Skeletal Remains of Missing Nurse Found 4 Years After Disappearance

In a tragic turn of events, skeletal remains discovered behind a Queens shopping center have been identified as those of Richard "Max" Albright, a nurse who went missing four years ago. According to Albright's wife, Cathy, officials have informed her that the remains, including a wallet, belong to her husband.

Albright, a 69-year-old man, was last seen leaving his home in Jackson Heights, Queens, on October 14, 2021, telling his wife he was going "to take a walk." Surveillance footage from his building showed him leaving at 11:18 a.m. and turning left towards Northern Boulevard. Sadly, Albright never returned home, and his disappearance sparked a search that has now come to a somber conclusion.

The discovery of the skeletal remains was made on September 29, 2025, when a city survey crew found a male skull, leg bone, and hip bone while working along 20th Avenue. Though the New York Police Department has not officially released the victim's identity, Cathy Albright has confirmed that the remains belong to her late husband. She believes her husband may have died following a medical episode and does not suspect foul play.

The tragic news has brought a sense of closure for Cathy Albright, who had been searching for her husband for the past four years. "I knew he had passed, but to have his remains and to know what happened is really what I want," she expressed. Albright was described as a "loving husband of 23 years" and an "extremely devoted nurse" who worked at the Hospital for Special Surgery.