In the winter of 1990, a promising young man named Timothy Moreau, a 21-year-old male, vanished from Portland, Oregon. He was last seen on or around January 23rd of that year. Moreau had taken a leave of absence from his studies in philosophy at Reed College to immerse himself in the city's music scene, landing a job as a promotions manager at the popular Starry Night nightclub. He reportedly looked up to the club's owner, Larry Hurwitz, as a mentor.
On the night he disappeared, Timothy was called to a meeting with Hurwitz at the club. He was never seen or heard from again. The days that followed his disappearance were filled with a deepening sense of dread for his loved ones. His blue Datsun was discovered in a long-term parking lot at the Portland International Airport, a deliberate plant to suggest he had left town. However, a search of his apartment revealed a different story; his cash, checkbooks, and credit cards were all left behind, making the theory that he had willingly run away seem highly improbable.
For years, the case grew cold, leaving Timothy's family in an agonizing state of limbo. Hurwitz initially deflected suspicion by accusing Moreau of being involved in a counterfeit ticket scam at the club and claiming the young man had fled to escape the consequences. The Portland Police Bureau, however, came to view the disappearance as a probable homicide about a year later, with Hurwitz as the primary suspect. Timothy's parents, Mike and Penny Moreau, refused to let their son's case fade into obscurity, tirelessly pushing for answers and keeping the pressure on investigators. Their relentless pursuit of justice faced a wall of silence until 1997, when a separate investigation into Hurwitz for tax evasion began to unravel the dark secrets surrounding that fateful night. This new scrutiny led to a major break in the case.
The truth finally began to surface when a former Starry Night employee, George Castagnola, confessed to his role in the crime in 1998. He provided a chilling account of the events, stating that he and Hurwitz had murdered Timothy. The motive was to silence Moreau, who had allegedly threatened to expose the counterfeit ticket operation run by Hurwitz. Castagnola admitted to helping strangle Moreau and then driving the young man's car to the airport to stage the disappearance. He pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and agreed to testify against his former boss. Following this, Hurwitz pleaded 'no contest' to aggravated murder in 2000 and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. In a subsequent wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Moreau family, Hurwitz finally admitted in 2001 that he had killed Timothy. Despite the convictions and admissions, the case remains shrouded in sorrow because Timothy Moreau's body has never been found. Efforts to locate his remains, which are believed to be buried in a wooded area in Skamania County, Washington, have been unsuccessful. The case is a heartbreaking story of a young life cut short and a family's decade-long fight for the truth against calculated deception. Although those responsible were brought to justice, the inability to bring Timothy home for a proper burial leaves an open wound for his family and community.Last Seen: Jan 22, 1990
