Crime Solvers Central
CSC
254 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Case Description

Any updates on this case? Let us know!
Richard Urista, 23, was last seen on February 23, 2011, in Muskogee, Oklahoma. On that day, he borrowed a relative's van to run an errand but never returned. The following day, the van was found abandoned in Texas by local authorities. Urista later called his roommate, telling him that he was in the mountains and heading to California. This was the last known contact anyone had with him.

Urista was described as 5'7" to 5'9" tall, weighing around 120 to 130 pound ...Read More
Last Seen: Feb 23, 2011

Victim Details

Nov 12, 2020

Jan 31, 2022

Richard

Urista

36

23

67 inches

69 inches

120 lbs

130 lbs

Hispanic / Latino

Male

In the late winter of 2011, a young man named Richard Urista, aged 23, disappeared from Muskogee, Oklahoma, leaving behind a series of puzzling events. On February 23, 2011, Richard, a Hispanic male with brown hair and brown eyes, standing between 5'7" and 5'9" and weighing around 120 to 130 pounds, borrowed a van belonging to a relative. He stated he was just going to run an errand, a simple task that should have seen him return home shortly. However, Richard never came back, and that brief errand marked the last time he was seen in Muskogee. The day following Richard's departure, the situation grew more concerning and perplexing. A police agency in Texas contacted authorities in Oklahoma to report that they had located the van he had been driving. The vehicle was found abandoned, far from his home, raising immediate questions about his well-being and what might have happened after he left for his errand. On that same day, a brief and cryptic communication occurred when Richard placed a phone call to his roommate. He told his roommate that he was in the mountains and was making his way to California. This was the last known contact anyone has had with Richard Urista. Years have passed since that final phone call, and Richard's whereabouts remain a mystery. His family and friends were left in a state of deep concern, especially given that he had been facing some mental health challenges. Despite his stated intention to travel to California, there is no evidence to suggest he ever reached his destination or contacted anyone he might have known there. The Muskogee Police Department opened an investigation into his disappearance, but the case has grown cold with no significant leads to follow. The case of Richard Urista is a troubling one that began with a simple errand and ended with an abandoned vehicle and a mysterious phone call. The narrative of his disappearance is pieced together from these last known events: leaving his Oklahoma home in a relative's van, the vehicle's discovery in Texas the next day, and his final, brief message about being in the mountains and heading west, a destination he seemingly never reached.

Feb 23, 2011

Muskogee

Oklahoma

Muskogee County

74403

Yes

94186

Muskogee Police Department

Muskogee

Oklahoma

Muskogee County

74401

Drew Branan

Sergeant

112 South Third Street, Oklahoma

9186838000

Local

Law Enforcement

R1102278

2011-02-23

Muskogee Police Department

Brown

Brown

Brown

No

06/18/2026


Area Last Seen: