Allow me to interject that Douthat was due in court to testify a few days after he was last seen (Oct 25th 2013) in regards to a HOME INVASION he & his wife/gf at the time (Shayna) were victim of. The accused parties of this court date ... where were they and can their alibis be proven beyond a doubt??? I believe justice is close for the Douthat family- & there are people (other than police) that are working to bring things to light!
VA VA - Christopher Douthat, 24, Rocky Mount, 25 Oct 2013
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****JOHN M. SMARZ is currently in Nottoway Correctional & Work Center due to another probation violation. He will not be released until 2025/2026. His brother Derik Smarz is free and has been since the b/e charges back in 2013. THERE IS ANOTHER MALE THAT IS BELIEVED TO BE : Brian Dawson (fb profile of him straddling a blue motorcycle & giving 2 middle fingers to the camera) of Rocky Mt, VA (who is believed to have been the person that was really w/ Derik for the home invasion; even tho John S. pled guilty).
Neither Smarz's nor Dawson have been cooperative with investigation & if anything they have maintained no connection with Douthats' suspicious disappearance (**being just before the Home Invasion court hearing that Douthat was scheduled to testify at**).
Speculation aside- if you have the time .. go check out Brain Dawson's fb profile .. here there are unsettling posts and comments that give more on his personality and attitude towards confidential informants as well as an ominous "too bad he didn't kill you, then you couldn't of testified on him" comment from 2018. ****
mlhenn
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Family offers reward for information for Franklin County man missing since 2013
The family of Christopher Douthat is now offering a reward for information that leads investigators to Christopher.
The family of Christopher Douthat is now offering a reward for information that leads investigators to Christopher.
I read through the posts and didn't see where anyone had posted these articles/updates. Sorry if I missed anything.
https://www.wfxrtv.com/news/local-news/without-a-trace-the-disappearance-of-christopher-douthat/
October 25, 2018, marks five years since Christopher Douthat disappeared from Roanoke, Virginia.
“I love you to pieces and I wish you could come home,” Mary Douthat said.
Mary is Christopher’s mother and has never given up hope her oldest son would come home.
The Vinton Police Department initially had the case, until they handed it over to Virginia State Police.
Special Agent Douglas Hubert is now the lead investigator working the case, giving Mary a renewed sense of hope that someone will find her son.
“From talking to him I can tell he is working very very hard to get this case solved and he is not going to give up,” Douthat said.
The last day she saw her son was on the same day he went missing. It’s a day forever ingrained in her mind.
According to Mary, it started out as a seemingly normal day.
“He was staying with me at the time,” said Douthat.
“I had taken him to work that morning and on the way to work we were talking, laughing and singing to the radio.”
Christopher Douthat had just ended things with the mother of his children. Mary Douthat says he had been staying with her for about three or four nights.
On the day he went missing, she had driven him to work.
“I said ‘I love you, son’ and he said ‘I love you too, Mom and I will see you later,'” said Douthat.
Special Agent Hubert released an updated timeline of Christopher Douthat’s whereabouts the day he went missing.
The timeline is below:
He was set to meet a friend at the Food Lion on Bennington Street in Southeast Roanoke.
“He stated to her to hang on,” Special Agent Hubert said. He goes on to say, “It was something along the lines of hang on, there’s somebody I know and he hung up the phone.”
That’s the last time anyone heard from Christopher Douthat.
The woman he was set to meet got to Food Lion a little after 5:00 P.M.
She searched the area frantically. Records show she called and texted Christopher Douthat repeatedly. His phone was untraceable and he was suddenly unreachable.
“At the time he was using a flip phone or a slider type phone, not a smartphone that people are used to today,” Special Agent Hubert said.
“The phone doesn’t necessarily have a constant GPS running and normally is only looking for the phone’s location when the phone is in actual use.”
Special Agent Hubert shared with me an updated description of what Christopher Douthat was wearing on the day he went missing (October 25, 2013). He said he had on a dark gray hooded sweatshirt with a Snap-On Tools logo on the front of it and jeans. He also had a tribal tattoo on his arm.
The Monday after Christopher Douthat went missing he was the key witness in an assault case. He was also set to go to court for a custody hearing.
