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

[McSpy]

Although we have scant details to go on, I thought that his disappearance went down this way:

Bob was supposed to meet with Randy at Randy's house (since R's mom knew about his visit). Bob got lost or confused about location of Randy's house (witness statement that Bob was stopped, looking around in a different area and told witness he was looking for his friend (house?)) Before arriving or finding Randy's house, something happened. An accident? A mugging? Randy's mom calls Bob's house to report that he didn't arrive.

Anyway, that is my take on the sequence of events. It seems like there are a lot of other ideas as to what was going on that night.
How can we find out more?

You have what I know. It is scant info. I'd like to know if his bow or keys were still in the car. I'd also like to know if the location of where his car was found was a reasonable distance from his tree stand. Too bad his sister isn't here to answer these questions.

 

[SouthernSummer]

Although we have scant details to go on, I thought that his disappearance went down this way:

Bob was supposed to meet with Randy at Randy's house (since R's mom knew about his visit). Bob got lost or confused about location of Randy's house (witness statement that Bob was stopped, looking around in a different area and told witness he was looking for his friend (house?)) Before arriving or finding Randy's house, something happened. An accident? A mugging? Randy's mom calls Bob's house to report that he didn't arrive.

Anyway, that is my take on the sequence of events. It seems like there are a lot of other ideas as to what was going on that night.
How can we find out more?

This is exactly what I pictured when I first read the story.

I had to sit in a deer stand for three hours with my boyfriend in high school. It was cold and the most boring three hours of my life...we couldnt talk because we'd scare away the deer. I do not understand why men enjoy hunting!!

 

[buster23]

I found something online. there is a record of Bob's parents sending a 'letter to the editor' on the 30 year anniversary asking for anyone who has info to come forward. In their letter, it states that the hunting equipment was missing and that the keys were in the ingnition. Here is a link to what I found: http://www.wiscnews.com/wisconsindellsevents/news/opinion/article_b3959831-29cc-5cf0-82cf-5bcfe0be336e.html

In response to the questions about Randy, I believe he was at his paren't house waiting for Bob. He was not with Bob when Bob disappeared.

 

[buster23]

Oh, I forgot to add that the article says the license plate was missing too.

 

[Justiceforever]

I just found a link that goes into more detail on Bob's case.
http://justicebeserved.wordpress.com/2010/02/27/robert-louis-christian/

Bear with me I'm still new to WS's. I don't even know how to share links yet. So I just copied and pasted from above.

My thought is that Randy Griffith must not have disappeared (If this is indeed true) the same night, otherwise how would his mother have known Robert didn't show up.


http://justicebeserved.wordpress.com/2010/02/27/robert-louis-christian/[/QUOTE]

Troublesome call
Later that evening, the Christians got an indication there was a problem. At about 9:30 p.m. Randy Griffith’s mother, a longtime family friend, called to say Robert had not arrived in Baraboo.

 

[Justiceforever]

I found something online. there is a record of Bob's parents sending a 'letter to the editor' on the 30 year anniversary asking for anyone who has info to come forward. In their letter, it states that the hunting equipment was missing and that the keys were in the ingnition. Here is a link to what I found: http://www.wiscnews.com/wisconsindellsevents/news/opinion/article_b3959831-29cc-5cf0-82cf-5bcfe0be336e.html

In response to the questions about Randy, I believe he was at his paren't house waiting for Bob. He was not with Bob when Bob disappeared.

Thanks Buster. I just read this seconds after I posted below! :blushing:

 

[Grifynne]

I found something online. there is a record of Bob's parents sending a 'letter to the editor' on the 30 year anniversary asking for anyone who has info to come forward. In their letter, it states that the hunting equipment was missing and that the keys were in the ingnition. Here is a link to what I found: http://www.wiscnews.com/wisconsindel...fe0be336e.html

So, with the missing plate, were they maybe trying to make the car harder to identify? I'm a bit young (about 30) so I'm not familiar with how things were back then. Would this sound like a logical way to try and conceal the owner's identity of a vehicle or at least delay the identification process back then? Did they have VINs on cars?

The fact that his hunting gear was missing but the keys were in the ignition makes me wonder if he saw something, grabbed it and tried to get out of the car and prevent something or defend himself or to hurry to an area where he thought something bad was going down?

On the other hand, if you were trying to avoid drawing attention to an abandoned vehicle, then you might remove unique items like a hunting bow to further confuse or slow the identification process.

The complete lack of info on Randy is also disturbing, as many have already mentioned. Unless he was helping Randy somehow, which might be why Randy hasn't been featured much in all of this. He may want to keep a low profile in case it becomes known he was somehow (even indirectly) involved in a disappearance and possible murder. I think we also need to confirm if Randy was in fact at home the entire evening from the time Robert would have left his parent's house until the time Randy's mother made the phone call to Robert's family. Did his mother confirm that he was there the whole time? Did anyone visit during those hours? Of course she might not say otherwise if her son was involved in something potentially lethal.

So many possibilities in all of this, even as we gather bits and pieces of information. It's tragic because Robert sounded like a nice young man with a promising future.

