Rickem Samuel

Murdered – April 2016 – Montgomery, AL

Montgomery County

The tragic story of Rickem Samuel will forever be etched in the hearts of those who knew and loved him. He was a hardworking and dedicated young man, brimming with dreams of success and happiness. But at the tender age of 20, his life was abruptly cut short, leaving behind a haunting trail of unanswered questions and unresolved mysteries.

Rickem's mother, Ericka Davis, holds dear memories of her son's warm smile and compassionate heart. He was a responsible individual who took his job at Glovis, a Hyundai manufacturer in Montgomery, with the utmost seriousness. Despite long hours, Rickem rarely arrived late or missed a single day of work. The morning of April 2, 2016, was the last time Ericka saw her son. He had just finished his night shift at Glovis and cooked breakfast for both of them before she departed for a friend's wedding.

Shortly after Ericka left, she received a call from Rickem complaining of body aches. She suggested he take a hot bath with Epsom salt, guiding him on where to find it. Little did she know this would be the final conversation she would have with her beloved son. When Ericka began her journey back home from Tuskegee, she called Rickem to inform him of her return. Instead of his voice on the other end of the line, all she heard was his voicemail. As the evening wore on and Rickem's phone continued to divert to voicemail, Ericka's worry grew exponentially.

The following day, Rickem's absence continued to distress his family as every attempt to contact him went unanswered. Then, a young woman arrived at Ericka's house, clutching Rickem's phone charger. She revealed that she had picked up Rickem on Saturday and recounted their activities - lunch and a visit to one of his classmates - before they made their way to Wal-Mart on East Boulevard. There, they encountered a male coworker and another unfamiliar man. Surveillance footage from Wal-Mart confirmed Rickem's presence as he entered a black Nissan Versa around 1:30 p.m., accompanied by these individuals.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, as Rickem's family and friends tirelessly searched for any trace of him. Nanette Thomas, his team lead at Glovis, offered assistance with the search, but mysteriously vanished herself a mere six days after Rickem was last seen.

Months later, in June of 2016, investigators following cell phone records made a grim discovery in a wooded area off the 300 block of Hopper Street. It was there they found Rickem's remains. To this day, no person of interest has been named, and no arrests have been made.

If you possess any information that could aid the Montgomery Police Department in solving this heart-wrenching case, we implore you to come forward. Your information could be the key to finally providing answers to Rickem's grieving family and friends. A $5,000 reward is available for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Rickem's death.

For more details on Rickem's case, tune into Episode 2 of Unforgotten.