An investigation into the disappearance of Richard May is still moving along very slowly, Winfield police chief Danny Parker said Thursday.
May, known locally as the Harmonica Man, went missing in Dec. 2009 and is presumed dead. His disappearance is being investigated as if it were a homicide, police have said.
Parker said police recently submitted some items to a lab for testing in hopes it will jump start the investigation. But it’s not clear if the items will have much value as evidence, he said.
Complicating matters somewhat is the discovery of May’s abandoned van in Osage County, Okla. this spring. Because the van was found in another jurisdiction, police here haven’t been full apprised of what evidence, if any, the van produced.
Parker was careful not to criticize Oklahoma authorities but said it would be beneficial for local authorities to know more about how the investigation is advancing down south.
"I think I’d say I was bordering on frustration," he sad in a telephone interview.
Oklahoma authorities did not respond to a request for comment, and have previously referred questions about the investigation to authorities in Winfield.
The Winfield department also has had little luck trying to up an award for information in the case. Parker and others asked the state to up the reward from $1,000 to $5,000, but months later that still has not happened.
The chief thinks more money might encourage those who know something to come forward.
"I don’t think more money will always help, but it can," he said.
Police have identified at least one person of interest in the case but have made no arrests.
Though the investigation has stalled for now, Parker said he is confident the case will be resolved.
"It could happen tomorrow, it could happen next year," he said. "You just never know."