Special Agent Hubert got the case in January of 2018. Since then, he said he’s interviewed more than 40 people in the case. He also said he has an understanding of the who, what and why in the case.
“We’ve done some search warrants at this particular point. We’ve done some cellphone tracking. We’ve been into social media accounts and done some recreations and just a large number of interviews,” Special Agent Hubert Said.
It’s very solvable. It’s a case that’s going to have an outcome.”
If you have any information about the disappearance of Christopher Douthat please contact Virginia State Police at 1-540-375-9589, and ask for Special Agent Douglas Hubert.
https://www.wfxrtv.com/news/local-news/without-a-trace-the-disappearance-of-christopher-douthat/
October 25, 2018, marks five years since Christopher Douthat disappeared from Roanoke, Virginia.
“I love you to pieces and I wish you could come home,” Mary Douthat said.
Mary is Christopher’s mother and has never given up hope her oldest son would come home.
The Vinton Police Department initially had the case, until they handed it over to Virginia State Police.
Special Agent Douglas Hubert is now the lead investigator working the case, giving Mary a renewed sense of hope that someone will find her son.
“From talking to him I can tell he is working very very hard to get this case solved and he is not going to give up,” Douthat said.
The last day she saw her son was on the same day he went missing. It’s a day forever ingrained in her mind.
According to Mary, it started out as a seemingly normal day.
“He was staying with me at the time,” said Douthat.
“I had taken him to work that morning and on the way to work we were talking, laughing and singing to the radio.”
Christopher Douthat had just ended things with the mother of his children. Mary Douthat says he had been staying with her for about three or four nights.
On the day he went missing, she had driven him to work.
“I said ‘I love you, son’ and he said ‘I love you too, Mom and I will see you later,'” said Douthat.
Special Agent Hubert released an updated timeline of Christopher Douthat’s whereabouts the day he went missing.
The timeline is below:
- Arrived at Vinton Roofing for work between 6:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.
- Went to a work site at Ashley Plantation in Botetourt County
- Had lunch at the work site 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Got off work around 1:30 p.m.
- Picked up his paycheck from Vinton Roofing
- Got a ride with a co-worker and the co-worker’s family member
- Cashed his check at Kroger in Vinton at 3:19 p.m.
- Got dropped off in the area of Chaps Tavern around 3:30 p.m.
- He made a call at 4:12 p.m.
- He made another call at 4:14 p.m.
- He got a call from a woman he was supposed to meet at 4:22 p.m.
- He called the woman he was supposed to meet at 4:25 p.m.
- During that phone call, he described his location as the intersection of Garden City Boulevard and Riverland
He was set to meet a friend at the Food Lion on Bennington Street in Southeast Roanoke.
“He stated to her to hang on,” Special Agent Hubert said. He goes on to say, “It was something along the lines of hang on, there’s somebody I know and he hung up the phone.”
That’s the last time anyone heard from Christopher Douthat.
The woman he was set to meet got to Food Lion a little after 5:00 P.M.
She searched the area frantically. Records show she called and texted Christopher Douthat repeatedly. His phone was untraceable and he was suddenly unreachable.
“At the time he was using a flip phone or a slider type phone, not a smartphone that people are used to today,” Special Agent Hubert said.
“The phone doesn’t necessarily have a constant GPS running and normally is only looking for the phone’s location when the phone is in actual use.”
Special Agent Hubert shared with me an updated description of what Christopher Douthat was wearing on the day he went missing (October 25, 2013). He said he had on a dark gray hooded sweatshirt with a Snap-On Tools logo on the front of it and jeans. He also had a tribal tattoo on his arm.
The Monday after Christopher Douthat went missing he was the key witness in an assault case. He was also set to go to court for a custody hearing.
Special Agent Hubert got the case in January of 2018. Since then, he said he’s interviewed more than 40 people in the case. He also said he has an understanding of the who, what and why in the case.
“We’ve done some search warrants at this particular point. We’ve done some cellphone tracking. We’ve been into social media accounts and done some recreations and just a large number of interviews,” Special Agent Hubert Said.
It’s very solvable. It’s a case that’s going to have an outcome.”
