VA VA - Benjamin Andrew Lott, 43, Richmond, 26 Sep 2008

[ChatteringBirds]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)


Missing Person / NamUs #MP71114
Benjamin Andrew Lott
Male, Black / African American
Date of Last Contact: September 26, 2008
Missing From: Richmond, Virginia
Missing Age: 43 Years
Current Age: 56 Years
Height: 5' 10" (70 Inches)
Weight: 230 lbs
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown

Circumstances of Disappearance
Lott was last seen in Richmond, Virginia on September 26, 2008. He lived in the 6300 block of Elkhardt Lane, on the south side of the James River.

He spoke to his long-distance girlfriend on the day of his disappearance, which was the day after her birthday, and she says their conversation was happy and normal. They had made plans for her to come to Richmond from her home in New Jersey on September 30 for an extended stay at his house. He wished her a happy birthday and told her he would call her in about an hour, but he never did and has never been heard from again.

Shortly after his conversation with his girlfriend, Lott's black 2006 or 2007 Saturn Vue was found abandoned at a shopping center in the 4800 block of Commonwealth Center Parkway, five miles from his home; it was impounded and towed.

On September 30, his girlfriend traveled to Richmond to see him as planned. He was supposed to meet her at the train station. After waiting for several hours, calling three phone numbers for him and being unable to reach him, she went to his house to check on him. The house was locked and deserted, with all the burglar alarms set. Lott's cats were inside; they hadn't been fed in some time.

Lott grew up in New York City.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

This case wasn't entered into NamUs until 2020

I hope we can help with it.

More information from the Charley Project website:
Benjamin Andrew Lott – The Charley Project

Weight differs there:
150 - 165 pounds
Lott wears eyeglasses.

Also:
At the time of his disappearance, he had an important job for Wachovia bank. His girlfriend stated he was very concerned about home security; although they were close and had been together for years, she didn't have his house key or the codes for the security alarms.
He was divorced, but very close to his daughter from the prior marriage; she was a college senior at the time of his disappearance and lived with him when she wasn't at school. Lott enjoys hiking in the local area. He had an account on Livejournal, a blogging website, and wrote entries a few times a month; the last entry was on September 20.
His case remains unsolved and little evidence is available as to his fate.

Investigating Agency
Richmond Police Department 804-646-5125

 

[ChatteringBirds]

From 2021:

Daughter of missing Richmond man: 'I wake up hoping to be able to see him'

Benjamin Lott was 43 years old when he was last seen at his home at 6315 Elkhardt Lane on the city’s Southside. He was last seen on September 26, 2008, and reported missing six days later.

www.wtvr.com

He had requested a day off from work
and it was “out of character” for Lott not to show up for work...

K9 search and rescue and air and marina patrols then searched for him with no luck...

 

[Beccalicious]

Bumping

 

[JSolt1210]

So I'm just trying to work through the details and organize a timeline.

According to the article, he was last seen on September 26, 2008—which was a Friday that year—and was "reported missing six days later," i.e. Thursday, October 2. His car was found "a day after he was reported missing," Friday, October 3.

Which day did he request off from his bank? I think it's important because it can show intent. If it was that Friday, Sep 26, what was he doing that he needed a full day off from work? Especially when he was a model employee for whom it was out of character not to show up for work. Did he have some secret errand, and this is where he ran into trouble?

Then again, that same day he told his girlfriend he'd call her back in an hour. So whatever he needed to do, he thought it would be quick, so why request a full day off?

Obviously he wouldn't have requested off Sep 27 or 28 because this was the weekend, and I assume the bank was closed.

Requesting off Monday, Sep 29 makes sense for me, even for a model employee, because his girlfriend was visiting the next day, so maybe he wanted to have his house ready for that.

I doubt he requested off the 30th, the day she'd arrive, because I feel like it would've been stated this way in the articles. The reports make it seem like his request off is not connected to his girlfriend's arrival.

"His coworkers notified his family when he didn’t show up to work during his regularly scheduled shift." If he requested off Friday the 26th, then he wouldn't have shown up Monday the 29th, so this would be the day the coworkers notified the family. But if he requested off the 29th, then his coworkers wouldn't have expected him that day, so Tuesday the 30th would've been the day they notified the family.