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Full news conference giving update on search for Robert Hurt — Transcript

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0:00we have bought demo PD here was a
0:01strength Sheriff's Office and we wanted
0:11to have a press release with you and to
0:14talk a little bit about this missing
0:15person case that we're working and in
0:18the last few days many of y'all in this
0:21room have called to meant to meet to
0:25talk about this thing so to be found
0:27that little to everybody we thought well
0:29hey we'll just get them all together one
0:31time and we'll get these questions asked
0:34and we'll kind of let you know what
0:36we've done now I'll tell you upfront
0:39what we won't get down in the weeds so
0:41to speak with investigative techniques
0:44maybe some of the people in particular
0:46that we've talked to because they've
0:49asked not for the names to be released
0:52and we'll honor that
0:55but we'll just go over a few a few of
0:59the timelines on Sunday which was
1:05December the 9th Robert Isaac hurt who
1:10lives in the Rock Springs community in
1:14Pittsylvania County that's a ring old
1:17address left home family members without
1:23when he left he left on his own and he
1:28did not return it's not uncommon for
1:32Robert to leave home and be gone for a
1:35few days it was reported to our office
1:40on December the 14th by his wife Emily
1:45that she had not heard from Robert she
1:49had reached out to some friends she had
1:52made the phone calls to his cell phone
1:53with no response and she was beginning
1:56to get worried about his well-being so
2:00law enforcement became aware of it late
2:04in the day on December the 14th
2:10after investigators met with the wife
2:15investigators made a decision based on
2:19the in based on the code of Virginia to
2:22enter a Bert into NC IC in V sin which
2:27is a national computer base and a
2:29Virginia computer computer information
2:31base that he was missing and may be in
2:35danger
2:37at that time investigators felt that he
2:39met that criteria of the code and so we
2:43were able to enter his name with the
2:45Virginia State Police in the
2:46clearinghouse on the 19th of December
2:53investigators traveled to North Carolina
2:59to interview a potential witness on the
3:0320th of December which was a Thursday
3:07Danville police investigators with the
3:11sheriff's office here met Alan Goodyear
3:15Boulevard because Robert truck had been
3:20seen in that area and witnesses put him
3:24in that area so a search was conducted
3:29by several law enforcement agencies and
3:34cadaver dogs were used at that site on
3:38that day but there was no success in
3:42finding Robert so on the 25th of
3:46December there was a possible sighting
3:50of Robert investigators traced that lead
3:54down from the dam OPD and they
3:57determined that this sighting was not
4:00Robert hurt that guided about his hopes
4:03up of course that he was okay but that
4:07turned out not to be a true sighting on
4:12January the 5th excuse me a second
4:15search in the city was conducted in that
4:20same general
4:22location of the first and I believe at
4:26that time angel search-and-rescue the
4:32Danville life-saving crew members were
4:36involved in that search drone technology
4:39was used in that search cadaver dogs
4:42again were used in the search and
4:44several law enforcement agencies without
4:46to assist that search that to be
4:51unsuccessful and during this time of
4:58course
4:59investigators were meeting with and
5:02calling known friends associates family
5:07members trying to determine if by chance
5:12someone had talked to him had seen
5:15Robert knew of his whereabouts but we
5:19were not able to make any progress with
5:23that the investigation continues it
5:33involves Caswell County North Carolina
5:35it involves Pittsylvania County because
5:39he's a resident of our County and also
5:42with a Danville police so it's been a
5:46combined effort by all three agencies to
5:50try to learn more about Roberts
5:53whereabouts now we'll go over some of
5:57the questions that you all pose to us
5:59and we'll try to answer them the best we
6:02can one of the question was of course
6:07who is Robert of what's he about and we
6:13know from the investigation that Robert
6:16is not a this is not his home originally
6:21Robert is from the Bluefield West
6:24Virginia area he was born there he went
6:28to school in the local schools lap
6:32sometime around 2000 and
6:35in 2008 it's when he moved to the
6:40Roanoke Virginia area where he met who
6:45is now his wife they have Robert has
6:50three children and he's 37 years old and
6:55just from some of the characteristics
6:58from what the family has told us that of
7:03course Robert has some challenges but he
7:08is a family person he's very
7:11compassionate his routine involves
7:15working and coming home so for him not
7:21to return home after about two days two
7:24or three days and you have to remember
7:26it was during this time that we had the
7:28snow so that was impacting our area
7:32pretty hard at that time he would come
7:35home one of the things Robert loves to
7:37do is to cook he would prepare meals for
7:41his children even when he was pressed
7:45for time
7:45that his children were always on his
7:48mind he was thoughtful
7:52one of the question of one of the
7:58answers we got from our questions was
8:01what's his favorite place to eat what
8:03does he eat and of course for many is
8:06the Cheesecake Factory so we learned
8:10that about Robert these are the sort of
