Robert was last seen in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 28, 2009. He had gone camping with two friends. His wife and two daughters were to meet him at the campsite later that day and the family was to spend the day at the river, but when Robert's two friends awoke around 8 a. m. and Robert was not at the campsite, they searched in vain and called Wayne County authorities who immediately went to work combing the rough terrain around the site.