Went to go post about this case until I realized there was no specific thread for it, so here we are.

First of all, were there ever any updates to this case? Was Hugh ever found?

If not, what does everyone think? Did Hugh kill his wife, or were they accosted by the same party three years apart?

If I remember correctly, there was a discussion a few months ago about the least discussed cases on this forum and someone mentioned this story. I think there are one or two threads about it, tops. I find this strange because even though this case did not air during the "glory years" of the show, it is a very compelling, well presented and memorable case just the same.

It has been some years since I last watched it, but my gut feeling was and still is that Hugh Harlan probably murdered his wife and skated by on lack of evidence. I think it's possible that he felt guilty about the murder as the years went on and possibly hiked into the woods or hitchhiked out of the area and took his own life. Perhaps his body was never recovered, or it was and ended up a "John Doe" - which could be true if he took his own life in another state.

The keys weren't found far from the truck. This reminds me of Gail Delano abandoning her car, ditching the keys, and ending it all in another state.

Those are pretty much my gut feelings from the segment. I find it hard to believe another party had it in for this seemingly eccentric, but nice, older couple and went out of their way to murder Diane Harlan and presumably strike again at Hugh three years later.

If I remember correctly, there was a discussion a few months ago about the least discussed cases on this forum and someone mentioned this story. I think there are one or two threads about it, tops. I find this strange because even though this case did not air during the "glory years" of the show, it is a very compelling, well presented and memorable case just the same.

It has been some years since I last watched it, but my gut feeling was and still is that Hugh Harlan probably murdered his wife and skated by on lack of evidence. I think it's possible that he felt guilty about the murder as the years went on and possibly hiked into the woods or hitchhiked out of the area and took his own life. Perhaps his body was never recovered, or it was and ended up a "John Doe" - which could be true if he took his own life in another state.

The keys weren't found far from the truck. This reminds me of Gail Delano abandoning her car, ditching the keys, and ending it all in another state.

Those are pretty much my gut feelings from the segment. I find it hard to believe another party had it in for this seemingly eccentric, but nice, older couple and went out of their way to murder Diane Harlan and presumably strike again at Hugh three years later.

Agreed. That seems the most likely explanation, in my opinion.

Apparently Diane's dogs were something of a point of contention for the couple, what with Hugh giving Diane what little money he had and her spending it on the animals, other people, and so on. Wasn't there also something about how she fed him dog food a few times without him knowing it? In any event, I find it interesting that she was killed with a dog leash, and that Hugh did not correctly recall if the dogs had wandered back to the house with their leashes.

Gail Delano was immediately what I thought of when the keys were mentioned. The fact that someone who knew him said it would've been uncharacteristic of him to just abandon a vehicle (he would've most likely given it to someone else who needed it if he were leaving, she said) is somewhat telling. Gail left absolutely everything behind; looks like Hugh did the same, unfortunately.


In any event--and in all seriousness--what fascinating two people. I always thought they were some of the more "colorful" UM characters, which is why it surprises me that this case doesn't get talked about so much.


By the way, what the hell is "ragweed pot"? Exactly what it sounds like? I have no point of reference for smoking anything other than tobacco, but I can't imagine that being incredibly enjoyable. :lol:

By the way, what the hell is "ragweed pot"? Exactly what it sounds like? I have no point of reference for smoking anything other than tobacco, but I can't imagine that being incredibly enjoyable. :lol:

It's dirt cheap, low quality marijuana, typically from Mexico.

The fact that he was a chronic smoker and left it behind doesn't bode well either.

Two theories come to mind:

1.Because of the significant time period between Diane's murder and Hugh's disappearance..I think it's not impossible that the two may be unrelated.

2. I wonder if Hugh's disappearance was some amateurish attempt at vigilantism.
Some person who knew (and maybe had an unrequited love for) Diane may have wanted Hugh to pay for the crime.

2. I wonder if Hugh's disappearance was some amateurish attempt at vigilantism.
Some person who knew (and maybe had an unrequited love for) Diane may have wanted Hugh to pay for the crime.

A revenge killing? I could maybe see that, especially in light of the fact that Hugh's truck was found in the same area where Diane was killed.

