Lawrence John Powers Missing Person Case

Jan 24, 2026

Jan 24, 2026

Lawrence

John Powers

77

58

5'5 inches

150 lbs

White

Male

In the spring of 2007, 58-year-old Lawrence John Powers, a resident of Murphy, California, traveled to Arizona, a state he frequently visited to tend to several mining claims he owned. Known to his friends as Larry or by his initials, L.P., he was last seen on April 9, 2007, in Wickenburg, Arizona. On that day, he and a man named Anthony Richards, with whom he was a partner in the Big Nugget mining claim near Bagdad, Arizona, were seen together at two different gold mining stores in Salome and Wickenburg. The day prior, the two men were also seen together at the Lost Dutchman's Mining Association camp in Stanton, Arizona. After that day in Wickenburg, Lawrence John Powers was never heard from again. Months went by with no word from Powers, and in June 2007, concerned friends reported him missing. His family in California also filed a missing person's report with the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office. As investigators began to look into his disappearance, they learned of his partnership with Anthony Richards and discovered that purchases had been made on Powers's credit card that directly benefited Richards. Family and friends of Powers voiced their concerns about his well-being and suspected foul play, particularly in relation to his association with Richards. The investigation was eventually handed over to the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office detectives and Cold Case investigators, who began to piece together a timeline of events surrounding his disappearance. The investigation into Lawrence Powers's disappearance stretched on for years. In 2012, with no sign of him and no resolution in his case, he was declared legally dead by the California Superior Court. A significant break in the case came in May 2016 when Anthony Richards was arrested in Oregon and extradited to Arizona. He was indicted on 23 counts, including trafficking in stolen property belonging to Powers, theft of a handgun and a credit card, forgery, and 19 counts of identity theft for using Powers's credit card in three different states, with most of the charges occurring after Powers had vanished. While authorities believe Lawrence John Powers met with foul play, no one has been charged in connection with his disappearance, and his case remains an unsolved and heart-wrenching mystery.

Apr 09, 2007

Wickenburg

Arizona

Wickenburg

Yavapai County Sheriff's Office

928-771-3260

08/05/2026