Rico Harris

Rico Omarr Harris (born May 19, 1977 – disappeared October 10, 2014) is an American former professional basketball player. A high school standout in his native Southern California, he later led Los Angeles City College (LACC) to its first state junior college title in 1997. After his college career, he played for some International Basketball League teams, and later with the Harlem Globetrotters.

The eldest of four children born to a former Idaho State star and his young wife, he had given up basketball before returning to it for his last two years at Temple City High School. He soon became a star player himself as well as a top college prospect, likened by those who saw him play to Lamar Odom. He had the opportunity to play for several NCAA Division I basketball programs, but never did due to a combination of academic and personal difficulties. He then chose to attend Cal-State Northridge despite interest from much higher-profile colleges and the NBA, a decision for which he was sharply criticized since it was seen as limiting his chances of reaching the NBA.

Harris ended his season at Northridge after being suspended twice for violations of team rules. He eventually made his way to the Globetrotters, but injuries from a 2000 assault forced him to quit after one month. After leaving basketball, the alcoholism that had begun to manifest itself during his college career intensified, and Harris became addicted to illegal drugs as well. He was arrested many times before he was able to recover from his addictions in 2007. NBA scouts began attending games, hoping that Harris might consider foregoing his college career entirely once he was old enough to do so. He became less focused, partying heavily with his brother in the apartment they shared near campus, and drinking beer during the day to take the edge off his hangovers. It did not affect his game, however. A teammate recalls Harris showing up for a game once wearing heavy sunglasses to mask the effects of the alcohol. "He probably didn't get no sleep and [was] up all night—then dropped like 35 [points] that game".

He still performed well, averaging 10 points a game and leading the team in rebounds, but the NBA scouts who had been following his career could see that his performance was off from his previous heights, and took him off their lists of prospects. Near the end of the season Braswell suspended Harris again; the player did not attend a meeting with his coach in Braswell's office to mark his reinstatement. Harris would never play college basketball again, and left Northridge shortly after the season's end.

But after three days, the searchers had found nothing. Many were incredulous. Rico at that time had reached his full adult height of , and weighed , reflecting the less active years since the end of his basketball career. They could not imagine how such a large person could have disappeared so completely. Investigators found Harris's wallet and all of his credit cards save one, a Discover Card on which no charges have been made since Harris vanished. He had also taken his phone and driver's license. Detectives also found two plastic bottles, one mostly full of some type of hard liquor and the other empty but smelling strongly of the same beverage.

Theories

Dean Nyland, the detective working the case for the sheriff's office, has ruled out the possibility of foul play in Harris's disappearance. The photos and video on Harris's phone suggest he came to Yolo County voluntarily and alone; no evidence of any kind of struggle was found in or near the car. His backpack and phone also do not show any signs that they were taken forcibly; Nyland believes Harris may have left them where they were found himself, either accidentally or purposely, to avoid being tracked via the phone.

Nyland believes Harris may have made a wrong turn after getting gas and followed the road up into the hills of Yolo County. Seeing the parking lot, he may have decided to take a nap before driving further. When Harris woke up later that day, Nyland believes, the unresolved issues from his past came into play and he may have decided not to continue to Seattle just yet. "To him, this must have seemed like heaven", he said, showing a reporter the spot on the guardrail overlooking the creek where one driver reported seeing Harris the next morning. In the accidental videos on the phone, he adds, Harris seemed like "a free man".

After wandering the area for a few days, including those in which he had been sought, he returned to his car and found it gone, Nyland believes. At that point he either walked away into the woods or towards another town. "We have no sightings, so he probably got a ride", the detective says.