CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Court TV) — Police shared a timeline of the night Texas A&M Corpus Christi student Caleb Harris went missing in a public callout for help solving the case.
Texas A&M student Caleb Harris went missing on March 4. (Scripps News Corpus Christi)
The Corpus Christi Police Dept. (CCPD) also shared details of the investigation, including efforts to clear suspects, in a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into law enforcement’s painstaking efforts to solve the mystery of Harris’ disappearance.
RELATED | Remains identified as Caleb Harris, ‘no obvious signs of homicide’
According to CCPD, Harris’ roommates in off-campus housing last saw him after 2 a.m. on March 4 when he said he was staying up to order food through UberEats. Later that morning, around 11 a.m., one of his roommates found the UberEats order outside their door and Harris’ pickup truck parked in front of the apartment. His wallet and keys were in the apartment, but there was no sign of Harris or his cell phone.
“Caleb’s roommates, who described him as a homebody and a creature of habit, immediately became alarmed by Caleb’s absence. After searching for Caleb alone for a short time, the roommates called the CCPD to report Harris missing,” the CCPD said in a statement on social media.
Police said no signs of a struggle or a hit-and-run were found in the apartment complex or the surrounding area. A search of the apartment yielded no evidence of a struggle, violent act, or any signs that the apartment had been recently deep cleaned. Firearms and fishing gear, including waders, that belonged to Caleb were found in the apartment along with his laptop, which was turned over to CCPD’s forensic examiners.
Police said they interviewed Harris’ roommates, friends and family members – describing them as “extremely cooperative” – and excluded them as suspects “through a variety of investigative techniques.” The 31-year-old female UberEats driver was also cleared as a suspect, telling detectives she was driving alone that night and did not see Harris or anyone else at or near the apartment complex. Detectives confirmed her account partly through surveillance video from the convenience store where she picked up Caleb’s order.
Investigators also scoured the area of Harris’ last known location for surveillance video, which included the following:
- More than 50 businesses and private residences were checked for video.
- Video was retrieved from 27 different locations, including city owned traffic cameras. Investigators continue to search for additional sources.
- Detectives have written 16 search electronic search warrants, submitted over 70 preservation requests, and issued 14 subpoenas for electronic data related to this investigation.
- Forensic Computer Examiners have already reviewed over 600 GB of electronic data and continue to pour over data as it arrives on an almost daily basis.
Harris’ family has offered a $50,000 reward for information and his father has appeared on local news and News Nation several times.
Corpus Christi Police Department Timeline of the night Caleb Harris went missing
12:56 a.m. on Monday, 3/4/24 — A doorbell camera at a nearby apartment captures Harris, his friend, and one of Harris’ roommates in the parking lot playing with a puppy belonging to the girlfriend of one of Harris’ roommates. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary, and the three young men returned to Harris’ apartment. Their mutual friend departed shortly thereafter.
2:20 a.m. — The second of Harris’ two roommates informs Harris that he (the roommate) is going to bed. Harris replies that he is going to stay up to order snacks via Uber Eats for his school lunch on Monday.
2:44 a.m. — Harris shares a Snapchat video with his younger sister showing Harris walking the puppy through what appears to be the apartment complex parking lot.
3:03 a.m. — Harris sent a SnapChat photo to a high school friend in San Antonio showing a small bridge over a drainage ditch on the 1900 block of Ennis Joslin, within a few hundred feet of the entrance to his apartment complex.
3:12 a.m. — Harris’ cell phone last shared location data with the nearest cell phone tower.
3:20 a.m. — The Uber Eats driver delivers Harris’ order to his apartment, leaving it outside the front door per the order request.
11:00 a.m. — One of Harris’ roommates discovered the Uber Eats order outside the front door and Harris’ pickup truck parked in front of the apartment. Harris’ wallet and keys were found in the apartment. All that appeared to be missing was Harris and his cell phone.
