James Steven Knowles

• Missing Since 10/03/2017
• Missing From Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Male
• Race Black
• Age 57 years old
• Height and Weight 5'7, 190 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description A white t-shirt, gray sweatpants and flip-flops.
• Distinguishing Characteristics African-American male. Black hair, brown eyes. Knowles may use the last name Wells or the nickname Steve. His head was shaved at the time of his disappearance, and he may have a goatee. He has a tattoo of a heart with a banner reading "Stephanie" on his left upper arm.

Details of Disappearance

Knowles was last seen in the parking lot of Carva Apartments in the 1100 block of north St. Charles Place in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on October 3, 2017. He was reported missing by his estranged wife. She and Knowles had separated and Knowles's roommate, Quiana McCloud, is one of the last people known to have seen him.

According to McCloud, Knowles offered her a room to rent at Carva Apartments, where he was the maintenance man. Sometime after 7:00 p.m. on October 3, McCloud left their shared apartment to go to the store. When she returned, Knowles was gone, but his cellular phone, house keys and cigarettes were left behind. It would be uncharacteristic of him to go anywhere without those items.

Mario Normore, a member of the Rollin' 20s gang, is believed to have been responsible for Knowles's disappearance and for three 2017 homicides and a string of robberies in Oklahoma City. A photo of Normore is posted with this case summary. He also lived in Carva Apartments and worked for Knowles, painting vacant apartments so they'd be ready to rent again.

He was arrested in October 2017 and charged with ten robberies of businesses, including two bank robberies. A year later, he was charged with four murders, including Knowles's. He reportedly told a witness that "Steve had to go" because he was a snitch, and told another witness he had killed Knowles over an unpaid $20 debt.

In March 2023, in order to avoid a possible death sentence, Normore pleaded guilty to all charges. He was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole for the murders, with additional concurrent terms for the robberies. He will never be released from prison.

Knowles is still missing and presumed dead. Foul play is suspected in his case due to the circumstances involved.