 

[McSpy]

I found something online. there is a record of Bob's parents sending a 'letter to the editor' on the 30 year anniversary asking for anyone who has info to come forward. In their letter, it states that the hunting equipment was missing and that the keys were in the ingnition. Here is a link to what I found: http://www.wiscnews.com/wisconsindellsevents/news/opinion/article_b3959831-29cc-5cf0-82cf-5bcfe0be336e.html

In response to the questions about Randy, I believe he was at his paren't house waiting for Bob. He was not with Bob when Bob disappeared.

Great find! I doubt he took the bow with him to check the tree stand, but I do think it was possible he left the keys in the ignition. In 1977 some people still had that bad habit when they left their car, especially in rural areas. It seems he ran into a bad person or several bad people. I wonder if he was taken out of the area and something happened to him there?

The confusing thing is the eye witness account, who said they believed they saw him in their friend's driveway. I wonder about the length of that driveway. Was it long and mistaken as a side road by Bob? If this witness did see Bob, it suggests he was meeting someone and that someone was responsible for his disappearance. Although, if the witness was wrong, it just confuses things. JMO

 

[McSpy]

Did LE use cadaver dogs to search the gravel pit where the tires were found?

 

[McSpy]

LE should publicize the missing hunting bow. Maybe someone in the area recalls someone magically (someone who is broke) getting a bow around the time Bob disappeared. Maybe they will come forward with their suspicions. I know it is a very old case, but sometimes people feel freer to share info when they are older and wiser. JMO

 

[deca]

I am with the folk that think Randy was at home, waiting for Bob to show.

My big question now: was Bob familiar with the location of Randy's house? How often had he gone there? Was it possible he was truly lost before his disappearance, or did he have an errand ahead of the meeting?

ETA: I reread the earlier linked article and it states that Robert was very familiar with the area.

 

[deca]

Found a small writeup via Google Books in "101 Wisconsin Unsolved Mysteries"

http://books.google.com/books?id=j9RTJEGSoWIC&pg=PA61&lpg=PA61&dq=Bob+Christian+wisconsin&source=bl&ots=bOrx_4BOPO&sig=CEY7S6E_cxku1VbD4ocSJV_mkkU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3U4XUIfEBISHrAGupYDQCQ&ved=0CFIQ6AEwBzgK#v=onepage&q=Bob%20Christian%20wisconsin&f=false


Interesting points that we know so far:

Bob left his home at 5:30pm in the family car.
Battery, plate, hubcaps and wheels were stolen.
Hubcaps and wheels found a week later with bullet holes (LE believes they were used for target practice)
The family hired a PI and two psychics and followed many psychic leads.
In 1983, Bob's sister Kathy died in a fire at a bar. Some members of the Ghost Riders motorcycle gang were charged with her murder.

Timeline:
Friday Sept 16. 1977:5:30 pm Bob leaves home (Reedsburg)
after 5:30 pm Mom sees Bob around area
8:00 pm witness sighting around Durwards Glen, Baraboo, WI
9:30 pm Randy's mom calls Bob's family

Sunday Sept 18 1977: car found at Tower Rd, Baraboo, WI
Thurs Sept 22 1977: tires found near Prairie du Sac.

 

[McSpy]

Found a small writeup via Google Books in "101 Wisconsin Unsolved Mysteries"

http://books.google.com/books?id=j9RTJEGSoWIC&pg=PA61&lpg=PA61&dq=Bob+Christian+wisconsin&source=bl&ots=bOrx_4BOPO&sig=CEY7S6E_cxku1VbD4ocSJV_mkkU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3U4XUIfEBISHrAGupYDQCQ&ved=0CFIQ6AEwBzgK#v=onepage&q=Bob%20Christian%20wisconsin&f=false


Interesting points that we know so far:

Bob left his home at 5:30pm in the family car.
Battery, plate, hubcaps and wheels were stolen.
Hubcaps and wheels found a week later with bullet holes (LE believes they were used for target practice)
The family hired a PI and two psychics and followed many psychic leads.
In 1983, Bob's sister Kathy died in a fire at a bar. Some members of the Ghost Riders motorcycle gang were charged with her murder.

Timeline:
Friday Sept 16. 1977:5:30 pm Bob leaves home (Reedsburg)
after 5:30 pm Mom sees Bob around area
8:00 pm witness sighting around Durwards Glen, Baraboo, WI
9:30 pm Randy's mom calls Bob's family

Sunday Sept 18 1977: car found at Tower Rd, Baraboo, WI
Thurs Sept 22 1977: tires found near Prairie du Sac.

Good stuff. Very interesting. . . the witness supposedly saw him around 8pm, which means it was dark out. This suggests that maybe he got lost. Although, where was he for 2 1/2 hours? It should have taken him about 30-45 minutes to get to Baraboo from his home. He may have checked his tree stand, but it seems like a lot of time had passed for that task. Also, one of the psychics feels he picked up a couple. I think this is a possibility. Hitchhiking was very popular in the 70s. More so in the early 70s, but it was still going on somewhat in the late 70s. Wonder if there were any crazy couples running around that part of the country, during that time period? Maybe he was one of their random victims.

