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Case Description
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Emily Roberta Richards, 21, was last seen in Chicago, Illinois, in early 1964. At the time of her disappearance, she was a student at Illinois State Normal University and worked at a Pontiac dealership. Richards was dating Bruce A. Richards, a man who was rumored to have connections to organized crime.

In February 1964, the FBI began investigating Emily in connection with a counterfeit check scheme. Shortly after the investigation began, she ceased all contact with her family, who never ...Read More
Last Seen: Jan 01, 1964
Links to Additional Sources (7)
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Victim Details

Jan 27, 2026

Jan 27, 2026

Emily

Roberta Richards

21

21

5'6 - 5'8 inches

120 lbs

White

Female

Emily was last known to have been in Chicago, Illinois sometime in early 1964. She worked at a Pontiac dealership and was attending Illinois State Normal University, and was dating a man named Bruce A. Richards. He allegedly had some organized crime connections. During February 1964, Emily was being investigated by the FBI in connection with a counterfeit check scheme. She stopped contacting her family, and they never heard from her again. Emily is believed to have left of her own accord, at least initially. Bruce was arrested sometime in 1965, served a year in jail, and subsequently changed his name to John Ryan O'Brien. A records search showed that Emily, or someone using her identity, married Bruce in Los Angeles County, California in 1966. Bruce later got married to, and subsequently divorced from, someone else. No divorce record can be found for his marriage to Emily, however. He died in 2009. Emily was not reported missing until 2015. There has been no indication of her whereabouts since her marriage in 1966.

Jan 01, 1964

Chicago

Illinois

Chicago

8

Inglewood Police Departmen

310-412-5211

01/27/2026