UK UK - Shaun Ritchie, 20, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, 31 Oct 2014

[Inside_out]

I've been following this case for couple of years now, also poor Allan Bryant that's been missing for 3 years 😓

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[eneri12]

I've been following this case for couple of years now, also poor Allan Bryant that's been missing for 3 years 😓

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Both cases are very strange. I do think Allan Bryant will turn up in a field or forest one day, sadly. As for Shaun I think the same but I really believe that his friends know far more than they're letting on. A terrible secret to keep for so long though.

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[Kylelay]

Shaun was from Fraserburgh. Fraserburgh and Peterhead are infamous for having problems with drugs, and have been for many years, particularly heroin but also cocaine. It is widely known that drugs arriving in to the area are controlled by either Liverpudlian gangs or Russian gangs (a quick google search of drugs couriers caught in Aberdeen over the last 5 years and you can find addresses). Now these gangs are also known to be extremely violent, frighteningly so. There have been many serious assaults committed relating to drugs and drug debts, many of which do not reach court due to witness intimidation.
Now if I was with my friends and threatened by an armed member of a gang that we owed money to to get in to a van, I would do it. If they were to bundle us in to a van and drive us somewhere remote and dark, said they were going to torture us etc then I would be very scared for my life. Say they let us out of the van and a member of our friend group (Shaun) managed to run off in to the cold, dark night. Another friend managed to dial 999 without the gang seeing at first, then was made to phone back and cancel the request for help. Lesson learnt - friends scared to death and will pay back debts. But wait - where is Shaun? It's too dark and cold to look for him for very long, lets get home, he will be fine. Shaun meanwhile is running in the pitch black through marshy farmland in the freezing cold, totally disorientated and suffering from hypothermia - he starts removing items of clothing. Eventually he falls in to one of the many bogs situated on this farmland, and sinks to the bottom and dies like many sheep also have. Would I tell the police what had really happened that night and risk the wrath of the Russian gang? No.
Just my opinion/musings!

 

[Kylelay]

Can’t believe it has been nearly 4 years since Shaun went missing!
I’m still really interested in this case.
Shaun’s Dad is a bit of a character - he’s a ‘high-up’ member of a biker gang.

 

[Al Ka]

October 31, 2018, Sister of missing Fraserburgh man Shaun Ritchie appeals for fresh information four years after he was last seen

The sister of a man who went missing on a Halloween night out has renewed her appeal for information four years after he disappeared.

Shaun Ritchie was last seen with friends in the Greenburn area of the countryside near Strichen in October 2014.

The 20-year-old was reported missing when he failed to return home the following day sparking one of the largest searches in Scottish police history.
---
Today marks the fourth anniversary of his disappearance and his sibling Nicole Shand said it has been “really difficult” for the family.

She said they have been left with plenty of questions and no answers.

“A fresh appeal would maybe help keeping him in the public eye.

“The only thing we do really is keep talking about him and making more people aware of the situation that he is still missing.
---
“He’s not home with his family and he needs to be found. We just want closure really.”

Last night, police said the circumstances surrounding Mr Ritchie’s disappearance have been reviewed by their major investigation team.
---
He said: “To date these reviews have all concluded that this remains a missing person inquiry and there is no evidence to suggest that Shaun has been the victim of any crime.
===

Timeline

Friday, October 31, 2014 – Last seen by mother on Friday evening at home in Watermill Road.

That same day, CCTV images are captured of Mr Ritchie visiting a convenience store in Fraserburgh.

Friday, October 31 into Saturday, November 1 – Mr Ritchie travelled in a van with a small group of friends to a farm in the Greenburn area, near Strichen. It is understood the van travelled on the A981. Later that day, two emergency calls are made to police from the Greenburn area, one requesting help and the second cancelling the requested help.

Sunday, November 2– Mr Ritchie is reported missing at 8.45pm on the Sunday evening.

Thursday, November 6 – Police officers recover several items of his clothing including his shoes and his belt from the Greenburn area.

