Account
Jan 28, 2026
Jan 28, 2026
Richard
J. Heagen
54
54
6'2 inches
350 lbs
White
Male
In the quiet city of Zanesville, Ohio, a family's life was changed on what seemed to be an ordinary evening. Richard J. Heagen, a 54-year-old man known affectionately as Jay, was at his home on Gray Street. On the evening of March 19, 2024, he was captured on a nearby video camera entering his house, grabbing a hooded sweatshirt, and leaving again moments later. Crucially, he left without his wallet or his phone, items most people don't intentionally leave behind. This departure marked the beginning of a heart-wrenching mystery for his loved ones and community, as he was never seen or heard from again. The day had been an emotional one for him; he was reportedly in a somber mood and had visited the grave of his wife, who had passed away less than a year earlier, for the very first time since her death. The path Richard took after leaving his home has been partially traced by surveillance cameras in the area. He was seen walking up the street, past local landmarks like a Dollar General store, heading in the direction of the town's notable Y Bridge shortly after 9:00 p.m. However, the electronic eyes on both sides of the bridge, which could have provided a crucial piece of information, held no record of him crossing. It was as if he vanished before reaching it. An extensive search of the river near the bridge was conducted, but it yielded no clues as to his whereabouts. This lack of evidence has left his family with an agonizing void, grappling with the unknown fate of a beloved father and widower. The circumstances of Richard's disappearance are complicated by his personal health struggles. He lived with schizophrenia, a condition that had led him to wander away from home in the past. On a previous occasion, he was found after twelve hours and required hospitalization to stabilize. His family noted that during that hospital stay, there were long periods where he did not recognize his own children. This history adds a layer of vulnerability and concern to his case, which remains unsolved. The Zanesville Police Department continues to investigate his disappearance, a case characterized by a man leaving his home without essentials, a last known trajectory toward a local bridge, and a concerning history of mental health challenges that may have played a role in his vanishing.
Mar 19, 2024
Zanesville
Ohio
Zanesville
Zanesville Police Departmen
740-455-0770
05/07/2026