In any event--and in all seriousness--what fascinating two people. I always thought they were some of the more "colorful" UM characters, which is why it surprises me that this case doesn't get talked about so much.


By the way, what the hell is "ragweed pot"? Exactly what it sounds like? I have no point of reference for smoking anything other than tobacco, but I can't imagine that being incredibly enjoyable. :lol:

I loved that segment!

I didn't recognize the names Hugh and Diane Harlan at first, but as I read on, I knew who you were talking about. The first think that came to mind was "Oh, 'ragweed pot'!"!!! :lol: I then thought to myself, "What the hell is ragweed pot", only to read it in your post (literally) two seconds later! How odd is that?! I always assumed it was "ditch weed", AKA pot that grows in the wild, usually as a result of undigested seeds in bird droppings. It's of very low potency (often male plant as opposed to female) and grows all over the place.

In any event--and in all seriousness--what fascinating two people. I always thought they were some of the more "colorful" UM characters, which is why it surprises me that this case doesn't get talked about so much.


By the way, what the hell is "ragweed pot"? Exactly what it sounds like? I have no point of reference for smoking anything other than tobacco, but I can't imagine that being incredibly enjoyable. :lol:

I loved that segment!

I didn't recognize the names Hugh and Diane Harlan at first, but as I read on, I knew who you were talking about. The first think that came to mind was "Oh, 'ragweed pot'!"!!! :lol: I then thought to myself, "What the hell is ragweed pot", only to read it in your post (literally) two seconds later! How odd is that?! I always assumed it was "ditch weed", AKA pot that grows in the wild, usually as a result of undigested seeds in bird droppings. It's of very low potency (often male plant as opposed to female) and grows all over the place.

The only hole in the theory that Hugh murdered Diane and committed suicide out of guilt is that one can't help but think surely Hugh's body would have been found. After all its kind of hard for a person committing suicide to hide their own body. Unless they jump into some sort of terribly hot furnace like what happened to Dave Bocks, or into a large body of water. But why would Hugh bother to do that?

Even though at first glance this seemed like a solvable case, I always had a strange feeling watching it, like it was just to mysterious to be solved. Kind of like the case of the man who supposedly died in two different fires, or the one where the two men who had a business at the same location dissapeared and one was shot with his dog.

The only hole in the theory that Hugh murdered Diane and committed suicide out of guilt is that one can't help but think surely Hugh's body would have been found. After all its kind of hard for a person committing suicide to hide their own body. Unless they jump into some sort of terribly hot furnace like what happened to Dave Bocks, or into a large body of water. But why would Hugh bother to do that?

Even though at first glance this seemed like a solvable case, I always had a strange feeling watching it, like it was just to mysterious to be solved. Kind of like the case of the man who supposedly died in two different fires, or the one where the two men who had a business at the same location dissapeared and one was shot with his dog.

In the last case you mentioned, though, the man who was found with his dog--Tom Young--had likely committed suicide, and it was a year before he was ever found. I think if Hugh did commit suicide, it was probably a "Gail Delano" type deal, where he traveled to another location far from Morro Bay. With Hugh's long beard, he may have even been mistaken for a vagrant, and summarily sent to a coroner as a John Doe. Perhaps he's yet to be identified.

In the last case you mentioned, though, the man who was found with his dog--Tom Young--had likely committed suicide, and it was a year before he was ever found. I think if Hugh did commit suicide, it was probably a "Gail Delano" type deal, where he traveled to another location far from Morro Bay. With Hugh's long beard, he may have even been mistaken for a vagrant, and summarily sent to a coroner as a John Doe. Perhaps he's yet to be identified.

Also, keep in mind that people like Hugh and Diane likely lived slightly "off the grid" for many years. They had little money, which means less documentation. I tend to believe that Hugh did kill Diane in a final fit of eccentric rage. Being eccentric, a "Delano" outcome for Hugh is perfectly in the cards. From what we learned from the friend interviewed, Hugh really did sound like a decent person. He would have been so overcome with guilt that suicide would likely be his only option. I could see him putting on nice clothes and shaving his beard before killing himself in some other location. There's a John Doe out there somewhere.

