Robert Christian went missing during a trip from Madison to Baraboo on September 16, 1977.

Robert's vehicle was later recovered parked in a driveway near the State Patrol relay antenna on Tower Road southeast of the city. The wheels, tires and the battery was gone.

The Sheriff's Department followed up on a tip and found four old tires and the hubcaps from the Hornet in a quarry just south of the Badger Army Ammunition Plant and north of Prairie du Sac. Apparently, somebody had switched the tires from the new car for worn-out tires on their vehicle and then dumped the hubcaps. It is unknown if the stripping of the car and Robert's disappearance are connected, or if somebody found the Hornet after he disappeared and took what they could.

The Sheriff's Department brought in a bloodhound that followed Robert's trail a short distance from where he car was found, then lost the scent at Tower Road. They also used a National Guard helicopter to search open fields in the area.