8:14small things but when you get to when
8:16you have an investigation like this if
8:18you know the individual that you are
8:21seeking the more you know about it the
8:24better off the investigation could be so
8:28we're trying to learn both sides we it's
8:31almost like running a parallel
8:32investigation on one hand you're looking
8:35for someone who's missing or may want to
8:39be missing and then on the other side
8:42you have you always have to keep in mind
8:45that there may be a criminal element
8:48so it's it's almost like you won a dual
8:52investigation at the same time hoping
8:55against hope that it's the first and not
8:58the latter so the more we know about
9:01Robert and the more we can find out
9:03about him and his lifestyle who his
9:06friends were who is associates are who
9:09he would be most likely to talk to first
9:12we've identified grandparents we've
9:17reached out we've identified family
9:19members who live out of state we've
9:21reached out to those folks so they know
9:24if they hear and they are all concerned
9:29news like that travels pretty fast in
9:32families and so they work they were all
9:35real concerned that very appreciative
9:37that we would take the time to on
9:40investigators we'll take out the time to
9:42to talk to them
9:44Robert is a carpenter by trade and from
9:49what we can find he's a very talented
9:51coffee and whatever he is doing at the
9:56moment that's what he's focused on the
9:59most so he was employed he was working
10:05there in the city of Danville with a
10:06company of a crackhead Street I think
10:09they were remodeling though one of the
10:11older buildings there in that area so he
10:15was employed one of the questions was
10:22Robert known to the sheriff's office
10:24prior to his disappearance I'm going to
10:26not sure what that word known means we
10:30know a lot of people in business some
10:33are just associates some we know because
10:36of instances that may have happened in
10:40the community so if you if you're asking
10:43if if he was known because of a criminal
10:46element our suggestion would be to go to
10:50the Virginia Supreme Court website where
10:54that is public information you can look
10:57at that you can
10:58expect me and because criminal history
11:04information in long form is very closely
11:06guarded it guarded and regulated so if
11:10you were interested in looking at
11:12anyone's past that's a good site to go
11:17to that may help you summoning the
11:19future too if you didn't already know
11:20that you can visit your local courts a
11:24quarter of a record which is Circuit
11:26Court and that information is readily
11:29available to you we won't get into at
11:37this point one of the question was who
11:39specifically have you talked to and I
11:42think you all understand when we say
11:45that some of this information is guarded
11:48the cost us a criminal investigation
11:50if it turns into a criminal event we
11:54don't want to do anything at this point
11:56to jeopardize let's say a prosecution
11:59that maybe some some months down the
12:02road you have to be very guarded about
12:04being prejudiced and pre judgmental on
12:08anyone so we would withhold those
12:10particular names we have talked to
12:14immediate family members we have talked
12:17to neighbors we have talked to employee
12:20associates so there's been many many
12:24people's been interviewed since it was
12:27first reported to law enforcement that
12:32the question was asked do you think
12:34Robert is dead or alive because that's
12:38purely speculative on my part we are
12:40hoping that he is alive and we'll so to
12:45try to answer that we couldn't say it
12:49would just be speculation on my part
12:51well we concern yes and the reason we're
12:54concerned is because that it's out of
12:57Robert's norm at this point not to make
13:02contact with somebody so we're concerned
13:06about that he may be a danger to hurt
13:08somewhere that he can't get to us sure
13:11that we are
13:13he hasn't been found yet
13:16one of the question was if he is missing
13:18why hasn't he been found I think that's
13:21kind of speaks for itself because the
13:25lead just has not led us to his
13:28discovery
13:30so does he want to be found we can't
13:35answer that either if it's a question he
13:39doesn't want to be found he's doing a
13:40very good job at it because he would
13:45have been found on that so I think the
13:49other question is what resources are we
13:52using there have been a lot of agencies
13:55that we've reached out to for resources
13:57of course again all of the law
13:59enforcement in this room Castle County
14:01couldn't be here this afternoon but
14:03their investigative division of captain
14:06Mike Atkins of the Caswell County
14:08Sheriff's Office he has been in touch
14:11with us and their resources are
14:14available the wear foundation from
14:17Roanoke that has been good about posting
14:20information on social media the angel
14:25search and rescue the Virginia
14:27Department of Emergency Management which
14:30provides resources in the search field
14:32for us and of course family and friends
14:37and neighbors they've been very good
14:40about calling in any kind of activity
14:43they activity they seen Coulter asked
14:50what about the cost that's associated
14:53with this we not we've not had a cost
14:57analysis on this and a follow-up I think
15:02to that Coulter was what is costing and
15:08why why would you invest in that and the
15:11answer to that is because that's what we
15:14do that's what law enforcement does when