Also, keep in mind that people like Hugh and Diane likely lived slightly "off the grid" for many years. They had little money, which means less documentation. I tend to believe that Hugh did kill Diane in a final fit of eccentric rage. Being eccentric, a "Delano" outcome for Hugh is perfectly in the cards. From what we learned from the friend interviewed, Hugh really did sound like a decent person. He would have been so overcome with guilt that suicide would likely be his only option. I could see him putting on nice clothes and shaving his beard before killing himself in some other location. There's a John Doe out there somewhere.

Oh yeah, totally agreed. I got to thinking yesterday--do the "free spirits" of UM suffer any more than other victims because of their lifestyle choices? Keith Reinhard comes to mind, as does David Stone. In any event, I surely hope not. :(

I wonder if LE ever created an age-enhanced photo of Hugh to get an approximation of what he would look like clean shaven. They could take the most recent photo they had of him sans beard and simply do the age progression, then spread the word to morgues nationwide.

That's a good question, by the way. There are the "free spirit" eccentirics and also the reclusive eccentrics. All in all, I would say that the free spirits suffer a worse ultimate fate than even the recluses. Unlike the hermits, the free spirits usually maintain contact with friends and family and care enough about others to not wish them any suffering on their account.

Even though at first glance this seemed like a solvable case, I always had a strange feeling watching it, like it was just to mysterious to be solved. Kind of like the case of the man who supposedly died in two different fires, or the one where the two men who had a business at the same location dissapeared and one was shot with his dog.

I think I see where you are coming from. For what it's worth, I do feel that some times UM intentionally or unintentionally took some artistic license and added "mystique" to some mysteries that probably have otherwise simple and mundane explanations - not to say that they are not "mysteries", just that there is often a more logical explanation, but UM doesn't always go for that.

It's interesting that you pigeonholed those particular two cases, Clarence Roberts and Tom Young/Keith Reinhard, in this thread about Hugh and Diane Harlan.

I believe that all three cases are prime examples of what I'm talking about. All three have very logical and realistic explanations, but UM portrayed them in a sensational and sometimes sinister light that made them seem very bizarre and unusual.

I, on the other hand, prefer more of an Occam's Razor approach to matters. If you apply that axiom to these particular stories, you'll see just how easily they come apart.

Hmm, I am not sure whether Hugh Harlan killed Diane or not? Personally, I do not think he did. It will sound bad, as it is not the best defense but I think if he was going to kill her, he would have done it in a different way. I mean the whole strangling with the dog leash? Plus she was not killed at home but in a completely different part of Morro Bay.

However I have always doubted Hugh Harlan regardless of what one thinks about whether he killed his wife or not, I seriously doubt he himself was murdered, especially by the same person or persons that killed his wife if he was not the one that killed her. Hugh seemed like the type, he had his own way of thinking, his own way of doing things, he was eccentric and lived in his own world in many ways, in a world that only he himself seemed to truly understand. So I can see how he might just decide one day that he wants to go somewhere else and move on.

It will sound bad, as it is not the best defense but I think if he was going to kill her, he would have done it in a different way. I mean the whole strangling with the dog leash? Plus she was not killed at home but in a completely different part of Morro Bay.

Good point

1. Hugh may not have had a lot of options at the time, for a murder weapon...other than his bare hands.

2. This is going to sound like the dumbest question in the history of this forum,

but is it completely ruled out that Diane Harlin may have been strangled "accidently"?:confused:

Perhaps an accident involving the dogs, where the leash got caught on her throat?

3. The fact that she was not killed at home, makes it less of a crime of passion on Hugh's part.....unless he moved the body and staged the crime scene.

I always got the impression that the folks interviewed from Morro Bay knew more about the case than what they were telling UM. Can't explain why, just a feeling.

Hugh I don't believe as a John Doe. He had some missing fingers that would stand out. His beard, height(not a big man), and missing fingers make me think that he is not a John Doe but some one did get away with murder though

I always liked this case, and I'm surprised it was never discussed on here much (or that I never thought to post on it until now). the biggest mystery about this case:

What is up with that photograph they show of Hugh and Diane at the beginning of the segment and again a couple of more times, once toward the very end? If you told me it was from 1863 I would believe you, and not just because Hugh and Diane are dressed like it's 1863, but also because of the film stock the picture appears to be on. I suppose it might be one of those retro-type photos that you can get done at touristy type places, but frankly it doesn't look like one of those, and, if it was one of those, I would be very, very surprised if that was the only photograph available of Hugh and Diane as a couple (the sort of people who would have that kind of photo done at a carnival or something would also be the sort of people to have real photographs of themselves taken). In any event, the print itself looks much too authentically old to have been one of those reproduction novelty jobs.

