TROUTDALE, Oregon — For decades, detectives have been searching to find out what happened to Charly Richards. More than 30 years ago, he was found stabbed to death, but nobody was ever arrested.
“It’s been 30-plus years,” said Don Jamison, Richards’ brother. "I still think about him a lot."
Richards disappeared on Aug. 21, 1992. That night, his car was involved in a minor car crash in Southwest Portland. Witnesses told Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office detectives that they saw two men in a pickup truck speed away from the crash. A day later, Richards' vehicle was found in Southeast Portland.
"You know, I was in denial, too, going 'Well, he's young, he was probably out partying,'" said Tammie Johnson-Hitt, Richards’ sister. “But then, day eight and nine came and it's like, something's not right."
On Aug. 31, Richards was found stabbed to death in Thousand Acres, a wooded area of Troutdale.
“I mean you try to drive from downtown Portland to Troutdale, it's going to take you some time,” Tamari Johnson, a detective with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), told KGW.
Richards was a cook at the Veterans Affairs medical center and was seen leaving work on Aug. 21 around 8 p.m., Johnson said.
"Just a good human being,” Johnson said. “It's really unfair that he was taken away from us so soon."
Detectives would not discuss whether or not there were any suspects. The family was not aware of any person of interest.
"There weren't any clues," Jamison said.
Now, detectives are retracing their steps.
"For me, when I'm working on a cold case, I like to really start from the start," said MCSO detective Jon Zwick said. "This one in particular, in east county of Thousand Acres, is untouched."
Detectives still return to Thousand Acres, more than 30 years after Richards died, to re-investigate the area.
"Landscapes change over time, like that. So, we try to kind of figure out where he was actually found. What trail was used?" Johnson explained. "How did it feel to be here in the middle of the night? Was someone trying to conceal his body to be somewhere in a remote area like this?"
Both family and detectives are hopeful a clue could spark a breakthrough in this case.
"If there are individuals who remembered something or haven't reported it to investigators back at the time, we're really encouraging them to come to our website and report that information to us," Johnson said.
"Hopefully, maybe his pictures out there could spark a memory or give a clue," Jamison-Hitt said.
If you have any information about this case, you’re urged to contact the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office at 503-988-0560 or by email at tips@mcso.us.