TX TX - Suzanne Richerson, 22, Galveston, 7 Oct 1988

Name: Suzanne Rene Richerson
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Missing: 10/7/88
From: Galveston, Texas

Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: December 8, 1965
Age at Time of Disappearance: 22 years old
Sex/Race: Female/White
DOB: 12/8/65
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
Height: 5' 4"
Weight: 140 Lbs.
Identifying Marks: Pierced ears. Richerson has a scar above her right eyelid. She wears contact lenses.
Jewelry: n/a
Last Seen Wearing: Blue jean skirt, blue blouse, tan shoes.

Circumstances of Disappearance
Richerson worked as a night clerk at Casa Del Mar Condominiums in Galveston, Texas in October 1988. She was last seen at work on October 7 at approximately 6:00 AM. Another employee was sleeping in the room above Richerson's office and awoke to a female scream, followed by a car door slamming in the facility's parking lot. Another scream was heard before the car drove away. The last people to see her, according to authorities, were night-time security guards who got off duty at 6 a.m. that morning. Authorities say, a half hour later when a guest came downstairs to check-out, the office was empty and Rene was nowhere to be found. There was no sign of a struggle. Rene left behind her purse, school books and car. One of her shoes was found in the parking lot. Richerson has never been seen nor heard from again.

Rene Richerson’s case is included along with 26 other women in the area that have been murdered or missing since 1971. Authorities believe there may be several serial killers responsible for some of the deaths and disappearances. A task force of various local law enforcement agencies and the FBI has been formed in order to solve these cases. They call themselves Operation HALT (Homicide-Abduction Liaison Team.).

On July 31, 2002, Gabriel Soto, 39, died apparently from a drug overdose. Soto was never charged in Richerson's case, but investigators said they believed he played a role in Richerson's disappearance, and he was awaiting trial on a retaliation charge when he died.

If you have any information regarding this case please contact:

Texas Department of Public Safety
Missing Persons Clearing House
PO Box 4087
Austin, Texas 78773
512-424-2811 or 800-346-3243

Subj: SUZANNE RENE RICHERSON

In May of 1990, I was contacted by a Mr. William R. Payne, who told me in a telephone conversation that he was a Private Investigator in Texas who was looking for a missing girl named Rene Richardson (sic). He said that he had been hired by Ms. Richerson's father or family and that they lived in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Mr. Payne told me that he believed that she might be buried in an oil field, and asked if I would come from Washington, DC (where I was working at the time) to Galveston to assist him in the search. Mr. Payne told me that he was a retired Coast Guard officer and that he had heard of my previous work in locating Missing Navy flight crews.

I agreed to take a few days off and fly to Texas. Mr. Payne, and someone whom he introduced as one of his "associates" met me at the Houston/Galveston airport on 29 May 1990, and he drove me first to a motel to drop off my bags, and from there we proceeded to an Oil Pipeline area located close to the intersection of Highway 2004 and Highway 208. The area was generally west of Hitchcock and south of Danbury, Texas.

While driving in his vehicle to the site, Mr. Payne told me briefly about the Richerson Case, and about the information that he had as to why he thought this would be a good place to look. I recall that he told me he had received a phone call or calls from a person who claimed to have been the driver of the vehicle used to abduct Ms. Richerson the night that she disappeared. This person claimed to have been with two other men who had both been convicts and were at the time employed in the oil fields.

According to this informant, they saw Ms. Richerson, who was working alone at a front reception desk in a large building, and the other two individuals went in and forcibly abducted her and threw her in the back of the van or panel truck in which they were riding. Mr. Payne said that Rene had lost a shoe in the struggle.

The informant told Mr. Payne that Ms. Richerson was raped by the men and then killed. He stated that they then drove away from Galveston on Highway 2004 (heading generally southwest), to an area that they had previously worked. This informant stated that Ms. Richerson's body was buried "on top of the pipeline" and that she was approximately 180 yards south (to the left while traveling away from Galveston) of Route 2004." Further, that they accessed this area by turning Left off Route 2004 "a few hundred yards prior to the Danbury Sign." That sign was near the intersection of 2004 and Hwy 208. There was indeed an access gate in that area in 1990, and it is indicated on the sketch that I made at the time.

The informant stated that Ms. Richerson's body was supposedly wrapped in a plastic sheet or tarp, and that they were hidden from view of the road when burying her. The men reportedly had used some earth moving equipment at the site to do the digging.

I spent two days searching the area indicated. On 29 May, I worked the pipelines south of Highway 208 and located seven areas of magnetic anomalies. Mr. Payne had a couple of reasons for wanting me to start on the South side, even though all of the previously mentioned clues would have told me to search to the North. He said that someone had reported seeing men using earth moving equipment south of 208 in the days following Ms. Richerson's disappearance, and also he had some cadaver dogs indicate a possible body earlier. The next day, 30 May 1990, I searched north of 208, finding only three areas of interest.