If you have any information about the disappearance of Christopher Douthat please contact Virginia State Police at 1-540-375-9589, and ask for Special Agent Douglas Hubert.
This article has a screenshot of a surveillance video.
Open Case Virginia: Search for Christopher Douthat speeds up
From the article: (Oct. 24, 2019)
“We have a pool of persons of interest in this case," Hubert said. "And we’ve spent a lot of time putting their locations, to show that they’re in the path of Christopher Douthat. People don’t go missing from strangers very rarely. IT’s not a TV show or anything like that. At this point, we’re working this case pretty significantly and we’re working it as a homicide and we’re working it rapidly but methodically.”
He says the investigation has led them into Roanoke County, the city and into Franklin County. Social media posts, cell phone records and tips from the public have provided viable leads. Hubert is closer to closing this open case than he was when we spoke last year, but cautions that progress isn't made overnight.
“The next step is to continue as we’re going now," Hubert said. "These persons of interest, we’re moving in on them and that may mean other charges from other crimes to get to where we need to be.”
Open Case Virginia: Search for Christopher Douthat speeds up
From the article: (Oct. 24, 2019)
“We have a pool of persons of interest in this case," Hubert said. "And we’ve spent a lot of time putting their locations, to show that they’re in the path of Christopher Douthat. People don’t go missing from strangers very rarely. IT’s not a TV show or anything like that. At this point, we’re working this case pretty significantly and we’re working it as a homicide and we’re working it rapidly but methodically.”
He says the investigation has led them into Roanoke County, the city and into Franklin County. Social media posts, cell phone records and tips from the public have provided viable leads. Hubert is closer to closing this open case than he was when we spoke last year, but cautions that progress isn't made overnight.
“The next step is to continue as we’re going now," Hubert said. "These persons of interest, we’re moving in on them and that may mean other charges from other crimes to get to where we need to be.”
PommyMommy
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OCT 25, 2020
Family seeks answers for man missing since 2013 | WFXRtv
October 25th, 2020 marks seven years since Christopher Douthat was last seen.
“I’m angry that whatever has happened, and whoever is responsible for the disappearance of my son has not come forward,” said Christopher’s mother, Mary Douthat.
[...]
“I want the closure, I want to be able to bring him home and give him a proper burial where he can at least be at peace, and maybe it will bring some peace and comfort to me. Because it’s very hard as a mom when you can’t say your final goodbye to your child,” said Mrs. Douthat.
[...]
As they light a candle and reminisce, they have one message for Christopher if he’s listening.
“Please at least call me and let me know that you’re OK,” said Mary. “Bro I miss you, buddy, I wanna see you. I wanna see you safe and at home,” said Michael.
Anyone with any information to call Virginia State Police. If you have any tips or leads, you are asked to contact Special Agent Douglas Hubert with the Virginia State Police at 540-375-9589.
Family seeks answers for man missing since 2013 | WFXRtv
October 25th, 2020 marks seven years since Christopher Douthat was last seen.
“I’m angry that whatever has happened, and whoever is responsible for the disappearance of my son has not come forward,” said Christopher’s mother, Mary Douthat.
[...]
“I want the closure, I want to be able to bring him home and give him a proper burial where he can at least be at peace, and maybe it will bring some peace and comfort to me. Because it’s very hard as a mom when you can’t say your final goodbye to your child,” said Mrs. Douthat.
[...]
As they light a candle and reminisce, they have one message for Christopher if he’s listening.
“Please at least call me and let me know that you’re OK,” said Mary. “Bro I miss you, buddy, I wanna see you. I wanna see you safe and at home,” said Michael.
Anyone with any information to call Virginia State Police. If you have any tips or leads, you are asked to contact Special Agent Douglas Hubert with the Virginia State Police at 540-375-9589.
PommyMommy
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Oct 30, 2020 Updated Dec 6, 2020
Franklin County family still searching for answers after 7 years | Latest Headlines | thefranklinnewspost.com
[...]
... Sunday marked the seventh anniversary of his disappearance, and Douthat is holding out hope that her son will be found.
[...]
Virginia State Police has been investigating Christopher Douthat’s disappearance since taking over the case in January 2018 from the Vinton Police Department, where the missing persons report was initially filed.
[...]
