James “Rick” Larabee has been missing for almost a decade. The 53-year-old was last seen at his high school reunion on September 28, 2013, in Davis, Oklahoma.
“We mainly grew up in Davis,” Rick’s younger sister, Julie Miller, told Dateline. “It’s a small town.”
However, as they grew older, Julie and Rick left Davis to pursue their own paths. By 2013, Rick was living alone in Denton, Texas, and had five children. “He was divorced,” Julie mentioned.
She shared that two of Rick’s children were adults and lived independently, while the younger ones stayed with their mother. “He loved spending time with his kids,” Julie said. “He enjoyed being with family.” Julie and Rick lived only a few hours apart and shared a close bond. “We spoke on the phone several times a week,” Julie added.
On September 28, 2013, Rick returned to his hometown of Davis to reconnect with old friends. “He enjoyed exploring his past and catching up with people he hadn’t seen in years,” Julie explained. “He was definitely a people person.”
Julie recounted that Rick was attending a high school reunion that Saturday. “My brother attended these reunions every year,” Julie said. “There’s an annual alumni banquet, and it doesn’t have to be a milestone year. They just have a gathering.”
That reunion marked the last time anyone saw Rick. On October 3, 2013, a few weeks after the reunion, Julie received a text from her brother. “He said he was going to Northeastern Oklahoma and would be gone for nine days,” the text read, also asking her to update him on their mother’s condition.
At the time, their mother was battling Stage 4 cancer. “It was unusual for him to just take off like that,” Julie said. “Especially given our mother’s condition.”
Julie texted her brother back immediately, but received no reply. “I got nothing,” she said, admitting that she had no idea what Rick was planning to do in Northeastern Oklahoma. “I’ve tried to think of reasons he would go there, but I have no clue.”
That was the last communication Julie had with her brother. “A couple of days after he sent that text, my aunt fell and broke her hip, so I messaged him about that,” Julie said. “I also sent him a message on Facebook. And still, I got nothing.”
According to Julie, this was out of character for Rick.
“He hasn’t even read the message,” she noted.
Then, Julie revealed, their mother passed away. “A couple of days after [my aunt fell], my mother died,” Julie told Dateline. And still, there was no word from Rick. “I had no idea where he was,” she admitted.
After making inquiries, Julie discovered some troubling information about her brother. “A mutual friend contacted me and said Rick had quit his job and cashed out his 401(k),” she shared. The friend also mentioned that Rick had said he was planning to “just disappear.”
Julie said that a few weeks later, the friend’s story took a darker turn. “She told me that my brother was going to go into the woods and end his life.”
Julie admitted she didn’t know what to believe but confirmed that the friend was right about one thing: Rick had quit his job and cashed out his 401(k) weeks before he vanished. “He had been visiting my house twice a week for a couple of months while [our mom] was ill and helping out,” Julie said. “I had no idea he’d already quit his job.”
Julie said that none of their family members were aware of this.
At the time, the search for Rick was limited, Julie told Dateline. “I think everyone believed he might have disappeared on his own,” she said.
But she always thought he’d come back if that were the case. He did not. “The following year, I attended the class reunions,” Julie said. “I thought if he would show up anywhere, it would be there.”
But Rick was nowhere to be found. Julie shared that Rick wasn’t officially reported missing in 2013. Between dealing with their mother’s death and a misunderstanding, no one in the family filed a missing person report. In fact, it wasn’t until 2018 that a report was made to the Davis Police Department. “I drove to Davis and filed the report myself,” Julie said.
The Davis Police Department is investigating Rick’s disappearance. Dateline spoke with Davis Police Chief Dan Cooper, who confirmed that Rick was last seen at the class reunion in Davis on September 28, 2013. He also verified that “his sister received a text from him on October 3,” indicating he was going to Northwest Oklahoma and would return in nine days.
Julie later told Dateline that she didn’t completely remember the contents of her brother’s text, but she believed he had mentioned going to Northeastern Oklahoma.
Chief Cooper also confirmed that Rick had quit his job and “cashed out his 401(k)” before disappearing.
Rick’s car was reportedly sold in Georgia in either 2014 or 2015, according to Chief Cooper. “I contacted the current owner,” he said. “He bought it from someone on Craigslist in Georgia.” Chief Cooper told Dateline that the seller was not Rick. Moreover, “[Rick’s] driver’s license expired in 2016 and has never been renewed,” he noted. “It’s as if he vanished into thin air.”
Julie expressed frustration with the Davis Police Department’s handling of her brother’s case. “They’ve done absolutely nothing,” she claimed. “They told me his car was sold in Georgia to a Hispanic male through Craigslist in 2015.” She doesn’t think this is accurate. She said she hired a private investigator who discovered that the burgundy 2007 Honda Civic “was sold to a woman in Georgia in July 2014 through TitleMax.” Julie believes the Davis Police Department has “pretty much concluded that my brother disappeared voluntarily.” Chief Cooper responded that his office is “investigating to the best of our ability.” When Dateline asked the chief if foul play was suspected in Rick’s disappearance, he said, “I couldn’t give you a definite answer,” and added they are “waiting for more information.”
“I honestly don’t think my brother just vanished,” Julie said. She suggested that Rick’s 401(k) money might be linked to his disappearance.
“I like to believe my brother is still out there somewhere,” Julie said. “But I don’t think he would have stayed away this long.”
Rick is 6’0”, with brown eyes, weighed 180 lbs., and had brown hair at the time he disappeared. He would be turning 63 this year.
Anyone with information about Rick’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Davis Police Department at 580-369-2323.
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