OK OK - Stephen “Steve” Lee Murphy, last seen in Claremore sometime in 1976, not reported missing until July 2022

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FromGermany1 said:
Help for veterans, researchers, and civilians seeking information and military records, including records from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and military service personnel records.

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Military Records

Help for veterans, researchers, and civilians seeking information and military records, including records from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and military service personnel records.
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You can even search with a photo .....
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I have spent so much time going through records I feel like I should get some kind of certification.

Regarding Facebook, I looked through the groups and posted a couple with no luck. I received a lot of responses on Reddit. A lot of people said they would look into it then ghosted. It was odd.
 
subaw0067 said:
Hello Sleuthers,

Earlier today a friend sent me a message asking for help doing research on a missing person (the father of her friend). He was last seen in Claremore Oklahoma sometime in 1976. For a multitude of reasons, a missing persons report was not filed until last week in Tulsa.

STEPHEN "STEVE" LEE MURPHY
DOB: April 5, 1957 in Claremore Oklahoma

5’4”-5’7” 140-180lbs Brown hair, brown eyes

MOTHER: Mary Jane Hamm
FATHER: Tommy Wayne Murphy.

A.G. Bell junior high school 1970-1972, Tulsa, OK
Will Rogers High School graduate 1975, Tulsa, OK- DECA, Chess Club, Martial Arts, brought bible to school daily per classmate’s report. Went by "Steve"

Married June 2 1975 to in Tulsa. His uncle hadn't heard from him since about 1976. When my mother filed for divorce she had to put it in the newspaper as he couldn't be located, 1980 in the Tulsa Tribune, July 18,25, August 1, 8 publication.

MP’s mother reportedly told his siblings that “he went into the Marines and escaped still with handcuffs on and therefore went AWOL never seen again”.. When they asked about his whereabouts.

Where is Stephen Lee Murphy?
Click to expand...
Where did he escape from - as in what base? Try an open records with law enforcement in that area for arrest info.

Not reported missing for decades - um, can you tell us more? Was there a fight with family, possibly hiding from whatever entity he escaped from, someone(s) that could know more? Tracking info on those people could possibly help turn up info on him. The escape story seems hinky.
 
subaw0067 said:
Hello Sleuthers,

Earlier today a friend sent me a message asking for help doing research on a missing person (the father of her friend). He was last seen in Claremore Oklahoma sometime in 1976. For a multitude of reasons, a missing persons report was not filed until last week in Tulsa.

STEPHEN "STEVE" LEE MURPHY
DOB: April 5, 1957 in Claremore Oklahoma

5’4”-5’7” 140-180lbs Brown hair, brown eyes

MOTHER: Mary Jane Hamm
FATHER: Tommy Wayne Murphy.

A.G. Bell junior high school 1970-1972, Tulsa, OK
Will Rogers High School graduate 1975, Tulsa, OK- DECA, Chess Club, Martial Arts, brought bible to school daily per classmate’s report. Went by "Steve"

Married June 2 1975 to in Tulsa. His uncle hadn't heard from him since about 1976. When my mother filed for divorce she had to put it in the newspaper as he couldn't be located, 1980 in the Tulsa Tribune, July 18,25, August 1, 8 publication.

MP’s mother reportedly told his siblings that “he went into the Marines and escaped still with handcuffs on and therefore went AWOL never seen again”.. When they asked about his whereabouts.

Where is Stephen Lee Murphy?
Click to expand...
This was shared on a Reddit thread as a John Doe that fits the general age/timeframe as Murphys disappearance. Has anyone seen this before?

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.
www.namus.gov
 
Skittles81 said:
Where did he escape from - as in what base? Try an open records with law enforcement in that area for arrest info.

Not reported missing for decades - um, can you tell us more? Was there a fight with family, possibly hiding from whatever entity he escaped from, someone(s) that could know more? Tracking info on those people could possibly help turn up info on him. The escape story seems hinky.
Click to expand...
Went AWOL from Camp Pendleton.
Good idea. I will try that!
Family, wife, USMC did not report missing. Daughter did not know he existed until she was an adult. She reported him missing a few years ago when she was unable to locate him.
Re: People either they don’t know or won’t talk.
Agree on escape story.
 
Skittles81 said:
Where did he escape from - as in what base? Try an open records with law enforcement in that area for arrest info.

Not reported missing for decades - um, can you tell us more? Was there a fight with family, possibly hiding from whatever entity he escaped from, someone(s) that could know more? Tracking info on those people could possibly help turn up info on him. The escape story seems hinky.
Click to expand...
I honestly believe his mother made up the escape story. I don't know if he was fighting with family, as they refused to respond to my letters. I only talk with his brother and sister occasionally. The sister only has what their mother told her. The brother doesn't seem to have much information. The only thing I can think of why his mother never reported him missing was because she knew something. He was stationed in Camp Pendleton, went AWOL multiple times with last one being November 1976.
 
