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- Mar 16, 2022
- 8 min read

Shine a Light: Roy "Glenn" Mahan

Updated: Mar 17, 2022

Shine a Light: Roy “Glenn” Mahan

At the time that Glenn went missing, his case appeared to be another overdose story to many from the outside looking in. His struggle with addiction had started to manifest in his looks, and certainly in the group of people he was spending time with. But before Glenn was another addict in Raleigh County, WV, he was a deeply loved son, brother, and husband. I spoke with Glenn’s younger sister, Bree, for this case, who has worked tirelessly to locate her brother. Bree maintains logs off meticulous notes that she shared in detail. “My one regret in all of this is that I didn’t have grace for these people. I didn’t understand at the time, that there is a reason for the addiction.” Speaking with Bree, I was moved by her compassion and patience. Bree would like people to know who Glenn was and the struggles that he faced in hopes of helping others battling mental health issues and addiction, and ultimately, to find her brother.

As a young man, Glenn was known for his work ethic and was a successful electrician in the coal mines in Raleigh County. He and his wife, Kristie, were able to save enough money to purchase their home and vehicles and have no debts. Glenn was head over heels in love with his wife, and they built a life together that they took pride in. They were known to have an immaculate home. They were successful, but they were also down to earth, and they would lend a hand to those in need. Glenn had a kind heart, and a soft spot for those who were struggling.

Glenn and Kristie’s marriage came to an untimely end when she passed away at 40. Glenn was rocked by grief. His family recounts that Glenn was in excruciating emotional pain after losing Kristie. This was a turning point in Glenn’s life. His sister shared that Glenn struggled immensely in the year after Kristie’s death. He entered into an on again/off again relationship that was vastly different from his marriage and began using drugs and alcohol with his girlfriend. His drug use quickly became a way for Glenn to self-medicate some of the pain he was feeling.

One thing that Glenn struggled deeply with was being home alone after losing Kristie. He hated being in an empty home and didn’t like to spend his nights alone. Glenn’s hesitation to be alone in combination with his financial status and generosity led to his home becoming a place where many friends would stay and even live full time. At the time of his disappearance, Glenn had allowed his ex-girlfriend’s sister along with a friend of hers to live in his home. This friend also had children and a boyfriend that would stay at the house often.

Glenn had expressed to family and neighbors that he was feeling stressed about the situation. Although he didn’t like to be alone, he felt the situation was getting out of hand and wanted to ask his house guests to leave. He felt that they weren’t taking care of the home the way he liked to and felt uncomfortable with the volatile relationship between the guest and her boyfriend. In addition to this, he had to lock his valuables and medications in a safe as he felt they were too at risk in his home. It was easy for Glenn’s friends and family to see that he was being taken advantage of and struggling with how to handle it.

Glenn’s family is aware that he was struggling with substance abuse at the time of his disappearance. He had started to use heroin along with the people who were staying in his home. Although Glenn was using drugs, he maintained a very regular schedule and contact with family. Glenn spent every evening at his mother’s house to have dinner with her and his brother, Tim. Shortly before Glenn’s disappearance, his mother had been moved to a nursing home to undergo some physical therapy due to a fall. Glenn shared, laughing, to his sister that she refused to do her exercises unless he was there with her at the nursing home. So, every day, Glenn went to the nursing home to help his mother complete her physical therapy. Glenn continued to stop by his mother’s home every evening to see his brother, Tim while she was recovering.

On the day of his disappearance, Glenn had an appointment with his psychiatrist and went to the pharmacy to have his medications filled, part of his monthly routine. He then went to his mother’s home and had dinner with his brother. As he left that evening, he told his brother Tim, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” These are the last words that Glenn ever spoke to his family.

After Glenn left his mother’s house that evening, there are conflicting accounts of what he did, but the people involved in the story remain the same. One thing that is clear is that Glenn had gone home, put his medication away, and taken his prescription sleeping pills for that night. Glenn did not like to drive at night, and he did not drive after taking his sleeping medication. However, according to his roommates, he left the house around 10:30pm to meet someone to purchase heroin. The person he left to meet was someone he had purchased from before. He had expressed that he was upset and believed he had been sold “bad heroin” the previous week. The dealer was upset with Glenn for saying this and had told several people that Glenn needed to shoot the heroin. Glenn did not use drugs intravenously.

According to the dealer, Glenn was under the influence of drugs he typically did not use and was driving erratically. She asked to drive and claims that she then asked to get out of the vehicle near Eccles. She has also stated that Glenn saw someone he recognized nearby and left with them. Her story is unclear about whether Glenn was in his own vehicle, where he was heading, or why.

