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Left: Christopher Sanders (Little Elm Police Department). Right: Molly Richards (Little Elm Police Department).
A chilling case has emerged from Texas, where a man stands accused of murdering his girlfriend and fabricating a story of her leaving for South Dakota with another man. Christopher Charles Sanders, aged 53, faces murder charges in connection with the mysterious disappearance of 31-year-old Molly Richards, as documented by Denton County jail records and reported by Law&Crime. This case has its roots tracing back to October 2025.
The narrative unfolded when Molly Richards’ father, Steven Richards, alerted the Little Elm Police Department about his daughter’s situation. He recounted how she had moved in with Sanders at a residence in Little Elm in October 2025, based on details from an arrest affidavit obtained by the regional ABC affiliate, WFAA. Before disappearing, Molly had informed her father through a text message that she and Sanders planned a trip to South Dakota. The last time Steven saw his daughter was in November of that year.
Further complicating the case, Molly had confided in her father about Sanders being abusive. On December 1, 2025, Steven received a troubling message from her, stating she was seeking help at a mental health facility due to her bipolar disorder. Concerned about her welfare, Steven began seeking information from Sanders regarding his daughter’s whereabouts.
On December 15, Steven Richards reached out to Sanders with a pressing inquiry: “Went by your place. Where is Molly anyway?” reported WFAA. “There was no answer at the door, and I didn’t see her car. I am worried about Molly. Can you tell me where she is and how she is doing?” His plea underscored a father’s growing fear and desperation as the search for Molly intensified.
“Went by your place. Where is Molly anyway?” Steven Richards asked Sanders in a Dec. 15 message, per WFAA. “There was no answer at the door, and I didn’t see her car. I am worried about Molly. Can you tell me where she is and how she is doing?”
Sanders allegedly did not reply.
Authorities began investigating Sanders’ connections to South Dakota, the affidavit states, learning that Molly Richards’ vehicle had crashed in Deadwood, South Dakota. A witness told investigators that Sanders asked him to care for her vehicle while Sanders took her to a doctor about 40 miles south of Deadwood in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Sanders reportedly left her vehicle there and took a flight back to Texas, telling the witness that Richards had met a guy in Deadwood and wanted to stay with him at a motel in Rapid City. When Little Elm investigators contacted motels and other facilities in the area, none had seen Richards.
When investigators found Richards’ car and were able to secure a search warrant for it, they said they noticed a strong smell of cleaning products. On Feb. 19, authorities learned that her phone pinged in Denton near Sanders’ home, and days later, a woman watching Sanders’ dogs allegedly found items belonging to Richards, including a driver’s license.
The Little Elm Police Department posted a “Missing Person” flyer on social media on Feb. 25, stating that Molly Richards was last seen in Little Elm — a city just north of Dallas — in November 2025. “She was reported to have possibly traveled to South Dakota and has not been seen or contacted since,” the flyer added.
When investigators carried out a search warrant on properties owned by Sanders, they reportedly found bedding with blood residue, a receipt for a 24-inch bow saw, and 10 five-gallon buckets. Investigators believe Sanders killed Richards on or around Nov. 25, 2025, The Independent reported.
Sanders was booked into jail on March 16. Richards’ remains have not been found.