My thought only....It would be interesting if you could find out if other men of his unit were AWOL on the same dates. The reason being they could have been going into Mexico, 63 miles away. If he had been arrested in Mexico it might account for his AWOL dates and it might explain his 'disappearance'.
MOO
 
Snoangel26 said:
I honestly believe his mother made up the escape story. I don't know if he was fighting with family, as they refused to respond to my letters. I only talk with his brother and sister occasionally. The sister only has what their mother told her. The brother doesn't seem to have much information. The only thing I can think of why his mother never reported him missing was because she knew something. He was stationed in Camp Pendleton, went AWOL multiple times with last one being November 1976.
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Was his family super religious?
 
Spiritecho said:
My thought only....It would be interesting if you could find out if other men of his unit were AWOL on the same dates. The reason being they could have been going into Mexico, 63 miles away. If he had been arrested in Mexico it might account for his AWOL dates and it might explain his 'disappearance'.
MOO
Click to expand...
Former military here, just my two cents, but in my all my years in the Army I never experienced soldiers going AWOL in groups.
 
Snoangel26 said:
I honestly believe his mother made up the escape story. I don't know if he was fighting with family, as they refused to respond to my letters. I only talk with his brother and sister occasionally. The sister only has what their mother told her. The brother doesn't seem to have much information. The only thing I can think of why his mother never reported him missing was because she knew something. He was stationed in Camp Pendleton, went AWOL multiple times with last one being November 1976.
Click to expand...
That makes sense about the escape story. Is his mother deceased now? It is odd the siblings have no memories & never reported him missing either or attempted to find him. Were they very young at the time? Can the brother remember anything belongings he had with him when he said "he would be ok"?

BTW you can submit a records request without SSN or service number. Usually the service number is the SSN except for very old servicemembers - like Vietnam old. Its www.archives.gov/military-service-records
 
megs1477 said:
Went AWOL from Camp Pendleton.
Good idea. I will try that!
Family, wife, USMC did not report missing. Daughter did not know he existed until she was an adult. She reported him missing a few years ago when she was unable to locate him.
Re: People either they don’t know or won’t talk.
Agree on escape story.
Click to expand...
If the USMC did not report anything it is unlikely he is/was AWOL. The military won't actively hunt AWOL but when they are marked AWOL then it is entered in NCIC. So if he was arrested, stopped for a traffic violation, or ran through the law enforcement system for any other reason he would have been flagged that the military wanted him for being AWOL.
 
Skittles81 said:
Where did he escape from - as in what base? Try an open records with law enforcement in that area for arrest info.

Not reported missing for decades - um, can you tell us more? Was there a fight with family, possibly hiding from whatever entity he escaped from, someone(s) that could know more? Tracking info on those people could possibly help turn up info on him. The escape story seems
Click to expand...

IF he was actually AWOL and caught, he would have been sent to Ft. Leavenworth (military jail). I'm not sure, but I would assume there is some way to request records there.
 
Skittles81 said:
That makes sense about the escape story. Is his mother deceased now? It is odd the siblings have no memories & never reported him missing either or attempted to find him. Were they very young at the time? Can the brother remember anything belongings he had with him when he said "he would be ok"?

BTW you can submit a records request without SSN or service number. Usually the service number is the SSN except for very old servicemembers - like Vietnam old. Its www.archives.gov/military-service-records
Click to expand...
His mother is deceased. She never responded to any letter I sent. The one sibling is deceased, one is few years younger, but only remembers very details. One was baby when he disappeared and the other one wasn't born. I have tried multiple times to request his records with no success.
 
Spiritecho said:
My thought only....It would be interesting if you could find out if other men of his unit were AWOL on the same dates. The reason being they could have been going into Mexico, 63 miles away. If he had been arrested in Mexico it might account for his AWOL dates and it might explain his 'disappearance'.
MOO
Click to expand...
I have not been able to find out who was in with him.
 
Skittles81 said:
If the USMC did not report anything it is unlikely he is/was AWOL. The military won't actively hunt AWOL but when they are marked AWOL then it is entered in NCIC. So if he was arrested, stopped for a traffic violation, or ran through the law enforcement system for any other reason he would have been flagged that the military wanted him for being AWOL.
Click to expand...
We have his military records showing he was AWOL/deserter. They are posted somewhere in the thread.
Do you have documentation of this requirement? From everything I was able to find, there was no reporting requirement in 1976.
There is no court martial in his records.
I also searched law enforcement databases in the area, no arrests.
 
Snoangel26 said:
His mother is deceased. She never responded to any letter I sent. The one sibling is deceased, one is few years younger, but only remembers very details. One was baby when he disappeared and the other one wasn't born. I have tried multiple times to request his records with no success.
Click to expand...
I tried it myself entering his info but didn't click "submit" - the SSN & Service number are not required. By no success, do you mean you got a response of no records found?
 
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