Today marks 70 years since Robert “Bob” Hart, Jr. was shot to death in Shelton. To this day, his murder has not been solved.
Bob was an auto mechanic working in Stratford. Friends, family, and coworkers described him as easy to get along with and friendly to others.
The year 1955 should have brought joy for Bob and Olive Hart, who were expecting their first child together after being married in 1953. Instead, Bob’s life was cut short at just 26 years old.
On August 17, 1955, Bob Hart was shot twice in the back and once in the head by an unknown assailant while driving on Route 8 in Shelton. Passersby stopped at the scene immediately after seeing the car slow to a stop. Witnesses reported seeing a man run from the passenger side of the car into the woods as Hart stumbled out of the driver’s seat onto the road.
Witnesses and police were on site so quickly that it was believed the killer ran into the woods and was hiding out. Police set up road blocks, brought in bloodhounds, and had helicopters searching the woods nearby.
More than 100 officers were searching the area around Route 8 in Shelton and nearby towns. Based on witness interviews, police theorized that Hart picked up the killer, who was hitchhiking on Route 8, but no motive for the murder was determined.
The infamous flooding of August 1955 interrupted the search while police had to respond to the influx of other calls. Heavy rains may have obscured evidence in woods. It was a week later, on Saturday, August 27, that police released a sketch of the suspect based on witness descriptions.
The sketch was accompanied by the description that the man was tall, had a crew cut, and was likely in his twenties. Another article described him as 5’10” tall, dark hair, with “sharp” features and wearing a white t-shirt with dark pants. It is believed that Hart was not the only person to pick up this hitchhiker that day, and someone else may be able to identify him or share where the suspect was later dropped off.
In the months that followed, police continued the search for the killer and ruled out some suspects. Law enforcement followed hitchhiking killers around New England hoping to charge someone, but they never were able to.
Hart’s wife, Olive, was about eight months pregnant at the time of the crime. She was sitting at their home, waiting with sandwiches, for Hart to visit on his lunch break from work. Hart was shot at 12:20pm, before making it home.
When time goes by, crimes can become more difficult to solve. However, family stories, deathbed confessions, and old journals may also surface to help explain old crimes. Olive Hart Bogue died in 2020 not knowing who killed her high school sweetheart. Their daughter and family still deserve to know what happened to him.
Tips and information should be reported to the Connecticut State Police. Cold Case Toll-Free Tip Line
1-866-623-8058, or [email protected]
Sources:
The Bridgeport Telegram (via Newspapers.com)
The Bridgeport Post (via Newspapers.com)
Project Cold Case