A man from Texas is facing murder charges following the disappearance of his girlfriend, whom authorities suspect he killed and disposed of her remains in Oklahoma.

Molly Richards vanished in November 2025. Her absence prompted the Little Elm Police to initiate an investigation after being alerted by her worried father, as reported by WFAA.

Steven Richards recounted to the authorities that his last communication with her was a text in November, mentioning her trip to South Dakota with her boyfriend, Christopher Charles Sanders. In early December, she sent a message saying she was entering a mental health facility for treatment of bipolar disorder. Following that, communication ceased, and Sanders did not respond to subsequent inquiries.

The investigation revealed that Molly’s car was involved in a minor collision in South Dakota in November. A local witness reported that Sanders requested him to keep an eye on her vehicle while he sought medical attention for her in Rapid City. The witness noted that Sanders left his own car at a hotel, flew back to Texas, and returned a week later to retrieve it.

Sanders allegedly informed the witness that Molly had met someone in Deadwood and decided to remain in Rapid City with this individual.

According to the affidavit, Little Elm Police conducted checks across accommodations, hospitals, and mental health facilities but found no trace of Molly. A search warrant for her vehicle revealed a strong scent of cleaning agents inside.

Then, the affidavit said, Richards’ phone, which had been off for weeks, reactivated and pinged near Sanders’ home. Less than a week later, a woman who was watching Sanders’ dogs at his home found several items belonging to her, including her driver’s license, bank and credit cards, a laptop, and unopened mail.

After that, investigators began watching Sanders and eventually executed search warrants on properties he owned in Denton and Little Elm. That’s when they found bedding with blood residue on it and a receipt from Lowe’s for the purchase of a bow saw, 10 five-gallon buckets, a tamper, a reciprocating saw, and gloves. The tools were not found.

Authorities say they believe Richards was killed around November 25, The Independent reported.

Sanders was arrested on March 7 in Marietta, Oklahoma, as he was returning to Texas from South Dakota. Sanders also owns property there, and investigators say they reconstructed the route of his vehicle as he traveled through Oklahoma en route to South Dakota on November 27.

They found he was near his property in Marietta for a little over an hour and believe he likely disposed of Richards’ body on or near his property during that time, the affidavit said.

Sanders has since been returned to Texas and is being held without bail.