Linda Iseler was at home doing chores when the phone rang. Her husband of 11 years, Richard Hoagland, wasn’t feeling well and informed her that he was going to the emergency room. Concerned, she asked him to wait so that she could accompany him. But he refused, saying he didn’t have the time.
That was the last conversation Iseler had with Hoagland. He went missing that day. She called the hospital, and they said he never came in. The police found his car outside the Indianapolis International Airport. He left behind a huge house, a great job, a loving wife, and two sons. No one knew where he had disappeared. When the police heard of it, they suspected Iseler to have played a role.
It was only after 23 years that the mystery of Hoagland was solved.
The Mystery of Hoagland’s Missing
The police and Iseler doubted Hoagland was alive after a few months of his disappearance. But in summer, Doug (6) and Mathew (9), their sons, received $50 each, along with a letter wishing them a happy birthday. The letter didn’t say anything about Hoagland’s location or the reason for his disappearance.
Doug’s letter read:
“Have a super birthday, Doug. You’re a super boy. Let your mom help you spend this money. You might want to put some away. Maybe sometime we will get to see each other. I bet I won’t even know you. It has been so long. Mind your mother. Bye, Dad.”
After this, the police deduced Hoagland was involved in drug trafficking or something dangerous. But Iseler couldn’t give them any information because she knew nothing. The investigation didn’t move forward, and after ten years, he was pronounced dead.
On the other hand, Iseler and the children were penniless after Hoagland left. They lost the house, the cars, and all other luxuries. Fortunately, Iseler’s mother offered to help.
Finding Hoagland
Iseler moved on and remarried after a few years. After 23 years, she got a call from the police. But this time, they didn’t have questions. They came with answers. They had found Richard Hoagland.
Hoagland had been living as Terry Symansky in Florida with his wife and their son. After he fled years ago, he rented a room from Terry’s father, and that was when he stole Terry’s death certificate. He then applied for a birth certificate, got a driving license, bought a house, and built a new life in Florida.
Hoagland was caught only because the real Terry’s family started looking into their family history. One of the youngsters in the family found his uncle Terry, who had died in 1991, was alive and married after his death.
The police were informed, and when they caught the imposter, Hoagland was found. Hoagland said he had family issues with his wife and children when asked why he disappeared.
But Mathew, Hoagland’s eldest son with Iseler, thought his father had caught up with the wrong people and got carried away. His father, to him, is a bad example of a human being.
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