In the winter of 1994, a 42-year-old man named Robert Elmer Allison was nearing the end of his shift on a towboat on the Ohio River. It was December 21st, and he was working for Tri-River Fleeting in Bethel Park, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A resident of Waynesburg in Greene County, he was known to his loved ones as Bobby. After finishing his work for the day, he mentioned to his boss that he was going to get some cigarettes. He then disembarked from the boat, intending to visit a bar in the west end of Pittsburgh. He was last seen walking near Patriaglia's Junkyard. Robert, who wore glasses and had brown hair, was never seen or heard from again.
The days turned into weeks, and with no word from Robert, his family grew increasingly concerned and officially reported him missing on January 25, 1995. An investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police began, but the circumstances surrounding his disappearance were puzzling.
Investigators discovered that Robert had left all of his personal belongings behind on the riverboat. His clothes, money, television, and most notably, his cigarettes, were all found where he had left them. According to his estranged wife, with whom he had a young daughter, Robert was a heavy smoker and would never have gone anywhere without his cigarettes. This detail was particularly troubling to his family and to the authorities handling his case. At the time he vanished, it was also known that he was dealing with depression.
Decades have passed since Robert Allison was last seen, and his case remains an unsolved and painful mystery for his family. He left behind a baby daughter who has no memory of her father. The Pennsylvania State Police in Waynesburg continue to have his case open, and it is classified as an endangered missing person case. The lack of any new leads or evidence over the years has left his loved ones with unanswered questions and a sense of unresolved grief. The official investigation, led by the Pennsylvania State Police, has spanned years, with missing person flyers distributed and numerous inquiries made, but unfortunately, these efforts have not yet led to a breakthrough in the case. The disappearance of Robert Elmer Allison is a somber reminder of a life interrupted and a family left to wonder what happened on that cold December day.Last Seen: Dec 21, 1994
