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Colby Richards, a 31-year-old Texas father who went missing on May 26 on an early morning walk, appeared tired at work in the days leading up to his disappearance, colleagues told his family.
Richards woke up early that Friday around 5 a.m., but when he failed to return to his bedroom to get ready for work, his wife got up to check on him and noticed that their backyard gate was open and Richards was nowhere to be found. confess was.
“I talked to some of his friends, and I talked to his supervisor, and they actually said he seemed tired. Admittedly, he has little kids at home. Sleep is usually pretty precious when you have little ones at home,” his cousin shared. Allison Fox to Fox News Digital. “That’s probably all it was.”
Richards worked at an engineering firm, and his colleagues told the family that he seemed to daydream at his computer, Fox said. She shared the information with authorities, who have spoken to those who worked with Richards.
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Colby Richards, 31, has been missing since he apparently left his home in Spring, Texas, on May 24. (Montgomery County Sheriff/Facebook)
The Richards family continues to search the Woodlands area of Texas, north of Houston, for signs of the 31-year-old father-of-two.
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The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) deployed search teams to a sidewalk near the Richards’ home in Spring, Texas after his wife reported him missing last week and “found a water bottle of his at the trailhead in the wooded area with trails and things behind where they live,” Fox previously told Fox News Digital.
The Richards’ home on Musgrove Place in Spring has a backyard with a gate that opens onto a street, and across that street is an entrance to a greenway trail where Colby’s water bottle was found. (Google Maps)
Other than the water bottle, there are no other signs of Richards or his possible whereabouts. He left home that morning without his phone or wallet, Fox said.
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MCSO spokesman Scott Spencer told Fox News Digital in a statement that the investigation is ongoing and the sheriff’s office “is not currently searching areas where there is no credible information that would suggest that Mr. Richards is in that area, including all areas previously searched by our agency and Montgomery County Search and Rescue.”
Fox said it’s normal for Richards to wake up for work around 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. He had recently started a full-time job at a nearby engineering firm, but also works part-time as a baseball coach — something he’s done for years, Fox said. (Montgomery County Sheriff/Facebook)
“Our detectives are currently in the field and are following up on leads and information as it is received,” Spencer said. “(MCSO) shares the family and community’s concerns about Mr. Richards’ whereabouts and safety and is committed to finding and bringing Mr. Richards home.”
The Richards family has contacted Texas EquuSearch, a nonprofit that helps find missing persons, which is awaiting approval from the sheriff’s office to help.
Fox says her family is not giving up hope to find Richards.
Richards’ water bottle was discovered “at the trailhead in the wooded area with trails and stuff behind where they live,” his cousin explained. (Facebook/Help Us Find Colby Richards)
“My request to provide information earlier still stands. Keep your eyes peeled to look for him, and if you see anything out of the ordinary… contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office,” Richards’ cousin said.
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The Richards’ home on Musgrove Place in Spring has a backyard with a gate that opens onto a street, and across that street is an entrance to a Greenway Trail where Colby’s water bottle was found.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office suspended its search for the missing Colby Richards in the Woodlands area Wednesday morning, the Richards family said. (Facebook/Help Us Find Colby Richards)
Fox previously said it was normal for Colby to wake up for work around 5 a.m. or 6 a.m., and while he sometimes took early walks, it wasn’t a regular occurrence.
The family has created a GoFundMe page titled “Help Us Find Colby Richards” to raise money for the volunteer search.
Colby was last seen wearing a T-shirt, black shorts and gray Under Armor sneakers.
Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. Email tips to [email protected] or on Twitter at @audpants.
