Man who vanished from Connecticut nearly a decade ago found dead in upstate New York with a new name

A man who vanished from Connecticut nearly 10 years ago, and whose high-profile disappearance was featured on television, has been found dead in upstate New York, where he apparently lived under a different name. 

Robert Hoagland was last seen the morning of July 28, 2013, at a gas station in Newtown, Connecticut, according to local police.

The following day, police were called to check on him after he failed to pick up a family member from the airport and failed to show up for work. 

Police found Hoagland’s wallet, medication and cellphone as well as the family cars at his residence, but no trace of Hoagland. 

For years the case remained open and potential sightings of Hoagland were reported and investigated nationwide, Newtown police said.

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His disappearance made headlines and was featured on TV in the Investigation Discovery series “Disappeared.”

Nearly 10 years on, the mystery of his disappearance has finally been cracked: Hoagland apparently moved to upstate New York and lived under the new name Richard King.

On Monday, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department in New York contacted Newtown police saying they responded to “an untimely death” of a man at a residence in Rock Hill, New York, and though they couldn’t initially identify him, they found papers bearing the name Robert Hoagland. 

Investigators looked into that name and found he was missing from Newtown. 

On Tuesday, Newtown police detectives met with the Sullivan County sheriff’s department and confirmed Hoagland’s identity. He was 59 years old at the time of his death, police said.

They learned that Hoagland had been living in Sullivan County since around November 2013 under the new name.

His remains were taken to the local coroner for an autopsy, but police said “there were no signs of foul play.”

Police said “there was no criminal aspect” to Hoagland’s disappearance and no further information would be released “out of respect to the family.”

NBC News has reached out to the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office and coroner for comment.