Douthat was then supposed to walk to Food Lion on Bennington Street, about 2 miles away, to meet a friend who would take him home, but he never met up with that person, state police said.
Cellphone data indicate that Douthat — if he was the one in possession of his phone at the time — was in the area of Ninth Street, likely heading toward the bridge to cross the Roanoke River, when all contact was lost about 5 p.m.
MD said her son had been staying with her because he and the mother of his child, who were living nearby at the time, were having problems. The woman had taken out a protective order against him, and the two were scheduled to appear in court three days after he disappeared.
Earlier that year in February, two brothers broke into the home where Douthat and the woman were living. Douthat had already testified against one of the brothers, although the trial for the other brother hadn’t happened by the time he disappeared.
[...]
Franklin County family still searching for answers after 7 years | Latest Headlines | thefranklinnewspost.com
[...]
... Sunday marked the seventh anniversary of his disappearance, and Douthat is holding out hope that her son will be found.
[...]
Virginia State Police has been investigating Christopher Douthat’s disappearance since taking over the case in January 2018 from the Vinton Police Department, where the missing persons report was initially filed.
[...]
Douthat was then supposed to walk to Food Lion on Bennington Street, about 2 miles away, to meet a friend who would take him home, but he never met up with that person, state police said.
Cellphone data indicate that Douthat — if he was the one in possession of his phone at the time — was in the area of Ninth Street, likely heading toward the bridge to cross the Roanoke River, when all contact was lost about 5 p.m.
MD said her son had been staying with her because he and the mother of his child, who were living nearby at the time, were having problems. The woman had taken out a protective order against him, and the two were scheduled to appear in court three days after he disappeared.
Earlier that year in February, two brothers broke into the home where Douthat and the woman were living. Douthat had already testified against one of the brothers, although the trial for the other brother hadn’t happened by the time he disappeared.
[...]
TootsieFootsie
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Vinton family doesn’t lose hope for son who’s been missing for nearly 8 years
VINTON, Va, – October 25th marks 8 years since a Vinton man vanished seemingly without a trace. All these years later, his family continues to advocate on his behalf but now is doing so for other families of missing persons as well.
VINTON, Va, – October 25th marks 8 years since a Vinton man vanished seemingly without a trace. All these years later, his family continues to advocate on his behalf but now is doing so for other families of missing persons as well.
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PommyMommy
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NOV 10, 2021
Eight years later, family of missing man continues to search for answers
“We were singing songs to the radio, we were smiling, we were talking and we were laughing. Just an ordinary morning.”
Besides saying she loved him, those were the last memories that MD had with her son, Christopher, before he went missing on October 25, 2013.
[...]
The Douthat’s remain focused on finding the answers and believe there are people in the community who can help. They encourage anyone with information to come forward and help them find closure.
[...]
Anyone with information on Christopher’s disappearance are encouraged to contact Virginia State Police Special Agent Douglas Hubert at (540)-375-9589.
Eight years later, family of missing man continues to search for answers
“We were singing songs to the radio, we were smiling, we were talking and we were laughing. Just an ordinary morning.”
Besides saying she loved him, those were the last memories that MD had with her son, Christopher, before he went missing on October 25, 2013.
[...]
The Douthat’s remain focused on finding the answers and believe there are people in the community who can help. They encourage anyone with information to come forward and help them find closure.
[...]
Anyone with information on Christopher’s disappearance are encouraged to contact Virginia State Police Special Agent Douglas Hubert at (540)-375-9589.
imstilla.grandma
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Victim Information
CHRISTOPHER RAY DOUTHAT
Gender:MaleHeight:6'Hair Color:BlondeAge:24Race:WhiteWeight:160Eye Color:Brown
Case Details
VIRGINIA STATE POLICE – DIVISION SIX – CASE: 18-1161
ABOUT THE CASE:
Chris Douthat was on the phone while walking and said "hang on" and has not been seen since October 25, 2013. ViCAP # 2018VSP00001 NAMUS #25330Case Type:Missing PersonIncident Date:10/25/2013Location:RoanokeStatus:Active
imstilla.grandma
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Hubert said not all tips are misleading. In addition to Palmer’s case, he’s investigating the disappearance of Christopher Douthat, a 24-year-old Franklin County resident last seen in Roanoke eight years ago.
