The Texas Rangers have formally named Richard Sanders a suspect in the 2001 disappearance of Tara Lea Blue, 30, of East Texas. Neither Blue nor Sanders has been found. Sanders was 25 at the time and has not been seen or heard from since.
On Nov. 2, 2001, the first day of deer season, a hunter in Shelby County reported what was first thought to be a hunting mishap in a wooded area near Flat Fork Creek. Mike Hanson, now chief deputy at the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, was a Texas Game Warden and was first on the scene. Hanson said it was clear that something terribly bad had happened there. Investigators said evidence from the scene was enough to conclude Blue had been murdered, though her body has never been found.
Hanson is now working to bring together people who have investigated the case over the years to review the evidence. Blue's family held a memorial service for her in 2010. Authorities have not said whether they believe Sanders left East Texas. Texas Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $3,000 for information that leads to an arrest.