The Lyon County Sheriff's Office has made an arrest in the murder investigation of 25-year-old Sara Filiatraut, who went missing on April 15, 2024.
Filiatraut's remains were discovered in a remote area of Churchill County on May 22, 2024, and an autopsy conducted by the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed her death as a homicide.
Jeffrey S. Miller, Central Commander with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, stated that the Major Crimes Unit has been working tirelessly on the case since Filiatraut's disappearance.
Early in the investigation, detectives identified 39-year-old Robert Matthew Richards, a resident of Saratoga Springs, Utah, as a suspect.
Richards had been working and staying in Fernley, when Filiatraut went missing, but he left the state shortly afterward.
Following the discovery of Filiatraut's remains, detectives tracked Richards to Colorado.
With the assistance of the Grand County Sheriff’s Office and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, a search warrant was executed, leading to the collection of significant physical evidence.
Based on this evidence, an arrest warrant for Richards on one count of First Degree Murder was issued in late July.
On July 29, 2024, detectives, with support from local law enforcement and the United States Marshals Service, apprehended Richards in Utah.
He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he will remain until he is extradited to Lyon County to face trial.
Miller acknowledged the extensive collaboration across multiple states, highlighting the support from the Churchill County Sheriff’s Office, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, the Regional Human Trafficking and Exploitation Unit (HEAT), Elko County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada State Police Investigations Division, Grand County Colorado Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, Salt Lake County Utah Sheriff’s Office, and Saratoga Springs Utah Police Department.
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office continues to seek information regarding the case and encourages anyone with relevant details to contact their Investigations Division by email at detective@lyon-county.org or by phone at 775-463-6600, referencing Case Number 24LY01479.