/random/ - random

Adam did strike up a conversation with Tony that day. Harold said that Adam believed Tony was a good person who was down on his luck and just needed some help. Adam thought that he would help him and they could have a good friendship. Soon after Adam met Tony, he invited him to stay at his apartment. The family was, of course, shocked to see Adam’s new roommate. It made sense in some ways because of Adam’s kind nature but they were concerned. However, Adam was a grown man living on his own so there was nothing his family could do. When Adam befriended Tony, he did seem to spend more time on the streets. He would start to partake in the mysticism that Tony seemed to have an interest in. There was even an incident when Adam purposely burned his hand in some sort of ritual that was likened to a test of endurance, mind-over-matter type exercise.

Adam Hecht

Adam Hecht

Then in early June of 1989, Harold and Adam had a worthwhile, lengthy discussion about the meaning of life and somethings that Adam was struggling with at the time. He remembers Adam was a little resistant to open up but Harold wanted to be there for his brother and listened to Adam and did what he could to be a comfort. Adam seemed to be going through a transitional phase as far as what was next for him and was in a vulnerable state, his brother believes. A few days later, Harold was concerned after not being able to reach Adam. He went to his apartment to check on him. Tony answered the door drunk and Adam didn’t appear to be inside. The door was locked and he refused to let Harold in. Worried, he shared the encounter with his mother and soon after, when no one could get a hold of Adam, his mother also went to the apartment. Tony was there and was acting strangely but there was no sign of her son and it appeared he hadn’t been there for some time. Adam Hecht was now missing.

Tony was never really any help, Harold remembers. He would seem coherent at times, other times not at all and a lot of what he said didn’t make any sense. Adam’s BMW was also missing. When it was discovered by the family that he was definitely gone, they reported him as a missing person and had the police evict Tony from Adam’s apartment. Tony was questioned by the police then and he said he didn’t know where Adam was, and the police didn’t seem to think he was involved and let him go.

Then about a month after Adam went missing, his car was found abandoned on a side street in Beverly Hills not far from his apartment. The keys were still in the ignition and Adam’s wallet, with credit cards and $600 cash inside, was found. The car was covered with leaves and parking tickets so it appeared to have been there a while, perhaps soon after Adam went missing. Aside from Adam’s belongings, there weren’t any other clues in the vehicle. His car seemed to be purposely abandoned, but by who?

The Beverly Hills PD began investigating Adam’s case as soon as his family reported him missing. They worked diligently on the case and checked out every lead they were given. Adam’s family has always thought they did a thorough job in searching for their loved one. I did speak by phone recently with Detective Sgt. Chris Coulter of the BHPD about Adam’s case. He said the case is still open so he was limited of the specifics he could talk about. He said they do and will continue to check out every lead they are given. There hasn’t been much action in the case, but there was a tip submitted a few years ago via the Unsolved Mysteries website of a college professor named Adam Hecht whom some thought bore a striking resemblance to the missing Adam. He said they did check it out and spoke with the Professor, and it was found to not be the missing Adam Hecht. Sadly, his case seems to have grown very cold.

Adam, Rebecca, Harold Jr. & Martine Hecht

Adam, Rebecca, Harold Jr. & Martine Hecht

Adam’s family also sprang into action, doing everything they could to try and track down their brother. Duffy had fliers made and hired a crew to assemble a database and mail them out to many PD’s, campuses, coroner’s offices and even to Europe where Adam had visited in the past. They searched everywhere they could think of and also spent thousands of dollars on a PI who followed up every lead, interviewing people, traveling to different cities, etc. The PI worked for them for about 6 months and did a comprehensive job, but sadly wasn’t able to come up with any solid information.

Harold said that Robert Stack was a family friend of the Hecht’s and “Unsolved Mysteries” was a successful tv show at the time. In an effort to find his brother, he contacted the show and after hearing the compelling story of Adam’s disappearance, they agreed to profile the case. It aired in October of 1990. Robert Stack even spoke with Harold about the case telling him he was very sorry and they were happy to put it on and they really hoped it helped. Harold vividly remembers being at the Telecenter during the airing. He said it was both exciting and humbling to see the calls that were coming in. There were some leads that were investigated, but unfortunately as is often the case, the vast majority of them turned out to be nothing. Also, in so many of these cases, some people will see this as an opportunity to benefit financially and give the loved ones false hope. I believe in this situation, the fact that the family was well off, made this happen even more often. They would follow up on every lead that seemed credible in the years after Adam’s disappearance but so many of them just seemed to be opportunists looking for a score.

