Robert Hoagland, who disappeared from his Newtown home more than a month ago, may have been seen on a road in Warwick, R.I., according to reports from their police department.
The Providence Journal reports police are looking for more information after a witness reported a man matching Hoagland's description seen along Warwick's Route 117, near Interstate 95, wearing a large backpack of the type often used for hiking and camping.
Newtown's Lt. Richard Robinson told Patch police are "pursuing all the leads we get" in connection to Hoagland's disappearance.
Hoagland, a 50-year-old Newtown father, vanished from his home on the morning of Sunday, July 28, leaving behind all his belongings.
Over the weekend, police searched Lake Zoar in cooperation with Newtown's Underwater Search & Rescue Team. Lt. Robinson said the operation did not spring from a lead.
"We were just checking on the off chance he was there," said Robinson. "It was one of the many possibilities ... The lake was so close to his house. Nothing new came of that, which is good. If we had found anything, we would have been able to close the case."
On the Facebook page HelpUsFind Hoagy, run by Hoagland's family and friends, a reader posted in the comments Friday morning to report having seen Hoagland hitchhiking in Warwick around 7:00 p.m. on Sept. 2.
"I swear my husband and I saw this man thumbing down 117 in Warwick, RI ... I plan on calling the Newtown Police to report it. I hope he is found soon."
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