15:19people are in need or in crisis we
15:21respond to it we will
15:25spend whatever resources man i was
15:28equipment whatever it takes to get an
15:33answer for the families that are are in
15:36crisis and trust me when I tell you that
15:39these family members are concerned it
15:43doesn't take the just a few minutes in
15:44front of them or talking to them on the
15:46phone to realize that they heard the
15:51unknown it's what one of the issues that
15:56they deal with what if Robert is that
15:58bad he can't get help so we're trying to
16:02get those answers and whatever that
16:03costs may be you know we'll step back at
16:08some time if the leads just all exhaust
16:11themselves of course we'll have to step
16:14back and say okay where are we with this
16:18where can we go with this which which
16:23brings me I think the last question that
16:25was asked and then I'll open it up you
16:27can ask any of us any of these questions
16:29the question was if Robert went missing
16:32in December
16:33why is the sheriff's office now only
16:36holding a news conference I think all in
16:41this room realizes because you'll you'll
16:44that when these things happen to you
16:47guys get this information probably about
16:49as quickly as we do in many cases of
16:53missing persons sometimes the person
16:56wants to be missing for a few days and
17:00you take the report you have to
17:02determine whether that person fits what
17:04the Code of Virginia says and how we can
17:07react to it how we are authorized to
17:10react to sometimes in a few days we hear
17:14back from the people but we have sort of
17:17our eye on the ball so to speak if we
17:19don't hear from them then we start the
17:22full-fledged investigation we start
17:24interviewing people witnesses doing a
17:28timeline the best we can so we're at a
17:31point today we have answered many
17:35questions
17:36that we in law enforcement is sort of a
17:39boilerplate question and answer so we
17:44here today asking you as reporters
17:47investigative reporters questions that
17:51you may have with us that we've not
17:53follow or someone you may have talked to
17:56that we are not aware of maybe somebody
17:59in the community that you've been out to
18:02interview that may give us another track
18:05so to speak on how to move forward with
18:08this so I hope and I answered the
18:11question of that sometimes the the press
18:17releases or may be premature because we
18:21don't have the answers that we know
18:23you're gonna ask and so we try to get
18:25those answers the best we can so having
18:28all those things in mind do you have any
18:32questions other questions of us today
18:35and I'll just say this we do not know
18:38where Robert is we do not know we are
18:43still tracking leads we're using every
18:46investigative technique that we know to
18:50use but we cannot determine his
18:54whereabouts and it's frustrating for us
18:57because we can't get those answers so
18:59with that in mind do you have any
19:02questions of us that we might try to
19:04answer today
19:11visiting a friend here where this truck
19:14was found you guys heard that as well a
19:18man that you'd been friends with for
19:19awhile I don't have an exact name
19:27someplace you want to you want to
19:30address that the investigation did lead
19:33to a friend who we have located and we
19:37have spoken to that is a specific right
19:44now we don't go into those details yes
19:54that's a really good question it does
19:57when the officers go out and they have
20:01to make an assessment they have to
20:03assume at that point that everything is
20:04being told to them is the truth as that
20:06person knows that at that time every
20:12case is a little bit different in this
20:16particular case it was from this
20:21gentleman left on the 9th it was
20:23reported to us from the 14th so there
20:27was some lag time in between you know
20:32the investigators I think thought in
20:38their mind that that period of time that
20:41person should have reached out to
20:42somebody so as soon as that our
20:45investigators all were told that we set
20:50things in motion as we would in most
20:54cases but just for that period of time
20:58from the 9th and 14th and once the
21:01investigators learned that normally in
21:03about two days if he was gone for a full
21:08couple of days that he would be reaching
21:10out coming back home when that didn't
21:13happen
21:14the flags went up so to speak so while
21:18the investigators moved pretty quickly
21:19on that
21:25peas involve one supplies chemical count
21:28evil yes
21:32the reason Carroll County's involved is
21:35because on the same individual that I
21:37spoke about just a second ago lives in
21:41Carroll County
21:42and we do know that at some point mister
21:46first was in Castle County so that and
21:48his truck was found in very close
21:50proximity to the state line so that
21:53that's why Castle County was requested
21:55to assist at this point I would rather
22:04not answer that
22:05to prevent compromising any future
22:07investigation the the friend has spoken
22:16with us and the friends information has
22:20not led us to Roberts location and
22:23that's about all I can say it was it was
22:39searched the day it was found on dusta
22:43Gators went through the one through the
22:44truck is has been returned to the family
22:48based on the course of this
22:50investigation do you guys have a sense
22:51after talking to the family if Robert
22:54has walked off or gone missing before in
22:57the past or is this a first-time
22:59situation not the first time