There is another person in Adam’s life at the time of his disappearance that has never been mentioned before publicly, but was very much a negative influence according to his brother. Harold mentioned that real estate broker Andrew Gombiner and Adam were close around the time he went missing. They had met when Adam was tutored by Andrew’s successful tutoring business he had for Beverly Hills High School and developed a friendship. In a newspaper article from 1987, Andrew is referred to as “a boyish looking Beverly Hills High School graduate who used the earnings from a student tutoring service to become a successful real estate syndicator before 25.” The story I was told, however, is that Gombiner was involved in some very questionable real estate deals. Harold thinks that Adam was scammed out of money by Gombiner. He also said that, at Gombiner’s urging, Adam convinced his mother to invest over $100,000 in these “limited partnership” apartment complexes that went belly up and she lost all of her investment. Harold and his mother think that the risks and the benefits of the venture were misrepresented and several people, including Gombiner’s father, also lost money. So, it appears there were other people in Adam’s life at the time he went missing as well who were manipulative and taking advantage of him in his somewhat vulnerable state.

Adam Hecht

Adam Hecht

Now to follow-up a bit on Tony, Adam’s mysterious street friend. Not long after Adam went missing, Harold did see Tony out on the street in front of the Bagel Nosh in Beverly Hills. Harold, of course, asked Tony if he knew where Adam was and he responded something like “look around Beverly Hills, look around and you’ll see something”. Like in the past, just vague comments that in the end didn’t make any real sense. Duffy and Harold also got word a few years after Adam went missing that Tony was in jail. He did agree to see them, so Duffy and Harold visited him, desperate to know if he had any information about their missing brother. They even offered him money for information, but Tony wasn’t interested and really didn’t seem to know anything of any significance.

Some of you might be surprised to know that Tony has been around almost the entire time that Adam has been missing. I did read online a few places that Tony was thought to have been missing since the late 1990’s but that simply isn’t true. In fact, Harold has seen Tony regularly still on the streets as recent as 4 or 5 years ago in the same area of Beverly Hills where he had spent time prior. However, in the last few years Harold hasn’t seen Tony at all but BHPD informs me that Tony is still alive and they are aware of his whereabouts.

Harold, Duffy and Adam’s other family members searched aggressively for Adam for 5 years, following up every credible lead. As the family of a missing person, when do you just say “he’s gone” and try to move on with your life? There came a time, as Harold so aptly put it, “and then you have to sit back and say this is harder to keep this going then to just let it go”. It doesn’t mean they stopped looking for their loved one. They did absolutely everything they could think of to find him. They would and still do investigate and follow-up on every lead they think could be legitimate but with so much time having passed, their hopes are gone for a happy resolution to this case.

As far as my theories, I’ve actually changed my opinion since doing research and speaking with Adam’s family. I had initially thought that Adam decided to live on the street, and probably met with foul play ultimately. However, learning that Adam was struggling with some deep questions at the time he went missing, makes me believe he left his life willingly. His brother Harold seems to think that’s the most likely scenario as well. If Adam were struggling with his wealthy upbringing, it would stand to reason that maybe he wanted to leave it. His car seemed to have been left purposely and the fact that a lot of cash was left inside leads me to think it wasn’t left after some sort of a crime. I think Adam, wanted to go searching on his own, abandoned his car and told Tony he could stay at his apartment and left. I don’t think he had some sort of clear-cut plan nor do I know if Adam is still alive 30 years later. I do think he left of his own free will, which could explain why no trace of him was ever found in the first few years after he went missing despite exhaustive efforts. Ultimately, I don’t think Tony was involved in Adam’s disappearance and neither does his family. He was just a person struggling whom Adam thought he could help at the time and Tony was more than willing to take advantage of and accept anything from him he was willing to give.

Harold Hecht Jr. & Martine Hecht

Harold Hecht Jr. & Martine Hecht

Sadly, Adam’s father, Harold Hecht Sr., passed away in 1985 of cancer, 4 years before his son went missing. His brother Duffy is a successful movie producer and Harold Jr. an accomplished sports producer with 3 Emmy’s to his credit. His sister Rebecca runs the bakery dept. of a thriving grocery store. Adam’s mother Martine is doing very well. She’s retired, active and is now 82. She is still devastated by her son’s disappearance and every single year on Christmas and Adam’s birthday, she cries and wonders where her beautiful boy is. She has great memories of him but is sad that she didn’t do more, but didn’t see it coming at the time. Looking back, the family wishes they would have been more inquisitive with Adam, but never dreamed this type of scenario would happen.

Adam Hecht was a very kind, successful and compassionate person who appeared to be searching for answers to the same questions and ponderings most of us will have at some point in our lives. His desire was to be a help and comfort to those less fortunate and that is very commendable. Whether Adam did meet with foul play, developed amnesia, committed suicide or just wanted a different life, it appears we will never know. Adam’s family still has so many questions as well as a deep sadness with his disappearance that will never leave. Now 30 years later, there is one thing they want almost as desperately as they want to find Adam. It’s closure.

>>96872

dude!!! that's my buddy Adam !!

Adam Hecht !!!

I grew up in the same neighborhood as Adam...

we went to school together

>>96872

talk about coincidences, huh ?

what are the chances? this is weird

in fact, all the Jesus shit made me avoid him....

and that's the last time I ever saw Adam...

never saw Adam after that.....

.

but at least I made some friends

at Adam's funeral....

one of the pallbearers named

John Smith asked me if I had

a safe room to rent out

>>96872

LOL @ adding an apostrophe to EMMYS