidence, do they still have it?

I mean, what happened to the car? I know that if it were my car and that it could hold the keys to finding a missing family member of mine...I'd keep that sucker for life.

falling asleep will re-post tomorrow if I re-read and it doesnt make sense

Thanks for the map points!

My question is what rivers, lakes, or other hazards would there be in that area? Could it be that Bob picked up a stranded motorist, met at a bar, someone hitchhiking, etc, and he fell into an irreversible bad situation?

Can we infer that Randy is not missing, assuming the early information about Randy missing was a mistake, and if he is not missing, was he considered a person of interest in the investigation? Was Bob's care searched for evidence and what was found? I don't think they did DNA testing back in 1977, but if they did, or if LE could have some evidence that could be DNA tested, it may help bring some closure as to what happened to Bob.

Satch
 
my question is did the witness def id the man she saw in the car talking to her as being robert? it could have been anyone in the car and he could have said anything to her and she would believe him
 
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.

According to an article I read online, Former Sauk County Sheriff Virgil Steinhorst was chief deputy when Robert disappeared. He has given interviews and said the department spend several weeks conducting searches of the bluffs area and following up tips as to where he might have gone.

A few additional questions have been raised here on this thread. Do you think the person who requested highlighting this case would be willing to contact the sheriff and see if he can provide additional info?

here's the link:
http://justicebeserved.wordpress.com/2010/02/27/robert-louis-christian/

Also:
Sauk County Sheriff’s Department
608-356-4808
800-377-1195
 
According to an article I read online, Former Sauk County Sheriff Virgil Steinhorst was chief deputy when Robert disappeared. He has given interviews and said the department spend several weeks conducting searches of the bluffs area and following up tips as to where he might have gone.

A few additional questions have been raised here on this thread. Do you think the person who requested highlighting this case would be willing to contact the sheriff and see if he can provide additional info?

here's the link:
http://justicebeserved.wordpress.com/2010/02/27/robert-louis-christian/

Also:
Sauk County Sheriff’s Department
608-356-4808
800-377-1195

I think it is a great idea to contact the sheriff. I hope you guys don't mind me looking in on this case. I am from Brisbane. However, as you know, Bob's picture was put up on the WS homepage and his face/name look familiar to me. He looks like a decent bloke and I know you can't tell someone by a photo but he doesn't sound (from all accounts) like a guy who was into crime and he had a lot going for him, with college to look forward to.

I find it amazing that the area he went missing in has a lot of farms,so that land would be being used down through the years and you would think if he had been left on someone's property, a farmer might have come across him.

So my guess is that if he has met with foul play, his body could have been disposed of in the national park areas. IMO
 
Lots of great points being made.
I think he was sincere when he said he was looking for his friend. I think he was going to find/help his friend randy who had gotten in some sort of trouble, but apparently ended up with the same fate as randy? Randy is the key to this case. We need go get as much info on him as possible.
I agree the Perps were locals.
I suspect the bodies have been resting in a cave or well or some place like that. The quarry is interesting too. Did either of them have ties to anyone who eS affiliated with that quarry?
And yes, I agree, bob looked like a great guy.
 
I think it's safe to say that the post regarding Randy missing was a mistake. Doing a search, I found a Randy Griffith in Baraboo who was born in 1957. Not sure if this is the same guy, but the age would be about right (2 yrs older than Bob).

Since Bob knew the area well (family from there and had been there often), it does seem like either he was disoriented or perhaps he was supposed to meet an unknown person at a new location (as others have posted).

My recollection from the time is that he was going to stop by and check his tree stand and then go pick up his "cousin". As I think about it now, it seems odd that he would stop at the tree stand first. Why not just get his friend? Unless, he was dropping off stuff and they were going to hunt in the morning.

Someone asked if his sister who was murdered was involved with the motorcycle gang when Bob disappeared. I don't know, but she would have been 16 yrs old at that time, so I doubt it.

I haven't been in contact with any of his family for a long time. I did find his sister on facebook, though. I'm trying to decide if I should contact her about this. I don't want to upset her if she doesn't want to delve back into this.

Thanks everyone!

Buster, I know it could appear that you are bringing something up that could have the potential to upset his sister, but also sometimes, it has the opposite effect. After a long period of time such as this, Bob's sister might have come to terms with the pain of the loss of her brother. She might be able to converse with you about it and even find it cathartic to talk to someone who knew Bob about it. Just a thought.

It is a leap of faith to contact her and it could have either negative or positive reactions. MOO

Cheers
Mani
 
The other thing I have wondered about is whether any other young men of Bob's age had gone missing around the same area in that same year?

Back in 1977 in that area of Wisconsin, was it unusual for people to go missing?
How did the locals feel about it?
Did any of the locals search with the local LE?
 
The other thing I have wondered about is whether any other young men of Bob's age had gone missing around the same area in that same year?

Back in 1977 in that area of Wisconsin, was it unusual for people to go missing?
How did the locals feel about it?
Did any of the locals search with the local LE?

EXCELLENT POINT!!!
will look into
 
I have sent a message to his sister on facebook (approx 24 hrs ago), but have not heard anything back yet.

Regarding Randy, I may be wrong, but I don't think Randy was with Bob when Bob disappeared. I thought that Randy was at his parent's house waiting for Bob to show up.
 
I have sent a message to his sister on facebook (approx 24 hrs ago), but have not heard anything back yet.

Regarding Randy, I may be wrong, but I don't think Randy was with Bob when Bob disappeared. I thought that Randy was at his parent's house waiting for Bob to show up.


That makes sense. Did Randy possibly go missing at a later date? Is that what the member here meant?
Good on you for trusting your intuition regarding contacting his sister and thank you.
I hope she is in contact with you soon and doesn't mind talking about it with you.
 

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