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The Disappearance of Curtis Pishon
● Person of Interest Identified
Adult Male
New Hampshire
Curtis Edward Pishon | 1959–2000
| Full Name | Curtis Edward Pishon |
| Born | July 11, 1959 |
| Age | 40 |
| Height | 5'9" |
| Weight | 165 lbs |
| Eyes | Brown |
| Hair | Graying Brown |
| Last Wearing | Light blue security uniform, new boots |
| Notes | May have mustache. Contact lens wearer. Diagnosed with MS. |
About Curtis
Curtis Edward Pishon
Curtis Edward Pishon was born on July 11, 1959, in Columbus, Georgia, to Nicholas and Astrid Pishon. He grew up in a military family, moving frequently across the United States and abroad. He had two brothers, Nicholas Jr. and Mark, and a sister. From an early age, Curtis wanted to follow his father into law enforcement. He briefly attended the University of Hawaii before returning to New Hampshire to be with his family in Hopkinton.
In 1980 Curtis joined the U.S. Army and served as Military Police, completing his enlistment in 1984. He then joined the Concord, New Hampshire Police Department, where he worked for a decade. In 1990 he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. As his condition progressed and limited his mobility, Curtis was forced to retire from the force he had dedicated his career to. The loss hit him deeply. According to his brother Mark, his personality changed after the diagnosis, and he struggled with depression and alcohol dependency in the years that followed.
In December 1998, Curtis found a new footing when he took a position as a security guard with Reliable Security Guard Agency, assigned to the overnight shift at Venture Corporation in Seabrook, a plastic parts manufacturing plant. He lived in Hampton, New Hampshire, at the time of his disappearance. His father, Nicholas Sr., has since passed away without knowing what happened to his son.
01
Background
What We Know
On the night of July 4, 2000, Curtis Pishon arrived for the graveyard shift at Venture Corporation in Seabrook at approximately 9:30 p.m. Because of the Fourth of July holiday, only about 12 of the facility's usual 100-plus employees were working that night. Curtis parked his green Mercury Topaz about eight feet from the guard shack and took his post. His supervisor checked on him at midnight and found everything normal.
At 1:42 a.m. on July 5, Curtis called the Seabrook Fire Department to report that his car was on fire. He had attempted to use an extinguisher but could not contain the blaze. When firefighters arrived, Deputy Chief Jeff Brown noted that Curtis seemed unusually calm given that his car, which he used to store many of his belongings, was burning. Curtis made his last log entry at 2:00 a.m. after the firefighters left. His supervisor checked on him again after 2:00 a.m. and found him at his post. At approximately 3:45 a.m., a co-worker discovered that Curtis was not in the guard shack. His lunch box, cigarettes, and lighter were still there. He was never seen again.
The car fire was subsequently ruled arson. That same night, a forklift on the premises was used to break into two vending machines and a change machine. At 3:45 a.m., witnesses reported seeing two vehicles speeding away from the location. Curtis's body has never been found. His case is classified by the NH Department of Justice as a disappearance under circumstances that suggest foul play.
Case Timeline
How It Unfolded
July 4, 2000 — 9:30 p.m.
Curtis Arrives for the Graveyard Shift
Curtis arrives at Venture Corporation and parks his green Mercury Topaz approximately eight feet from the guard shack. Because of the holiday, only about 12 employees are on site. His supervisor checks on him at midnight and finds everything normal.
July 5, 2000 — 1:42 a.m.
Curtis's Car Catches Fire — Ruled Arson
Curtis calls 911 to report his car is on fire. He has already attempted to use a fire extinguisher. Firefighters respond and extinguish the blaze. Deputy Chief Jeff Brown later notes that Curtis appeared calm despite the destruction of his vehicle, which he used to store many personal belongings. Curtis makes his last log entry at 2:00 a.m. after firefighters depart. The fire is later ruled arson.
July 5, 2000 — After 2:00 a.m.
Supervisor Confirms Curtis at His Post
Curtis's supervisor checks on him again after 2:00 a.m. and finds him at the guard shack. Several co-workers on break also see Curtis walking the factory perimeter at approximately 3:15 a.m. This is the last confirmed sighting of Curtis Pishon.
July 5, 2000 — 3:45 a.m.
