The Disappearance of Ryan Esparza

Source: NCMEC

Ryan Esparza has been missing since June 14th, 2007. The then-17-year-old left his home in Pasadena, Texas that day after receiving a phone call from a friend, asking him to meet up at a basketball court at Highlands Park. Ryan was expected back home that evening, but he never returned. He has never been seen or heard from again.

Ryan's mother reported him missing on June 15th. She also reached out to the friend Ryan was meeting at the park that day. Said friend told Ryan's mother that he and Ryan met up and shot hoops at the basketball court for about 20 minutes. Then, according to the friend, Ryan walked away to take a phone call and never returned. 

Investigators searched a five-mile radius around the park but did not find any sign of Ryan. There also did not appear to be any evidence that Ryan ran away. He did not have a history of running away, nor did he have a history of mental illness. Ryan's loved ones do not believe he would walk away from his life. He had a girlfriend who was approximately six months pregnant with his child at the time of his disappearance. The baby, born a few months later, was named Ryan Jr. after his father. 

As the months grew into years without any sign of Ryan, his disappearance grew into a cold case. His mother stated that she had heard rumors over the years that Ryan was accused of stealing marijuana from a childhood friend prior to his disappearance. However, it was reportedly not a large amount of marijuana. Ryan's mother also stated that investigators said they did not find any evidence that these rumors are linked to Ryan's disappearance.

Still, Ryan's mother has grown skeptical of the story told by the other friend with whom Ryan planned to meet at the park that day. In 2023, when asked if she believed the friend's story, Ryan's mother replied, "No, not anymore, because nobody else said he was at that park, so I don't know if he even made it there." This friend has never been publicly identified, and he has not been labeled a suspect.

Ryan remains missing today. If you have any information that could help solve his case, please contact the Pasadena Police Department at 713-477-1221 or Pasadena Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).

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Sources:
Charley Project
Fox 26 Houston
Medium
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children