TULSA, Okla. — It was a cold and brisk day in February of 2007, and Andre Ogans was last seen riding his bike away from his home never to be seen or heard from again.
It's a case that has frustrated homicide detectives with the Tulsa Police Department for years.
"At first, it had been a missing person's case for a couple of years and there had been a sex offender case on him coming out of Denver, so I think it was assumed that he kind of split town to get away from that," said Lt. Brandon Watkins.
Watkins says they later learned his disappearance may have been for a different reason.
"Talking to the family, we learned that wasn't the case and they were concerned about him because back in 2007, you know, he was a gay man and they felt he would be targeted because of that reason," said Watkins.
After some time had passed, Watkins says they started receiving information that Ogans had been murdered around the same time that he went missing.
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His family told investigators that when he left his home that day, he didn't take any personal belongings with him, and he also said he was going to meet with a friend.
The family told police that Andre had some checks coming to him that he never came back for, and that greatly concerned them.
"We began working on it as a homicide case at that point and began conducting hundreds of interviews, but to date, his body has not been found. We've got a lot of information from the streets. You know people who wanted to talk to us but didn't want to go on record, said Watkins.
As investigators work to develop leads on Andre's disappearance and assumed murder, they are asking for the public's help.
"As of right now, it's cold and it makes it even more cold because we haven't found the body," says Watkins.
If you have any information about Andre Ogans, you are asked to contact the Tulsa Police Department's homicide unit.
That number is 918-596-9135.
You can also send an email to homicide@cityoftulsa.org.
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