That picture has always creeped me out.

As for what happened here, at the end of the segment Stack mentions that Hugh Harlan is no longer considered a suspect in his wife's death. I wonder what led them to that conclusion, if that is in fact an accurate statement? It would be interesting to know.

It's hard to say what exactly happened to Hugh, though there really aren't any obvious signs of foul play involved. Strange.

I always liked this case, and I'm surprised it was never discussed on here much (or that I never thought to post on it until now). the biggest mystery about this case:

What is up with that photograph they show of Hugh and Diane at the beginning of the segment and again a couple of more times, once toward the very end? If you told me it was from 1863 I would believe you, and not just because Hugh and Diane are dressed like it's 1863, but also because of the film stock the picture appears to be on. I suppose it might be one of those retro-type photos that you can get done at touristy type places, but frankly it doesn't look like one of those, and, if it was one of those, I would be very, very surprised if that was the only photograph available of Hugh and Diane as a couple (the sort of people who would have that kind of photo done at a carnival or something would also be the sort of people to have real photographs of themselves taken). In any event, the print itself looks much too authentically old to have been one of those reproduction novelty jobs.

That picture has always creeped me out.

Isn't that strange? Hugh is a dead ringer for Rasputin and Diane looks like Granny from The Beverly Hillbillies. Easily the most bizarre photo of a couple ever shown on UM. There was one other picture shown of Diane that I can recall, and a few of Hugh towards the end of the segment, which were quite good, really. He looked nothing like the man in that 1850s tin-type thing.

Personally I always thought it was one of those retro type photographs. I have had them done myself with my family when we were visiting our native state of North Dakota. However it was more of a fun thing to do and certainly our pictures while they looked old fashioned did not look like the Harlan's. I looked at photographs of my relatives from oh, late 1800's and the first and second decades of the 20th century and the Harlan's photograph looked more like those. But then again the Harlans were a very quirky couple to say the least from what was described on UM, both were very eccentric so who knows?

This is one of my favorite cases that I forgot all about until I re-watched it

Ragweed was probably all he could afford, especially when Diane was alive and was spending all of him money on the dogs!

:lol:

I loved that segment!

I didn't recognize the names Hugh and Diane Harlan at first, but as I read on, I knew who you were talking about. The first think that came to mind was "Oh, 'ragweed pot'!"!!! :lol: I then thought to myself, "What the hell is ragweed pot", only to read it in your post (literally) two seconds later! How odd is that?! I always assumed it was "ditch weed", AKA pot that grows in the wild, usually as a result of undigested seeds in bird droppings. It's of very low potency (often male plant as opposed to female) and grows all over the place.

Perhaps an accident involving the dogs, where the leash got caught on her throat?

She very well could have been down petting them whatever and they got excited and the leash wrapped around. If she was with the dogs I would think the dogs would have tried to agttack the assiallant(s). My golden retriver always freaks out in pretend play like she thinks I am in danger and she grabs the persons arms with her teeth and tugs them away.

The big mystery is what became of Hugh after he left his truck. It's possible he suffered a stroke/medical condition, wandered off the road and his remains haven't been found. But he's also the kind of individual who could easily leave all of the trappings of his current life behind to move on.

I believe he had knowledge of Diane's death. When he talked to the authorities, he mentioned she had been missing for 12 days but he wasn't concerned. Diane, by all accounts, was devoted to her dogs -- why would Hugh not report her missing, when her dogs wandered back by themselves, or at least ask around if anyone had seen her?

Hugh also told the police that the dogs had their leashes on the night they returned; he then claimed the dogs didn't have their leashes when the police showed him the leash that had strangled Diane. They had a chronic, well known history of disputes as well. It's one thing to not give a crap if your wife comes home, but it's another to change your story -- it chips away at your credibility. Personally I think Hugh got fed up with the dog food casseroles...

As for what happened here, at the end of the segment Stack mentions that Hugh Harlan is no longer considered a suspect in his wife's death. I wonder what led them to that conclusion, if that is in fact an accurate statement?

I'm curious as well.

For some reason I can't find Hugh's disappearance on The Doe Network or The Charley Project. Does that seem odd? I've never encountered a person featured on UM who is missing to not be on either of these websites.

Went to go post about this case until I realized there was no specific thread for it, so here we are.

First of all, were there ever any updates to this case? Was Hugh ever found?

If not, what does everyone think? Did Hugh kill his wife, or were they accosted by the same party three years apart?
my name is jeff neill my mom is betsey harling hues sister. im 42years old. i remember my uncle hugh and aunt diane very well growing up. first of all everyone says my aunt diane was ceazy. to tell you the truth she was very smart and very talented. she was vell educated, she was a concert chelloist, and she and hugh made incredibly nice jewlry. the were a little different i guesse compared to most folks. i remember through out most of my childhood they would vcome and vistit us often. they had this old pick up truck and they had built this wooden house on it. it was really cool the lived in it and made jewry . they eacch had a hamic hanging in there little truck house. any ways i truelly know in my heart hugh harling would not or did not kill my aunt diane. so uncle hue if your out there and come across this i love you and greg and mom love you i still live in santa rosa please find me. thank you'all for hearing my little bit about my aunt and uncle.

my name is jeff neill my mom is betsey harling hues sister. im 42years old. i remember my uncle hugh and aunt diane very well growing up. first of all everyone says my aunt diane was ceazy. to tell you the truth she was very smart and very talented. she was vell educated, she was a concert chelloist, and she and hugh made incredibly nice jewlry. the were a little different i guesse compared to most folks. i remember through out most of my childhood they would vcome and vistit us often. they had this old pick up truck and they had built this wooden house on it. it was really cool the lived in it and made jewry . they eacch had a hamic hanging in there little truck house. any ways i truelly know in my heart hugh harling would not or did not kill my aunt diane. so uncle hue if your out there and come across this i love you and greg and mom love you i still live in santa rosa please find me. thank you'all for hearing my little bit about my aunt and uncle.

Thanks so much for posting damidniterider! Its great to be able to talk with someone who knew them. Honestly I was always on the fence about what happened. All I know is what the UM segment mentioned of course. It didn't seem like they got along very good. Hugh seemed like a very mellow, laid back guy but I guess I figured there was a chance in the heat of the moment something could have escalated between them. The strangest part of this is Hugh's disappearance. Do you or any of your family have any theories on what happened to him? It did seem like he just left. Maybe he was afraid he would eventually be arrested for her murder and didn't want to go to jail for a crime he didn't commit.

Watched this morning and the detective says that he believes whoever killed Diane, got Hugh...or I heard wrong.

Watched this morning and the detective says that he believes whoever killed Diane, got Hugh...or I heard wrong.Then the question would be about who is this person?

This has always been one of the weirdest cases to me.

I agree. It was along the lines of, "Police now believe whoever killed Diane, killed Hugh" but who? Why?

We definitely have no idea what Hugh Harlan could have known (if anything regarding his wife's murder) but I have a gut feeling he was afraid for his life so he chose to leave town and start a new life with a new identity. Either that or on the job he was working on in that other town he ran into some nefarious characters and met with foul play there. But it's a very perplexing case no matter how you slice it!

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2011/08/25/1729567/hugh-harlin-missing-since-nov.html

This article says that Harlin's friends discovered that his truck had a faulty fuel line. The theory was that he parked his truck on the side of the road, and then hiked to find a service station. This makes the most sense, IMO. His friends that discovered his truck saw that he left virtually everything behind in his truck, including his glasses. The article also mentions that Harlin had a lot of friends, but also a lot of enemies. It's possible that whoever murdered Diane, spotted Hugh walking along the road and decided to kill him too.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2011/08/25/1729567/hugh-harlin-missing-since-nov.html

This article says that Harlin's friends discovered that his truck had a faulty fuel line. The theory was that he parked his truck on the side of the road, and then hiked to find a service station. This makes the most sense, IMO. His friends that discovered his truck saw that he left virtually everything behind in his truck, including his glasses. The article also mentions that Harlin had a lot of friends, but also a lot of enemies. It's possible that whoever murdered Diane, spotted Hugh walking along the road and decided to kill him too.