Curtis Is Gone — Two Vehicles Seen Leaving
A factory worker discovers that Curtis is not at his post. His lunch box, cigarettes, and lighter remain in the guard shack. Witnesses report seeing two vehicles speeding away from the premises. Investigators find that a forklift was used to break into two vending machines and a change machine on site. Curtis is never seen again.
2005
Person of Interest Named
Police receive a tip that a Venture Corporation employee, Robert E. April, may have knowledge of Curtis's disappearance. April is named a person of interest. Police search his property but find no physical evidence connecting him to Curtis. When asked to take a polygraph, April refuses. He is never charged.
2008
Declared Legally Dead — Memorial Dedicated
The Pishon family declares Curtis legally dead in 2008. A memorial stone is placed in his honor at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen. Investigators continue to classify him as a missing person because his remains have not been recovered. The family launches the "Find Curt" campaign with a $5,000 reward and a dedicated tip line.
2008 — Present
Case Remains Open — $10,000 Reward
The reward for information leading to the discovery of Curtis's remains, or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved, has grown to $10,000. The NH Department of Justice Cold Case Unit continues to investigate. Curtis Pishon remains Seabrook's only active missing persons case.
02
Investigation
The Investigation
The physical evidence at the scene pointed strongly toward foul play. Curtis's car fire was ruled arson. A forklift was used to break into vending machines on the property. Two vehicles were seen speeding away in the minutes after Curtis was last seen. His personal items remained at the guard shack, and there was no activity on his bank or credit cards after that night. A search of his apartment found nothing unusual.
Investigators also learned that in the period before his disappearance, Curtis had expressed concern to at least one person about his safety at work and about alleged illegal activity taking place at the factory. He had also reportedly received a threat from a co-worker following a parking ticket he had issued. In the days before he vanished, Curtis purchased a 9mm pistol back from his father, with whom he had previously sold it when he was short on cash. The gun was found at his residence, still in the bag his father had packed it in. He had not brought it with him to work.
In 2005, a tip named Venture Corporation employee Robert E. April as a person of interest. According to an arrest affidavit filed in connection with a separate incident, April allegedly told a 17-year-old that he had killed the missing Seabrook man and buried him in his yard. Police searched April's property but recovered no evidence connecting him to Curtis's disappearance. April refused to take a polygraph examination. He has not been charged in connection with this case. Seabrook Police Chief Gallagher has said he has spoken with April on multiple occasions about Curtis but that April has provided no relevant information.
Investigators have also explored the possibility that the circumstances of the night, including the arson, the vending machine break-ins, and the departure of two vehicles, represent a coordinated act with multiple participants. No arrests have been made. The case is managed by the New Hampshire Department of Justice Cold Case Unit.
From the Investigation
Seabrook Cold Case Still Haunts Family — Hampton Union
03
Help Find
If You Have Information
Curtis Pishon has been missing for more than 25 years. The Pishon family is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the discovery of Curtis's remains or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in his disappearance. Investigators especially want to hear from anyone who was at or near Venture Corporation in the early morning hours of July 5, 2000, or who has any knowledge of the events of that night.
Seabrook Police Department
(603) 474-5200
Curtis Pishon is Seabrook's only open missing persons case
Family Reward
$10,000
For information leading to discovery of remains or arrest and conviction
In Memoriam
He Is Not Forgotten
Curtis Pishon spent his adult life trying to serve. He wanted to be a police officer before he was old enough to join. He served in the Army. He spent 10 years on the Concord police force. When multiple sclerosis took that from him, it broke something in him. The security guard job at Venture Corporation was a way back, a smaller version of what he had always been.
He was on that shift, doing that job, on the Fourth of July when someone took his life. His lunch box was still in the shack. His cigarettes were still there. He was 40 years old and he deserved better than to vanish without anyone being held accountable.
A memorial stone bearing his name stands at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen. His brothers and his family have never stopped asking what happened to him. His father, Nicholas Sr., went to his grave without an answer. Curtis is not forgotten, and his case is not closed.
"Both the Pishon family and investigators suspect foul play, and despite naming a person of interest, Curtis Pishon's disappearance remains a mystery 25 years later."
Murder, She Told Podcast — 2025
Sources
NH Department of Justice Cold Case Unit | Seabrook Police Department | NamUs #MP11578 | WMUR | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki | Murder, She Told Podcast (2025) | Chip Chick | Websleuths | Hampton Union | The Daily News of Newburyport
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