'Somebody Has To Know Something:' OSBI Investigating Suspicious Disappearance After Chickasha Man's Remains Found

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation identified a man's remains in Chickasha as Richard Houston in early July.

His family says he was just starting to turn his life around when he disappeared in August of last year.

Friends and family say the 47-year-old’s disappearance shocked them. “This event was out of sorts, even for Richard,” Houston’s former case manager at the Life Skills Institute said.

His sister Kimberly Adair lived with the pain of uncertainty for over 10 months. “I was always constantly thinking about where he is, trying to find him,” she said.

On July 11, a small bit of certainty came. Houston's remains were identified by the OSBI near East Choctaw Avenue and Genevieve Street in Chickasha, just over a mile from where he was last seen outside his apartment at the Life Skills Institute.

The LSI is a shelter dedicated to helping people out of poverty. “He wanted to get better. He wanted to change and just overcome obstacles he had,” Flores said.

According to friends and family, Houston was on a path to success just before he went missing.

He was sober, working, and saving for a car. “I think he was starting to become proud of himself,” Flores said.

This is why Adair also strongly believes something happened to her brother. “For him to just disappear it’s just, it’s odd because he had all these plans, all these goals that he was trying to reach,” she said.

Houston's friends and family say they are only a small step closer to closure.

“At least I know where he’s at and I can bring him home," Adair said.

“A body can be returned to the family, but the question is always there. What truly happened?” Flores said.

They're holding on to hope that more answers are coming. “Somebody has to know something,” Adair said.

The Medical Examiner is still trying to determine how and when Houston died and the OSBI is still investigating this as a suspicious disappearance.

Anyone with information on Richard Houston's disappearance, or his death, should contact the OSBI at tips@osbi.ok.gov or 1-800-522-8017.