I wonder how he made so many enemies.

I wonder how he made so many enemies.

Maybe due to his and his wife's eccentricities.

I just saw this segment and wanted to rewatch it but it was deleted.

How did the friends know that his van was out there?

If he wanted to disappear why borrow the stuff from the friend?

Lots of unanswered questions in this case but it seemed from the segment that he and the wife were a little eccentric.

I just saw this segment and wanted to rewatch it but it was deleted.

How did the friends know that his van was out there?

If he wanted to disappear why borrow the stuff from the friend?

Lots of unanswered questions in this case but it seemed from the segment that he and the wife were a little eccentric.

I think his friends saw his truck simply by driving down the road and noticing it. And UM left out a part about his truck having a faulty fuel line, but his friends theorized he left his truck to go to an auto shop or store, and met with foul play afterwards.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2011/08/25/1729567/hugh-harlin-missing-since-nov.html

This article says that Harlin's friends discovered that his truck had a faulty fuel line. The theory was that he parked his truck on the side of the road, and then hiked to find a service station. This makes the most sense, IMO. His friends that discovered his truck saw that he left virtually everything behind in his truck, including his glasses. The article also mentions that Harlin had a lot of friends, but also a lot of enemies. It's possible that whoever murdered Diane, spotted Hugh walking along the road and decided to kill him too.
That last comment about having a lot of enemies makes me wonder if Hugh wasn't the intended target all along. Maybe whoever killed Diane did so to send Hugh a message. I can't possibly think of what the message could be because the segment never made it seem as though Hugh had any enemies or was engaging in anything nefarious.

That last comment about having a lot of enemies makes me wonder if Hugh wasn't the intended target all along. Maybe whoever killed Diane did so to send Hugh a message. I can't possibly think of what the message could be because the segment never made it seem as though Hugh had any enemies or was engaging in anything nefarious.

UM leaves out a lot of information on a lot of segments, so it wouldn't surprise me if Hugh was involved in something nefarious. Your theory about sending a message to Hugh by killing Diane seems perfectly logical. But then again, if this were intended as a message to Hugh, he obviously didn't "get" it, since he was probably murdered years later.

This is what I think about the case.

The location where his truck was abandoned was a major highway. Even in the segment it showed lots of traffic going back and forth. It is Highway 1 according to google. Is it possible he decided to start a new life, and just left everything behind? It seems he was a very "off the grid" type of person. Threw his keys out and hitch-hiked out of the area. Out of coincedince he stepped into the car of the same person or people that were responsible for the death of his wife, and they took care of him as well.

Or, he took a ride from some random crazy person (that had nothing to do with his wife) and was dealt with far away or his body was dumped into the ocean, never to be found. Remember this was all on the coast. I looked up the Morro Bay-Cambria-San Simeon area and it looks very isolated.

I also get the feeling that some of the people they interviewed seemed to be a little "off". Like they knew more than what they said.

Just watched this one again. Hugh's keys were tossed mere feet away from his abandoned truck. The theory that his truck had a faulty fuel line, and that he went off to replace it before meeting with foul play, would make no sense in this scenario. Why toss his keys if he intended on returning? I also wonder if the line about police no longer considering him a suspect was a ploy to get him to come forward at the time. The most logical scenario, IMO, is Hugh killed Diane, and then 4 years later, committed suicide. Suicide would seem the most likely since his truck was abandoned, his keys were left behind, his glasses, tobacco, weed, etc. were all left behind in the truck. If Hugh intended on taking off to start a new life, he would've taken some of these items. I think it's highly improbable that he would have been picked up by a random stranger who then murdered him and dumped his body somewhere.

I always liked this case, and I'm surprised it was never discussed on here much (or that I never thought to post on it until now). the biggest mystery about this case:

What is up with that photograph they show of Hugh and Diane at the beginning of the segment and again a couple of more times, once toward the very end? If you told me it was from 1863 I would believe you, and not just because Hugh and Diane are dressed like it's 1863, but also because of the film stock the picture appears to be on. I suppose it might be one of those retro-type photos that you can get done at touristy type places, but frankly it doesn't look like one of those, and, if it was one of those, I would be very, very surprised if that was the only photograph available of Hugh and Diane as a couple (the sort of people who would have that kind of photo done at a carnival or something would also be the sort of people to have real photographs of themselves taken). In any event, the print itself looks much too authentically old to have been one of those reproduction novelty jobs.