The dealer’s boyfriend shared statements that did not line up with this account. He too claims that Glenn was driving erratically and that he offered to drive him back to his house. He says he went into his home to use the restroom and when he came back outside, Glenn had already left. His story is unclear on when, how, or if Glenn met up with someone else near Eccles. The drug dealer that Glenn met that night along with her boyfriend have not been able to clarify why their stories are so different.

Other details and rumors have circulated since Glenn’s disappearance. In a frustrating event, Glenn’s car was actually located the night he went missing but was not reported to the police for several days. Glenn’s car was found off of a four-wheeler trail on private property off of Lynwinn Road. It was discovered around 2am the night that Glenn went missing. The car was in severe disrepair. It had suffered extensive damage to the undercarriage and was left running. The person that found Glenn’s car on his property stated he hadn’t seen any media coverage about a missing man or car, so he was unaware of the connection in the days that followed.

While some of the details and rumors in this case have evolved over time, a few key things have always remained the same. Glen was having trouble with his roommates, and he had recently had a conflict with a drug dealer. Each of these people are connected – His drug dealer is involved with his roommates. These are the people that last saw Glenn alive, and neither of them can agree on a story. Glenn’s family strongly believes that information regarding what happened to him lies within this group of people and that they have not been forthcoming.

Glenn’s roommates continued to live in his home after his disappearance. 24 hours after Glenn was reported missing, his roommate’s boyfriend moved into the house full time. Police were called to the home several times for domestic issues and property damage. None of Glenn’s roommates were involved in any search efforts and often pointed the finger at each other when speaking with Glenn’s family. I have left out names in the hopes that Glenn’s case will continue to be pursued and investigated. Glenn’s sister maintains meticulous logs of all her communication with the people involved in this case and has pieced together a strong idea of what happened to Glenn.

Two particularly disturbing instances remain unresolved. A woman in the area has openly shared that she knows where Glenn’s body is kept. The people she has shared this information with have made their willingness to cooperate with the police known to the family, but nothing has come of the interviews at this time. Additionally, a person has come forward and shared that the drug dealer Glenn met the night of his disappearance has said that she ran over Glenn with his car. At this time, police do not feel this is enough information to move forward.

Glenn Maher was a hardworking, generous, and kind person. He was proud of his home and his life he lived with his wife. The loss of his best friend and wife led Glenn to struggle deeply with his mental health. Glenn struggled to find treatment that was successful for him in the year after Kristie passed away but had made positive strides in recent years and saw his psychiatrist regularly and took his medication as prescribed. Glenn battled addiction on and off over the years since losing his wife. At the time of his disappearance, Glenn was known to smoke heroin. Despite his drug use, Glenn maintained a daily and monthly schedule that he rarely, if ever, deviated from. He was reliable and his family knew it was unlike him to not show up for his mother’s rehab or dinner with his brother.

Bree has been a relentless advocate for her brother since his disappearance, and I am now asking for support for her that she deserves and did not receive after losing her brother. Bree has relentlessly requested her brother’s home to be searched for evidence to no avail. She has repeatedly asked to submit a DNA sample to be used to compare with any John Doe’s that could be a match. She has hoped to have certain places searched by cadaver dogs. None of these things have happened and Bree no longer receives updates on her brother’s case unless she makes the trip to West Virginia or is able to get a call back. Glenn’s family shared that they have tried to respectfully work with the police for more than two years. They now are pleading with the public for help.

The people involved in Glenn’s disappearance have the potential to come forward and share the information that they have. For this to happen, it seems likely that a monetary reward is necessary. In a perfect world, they would share this information because it is the right thing to do, however, Bree is realistic that this isn’t going to happen. Bree is also hopeful for all involved in her brother’s disappearance. She hopes to continue to advocate for mental health and addiction treatment and awareness. She learned through a terrible experience that the lack of quality treatment is life altering. She hopes for each person to be able to get clean and begin a new life at some point. Bree’s compassion continues to move me.

I have started a Go Fund Me to help Bree and her family offer a reward for information regarding her brother’s case. I am asking readers to please share Glenn’s story and if possible, make a small donation to his reward fund. Glenn and his family are just as deserving of help and support as the cases that take social media and the news by storm. If you have information regarding the disappearance of Glenn Mahan, please contact the WV State Police at (304) 256-6700 or Crime Stoppers of WV at 304-255-7867. You can remain anonymous when contacting Crime Stoppers with information pertaining to this case.