Melissa Ann Darling

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Sulphur Springs Police Department Tx (OK)

Missing From:

Grant, Oklahoma

Summary:

Melissa Ann Darling has been missing from Grant, Oklahoma since June 10th, 2011, just six days before her 34th birthday. Darling was last seen at the Choctaw Casino and Resort in Grant, Oklahoma at 1:30 a.m. on June 10, 2011. She left the casino with Jeremy Blake Upchurch and has never been heard from again. While she has been declared dead, Darling's information remains in the missing person's databases and the case remains open.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

Darling was last seen at the Choctaw Casino and Resort in Grant, Oklahoma at 1:30 a.m. on June 10, 2011. She left the casino with Jeremy Blake Upchurch and has never been heard from again. At 1:50am, Melissa placed a call from her cell phone to a person who lived just one mile from the casino. After that call her cell phone went dark. Her vehicle, a black 2010 Ford Sport Trac with the Texas license plate number AW4-8951, was found abandoned near Hugo Lake, Oklahoma a few days later; it was locked and had two flat tires.

Additional Details:

Det. Sgt. Gilmore testified Friday, July 9, 2021, that he worked with officials in several Texas counties from Hopkins County into southeastern Oklahoma and has even worked with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations. The day after her took over the case, Darling's vehicle was located in Hugo, Oklahoma. He drove there to work with state authorities as well as 40 officers and volunteer firefighters. At one point a section along the Red River was searched. Concessions were made to allow water levels to go down so officials could search the river. Texas Rangers, Homeland Security, Social Security and officials from numerous other agencies have been involved in the investigation, but there has been no confirmed traces of Darling's existence since June 10, 2011. Her dental records and DNA have been entered into state and national databases for missing persons, with a few possible hits that did not pan out. At least 50 people have been questioned and several subjected to polygraph tests administered by the Secret Service. Darling's mother, Retta Murphy, requested that her daughter be declared dead after 10 years. Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom granted Murphy's request. Melissa Darling will be declared deceased as of June 10, 2011, at 1:50 a.m. Melissa was born in Hopkins, Texas on June 16th, 1977. She grew up in Sulphur Springs, Texas. She was divorced in 2007 and had two children. Upchurch, who has a criminal record, remains a person of interest in the case and there are others who are also of interest.

Case Last Updated:

Apr 24, 2026