Patrick Mullen was a beloved member of the community who went missing without a trace in early 2019. His disappearance shocked family and friends, who are still searching for answers years later. In this article, we will explore the key details surrounding Patrick’s vanishing and the ongoing investigation.
Who was Patrick Mullen?
Patrick “Pat” Mullen was a 45-year-old father of two living in suburban Harrisville. He worked as an accountant at a local firm and was known as a devoted family man. Patrick was married to his wife Susan for over 15 years, and they had a son named Michael, age 13, and daughter Emma, age 10. By all accounts, Patrick had a very normal, quiet life centered around his family.
Friends and relatives describe Patrick as kind, caring, and quick to help others in need. He was an active member of his church community and volunteered often to help with local charities and youth sports leagues. Patrick had grown up in Harrisville and had a very close relationship with his parents and siblings who still lived in the area. He enjoyed fishing, coaching his son’s baseball team, and doing DIY projects around the house.
The Disappearance
February 12, 2019 began like any other day for Patrick Mullen. He went to work at his accounting firm in the morning and had a normal day there by all accounts. Around 5:00 PM, Patrick left work to head home. His office was about a 20 minute drive from his house in the suburbs. But Patrick never made it home that evening.
When Patrick didn’t arrive home from work, his wife Susan called him several times but got no answer. After a few hours, she notified the Harrisville police department that her husband was missing. Officers quickly began investigating and found no signs of Patrick or his car at his office or anywhere along his usual route home. His cell phone last pinged a cell tower near his office around 5:15 PM but then went dead. There was no other activity on his credit cards or bank accounts after that day.
The Investigation
Police initiated a full-scale investigation into Patrick Mullen’s disappearance. Detectives spoke with his coworkers, family members, and friends to piece together his last known activities and state of mind. Here are the key findings from the initial investigation:
- Patrick did not appear to be struggling with anything major in his personal life. He had a strong marriage and close relationship with his kids. Financially he was stable.
- There were no conflicts, threats, or concerning incidents reported at his workplace. Patrick had good relationships with coworkers.
- He had made plans with his wife Susan to attend their son’s baseball game the evening he went missing.
- All of Patrick’s belongings except his phone – including his wallet, keys, and briefcase – were found undisturbed in his office.
- His car, a navy blue 2010 Toyota Camry, was missing and there were no reported sightings of it after he left work.
- Searches of his route home, office parking garage, local parks and ravines yielded no signs of Patrick or his vehicle.
This information painted the picture of a responsible family man who went missing for unknown reasons while driving home from work. There were no immediate red flags or obvious clues in Patrick’s daily life that offered any explanation for him suddenly disappearing.
Ongoing Search Efforts
In the months after Patrick’s disappearance, the police continued to follow up on any leads they received but the case went cold. His family held out hope that Patrick would be found alive but as time passed, it seemed less likely.
Here are some of the key search efforts and leads pursued over the years:
- Police tracked down surveillance footage from along Patrick’s usual route home from work but found no sign of him driving past on the day he vanished.
- Dive teams searched a nearby lake and river but found no evidence related to the case.
- The Mullen family worked closely with private investigators to run down any tips or potential sightings, but none panned out.
- Searches were conducted in the woods surrounding Harrisville based on reported sightings of an abandoned navy blue Camry matching the description of Patrick’s car. The car was never located.
- A review of Patrick’s email, financial records, and other personal files found no indication of hidden conflict or plans to disappear voluntarily.
- Susan Mullen led online groups and used social media to spread the word about Patrick’s case and appeal for any new information from the public.
As of late 2022, no significant new leads had emerged and Patrick’s case remained unsolved. His family continued their efforts to raise awareness and find answers while still holding onto hope he might be found.
Theories on What Happened to Patrick Mullen
In the absence of solid evidence explaining Patrick Mullen’s disappearance, many theories emerged over the years as to what may have happened to him:
Accident
One possibility is that Patrick was involved in some kind of accident on the way home from work. Perhaps he lost control of his car and crashed into the river or a remote area where the vehicle was never found. He may have suffered a medical crisis like a stroke while behind the wheel that left him incapacitated and unable to call for help.
Criminal act
Foul play has not been ruled out by investigators. Patrick could have been the victim of a random or targeted attack by a stranger or someone he knew. There were no signs of struggles or violence discovered during searches, but his body and car were never recovered as evidence.
Ran away voluntarily
Although his family insists Patrick was very happy in his life, some wonder if he secretly wanted to disappear and start over somewhere new. He may have staged his own disappearance and slipped away unnoticed to begin a new life cut off from his friends and relatives in Harrisville.
Mistaken identity
It’s possible that Patrick Mullen was the victim of mistaken identity – someone may have attacked or kidnapped him believing he was someone else. Patrick had no known enemies, but a case of mistaken identity could explain his untraceable disappearance.
Investigators havefollowed up on each of these theories but found no definitive evidence to confirm or rule out any of them. Patrick’s vanishing remains a baffling mystery.
Impact on Family and Community
Patrick’s disappearance devastated his family, friends, and the community who searched tirelessly for him. His wife Susan struggled to raise their two young children alone while dealing with the pain of not knowing what happened to her husband. Patrick’s parents and siblings were also crushed and put in a tremendous effort over the years to find answers.
Beyond his family, Patrick’s disappearance left a hole in the community. His accounting clients had to find a new accountant. The youth baseball team he coached struggled to regroup after losing their beloved coach. His church mourned the loss of a very active member. The ripple effects of his vanishing touched many lives.
But even years later, many still keep Patrick’s case in mind and continue to pray for closure. His family still occasionally does interviews with local media to bring attention back to Patrick’s story. They remain determined to one day find out the truth about those tragic events in February 2019 when Patrick disappeared on an ordinary drive home from work.
Recent Developments?
In the years since Patrick Mullen first went missing in 2019, have there been any promising updates or breaks in the case? Unfortunately for the family, there have been no significant recent developments that provide answers.
Here are a few of the more notable updates from recent years:
- In 2021, the Harrisville police department partnered with a group of college students to re-examine case files and evidence related to Patrick’s disappearance. But the reinvestigation yielded no new leads.
- Psychics occasionally offer opinions or visions about what happened to Patrick, but none have produced verifiable evidence to support their claims.
- Age progression photos showing what Patrick may look like now are periodically released to the media in hopes of renewed public interest in the case.
- In 2022, a local man came forward believing he may have seen Patrick’s car in a junkyard shortly after his disappearance. But searches of the junkyard found nothing conclusive.
- Dive teams re-surveyed the river and lake near Patrick’s route home with updated equipment but still found nothing related to his disappearance.
For the Mullen family and investigators, these sparse developments have so far failed to shed any real light on the mystery. Patrick’s case technically remains open but inactive unless promising new evidence comes to light. Unfortunately, the key questions surrounding his vanishing continue to go unanswered in the years since that fateful drive home from work.
Final Thoughts
Patrick Mullen’s disappearance on February 12, 2019 remains an open, puzzling case years later. He was a dedicated family man and accounted who inexplicably vanished on an ordinary drive home from work one evening. Extensive investigations and search efforts by police and his desperate family have failed to provide any answers.
While some believe Patrick was the victim of an accident or criminal act, others wonder if he willingly ran away and started a new life. But without more evidence, his fate remains a mystery. His heartbroken family continues to hope for closure and pray for his safe return one day.
Patrick’s case serves as a sobering reminder that people can disappear without explanation even during routine moments. His community still feels the loss years later. But perhaps one day soon there will be a crucial break in the case that finally reveals what happened to Patrick Mullen after he left work on February 12, never to be seen again.