Although Mr. Payne told me that he was working closely with the police, at no time did any police officers come to the site. In fact, after dropping me off there, Mr. Payne and his "associate" drove away, leaving me alone in the Texas sun all day long - both days. He did pay for the motel room, and bought me lunch at a fast food place one day and got me to the airport on the last day, but I was never paid anything for my efforts. After returning home, I mailed a detailed copy of my report to him. He had promised to send me a photo of Ms. Richerson and said that he would let me know if they found anything in the areas that I had located and marked, but I never heard from him again.

Weird! I live in Houston and remember not long ago they found some remains they thought were this girl's but it turned out not to be her.

Why did these guys contact you? How did they find you? Do you think now that they were not straight about who they were? Did you ever try to contact them again, or her family?

She was a beautiful girl.

Puppymom said:

Weird! Why did these guys contact you? How did they find you? Do you think now that they were not straight about who they were? Did you ever try to contact them again, or her family?

Click to expand...

I was never in contact with Rene's family, only with Mr. Payne. I felt that he was straight with me when I met and spoke with him, but after I returned home, I wondered about him.
While I was working alone in those oil pipeline fields I wondered what other engagement he had that was so important that he was not right there with me - at least for a portion of each day. I remember that he had always seemed like he had to run off to some important meeting or some hot case.
He also did not reply to my detailed letter and map of the area, and did not return my phone messages.
I had no idea if he ever checked out the areas that I marked and identified, until I finally reached him by phone several weeks later. He told me that they had looked in some of the places that I had marked, but that some of my markers had been obliterated by cattle before they got around to checking. At one place that I had marked, he told me that they found a buried post with a shirt on it.
I wondered if he had shared any of my surveys with the Richerson family, and if he might have charged them for my efforts.
Several years after all this, I did call the Texas law enforcement officers when I saw Rene's photo and story in one of the Missing Persons websites. I related the above story to them, and asked if this private investigator was real. They got back to me later saying that, yes, they "knew of him".
The case is still open.

I forgot to mention - I do not recall exactly why Mr. Payne got hold of me to begin with. I suspect that either he had read an article in a magazine about me, or perhaps someone had told him of my ability to locate graves and other magnetic anamolies.

The below link contains some photos of Rene

-------------------------------------------------
Texas Missing Persons Clearinghouse Online Bulletin

Missing Person Details
Name: Suzanne Rene Richerson
Case Number: A8810011
Case Type: Endangered - Foul Play Possible
Last Seen in: Galveston (Galveston County)
Last Seen on: 10/7/1988
Height: 5' 4 "
Weight: 140 lbs.
Age Missing: 22
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Brown
Date of Birth: 12/8/1965
Race: White
Sex: Female
State Missing From: Texas
Country Missing From: USA
Circumstances: Ms. Richerson has a small scar above her right eyelid. She also wears contact lenses. Ms. Richerson was last seen at Casa Del Mar Condominiums where she worked as the desk clerk. She was last seen wearing a blue blouse, a blue jean skirt and tan shoes.

Link:
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/mpch/mpdetails.asp?id='M9/20/20042:45:41PM'

Bumping case up. Next month will mark 19 years since Rene's disappearance.

Ruled out by dentals
Suzanne Rene RICHERSON
RULED OUT BY DENTALS


Texas Missing Persons Clearinghouse Online Bulletin

Missing Person Details

Date Picture Updated: 9/20/2004

Additional Pictures

Name: Suzanne Rene Richerson
Case Number: A8810011
Case Type: Endangered - Foul Play Possible
Last Seen in: Galveston (Galveston County)
Last Seen on: 10/7/1988
Height: 5' 4 "
Weight: 140 lbs.
Age Missing: 22
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Brown
Date of Birth: 12/8/1965
Race: White
Sex: Female
State Missing From: Texas
Country Missing From: USAC
ircumstances: Ms. Richerson has a small scar above her right eyelid. She also wears contact lenses. Ms. Richerson was last seen at Casa Del Mar Condominiums where she worked as the desk clerk. She was last seen wearing a blue blouse, a blue jean skirt and tan shoes.
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/mpch/mp...2:45:41PM'

Due to recent interest.

Bump

Next month will mark 22 years that Suzanne has been missing. Come home soon.

Bumping for Suzanne, 25 years is far too long.

It has been 25 years since Renee was abducted, and probably murdered.

I have always felt that she was, in fact, buried in the oil pipeline that I searched so many years ago.

I doubt that much digging was done there. In fact, cattle roamed over the area north of Highway 208, and it is quite possible that they knocked down some of the markers that I placed over areas of interest.

All of my information regarding the case came from Mr. Payne, who had interviewed the self confessed "driver". I don't know how accurate or truthful his witness was, but the description of the burial site was very accurate, from what I could tell.

Richard said:

Subj: SUZANNE RENE RICHERSON

In May of 1990, I was contacted by a Mr. William R. Payne, who told me in a telephone conversation that he was a Private Investigator in Texas who was looking for a missing girl named Rene Richardson (sic). He said that he had been hired by Ms. Richerson's father or family and that they lived in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Mr. Payne told me that he believed that she might be buried in an oil field, and asked if I would come from Washington, DC (where I was working at the time) to Galveston to assist him in the search. Mr. Payne told me that he was a retired Coast Guard officer and that he had heard of my previous work in locating Missing Navy flight crews.

