Rico Harris

Rico Harris

Rico Omarr Harris was born on the 19th of May, 1977. He was the oldest of four children, and his father, Henry Harris, was a basketball player.

Like his father, Rico was interested in playing basketball from a young age. He attended Temple City High School, where he was a star player and was one of the top high school players in southern California. Rico played for the Los Angeles City College team during his college years, where he led the team to their first state college title in 1997 in the California Community College state championship. After his college basketball career, he played for some International Basketball League teams and later with the Harlem Globetrotters. Rico Harris started playing for the Harlem Globetrotters in March 2000. However, unfortunately, less than a month after joining the team, Rico was attacked and suffered from injuries so severe he couldn’t play basketball anymore. It is reported that Rico was left with a head injury that caused him to suffer from repeated, intense headaches.

After leaving basketball, Rico’s life became a downward spiral. He struggled with alcohol addiction and became addicted to illegal drugs. He was arrested many times, most commonly for public intoxication, and even overdosed on prescription drugs.

In 2007 Rico got clean after completing a rehab program provided by the Salvation Army and got a stable job working as a security detail. He even began a serious relationship with Jennifer Song, who worked as an insurance broker. Friends and family described him as a lively down-to-earth person. He was also described as a free-spirited person.

In October of 2014, Rico Harris relocated to Seattle with a longtime girlfriend and applied for a job as a property appraiser there. However, he never returned after taking a trip to his mother’s home in Alhambra.

The disappearance of Ricco Harris

On the 10th of October 2014, Rico Harris was driving back to Seattle from his mother’s house in Alhambra, California, after a brief trip. As he drove north on Interstate 5, Rico stopped at a gas station just outside of Sacramento to refuel. He called his girlfriend, leaving her a message saying he had made it to Sacramento and was going to take a quick nap before continuing the rest of the way. Rico Harris lost cell phone reception at around 11.15 am, and this message was the last anyone would hear from him again.

Investigation

Jennifer Song, Rico’s long-term girlfriend called his mother Margaret Fernandez after he failed to return to Seattle the next day. They decided to wait and see if he would return on his own since he had previously disappeared for a few hours to San Diego. By the 14th of October, Rico had missed the job interview and still hadn’t returned home, Jennifer reported him missing to the Alhambra police.

That afternoon Rico’s car was discovered in a remote park in the mountains of Yolo County, about 60 miles north of Sacramento. A Yolo County deputy sheriff had been patrolling along a stretch of California State Route 16 along Cache Creek north of Ramsey when they noticed the black Nissan. Rico was not with his car and has not been seen since.

For days, investigators searched the area of the surrounding terrain of Cache Creek Canyon using airplanes with thermal imaging, all-terrain vehicles, and search dogs. During the search, they found Ricco’s backpack with his cell phone inside. All of Ricco’s credit cards except one were found in his car, along with a plastic bottle containing some kind of alcohol. No charges have been made on the missing card since Rico’s disappearance. His car was also out of gas and had an almost dead battery.

A few people reported seeing a man matching Rico Harris’s description during the week after his disappearance. However, none of these sightings were positively identified as Rico.

On the 18th of October, eight days after Rico left the voicemail for Jennifer another sighting was reported. A man had driven past the parking lot where the Nissan had been and told police he saw a man fitting Rico’s description. The next day investigators noticed a trail of fresh foot impressions left by size 18 sneakers consistent with those Rico wore. The footprints lead from the parking lot to the creek near where the Nissan had been parked.

On the 22nd of October, the search was scaled back however it still remains an ongoing investigation today. Despite efforts that have been trying to find him for years, Rico Omarr Harris hasn’t been seen since late 2014.

Theories

The detective working the case, Dean Nyland, has ruled out the possibility of foul play. This is because cell phone video and photos suggest that Rico went to Yolo County voluntarily and alone. There was no evidence of any struggle found, and his backpack or phone didn’t appear to be taken forcefully. Dean Nyland believed Rico may have left them there himself, purposely to avoid being tracked or accidentally. Dean Nyland believes he either walked away into the woods or towards another town. Due to the lack of sightings, he suspects he got a ride.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did they ever find Rico Harris?

That afternoon on the 14^th of October, 2014, Rico’s car was discovered in a Yolo County park, about 60 miles north of Sacramento. A Yolo County deputy sheriff had been patrolling along a stretch of California State Route 16 along Cache Creek north of Ramsey when they noticed the black Nissan. Rico was not with his car and has not been seen since.

Which Harlem Globetrotter mysteriously vanished?

Rico Harris was the Harlem Globetrotter who mysteriously vanished on the 10th of October 2014, at the age of 37. His car was found in a remote park, but he was never seen again.