On a fall day in 2013, 24-year-old Christopher Ray Douthat vanished from Roanoke, Virginia. On the morning of October 25th, his mother gave him a ride to his roofing job. After getting off work early, he and a coworker went to a Kroger grocery store where he cashed his paycheck around 3:30 p.m. A friend then dropped him off at Chap's Tavern on Campbell Avenue in Roanoke at approximately 4:30 p.m. Christopher had arranged to meet a female friend at a Food Lion parking lot at 5:00 p.m. for a ride, but he never arrived. While some patrons of Chap's Tavern reported seeing him there until 8:00 p.m. before he left on foot, his phone data suggested his last known location was near the intersection of Garden City Boulevard and Riverland Road shortly before 5 p.m. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing a dark-colored sweatshirt, khaki pants, white shoes, and a brown ball cap. He is a white male with brown hair and blue eyes and has a distinctive tribal symbol tattooed on his right bicep.
Christopher's life in the months leading up to his disappearance was marked by personal challenges. Just months earlier, in August 2013, he and his girlfriend had tragically lost their infant son, who had a surviving twin sister. The couple had recently ended their relationship and were involved in a custody dispute over their daughter. An order of protection had been taken out against Christopher, and a court hearing on the matter was scheduled for just three days after he went missing. Earlier that year, in February, Christopher and his then-pregnant girlfriend were assaulted during a home invasion. He had testified against one of the assailants, who was convicted, and was scheduled to testify against the second brother shortly after he vanished. Despite these tumultuous events, authorities have not publicly linked his disappearance to the assault case.
For years, Christopher's family held out hope for his return, putting up billboards and carrying missing person flyers. The Virginia State Police took over the investigation in 2018, treating it as a cold case. After more than a decade with no answers, the case took a significant turn. In February 2024, a Franklin County Circuit Court legally declared Christopher Ray Douthat deceased, listing his date of death as October 25, 2013. This legal step allowed investigators to officially reclassify his disappearance as a suspected homicide. While investigators believe he is deceased, the absence of a body or a definitive crime scene presents major hurdles in the ongoing investigation. His family continues to seek answers and justice, hoping to one day bring him home for a proper burial.
Last Seen: Oct 25, 2013