“In my experience, every time I put out for tips, in the Douthat case particularly, I’ve received one piece of good, valuable information out of that,” Hubert said, adding that the new database is an opportunity for that to happen again.
Douthat disappeared after leaving Chaps Tavern in Roanoke the evening of Oct. 25, 2013. Cellphone data puts his last known location on Ninth Street Southeast at about 5 p.m.
Hubert said what happened to Douthat’s body and cellphone is unknown.
“The fact is, time can be an advantage, and time can be a disadvantage,” Hubert said. “Time has been a little bit of both for Christopher Douthat.”
When Douthat first disappeared, the Vinton Police Department picked up the case, because the last visual sighting of Douthat was in their jurisdiction. The department launched a missing persons investigation, but they didn’t get very far.
“The police officers are not going to leave Vinton, and all the actors in this case are in Franklin County,” Hubert said. “And a patrol officer had it, so it’s not like he’s going to get in his patrol car and drive to Franklin County and interview people on a case.”
Hubert said a lot of evidence that could have helped Douthat’s case, including surveillance video, was lost in the first seven days that law enforcement was waiting for him to show up as a suicide or overdose victim.
In 2018, Vinton handed over the case to state police, and Hubert had to essentially start from scratch.
“That five-year lag in there has given those people, particularly the suspects, an opportunity to change,” Hubert said. “A lot of the players in this case were immature persons at the time that the case occurred. If we fast forward, as they begin to mature and have families of their own and have other changes in life, their mindsets change. So, you get a different interview. That’s been a positive point.”
roanoke.com
“In my experience, every time I put out for tips, in the Douthat case particularly, I’ve received one piece of good, valuable information out of that,” Hubert said, adding that the new database is an opportunity for that to happen again.
Douthat disappeared after leaving Chaps Tavern in Roanoke the evening of Oct. 25, 2013. Cellphone data puts his last known location on Ninth Street Southeast at about 5 p.m.
Hubert said what happened to Douthat’s body and cellphone is unknown.
“The fact is, time can be an advantage, and time can be a disadvantage,” Hubert said. “Time has been a little bit of both for Christopher Douthat.”
When Douthat first disappeared, the Vinton Police Department picked up the case, because the last visual sighting of Douthat was in their jurisdiction. The department launched a missing persons investigation, but they didn’t get very far.
“The police officers are not going to leave Vinton, and all the actors in this case are in Franklin County,” Hubert said. “And a patrol officer had it, so it’s not like he’s going to get in his patrol car and drive to Franklin County and interview people on a case.”
Hubert said a lot of evidence that could have helped Douthat’s case, including surveillance video, was lost in the first seven days that law enforcement was waiting for him to show up as a suicide or overdose victim.
In 2018, Vinton handed over the case to state police, and Hubert had to essentially start from scratch.
“That five-year lag in there has given those people, particularly the suspects, an opportunity to change,” Hubert said. “A lot of the players in this case were immature persons at the time that the case occurred. If we fast forward, as they begin to mature and have families of their own and have other changes in life, their mindsets change. So, you get a different interview. That’s been a positive point.”
New Virginia cold case database already lighting sparks in old investigations
The database launched in the middle of June and features about 50 cold cases statewide. One Virginia State Police special agent in Salem got his first tip through the system
imstilla.grandma
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As we reported previously, Chris Douthat was dropped off by his mother at Vinton Roofing at approximately 1:30 p.m. on October 25, 2013. He was later seen at the Vinton Kroger and near Chaps Tavern that day but did not show up to meet a friend at the Bennington Street Food Lion that afternoon.
His disappearance made news headlines for years. Billboards put up by Virginia State Police brought attention to his disappearance in Roanoke and Franklin counties back in 2019.
www.wsls.com
His disappearance made news headlines for years. Billboards put up by Virginia State Police brought attention to his disappearance in Roanoke and Franklin counties back in 2019.
Franklin County man missing since 2013 declared dead in court
A Franklin County man who vanished in 2013 was declared dead in court on Feb. 22, 2024, according to the Franklin Co. Circuit Court Clerk.
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