Found Deceased NC - Maddox Ritch, 6 w/Autism, Gastonia, 22 Sept 2018

[HayLouise]

HAPPENING TONIGHT: The public is invited to a candlelight vigil tonight for Maddox Ritch. It will be held at the Rotary Pavilion in downtown Gastonia and begins at 7:30 p.m. #FindMaddox @SpecNewsCLT



Katy Solt on Twitter

 

[HayLouise]

“I’m so worried because it’s just been so long. He hasn’t had any food or drink since Saturday. I’m worried if he’s resourceful enough to make it on his own like that.”

Morgan Fogarty on Twitter

Dad says Maddox was headed in direction of park office / boat landing.

Morgan Fogarty on Twitter

 

[heartgoesout]

Ian Ritch now claims that he has neuropathy in his feet, due to diabetes, and that can make it difficult for him to run. He did not disclose that medical issue to us when we interviewed him earlier

David Begnaud on Twitter

A reporter asked him about this and he answered hesitantly that diabetes kinda slows him down running.

 

[HayLouise]

Lake is being drained. FBI has invited underwater recovery response team w special equipment to search underwater environments. Search that happened today was slightly different: it was an evidence search, not just search for Maddox.

Morgan Fogarty on Twitter

 

[gitana1]

I am torn because I do think the water seems like a likely place to find him.

But the Dad makes it sound like his eyes were on him so shouldn't he have seen him fall into the water?

I don't know. It's all very strange and sad.

I don't think a stranger took him. It doesn't look like it would be that easy to sneak away with a child there.

He said he watched him run out of his sight. He went somewhere. So if he rounded a bend and then somehow headed toward water his dad would not have seen him.

He didn't just vaporize.

 

[HayLouise]

FBI still needs to talk to joggers in the park on Saturday, and a man in a camo hat w a white truck, pulling a kayak out of the water.


They did get in touch w the photographer they wanted to speak with.

Morgan Fogarty on Twitter

Bbm

 

[Gardener1850]

Ut oh. This is the same term murderer Steven Capobianco said when his pregnant girlfriend was missing. “Suspect”.
Why does he think he’s a suspect? Suspect of what? At this point the child is missing.

To be fair, the reporter first asked him if he was being treated as a suspect by police. He also said in that interview he has cooperated completely and given LE everything they have asked-- phone records, search of their house, search of vehicles, taking lie detector tests, walking LE through exactly where they were and how it happened, etc, etc.

 

[Natusry]

His dad also talked about how he enjoyed running ahead and hiding. Even if he wasn’t obsessed with water as many of our kids are, he might have tried to quickly hide in the water. It takes seconds.

 

[IceIce9]

I am torn because I do think the water seems like a likely place to find him.

But the Dad makes it sound like his eyes were on him so shouldn't he have seen him fall into the water?

.

His dad did state that while they were chasing Maddox they lost sight of him. Then they searchef for him for an hour or so before the park employee called 911.

Presumably if he did fall in the water it would have been during the time after his dad and the other unidentified adult lost sight of him. In the hour or so between losing sight of him and 911 being called Maddox could have covered a lot of ground and possibly fallen or waded out into the water.

 

[Boodles]

Ian repeats that he is worried (I believe him). That’s not the word I’d think of to describe myself with a missing child. Terrified, horrified, scared, desperate are more along the lines of what I’d be feeling. Maybe it’s a man thing.

 

[HayLouise]

NEW | Gastonia Police still have potential witnesses they want to hear from:

- someone loading a silver kayak into a white pick-up truck at Rankin Lake Park.

- anyone who rented the shelters at Rankin Lake Park on Saturday.


@wsoctv

Stephanie Tinoco on Twitter

 

[Anicole]

I'm not sure the water is where he's at. If the dad lost sight of him running, others around and in the water would have seen him go in the water, wouldn't they?

 

[IceIce9]

NEW | Gastonia Police still have potential witnesses they want to hear from:

- someone loading a silver kayak into a white pick-up truck at Rankin Lake Park.

- anyone who rented the shelters at Rankin Lake Park on Saturday.


@wsoctv

Stephanie Tinoco on Twitter

Wouldn’t the park have records of the people who rented the shelters? Contact information, etc?

Anytime I have rented a picnic shelter I have had to provide contact information and a deposit.

 

[heartgoesout]

To be fair, the reporter first asked him if he was being treated as a suspect by police. He also said in that interview he has cooperated completely and given LE everything they have asked-- phone records, search of their house, search of vehicles, taking lie detector tests, walking LE through exactly where they were and how it happened, etc, etc.

Thanks for clarifying. I admit I read just that part and had an oh crap moment.
I’m feeling better about the dad. Still on the fence about such a strange story though.
Dad says Maddox was running towards parking lot. This is more worrisome than the lake I think.

 

[Considering]

What about the possibility that Maddox hid ina vehicle in the parking lot? Some children with autism also like to hide and do not necessarily respond to hearing their name called. I can picture Maddox hiding from dad in a car or truck bed and silently waiting for dad to find him. He could have crawled into a pick-up's tool box or dog kennel or into the back of an SUV and stayed there never making a sound. If he did and he didn't get out of the vehicle until that person arrived home, Maddox could be anywhere. Sure, it's a far-fetched idea but if you have experience with children with autism, you know that the improbable does happen.

 

[borndem]

As the parent of an autistic adult, I feel horrible the parents are crucified on Sm. It is more likely the boy did bolt and probably drown than foul play. The father sounded distraught and sincere to me.
My daughter escapes and bolts so often that we can never go out without at least two other adults. When she was a child, it was so bad, we rarely risked taking her out to parks or near water.

Thank you for your knowing thoughts -- you knew the limits and proclivities of your daughter, and you responded the way that was necessary to keep her safe.
Thinking about a 6-year old who is not a special-needs child -- it would take IMO a similar attitude -- where there is water, don't let him/her away from you for a second or for a couple of feet. I certainly never did with my son at that age. Call it helicoptering or not, it's a must, IMO.
And,

Welcome to Websleuths, Natusry!!​

 

[Spellbound]

I havenlt been able to catch up on this thread, so forgive me if this was already posted.

The 9-1-1 call from park employee:

Longer version:

 

[heartgoesout]

What about the possibility that Maddox hid ina vehicle in the parking lot? Some children with autism also like to hide and do not necessarily respond to hearing their name called. I can picture Maddox hiding from dad in a car or truck bed and silently waiting for dad to find him. He could have crawled into a pick-up's tool box or dog kennel or into the back of an SUV and stayed there never making a sound. If he did and he didn't get out of the vehicle until that person arrived home, Maddox could be anywhere. Sure, it's a far-fetched idea but if you have experience with children with autism, you know that the improbable does happen.

Not far fetched at all.

 

[Cj707]

If Maddox was running to hide and fell in the water, wouldn't his body be found by now? I mean, wouldn't he just float up to the top of he simply fell in? Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I really am wondering about this.

 

[leelee114]

That's odd. What does it matter when a child is missing ?
Are they looking closely at this person ? From what the employee who made the 911 call -- it was a female.
What would be the reason for LE to conceal her identity ?

This is about Maddox missing and nothing else !

Because the police have deemed it none of the public’s business and unimportant to the case. The focus is Maddox not nosy people ripping her life apart and coming up with the sort of false narratives that make for good social media fodder but hold no actual value in terms of finding Maddox.