QUANTICO, Va. –
The U.S Army Criminal Investigation Command is seeking the public’s help and offering a reward of up to $25,000 for credible information leading to the whereabouts of missing Fort Bliss Soldier, Pvt. Richard Halliday.
Halliday is a 21-year-old, Caucasian male. He is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 162 pounds. He was last seen on July 23, 2020 after departing his on-post barracks room wearing gray or turquoise cargo shorts, a gray T-shirt, and a charcoal gray zip-up hoodie, with dark gray running shoes with red, yellow, and white paint stains. Halliday is assigned to D Battery, 1-43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 32nd Army Air Missile Defense Command at Fort Bliss.
CID Special Agents assumed the investigation from Fort Bliss’ Directorate of Emergency Services (DES) on Sept. 1, after assistance was requested due to CID’s investigative resources and capabilities. To date, there is no indication of foul play or any specific suspicious circumstances surrounding his disappearance. An in-depth forensic search of Pvt. Halliday’s barracks room did not reveal any signs of foul play or suspicious activity.
The search was completed by CID’s specially trained forensic science officers using state-of-the-art forensic methods. Thus far, special agents and local law enforcement have interviewed dozens of military personnel, as well as friends and family. Agents have participated in searches of more than 80 barracks rooms, as well as interviews of homeowners and consensual searches of numerous homes in the local community in conjunction with local law enforcement.
Dozens of special agents have also participated in a search of an approximately six square mile radius using his unit as the center point along with MPs and DES personnel. The search included sinkholes, water drainages, water sewage systems, water canals, railroad tracks (on and off-post) and associated buildings. Agents also searched homeless areas in the nearby areas as well as in downtown El Paso, Texas.
Additionally and more recently, agents joined Soldiers and volunteers in searching approximately 20 miles of trails in the Franklin Mountain State Park and Indian Peak Trail near Fort Bliss. Army aviation assets also assisted in the search of Franklin Mountain State Park from the air.
Halliday reportedly enjoyed camping and hiking. “We take this very seriously and a host of other investigative techniques have been employed in the search for Pvt. Halliday and we will continue to investigate until we determine what happened to this Soldier,” said Chris Grey, spokesman for Army CID. “If anyone has any information, we ask you to come forward and share it with us.”
Persons with information can contact the Fort Bliss CID Office at 915-568-1700, the Fort Bliss Military Police at 915-744-1237 or contact their local police department. Persons can also anonymously submit information at https://www.cid.army.mil/report-a-crime.html. People wishing to remain anonymous will be honored to the degree allowable under the law and the information will be held in the strictest confidence allowable.