The Disappearance of Ben Coffey

Ben Coffey mysteriously vanished at the age of 27 on December 31st, 2012. The young man lived in Gloucester, Virginia, and he was last heard from that evening around dinnertime. Although it was New Years Eve, Ben told a friend over the phone that he was tired and was going home for the night. He has never been seen or heard from again.

The following day, on January 1st, 2013, police in Tappahannock, Virginia responded to a report of a disabled vehicle abandoned on Route 698. When officers went to investigate, they found a full-sized Dodge van registered to Ben Coffey. Ben’s dog and many of his other personal items were found abandoned inside the van. Two days later, Ben’s parents were notified about the vehicle being found. They immediately knew something was off when they learned the dog had been inside the car, and they reported him missing shortly thereafter.

Ben’s family and friends are baffled by his disappearance. The location where his car was found is around 45 miles away from his home in Gloucester, however cell phone records confirm that he was in Gloucester when he called his friend on the evening of December 31st. This means that Ben’s car ended up Tappahannock at some point after that phone call. 

It is unclear if Ben has any ties to that area. Investigators conducted a search in the surrounding area, during which a blood hound traced Ben’s scent to a swamp, but then lost the scent. Other than that, there have been very few clues and leads in Ben’s case.

Ben’s family is offering a $10,000 reward for information that either leads to Ben’s whereabouts or an arrest and conviction in his case. If you have any information that could help, please contact Virginia State Police Special Agent A.S. Witt at (804) 537-6770.

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Sources:
Charley Project
NBC News
WTKR