That picture has always creeped me out.

As for what happened here, at the end of the segment Stack mentions that Hugh Harlan is no longer considered a suspect in his wife's death. I wonder what led them to that conclusion, if that is in fact an accurate statement? It would be interesting to know.

It's hard to say what exactly happened to Hugh, though there really aren't any obvious signs of foul play involved. Strange.



I agree, definitely 1863. Also they both looked like they were 70 but she was 43 and he was 52.

I'm looking into this case more closely it is very puzzling and interesting. There is not a lot of information about this case. I'm a writer and after seeing unsolved mysteries I feel like this is a good topic for my first book. If anyone has anything to say or any information about this intriguing mystery plz reply

I think you are 100% right! I thought the entire time I was watching the segment that he killed her and they didn't have enough evidence. He left his tobacco behind and his weed and tossed his keys, which reminds me of Gail Delano She left everything behind just like Hugh did and tossed her keys too and tossed her purse behind a bush and went to another state and rented a hotel room and killed herself. I think Hugh did something similar. One day, they find skeletal remains and it will be his or maybe they have and they haven't identified them, because they haven't linked them to him.

It's been a while since I saw this segment, but the impression I got was that he killed her.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2011/08/25/1729567/hugh-harlin-missing-since-nov.html

This article says that Harlin's friends discovered that his truck had a faulty fuel line. The theory was that he parked his truck on the side of the road, and then hiked to find a service station. This makes the most sense, IMO. His friends that discovered his truck saw that he left virtually everything behind in his truck, including his glasses. The article also mentions that Harlin had a lot of friends, but also a lot of enemies. It's possible that whoever murdered Diane, spotted Hugh walking along the road and decided to kill him too.

Ah, replying to 7 year old posts again, but..

I'm reading it was a missing fuel line. Which.. vehicles don't run when they're missing fuel lines.

Sounds to me like he probably blew a fuel line going down the road, pulled it off on the side of the road and then went walking.

At this point, multiple things could happen. Hit by a vehicle and knocked into the woods beside the road.. Possible. We've had cases around here where a motorcycle rider goes off road and isn't found for days, weeks or months. The downside to this argument? They're found. The buzzards usually lead people to them.

Picked up by a crazy and murdered. Doesn't have to have been the people who killed his wife. I mean, to say they damaged his fuel line planning all this out is something of a reach.

Perhaps he just pulled a Craig Williamson.

Everyone seemed to like Hugh at least on the broadcast. I think he probably did kill his wife, she likely pushed his buttons too much.

Maybe he committed suicide after leaving his truck, he probably had depression or something like that, maybe he still had guilt from the death of his wife which added to everything.

The cops ruled Hugh out as a suspect in Dian's murder, which was always weird to me, but apparently they believe Dian was attacked and strangled, and that a sexual assault (or attempted) occurred. She was found partially clothed, IIRC. It would be a bizarre coincidence, but I wonder if Dian was murdered by some random psycho, and Hugh's disappearance was completely unrelated? Another man, about a year and a half prior to Hugh's disappearance, disappeared (https://charleyproject.org/case/william-herbert-pear) from Morro Bay as he was hitchhiking to get to Long Beach. I do not know if their cases are related, but it's strange that another man from the same town went missing roughly a year prior to Hugh, who also was traveling without a vehicle.

Another man, about a year and a half prior to Hugh's disappearance, disappeared (https://charleyproject.org/case/william-herbert-pear) from Morro Bay as he was hitchhiking to get to Long Beach. I do not know if their cases are related, but it's strange that another man from the same town went missing roughly a year prior to Hugh, who also was traveling without a vehicle.

Good find. By looking at the similarities between the two men, one wonders if there was a killer out there who targeted bearded men, or if both were victims of opportunity?

I agree with your theory that Dian was killed by a random person and that Hugh's disappearance was simply coincidence, amidst unfortunate.