Sister of missing Fraserburgh man Shaun Ritchie appeals for fresh information four years after he was last seen | Press and Journal

 

[chimpface]

Shaun was from Fraserburgh. Fraserburgh and Peterhead are infamous for having problems with drugs, and have been for many years, particularly heroin but also cocaine. It is widely known that drugs arriving in to the area are controlled by either Liverpudlian gangs or Russian gangs (a quick google search of drugs couriers caught in Aberdeen over the last 5 years and you can find addresses). Now these gangs are also known to be extremely violent, frighteningly so. There have been many serious assaults committed relating to drugs and drug debts, many of which do not reach court due to witness intimidation.
Now if I was with my friends and threatened by an armed member of a gang that we owed money to to get in to a van, I would do it. If they were to bundle us in to a van and drive us somewhere remote and dark, said they were going to torture us etc then I would be very scared for my life. Say they let us out of the van and a member of our friend group (Shaun) managed to run off in to the cold, dark night. Another friend managed to dial 999 without the gang seeing at first, then was made to phone back and cancel the request for help. Lesson learnt - friends scared to death and will pay back debts. But wait - where is Shaun? It's too dark and cold to look for him for very long, lets get home, he will be fine. Shaun meanwhile is running in the pitch black through marshy farmland in the freezing cold, totally disorientated and suffering from hypothermia - he starts removing items of clothing. Eventually he falls in to one of the many bogs situated on this farmland, and sinks to the bottom and dies like many sheep also have. Would I tell the police what had really happened that night and risk the wrath of the Russian gang? No.
Just my opinion/musings!

Are you a local?

How deep would these bogs be? I can't believe they wouldn't have found him by now if so.

 

[missstery]

I've only just read about Shaun Ritchie's disappearance. I think it sounds quite obvious there is some foul play involved somewhere (from the calls to the emergency services) so can't understand why the police disagree with this unless it's a cover up from someone who works in the police who is related to those drug gangs somehow.
I read in the media somewhere about how the people he went with in the van, they were unsavoury characters. My thoughts are:

- To perhaps pay off his debt, was he forced in to burgling the farm house with the rest of them in the van for backup and to get away quickly, but he got caught and was shot by the owner. The owner hid the body somewhere so someone called the police for help but the owner caught up with him and said if anyone found out what had happened, he would punish/kill them all.

- Drug dealers took him out to near the farm and stripped him of his clothes because he wouldn't pay off his debt and left him unclothed in the dark and freezing cold. Maybe a friend called for help and the drug dealers told his friends if they didn't forget what they had seen, them or their loved ones would be punished/killed.

- As well as removing clothes from getting too hot when suffering from hypothermia, could he have taken a drug that caused him to overheat so he took his clothes off that way. A friend could have called for help then another friend forced him to unrequest help because they would all get in trouble for taking drugs.

- High on drugs and just wandered off / wanted to disappear because he was heavily in debt from the drug gangs and couldn't live with it anymore

But why on earth the police didn't follow up about the calls ie who rang and why etc, I can't get my head around that at all. And if he was killed, his body could have been dumped many miles from where they are looking so he would never be found It's heartbreaking!! I had a quick look on his FB account and at his family (I would assume family as they have the same surname). A few are fishermen. What if his body has been dumped out to sea???
I only found out about Shaun Ritchie because I was researching about Tony Parsons. I'm glad Shaun has people who are still looking for him and putting in appeals unlike poor Tony. I hope they get the closure they deserve.

 

[Redgoblin]

The sister of a missing man has spoken of the "living nightmare" of not knowing where he is, on what would have been his 25th birthday.

Source: STV News

 

[missstery]

Shaun Ritchie is still in my thoughts. I hope one day an answer will be found as to what happened to the poor guy.

 

[elframo]

One day someone will talk ,they always do and justice will prevail.

 

[pickle26]

An area in Glenrothes, Whitehill Industrial Estate. Parts of it very run down. Some units recently been put up for sale. Travellers use the area a lot illegally. Skeletal male remains found, not those of Allan Bryant or Kenneth Jones from the local Fife area.