I agreed to take a few days off and fly to Texas. Mr. Payne, and someone whom he introduced as one of his "associates" met me at the Houston/Galveston airport on 29 May 1990, and he drove me first to a motel to drop off my bags, and from there we proceeded to an Oil Pipeline area located close to the intersection of Highway 2004 and Highway 208. The area was generally west of Hitchcock and south of Danbury, Texas.

While driving in his vehicle to the site, Mr. Payne told me briefly about the Richerson Case, and about the information that he had as to why he thought this would be a good place to look. I recall that he told me he had received a phone call or calls from a person who claimed to have been the driver of the vehicle used to abduct Ms. Richerson the night that she disappeared. This person claimed to have been with two other men who had both been convicts and were at the time employed in the oil fields.

According to this informant, they saw Ms. Richerson, who was working alone at a front reception desk in a large building, and the other two individuals went in and forcibly abducted her and threw her in the back of the van or panel truck in which they were riding. Mr. Payne said that Rene had lost a shoe in the struggle.

The informant told Mr. Payne that Ms. Richerson was raped by the men and then killed. He stated that they then drove away from Galveston on Highway 2004 (heading generally southwest), to an area that they had previously worked. This informant stated that Ms. Richerson's body was buried "on top of the pipeline" and that she was approximately 180 yards south (to the left while traveling away from Galveston) of Route 2004." Further, that they accessed this area by turning Left off Route 2004 "a few hundred yards prior to the Danbury Sign." That sign was near the intersection of 2004 and Hwy 208. There was indeed an access gate in that area in 1990, and it is indicated on the sketch that I made at the time.

The informant stated that Ms. Richerson's body was supposedly wrapped in a plastic sheet or tarp, and that they were hidden from view of the road when burying her. The men reportedly had used some earth moving equipment at the site to do the digging.

I spent two days searching the area indicated. On 29 May, I worked the pipelines south of Highway 208 and located seven areas of magnetic anomalies. Mr. Payne had a couple of reasons for wanting me to start on the South side, even though all of the previously mentioned clues would have told me to search to the North. He said that someone had reported seeing men using earth moving equipment south of 208 in the days following Ms. Richerson's disappearance, and also he had some cadaver dogs indicate a possible body earlier. The next day, 30 May 1990, I searched north of 208, finding only three areas of interest.

Although Mr. Payne told me that he was working closely with the police, at no time did any police officers come to the site. In fact, after dropping me off there, Mr. Payne and his "associate" drove away, leaving me alone in the Texas sun all day long - both days. He did pay for the motel room, and bought me lunch at a fast food place one day and got me to the airport on the last day, but I was never paid anything for my efforts. After returning home, I mailed a detailed copy of my report to him. He had promised to send me a photo of Ms. Richerson and said that he would let me know if they found anything in the areas that I had located and marked, but I never heard from him again.

Click to expand...

wow...

Richard said:

It has been 25 years since Renee was abducted, and probably murdered.

I have always felt that she was, in fact, buried in the oil pipeline that I searched so many years ago.

I doubt that much digging was done there. In fact, cattle roamed over the area north of Highway 208, and it is quite possible that they knocked down some of the markers that I placed over areas of interest.

All of my information regarding the case came from Mr. Payne, who had interviewed the self confessed "driver". I don't know how accurate or truthful his witness was, but the description of the burial site was very accurate, from what I could tell.

Click to expand...

I remember reading somewhere that a house in galveston was searched for remains specifically under the home, I heard they found nothing but animal bones, is this when they said the remains were moved? Don't think her remains could be somewhere here in galveston? Plenty of places to hide a body.

I think about Suzanne everytime I drive by Casa Del Mar, and that is daily. I hope someday soon she will finally rest.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/r/richerson_suzanne.html



https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/983/0/

I just read an article from May 19, 1990 in the Austin American Statesman Paper. The headline is "Mother hopes show will provide clues on missing daughter". I found it through some newspaper archive my school has so I probably can't post it here. However, I just wanted to say that there was a Willie Payne interviewed and he talks about a confession he received. Based on the confession, he was going to check some vacant land in Brazoria County. The show Suzanne was going to be featured on was called "Missing Reward".

I think my father may be connected to this one.. I located the address of the neighbor mention in the write up and discovered that this was only 460 ft away from were my father lived... My mother was raped and left for dead by 3 men and I am a product of that attack. what i want to know is WHAT was the tip that brought investagators to this yard to dig so close to my fathers home (that occupied men with long rap sheets of rape charged) what was the tip that put them so close? could it have been the wrong yard?? This is one of many that I have seen a connection too.. See my youtube link for more of story.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUfvEMBlc08

Suzanne Rene Richardson

[video=youtube;SuqxvgpP0co]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuqxvgpP0co[/video]

Yes! I saw that write up, watch my youtube on the subject.

[video=youtube;SuqxvgpP0co]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuqxvgpP0co[/video]