Thursday, April 27, 2006

Regarding Robert Hornbeck...


There may have been a breakthrough:

The search continues for a missing Third Infantry Division soldier. But there may have been a break. Three different people reported seeing someone matching Robert Hornbeck's description, all within a few hours' time Tuesday morning.

Hornbeck disappeared from Savannah, but these three sightings have rejuvenated the search west of here, with crews focusing on Interstate 16 in Bulloch County.

The phone calls started early Tuesday morning, sounding like more than just a coincidence. "Exact descriptions," said Capt. Rick Rountree of the Bulloch County Sheriff's Department. "Blue shirt, khaki pants, ball cap turned around backwards. All of them gave us the exact same description."

The Bulloch County sheriff's deputies answered the three separate calls all within a couple hours of each other and all within a ten-mile stretch of I-16.

"We got the last call at 8:17am," said Capt. Rountree. "I was here within 15 minutes."

By then, the person matching Hornbeck's description was gone again. Meanwhile, friends back in Fort Benning are trying not to think about what the possible sightings mean.

"I don't like to think about the possibilities, because you could run the entire gamut and none of them are good in my mind," said Sgt. Michael Scoutten.

(related post here)

BTW--if you live near the area, have any information and/or would like to help, call (912) 234-2020.

Update:

His father said Robert Hornbeck returned in January from Iraq. He has 15 days left in the Army, has a wedding planned in July and has arranged to attend college in Michigan.

"It just doesn't add up," said his father. His hands trembled as he removed a small photo from his billfold - a portrait of Robert in uniform standing in front of the American flag.

Eric Hornbeck, from Michigan, is in town visiting his brother.

Robert is stationed at Fort Benning, Ga. He told his father he'd meet him in Savannah over the weekend.

On Saturday night, father and son went to play pool on River Street. They were joined by Robert's friend from the Army, Jeremy Stone, and Eric Hornbeck's wife, Beth.

Hornbeck said he and Beth left around midnight. The two soldiers remained on River Street for some time before heading to City Market.

About 3:15 a.m., Hornbeck said Stone called to ask for a ride home. He was calling from outside a bar near Drayton and Liberty streets.

"He said, 'We've been drinking too much and you need to come get us,'" Hornbeck recalled.

But when Eric Hornbeck arrived about 15 minutes later, only Stone was there.

"We got separated somehow," Stone said. "We both were pretty toasted."

Stone and the elder Hornbeck spent the rest of the night looking for Robert.

"We were thinking that he couldn't have gotten far," Eric Hornbeck said. "But we never could find him."

Hornbeck filed a police report 24 hours later.


Quite unusual indeed. To have so few days left in the Army, to be wed soon, and then to disappear.

My only fear is the fact that he was drinking prior to his disappearance. This has not portended well in the recent past.


(Filed under Heroes)

Posted by Leo Pusateri at 4:32 PM

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