The person at the center of this case
Norma Louise Houghland (age 27) and her two sons: Richard Houghland (age 8) and Thomas Houghland (age 6)
Violent Crime · Open - Unsolved
47 years waiting · since 1978
HOUGHLAND FAMILY - SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
Justice for Norma Louise Houghland (age 27) and her two sons: Richard Houghland (age 8) and Thomas Houghland (age 6) — the trail went cold in 1978, but the truth hasn't.
Start here
Key leads to think about
🚗
vehicle
Lead #11965 light blue Pontiac Lemans with California plate 254SBI (VIN: 237375K134785) has never been recovered—where did this vehicle go and has it been scrapped or hidden?
👁️
witness
Lead #2Who was at the relative's house that evening and what were the exact circumstances of the family's departure around 8:00 p.m.?
🔍
evidence
Lead #3Unopened mail and welfare check found at the residence suggest the family did not return—could financial records or bank activity provide clues about their movements?
On July 11, 1978, Norma Louise Houghland, age 27, and her two young sons Richard (8) and Thomas (6) vanished from Sacramento, California after leaving a relative's house around 8:00 p.m., along with their 1965 light blue Pontiac Lemans. When family members checked their residence days later, they found all belongings undisturbed, including unopened mail and a welfare check, suggesting an unexpected departure. Nearly five decades later, the family's fate remains unknown, and the vehicle has never been recovered, making this one of California's most enduring missing persons cases.
Case
#977
FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) / Sacramento Police Department
Try asking
Claim this imported case
A one-time $10 claim transfers this imported case workspace to your account. You get 10 uploads for this case, 25 daily AI questions for this case, and public tips with files route to you.
10 uploads25 AI questions/day
This does not start a subscription. When the included limits are reached, the Personal plan unlocks more workspace capacity.
More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
🎯
suspect
Lead #4Norma had a documented history of suicide attempts—was foul play considered, or could the family's disappearance be connected to her mental health crisis?
⏰
timeline
Lead #5The three-day gap before the residence was checked is significant—did anyone see or hear from the family between July 11 and July 14, 1978?
Have information about any of these leads?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
July 11, 1978 Sacramento, California Norma Louise Houghland, age 27, and her two sons, 8-year-old Richard and 6-year-old Thomas, were last seen on the evening of July 11, 1978, at a relative’s house in Sacramento, California. They left the residence around 8:00 p.m.
and were believed to be headed to their residence (also located in Sacramento). Norma drove a 1965 light blue Pontiac Lemans (CA Plate 254SBI, VIN: 237375K134785), which is also missing and has never been recovered.
Family members, unable to contact Norma in the days following, responded to the family’s residence and found all of their belongings inside, including unopened mail and a welfare check. The Houghland family has not been seen or heard from since.
Norma worked as a typist. She had cesarean scars on her abdomen and had a history of suicide attempts.
Timeline of Events
👁️
1978-07-11
20:00Family leaves relative's house
Norma Louise Houghland and her two sons Richard (8) and Thomas (6) left a relative's residence in Sacramento around 8:00 p.m., believed to be headed to their own residence
👤
1978-07-11
Family goes missing
Norma, Richard, and Thomas Houghland, along with their 1965 light blue Pontiac Lemans (CA Plate 254SBI), disappeared and have never been seen or heard from since
🕵️
1978-07-14
Family residence checked
Family members unable to contact Norma responded to the family's residence and found all belongings inside, including unopened mail and a welfare check, indicating an unexpected departure
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:July 11, 1978 at 8:00 PM
Last Updated:April 29, 2026
Leave a comment
Comments
Case Information
Incident:July 11, 1978 at 8:00 PM
Last Updated:April 29, 2026