23:09not at this point well I think for the
23:27period of time that he that he was
23:30missing and again going back to the
23:32initial interview with the family
23:35members that not uncommon for him to be
23:39gone for a day or two very much out of
23:43his routine to be going much longer than
23:45that and so that that's why we we listed
23:50it as such missing or in danger it is
24:04it's $1,000 reward and since that time
24:08in speaking with Roberts father he has
24:13added an additional $1,000 to
24:16information credible information that
24:18law enforcement can act upon to locate
24:23Robert that's the criteria not to my
24:32knowledge I think we would probably
24:42consider that of Cota you know even in
24:47it fighting to find ourselves on in a
24:52society that it will take money for
24:54someone to do that we would encourage
24:58you to buy this listening to this
24:59interview today forget about the money
25:04think of this family and think about
25:07Roberts welfare and he called law
25:12enforcement call one of you guys would
25:15be great if they wanted to remain
25:18anonymous
25:19just so we can track these leads and
25:23hopefully bringing some kind of
25:24conclusion to this investigation I'm
25:36sorry say again coke the date of the
25:48first search there was several factors
25:52taken into consideration the weather
25:54elements at the at the time on his truck
25:57was found which would be the snowstorm
25:58we spoke up and we went out that day we
26:02did a search and then we after amount of
26:06time went by he still had it hasn't came
26:09forward we elected to go out and expand
26:11that search a little bit further past
26:13the original criteria we have not had
26:19that this point to indicate we need to
26:21conduct an additional search if
26:24something were to come up then I think
26:26we would entertain it yes the weather
26:28rather time impacted the day we did
26:45first search it was some inclement
26:46weather but I don't think that in fact
26:48new thing has gone to multiple days
26:54before for what reason did he do that
26:58and obviously this one has differences
27:00it's been missing for so long but what
27:02was he doing on those previous instances
27:06that was just his pattern of life that's
27:09what we can determine and that goes back
27:14for some years people deal with stresses
27:18in different ways as we all do and this
27:22just happens to be the way that Robert
27:26conducts himself I think that's a good
27:40summation of it I think that listening
27:44to family members those that know we
27:46best in the closest to him you know 24
27:5236 hours they weren't too concerned
27:57that's that's Robert after that they
28:03started making the phone calls reaching
28:06out to people that they knew and the
28:09results were no we've not seen him I
28:11talked to him in several days and so
28:14that's when it began in earnest the
28:17worry from family began in earnest you
28:27know cold I think no know exactly how to
28:34put this I think all law enforcement if
28:39you've been in the business a while
28:41there's always that that thought in the
28:46back of your mind that you know it is
28:49their criminal Nexus here is this person
28:51just in this case is this person just
28:53missing not want to be found
28:56need some more time or is there
28:59something that has happened to him and
29:00again that kind of goes back to the dual
29:02investigations and sometimes it's hard
29:07to separate that but that's that's just
29:10our business so you always have to keep
29:13that in the back your mind I hope I
29:14answered that for you
29:16are operating under the assumption that
29:18could be a criminal nexus two days but
29:21you don't have any specific evidence
29:22that you know concrete evidence per se
29:26that that's a that's a very good way to
29:31put it any information that you can give
29:33us about his my statement who left his
29:35home or his wife um he was stressed
29:49I'll just come on leave it at that he
29:52had some stresses going on I came after
29:58that coal company you know
29:59exactly hi continue is an association
30:02between two two but I can't tell you how
30:03long best being and how frequent it was
30:11we do know which one it was yes you say
30:15at this point I would rather withhold
30:41yes just prior to twelve twelve that
30:57weekend prior the weekend of December 9
31:00that when we made that heavy snowstorm
31:01hit de ville so when I speak of
31:04inclement weather I'm talking about that
31:06emotional
31:10said I know you won't get into specifics
31:13about them but just you know a message
31:15from them they do and and we've talked
31:22to the family as late as of today just
31:26to reach back out to them make sure that
31:29somebody hadn't assumed if they they
31:32know the information somebody hadn't
31:34assumed that someone had called us to
31:35tell us so in speaking to them today
31:38they are all in constant contact with
31:45one another in many of these family
31:47members now that they're separated by
31:49States and so they've been in constant
31:53contact with with one another all have
31:57the same message please find Robert and
32:01bring him home and they asked for any
32:04help that the community can give them
32:09and they were very appreciative of the
32:13efforts both of the media and law
32:15enforcement in in trying to help get the
32:18message out that's yet to be determined
32:30Colton we just we don't know that if
32:33they purely speculative on my part

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