Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
CBS 48 Hours‘ upcoming episode, titled “Who Took Our Dad? The Abduction of Ray Wright,” follows the mysterious disappearance of Raymond Wright, a contractor who worked in Rio Linda, and the violent revenge story with which authorities drew its connections. The episode will air on CBS on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET, after which it will be available for streaming on Paramount+.
Raymond Wright disappeared from his home in Rocklin, California, on January 11, 2018, following which his family reported him missing. Wright was last seen leaving his workshop in Rio Linda, where he worked as a contractor. He was 55 when he was reported missing by his brother.
While his phone was last pinged to the Rio Linda area where he worked, Raymond Wright’s pickup truck was found in Sacramento on January 18, 2018. According to CBS News, a raincoat soaked in blood was also found inside the truck, along with Wright’s wallet and other personal belongings.
Authorities believed that the murder was part of an elaborate execution of vengeance after Wright caused a crash that led to severe injuries suffered by a man named Robert Manor and his wife in 2011. At that time, Wright was the DUI driver. He was subsequently prosecuted for a felony and served his time. Moreover, he completed his probation, as per records of the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
However, Robert Manor hired Victor Gray to carry out what authorities call a “revenge murder.” Manor reportedly believed that the sentence served by Wright was not enough for the damages he caused. In several messages that Gray sent to Manor, he allegedly mentioned that he “hand delivered you (Manor) your revenge.” Raymond Wright’s body was never found.
Was Raymond Wright’s missing case solved & how?
In 2023, nearly five years after Raymond Wright was reported missing and his pickup truck was found, Robert Manor and Victor Gray were convicted of the first-degree murder of Raymond Wright. They were also convicted of kidnapping for ransom causing death. The court believed that the murder occurred during a kidnapping before Wright was murdered.
Ahead of the convicts’ arrest, Wright’s brother saw a stranger intruding on the victim’s home on January 13, 2018. The family claimed it was suspicious that Wright missed work and band practice. He also didn’t contact friends or family for days, which was reportedly unlike him. As the victim’s brother tried to confront the intruder, the man allegedly exited from the garage door and escaped, Wright’s daughter, Haley Kendall, told Fox 40. However, the intruder left behind a soda cup filled with a fresh drink he found in the kitchen, which became crucial evidence in the case.
The DNA samples from the cup were matched to Victor Gray. He was later convicted of the killing of Raymond Wright. Gray was caught by the police for driving under the influence and triggering a high-speed chase. The chase ended in injuries to civilians a few days later in January 2018. When his truck was towed, authorities found out the vehicle wasn’t his and was owned by Raymond Wright. His sister-in-law told CBS News that the intruder might have had keys to the house as there were no signs of anyone breaking into the house.
The upcoming episode of 48 Hours will explore the case of Raymond Wright this Saturday, February 3, 2024. Besides CBS, the episode will also be available for streaming on Paramount+.
