Rico Harris missing case arose on October 10, 2014.
When Rico said goodbye to his family for leaving Alhambra, California, for an expected trip to his girlfriend’s house, it was a farewell he would not return from.
The former Harlem Globetrotter has never been seen or heard from again, and an extensive investigation by law enforcement could neither locate nor explain what happened.
Investigation Discovery’s ‘Disappeared: California Leaving’ seeks to uncover the truth behind Rico’s mysterious disappearance with a look at the athlete’s story before that fateful day.
Rico’s decorated career as a player or simply curious as to what transpired during the police investigation into his disappearance, the show is sure to answer your questions.
Rico’s life had taken an unexpected turn when his basketball career suddenly came to a halt due to a head injury.
Nonetheless, those who knew him described him as someone lighthearted and easy-going.
Understandably, Rico was looking for answers but instead found himself in the arms of Jennifer Song just months before he vanished without a trace
According to one report, the two were living together as she was even helping him pack up his belongings in preparation for their move elsewhere.
It remains a mystery what happened that day, and until now, no one has been able to make any conclusions about his disappearance, leaving many people heartbroken over this tragedy.
The missing case of Rico Harris
Rico had big plans for a special family reunion and an equally momentous road trip to see his girlfriend.
Setting out from Alhambra, California, on October 9th, by 8 AM the next morning, he was seemingly on the course when he stopped at a gas station in Lodi; little did he know, though, that not long after this stop, he’d take a wrong turn leaving him wandering aimlessly in the Capay Hills
His girlfriend later heard from Rico again and became concerned as he informed her he hadn’t slept for over 36 hours. No matter how you view it, too much time spent behind the wheel can become dangerous!
Song’s anxiety forebodingly mounted when Rico left a voicemail around 10:45 that morning, claiming he was going up in the mountains to recuperate.
But by evening, he never made it to Seattle. Despite numerous attempts from Song to reach him via call or text, Rico failed to answer his family’s pleas.
The investigation team gathered evidence
After four days of silence, Ricky’s vehicle was discovered abandoned in Yolo County – a full 450 miles away from home – making him the official subject of a missing persons case.
On October 14, Harris’s vehicle was discovered in the parking lot of a park in Yolo County, Northern California, but despite an extensive search, Harris was never found.
However, the investigation took an intriguing turn when police traced a “ping” from Harris’s cell phone, indicating it was more than 70 miles from the car’s location.
The mystery deepened as the car seemed to have been ransacked, out of gas, and had a dead battery.
Investigators were puzzled as to why Harris was on that particular road, which was far from the direct route from LA to Seattle.
Eventually, a man contacted the police to report finding a backpack and cell phone that he believed belonged to Harris.
The phone contained a video of Harris throwing his CDs and tearing things apart in his car, which explained the state of the vehicle but provided no insight into Harris’s perplexing actions.
Stories of the Unsolved provides more details on the concerning twists in the case.
Is Rico Harris alive?
Rico’s whereabouts are still unknown, and it’s unclear whether he’s alive or not. Despite extensive search efforts yielding no results, the police made the case public, appealing for any information that could be helpful.
The show mentioned two tips received, claiming that Rico was seen on October 11.
One witness claimed to have seen Rico sitting on a guardrail near where his phone and backpack were found around 5:30 am, while another witness reported seeing him walking along California’s Route 16 at 8 am the same day.
However, both leads turned out to be dead ends, and Rico remained missing. Despite the lack of progress in the case, it remains active, and authorities are still working to bring closure to Rico’s family.
So far, no evidence indicates foul play, and officials remain hopeful that Rico can be safely returned to his loved ones. Rico’s family is also cooperating with the police, hoping for a positive outcome in the investigation.
