Missing Since: 2011-04-08 Location: Palmyra, Virginia
Hourihan was last seen in Palmyra, Virginia on April 8, 2011. On the day of his disappearance he put on his work uniform and left at 6:30 a.m. as if to go to work at his electrician job in Richmond, Virginia. He wasn’t scheduled to work that day, something his wife was unaware of. He was driving his wife’s car, a White 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier with a Winnie the Pooh sticker in the back window and a vanity license plate reading TARA MAE; a photo of it is posted with this case summary. Instead of going to work, Hourihan drove northwest on Route 53. He had breakfast at the E.W. Thomas Grocery Store in Palmyra at 8:00 a.m.; he had previously worked at the business and was well-known there as a result. He was planning to meet a male friend, but never arrived for the meeting. When he had breakfast was the last time anyone saw him; he has never been heard from again. On May 28, a fifty days after his disappearance, Hourihan’s car was found parked on the edge of the parking lot of a Target store in La Plata, Maryland. This is 115 miles away from his home. Some of Hourihan’s belongings, including his brown work shirt and his valuable electrician’s tools, were still inside it and there was no evidence of a crime. Authorities tried to find security footage of when the car was parked in the lot, but by the time they’d learned where the car was, the footage had been recorded over. Hourihan had been married for nearly thirteen years prior to his disappearance, and they had a six-year-old daughter together. His wife believes he was murdered, as she doesn’t think he would have abandoned their daughter. She doesn’t believe he was being unfaithful or was involved with drugs, and describes their relationship as a close and loving one. She stated they don’t know anyone in Maryland and she doesn’t know why Hourihan might have traveled there. Investigators believe multiple people were involved in his disappearance, and that the perpetrator(s) were probably known to Hourihan. His case remains unsolved and foul play is suspected. Investigating Agency Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office 434-589-8211 Source Information Virginia State Police The Fluvanna Review The Daily Progress The Hook NamUs Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office NBC News C-Ville Country 92.7 The AWARE Foundation Updated 4 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated April 17, 2021; four pictures added, details of disappearance updated.