Remains identified nearly 13 years after Molly Miller and Colt Haynes vanished
By Jason Burger
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LOVE COUNTY, Oklahoma (KOCO) — After nearly 13 years, two Oklahoma families received some sense of closure.
The Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs announced that human remains found earlier this year have been positively identified as Molly Miller, who was 17 at the time, and Colt Haynes, who was 21.
Miller and Haynes disappeared after a police chase in July 2013 in southern Oklahoma, but it wasn’t until February 2026 that human remains were found near where the chase ended.
“We never quite ruled it out, and we wanted to make sure we didn’t leave any stone unturned,” said William Horton, regional agent in charge of the BIA Missing and Murdered Unit.
This summer will mark 13 years since Miller and Haynes went missing. Miller is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation.
Their remains were found in Love County near the intersection of Oswalt Road and Long Hollow Road, northwest of Marietta.
“Back in 2013, this is the area that was associated with where the vehicle had crashed that Molly and Colt were last seen in,” Horton said.
While further location details weren’t disclosed, Horton said the two sets of remains were found in relatively close proximity.
“The area itself is very dense in vegetation, so it’s hard to traverse, and that’s one of the biggest difficulties we had, and I’m sure it’s the biggest difficulty they had in 2013 also,” Horton said.
Miller and Haynes were both passengers in a vehicle driven by a third man, James “Conn” Nipp, who was charged in connection to the chase. No one was ever charged for the disappearances of Miller and Haynes.
“The Chickasaw Nation, the FBI, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Oklahoma Highway Patrol and Texas Search and Rescue,” Horton said.
In 2016, an investigation unfolded into the Love County Sheriff at the time, Joe Russell, who was Nipp’s uncle. Russell faced corruption allegations and later pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor after two felony counts against him were dismissed.
Russell resigned from his position as Love County sheriff when he was charged with two felonies, and Miller and Haynes were still missing.
“Any suspects or anything of that nature, I’m not able to comment on because of the open investigation,” Horton said.
In a statement, District Attorney Melissa Handke said in part, “I have been in contact with the Attorney General’s Office, and will be moving forward with this case. Once the investigation has been concluded, and the final report submitted to my office, I will present the case to the Multi-County Grand Jury for formal charges.”
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