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Investigators are hoping to generate new leads after two persons of interest were recently detained in the case of a Placentia man who vanished 10 years ago. Robert Harrod, 81, disappeared from his home on the 500 block of Carnation Drive on July 27, 2009, according to Placentia police.
Robert Harrod is interviewed on KTLA on July 8, 2009.
Robert Harrod is interviewed on KTLA on July 8, 2009.
Although his body was never found, detectives believe he was the victim of a homicide. Two weeks before he went missing, KTLA interviewed Harrod about his unconventional love story: He had reunited with his high school sweetheart and, 60 years after he first asked her, they got married. His new wife, Fontelle, had lived back east and returned there to retrieve her belongings. Harrod went missing during her trip. Harrod’s daughter, Roberta, said he had been at home working on repairs with his son the day he disappeared. The son went to a hardware store to get some pricing, and when he returned Harrod was nowhere to be found — though his car remained in the driveway. Roberta said the family suspects a woman her father had loaned money and her husband could be tied to the killing. “He had helped her out with a large sum of money — about $50,000 in a six-month period,” Roberta said.
Robert Harrod is seen with Fontelle, the high school sweetheart he married in 2009, in a photo provided the family.
Robert Harrod is seen with Fontelle, the high school sweetheart he married in 2009, in a photo provided the family.
Police do believe the killer’s motive was money. “Mr. Harrod had assets that basically made him a millionaire,” Sgt. Joe Connell told KTLA. “That’s always a factor in a case like this.” Two Placentia residents were detained as persons of interest last month, but both were released while authorities investigate further. Investigators said the two people that had been arrested had been on their radar for a long time. They declined to identify the pair, citing the ongoing investigation, but described them as “associates” of Harrod. Roberta is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identity, arrest and prosecution of the perpetrator or perpetrators. Anyone with information can contact Placentia police at 714-993-8164. Anonymous tips can be submitted via 855-847-6227 or OCCrimeStoppers.org.