He is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served from 2000 to 2003. On the evening of January 13, 2016 Troy left his home in the Crystal Falls Ranch subdivision and never returned. According to his mother, Troy and his wife had a fight that evening and Troy left, on foot, in a short sleeve t-shirt into the cold January night.

Curiously, only 30 minutes after he left the house, his cell phone was turned off. He was never seen again.