Chris Sanders

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Monahans Police Department Tx (TX)

Missing From:

Monahans, Texas

Summary:

Christopher Lynn Sanders, 40, from Daingerfield, Texas, disappeared on August 13, 2017, while walking from his RV near Monahans, Texas, where he was working in the oilfields. He has never been located despite ongoing search efforts by his family and law enforcement. He may have been experiencing a mental health crisis related to stress and medication issues.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

In May 2017, Chris took a job working in West Texas for Trendsetter Construction, where he worked with his uncle and cousin. He and his cousin, Cody, were both staying at the same RV Park in Monahans, Texas. On Sunday morning, August 13, 2017, about 9:30am he left the RV park on foot. A neighbor seen him leave and notified Cody that Chris had walked out onto interstate 20 and headed East. His wife, who spoke with him on the phone that night, said he sounded tired and stressed out. The next morning, Chris went on a walk around 9:30 a.m. But he never returned home. The officer says there was nothing out of place. There was food in the refrigerator. The only thing that was missing was his wallet and his phone. Cody offered to go pick him up and they could talk about it but he refused telling Cody that he just needed to walk. When they hung up Chris turned his phone off. Sanders was last seen walking westbound on Interstate 20 in Monahans, Texas at 9:45 a.m. August 13, 2017.

Additional Details:

Chris's wife Angela Sanders told Dateline he'd moved out there from their home in Cason, Texas to work in the oil fields around April of 2017. Chris and his co-workers were having a cookout on the night of August 12, 2017. People at the cookout have since told Sandy that Chris seemed agitated at the cookout, but it was unclear as to what was frustrating him. Sanders initially moved to Monahans to work in the oil fields, but it was a stressful job. He had also been on medication for both bipolar disorder and high-blood pressure. Sandy said she believes her son may have gone off of his medicine prior to his disappearance. According to Sandy, that's when she found out a missing persons report had not yet been filed for Chris. The Monahans Police Department reportedly said they hadn't been contacted about his disappearance. Desperate to speak to someone about finding her son, Sandy called her local sheriff, Sheriff Jack Martin at the Morris County Sheriff's Department. "I contacted the Monahans Police Department on August 18th and they said they were working on it," Sheriff Martin told Dateline. Police say there was a glimmer of hope in 2020. "We did receive a tip last year that he was last seen on I-20, possibly matched his description. Once we were able to get law enforcement out there, the individual that we did locate was not him," says Captain Quintana. In 2022, Dateline spoke with a spokesperson from the Monahans Police Department who confirmed the case is still open and active. Frank Wesseling of the Advocates for Closure is hoping to start up a search party to try and pick up any lost leads regarding Sanders' disappearance. The family is offering $1,000 for information that leads to his location.

Case Last Updated:

Apr 24, 2026