Richard Allen Houghland, an 8-year-old boy, disappeared on the evening of July 11, 1978, in Sacramento, California, along with his mother, Norma, and younger brother, Thomas. The family was last seen leaving a relative’s house around 8:00 p.m. that evening, heading toward their home. They were driving a 1965 light blue Pontiac LeMans, which also vanished and has never been recovered.
After failing to hear from them for several days, concerned relatives went to the Houghland family’s home. Inside, they found the house seemingly undisturbed, with all their belongings left behind, including Richard’s and Thomas’ bicycles, unopened mail, an uncashed welfare check, and Norma’s eyeglasses. No clear clues were left behind to indicate where the family had gone. Despite extensive searches, the family and their car remain missing.
Authorities have long treated the case as suspicious, noting that Norma had a history of suicide attempts. Despite various investigations over the years, there have been no significant developments in the search for Richard and his family, and their whereabouts remain unknown to this day.Last Seen: Jul 11, 1978