JMO

 

[deca]

The earlier article said he was very familiar with the bluffs in the area--and that is why they had driven over there to look for him. Instead they found his car nearby. IIRC

So, I wonder if this was a simple--he went off for a quick walk and had an accident and they just never located him. I understand they searched the area well but it seems that with rugged terrain like that he could have fallen into a crevasse or hole of some sort. Has anyone been to the bluffs and tell us more about the area?

But leaving the keys in the ignition is strange. Unless he was in the habit of doing that...didn't that missing lady in CO (bad with names) disappear in a similar situation? Her car was over on the side of the road, keys were in the vehicle and no trace of her?

I NEVER leave the keys in the car. So I imagine that they pull over to do something quickly (get something from the trunk or someone flags them down) and a injures or drags them away quickly.

 

[McSpy]

I wonder if this guy was passing through the Baraboo area in late 1977:

http://murderpedia.org/male.E/e/edwards-edward.htm

It does say he lived in a particular area from 1974--78, but maybe it is off by a year.

This is probably a long shot . . .

 

[McSpy]

The earlier article said he was very familiar with the bluffs in the area--and that is why they had driven over there to look for him. Instead they found his car nearby. IIRC

So, I wonder if this was a simple--he went off for a quick walk and had an accident and they just never located him. I understand they searched the area well but it seems that with rugged terrain like that he could have fallen into a crevasse or hole of some sort. Has anyone been to the bluffs and tell us more about the area?

But leaving the keys in the ignition is strange. Unless he was in the habit of doing that...didn't that missing lady in CO (bad with names) disappear in a similar situation? Her car was over on the side of the road, keys were in the vehicle and no trace of her?

I NEVER leave the keys in the car. So I imagine that they pull over to do something quickly (get something from the trunk or someone flags them down) and a injures or drags them away quickly.

These days, I would be concerned if the keys were still in the ignition and the driver turns up missing, but back in 1977 some people didn't bother to take their keys with them, especially if they lived in the quiet suburbs and rural areas (too trusting). Some people even left their home doors unlocked. It was fast becoming a thing of the past in the urban areas though, but I venture to guess it was still going on in quiet areas. Yet, it is possible someone surprised him while he was getting out of his car or some similar action. Maybe he had to relieve himself, so he pulled off onto that road, left his keys in the car for a moment and then someone ambushed him.

Also in the 1970s, hitchhiking was common with the babyboomer generation, until people started to disappear. A lot of people weren't afraid to pick them up as well. It worked both ways. Sometimes the hitchhikers were the bad ones and the drivers were the victims.

 

[McSpy]

It would be good to know what kind of habits the Christian family had when it concerned things like leaving keys in the ignition. Did his parents have the habit of leaving the keys in the ignition? If so, chances are he did too. If not, then we are still left with a puzzle. 18 year olds sometimes do their own thing, even with warnings blaring . . .

 

[rosesfromangels]

A tree stand is a small seat up in a tree. Hunters sit in them for hours waiting for a deer to pass by. The newer stands can be removed fairly easily. Some of the very old style stands are made of wood and are nailed into the tree (hand made). They look like a shelf high up a tree trunk. Also, they seat one person and the modern ones are portable.

Holy smokes! Do you think someone mistook him for a deer and shot him by accident? What a peculiar case....
Randy...where are you? Speak up!

 

[rosesfromangels]

Is this just a theory or do you have some evidence? I wish we knew where Randy was while Bob was driving up to Baraboo. It would answer some questions for me.[/UOTE]

As I stated in my post, purely *theory* McSpy. But one thing I've picked up following these cases is to "keep it simple". The last person to see Bob alive was the woman who said he was supposed to meet his friend there. (In an odd spot). This tells me Randy KNOWS what was going on, and WHY Bob was there. My *theory* is that Randy was in trouble, Bob went to help him and Randy bolted when things escalated. You track down Randy, you solve the mystery. (If he'll talk).

 

[md70]

Is this just a theory or do you have some evidence? I wish we knew where Randy was while Bob was driving up to Baraboo. It would answer some questions for me.[/UOTE]

As I stated in my post, purely *theory* McSpy. But one thing I've picked up following these cases is to "keep it simple". The last person to see Bob alive was the woman who said he was supposed to meet his friend there. (In an odd spot). This tells me Randy KNOWS what was going on, and WHY Bob was there. My *theory* is that Randy was in trouble, Bob went to help him and Randy bolted when things escalated. You track down Randy, you solve the mystery. (If he'll talk).

My impression was that Randy was at home with his mom waiting for Bob to arrive and when Bob never showed up, she called Bob's parents to let them know and it went on from there. There was a poster earlier in the thread who said he/she was Bob's neighbor and said that was his/her impression as well. I think we need to see if we can verify if Randy ever actually left the house or if he was home with his mother the whole time. I'm not sure how to do that but I would hate to accuse Randy of something shady if he never even left the house.