Little Elm Police arrest man accused of killing girlfriend, hiding remains

DENTON, Texas - Little Elm Police have arrested a man in Denton and charged him with the murder of his girlfriend, who has been missing since last November.

Denton County man charged with murder of girlfriend

What we know:

53-year-old Christopher Sanders was arrested by Little Elm Police during a SWAT team raid of his Denton residence earlier in March. 

He is being held in Denton County Jail and is charged with murder and accused of killing his girlfriend, 31-year-old Molly Richards.

Richards had been living with Sanders since last October, according to an arrest affidavit. Her last known contact was in November 2025.

Prior to her disappearance, Richards reportedly messaged her father in November 2025 that Sanders had become "abusive physically and controlling."

Sanders reportedly told Richards' father that she had been seeking mental health treatment when asked about her whereabouts, but later blocked her father's phone number in January 2026.

A missing person report for Richards was filed in January. The same month, police received a tip that Richards' ID, credit cards and other belongings were at another residence Sanders owned in South Dakota.

Investigators found blood residue at Sanders' home in Little Elm, and a human remains detection dog picked up a scent in the home's bedroom. They also found a hardware store receipt for saws, buckets, and gloves.

Police believe Sanders may have left Richards' remains in Oklahoma before driving her car to South Dakota.

What we don't know:

Police have not recovered Richards' remains.

What they're saying:

Jessica Martinez, a resident of Sanders' neighborhood in Denton, told FOX 4's David Sentendrey she knew little about the suspect before his arrest earlier this month.

"I come out this way and I just always noticed his yard was never mowed," Martinez said. "And to think that it was just right there is just wild."

Another neighbor, Jaedy Smith, also knew little about Sanders.

"It just makes me wonder what’s going on in all these different houses. You never know that’s why they say, ‘If you see something, say something,’ but we never really saw anything," Smith said.