He left his parents' house in 2010 and headed down the road towards his own home yards away. He hasn't been seen since.
Jan. 25 2022, Published 2:22 p.m. ET
A 23-year-old Virginia man left his parents’ house in the middle of the afternoon and within 10 minutes, both his cellphones went dead.
A decade later, no one has seen or heard from him since.
On March 22, 2010, Shane Donahue, 23, was last seen leaving his parents’ house in Nokesville, Virginia, the Prince William Police Department stated. He was supposed to be heading to his own home, which was down the road. However, he never made it home.
Officials said that within 10 minutes of him leaving his parents’ house, both of his cellphones went dead. Prince William County police Det. Brian Wing told the News and Messenger in 2011, “Both phones went off around 4 p.m. that day. Either they were both turned off at the same time, or the batteries died at the exact same time.”
Donahue lived in a duplex not far from his parents’ house, as they both lived on Aden Road, the newspaper reported. On the day he disappeared, Shane had money on him, as he was just paid $5,000 for installing ceiling tiles at Colgan Air.
According to authorities, Donahue paid his friend Timothy Sean Hickerson $1,000 for helping him out on the job. Shane was with Hickerson on the day he disappeared and actually rode off in the passenger seat of Hickerson’s truck with Timothy driving, the News and Messenger stated.
Hickerson is the last person known to see Donahue and Wing told the News and Messenger, “He is a person of interest in this case.” If Hickerson knows anything about where Donahue is, he isn’t saying, as Wing added, “Nobody’s talking.”
Donahue was never in trouble with the law and didn’t seem to have a reason to disappear on his own. There has been no sign of him since March 22, 2010, and he has had no activity on his phones or bank accounts and no calls to family, officials said.
Police said they investigated his duplex and found nothing to show a struggle. His parents paid for cadaver dogs to search the area parks and found nothing.
While there is no evidence showing Shane is either alive or dead, his parents don’t believe he is alive, police said. Shane ate dinner at his parents’ house just about every night and called his mom every day, the News and Messenger reported.
Because of that, his mother, Donna Donahue, believes he is dead. She told the News and Messenger, “Bubba would never leave me like this.”
While his parents believe he is no longer alive, police have not given up hope and the cold case remains open. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at (703) 792-7000.
Become a Front Page Detective
Sign up to receive breaking
Front Page Detectives
news and exclusive investigations.