Imagine your husband telling you he feels sick and needs to go to the hospital, only to disappear for 23 years and eventually be discovered living under the identity of a man who had already died. That is what happened to Richard Hoagland. In 1993, Richard lived in Indianapolis with his wife, Linda, and their two young sons. On February 10, he called Linda at work and said he needed to visit an emergency room. She offered to meet him, but he said he could not wait. When Richard failed to return, Linda contacted area hospitals, but none had any record of him. She reported him missing, beginning a mystery that would last more than two decades.
Richard had apparently left without taking clothes, his coat, toothbrush, or passport. His car was later found abandoned at Indianapolis International Airport, but investigators found no evidence that he had boarded a flight. Months later, his sons received birthday cards containing $50 each. Richard wrote that he hoped they would see him again, but he disappeared once more. Linda eventually lost her home and vehicles while raising their children without Richard’s income. After 10 years, he was legally declared dead.
Then, in 2016, an astonishing discovery revealed that Richard was alive in Florida. He had reportedly assumed the identity of Terry Symansky, a fisherman who had died in 1991. Using Symansky’s death certificate, Richard obtained identification, married, had another child, and established a new life. His deception was uncovered after Symansky’s nephew researched the family through and discovered records suggesting his deceased uncle had married years after his death. Richard initially denied being Hoagland but eventually admitted his true identity. He later pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and was sentenced to two years in federal prison.
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