WA WA - Michael Richards, 28, Woodland, 6 Feb 2003

[doc_j]

http://www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/sheriff/unsolved/richards.htm

Case #03-6559
Michael R. Richards was last seen leaving a party at 646 Englert Road in Woodland, WA in the early morning hours of February 6, 2003. At the time of his disappearance he was in possession of a backpack. Richards’ physical description is 5’5”, 140 pounds with hazel eyes. There have been numerous rumors of foul play, and there have been no known sightings of Richards. His family has not heard from him. Searches have failed to locate either Richards or the vehicle listed below.

Possibly Driving: A mid 1980’s, blue or gray Nissan 200sx, unknown license.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/r/richards_michael.html
http://www.nampn.org/cases/richards_michael.html

I myself grew up in this area, and I think I remember him. There is a big meth scene there, and I'm guessing that has something to do with it. In a small community like that, somebody out there knows what happened.

 

[doc_j]

Here are some maps of the area that I made:

 

[doc_j]

A photo of the missing, his car, and the entrance to Englert Rd (courtesy of Google.com). Englert Rd is not very long, the party was a short distance up the hill. Notice that the terrain here is very rugged and heavily forested. North of there is nothing but miles and miles of heavy forests, mountains, and deep ravines.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Odd that his car has never been found. Especially since he left the area on foot.

If it was abandoned somewhere you'd think someone would have come across it in the past 7 years?

 

[doc_j]

You would think that his car would have been found by now, but you never know. That area is a maze of logging roads, quarries, ravines, etc...... I know that when I was growing up, we'd see rusted out cars up in the mountains every once in a while. And people out hunting aren't going to pay too much attention to a rusty hulk at the bottom of a ravine. There's plenty of water nearby where it could have been dumped as well. You would think though that after 7 years, someone would have said something to someone else. I'm betting LE has info they aren't disclosing on this one.

 

[doc_j]

Bumping. In a few weeks it will be 8 years....................

 

[doc_j]

In just over a week it will be 9 years since he disappeared. 9 years is an awful long time for someone to have not said anything to someone else. Hopefully this will be the year that someone sheds some light on where Michael is. Woodland is a small town, and someone knows exactly what happened.

 

[MagnoliaMountain]

Bumping for Michael.

 

[doc_j]

Bumping...... another year has gone by

 

[SouthernSummer]

Bump...anyone heard if they ever found his car?

 

[doc_j]

Fifteen year bump. It never ceases to amaze me how a person and car can both completely vanish without a trace. Hopefully the passage of time will make someone with information feel comfortable enough to come forward.

 

[sasha17]

Updated Charley Project link - Michael Roy Richards – The Charley Project

"Richards was last seen at approximately 7:00 a.m. on February 6, 2003 in the vicinity of the 600 block of Englert Road in Woodland, Washington. He left the area on foot, but his vehicle, a blue/gray mid-1980s model Nissan 200SX, is also missing."

 

[renaebri]

Bump 21 years this week.

 

[heartanium]

Namus link: MP1005

15 public exclusions

According to family he has been ruled out as UP84823

There were several articles written about his disappearance but not much new information.

Slape, Leslie, "Woodland man still missing," Longview Daily News, December 21, 2003, pg 4.

"Sheriff seeks info on missing man," The Longview Daily News, February 9, 2004, pg 7.

Slape, Leslie, "Missing man believed killed," Longview Daily News, February 5, 2004, pg 9, 10.

"[Tonya] Campbell (Michael's sister) said she and Mike were close "he has my name tattooed on his chest."

"Her brother used to help her with lifting and other work. She said he called her regularly."

"Her theory is that methamphetamine dealers killed her brother, who used the drug."

"Detective Fred Taylor, lead investigator on the case, confirmed last month that detectives have been investigating the disappearance as possible homicide after first treating it as a missing persons case."

There was also a body found on May 3, 2003 between Woodland and Cougar that was suspected to be Richards but ended up being 35-year old Yakov V. German of Vancouver.

Slape, Leslie "'I think it's him'," Longview Daily News, May 6, 2004, pg A1, A8.

"[Michael's mother] said that the family has lived near Cougar for 13 years and that her son, an outdoorsman and avid hunter, knew the area well.

"Richards, who fought a methamphetamine habit for 10 years, "had a heart as big as gold but just got involved with the wrong crowd"."

Slape, Leslie "Identity of man found dead eludes investigators," Longview Daily News, May 7, 2004, pg B1, B2.

"Karen Richards said DNA or fingerprints, if available, would be the surest way of [identification], since he never saw the dentist as an adult. The only certainty about his teeth is a front tooth that was chipped at age 7 while playing Ring-Around-the Rosie."