 

[Craggus]

I couldn't see this posted- the family shared this in the facebook page:

 

[Craggus]

I'd forgotten that the police recovered some items of Shauns clothing. If I can find the link I'll post it but in cases of hyperthermia some people start to remove their clothing, that could be a reason why some clothing was found.

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The weather at the time was unseasonably warm with, being between 14/15C so he wasn't dressed unusually for the weather and hypothermia seems unlikely.

 

[chimpface]

There is a documentary that has just been released about this case at the link below.

Missing from The Broch: Our documentary reveals new details surrounding Shaun Ritchie's disappearance

It's behind a paywall but you can subscribe and the first 30 days are free (cancel any time). I'm just about to watch it.

 

[chimpface]

Right I've just finished watching and here are the notes I made. I apologise in advance if they appear a bit convoluted, the documentary went back and forth and it wasn't exactly in the exact timeline.
-----------------------------------------------------
Went missing Friday night not reported missing until Sunday evening

Mum saw him at the shop near house - Got in a van with 5 of his friends - there was also a driver and his associate in the front

Said he'd be back later and "not to worry" - didn't have his phone with him

Was in the balaclava bar - 10pm

Head off in the van to "a party" - was an issue with the driver and one of the other people in the van - driver of the van went to his brothers (farm near strichen) for assistance

The rest got out of the van and left the area "fearing something may happen"? 2 went in one direction 3 went in another - both groups claim they thought Shaun was with the other

Sister said "the boys said" (presumed to be Shauns friends) there was a disturbance that night and one of the boys was chased with an axe

Shaun's lighter was found in an area of grass flattened down as if somebody had been lying there "hiding" - word his dad used

His belt was found down the road from the lighter, trainers and hooded top across fields

GPR was used to search the bog where his clothes were found - area was very swampy and boggy at the time, lots of rain

When searching searchers would be on even ground one minute and waste deep in mud the next (some context of the conditions of where he went missing)

Large animal found in search which the farmer hadn't seen for 3 years

Every inch of surrounding area up to Fraserborough was searched - Shaun's father believed he would have been found if he was there

Mud on recovered hoody up to the waist area

Via foresnics they narrowed down the bog Shaun had been in - police dive teams searched it - found the skeleton of a horse but nothing else

Sister says Police believe no foul play involved - she believes he is in the area somewhere could have been accident etc

Owner of the farm house made 101 call asking for assistance and then moments later called back to say not needed

One of the boys put up a photo on facebook when in the van with one of the other boys captioned "Halloween prank gone wrong" - this has since been removed from facebook

One of Shauns friends was winding up the driver of the van on way there (they'd all been drinking) - Police don't believe this to be significant

No evidence to suggest Shaun was removed from the area by any other person - Police

Everyone in van/at farm interviewed at least 4 times - accounts have remained consistent

Regarding the axe story - was meant to be a pending court trial but family never heard anything more - one of the boys tops was cut with the axe

One of the boys posted on social media that Friday night "omg thought I was gonna die tonight got hit by an axe"

In 2017 Neil Robertson (nickname "nugs" - driver of the van) appeared at Peterhead court charged with assaulting a person with an axe at the farm on the night of shaun's disappearance

Was investigated as part of the missing person enquiry but established Shaun wouldn't have been there at the time of the offence - Neil Robertson found not guilty

Documentary makers tried to interview him but he asked who they'd been talking to and denied being that person - he is mentioned in relation to another court case https://planetradio.co.uk/northsoun...ctim-told-son-attempt-life-months-fatal-fire/

Family have discussed petitioning to have Shaun declared dead as he's been missing 7 years

Documentary makers attempted to speak to everyone at the farm that night, they either couldn't be found or weren't willing to speak with them - I believe this is because they are either related to or scared of "Nugs"

 

[chimpface]

My theory - the winding up of the driver of the van went a bit too far and this bloke seems to have a bit of a reputation.

When they get to the farm (which the drivers brother owns) he gets an axe and starts swinging it at this lad who was winding him up.

They all run off scared but Shaun gets lost and dies of drowning/hypothermia out in that bog that night or early the next morning.

Would welcome other people's thoughts!

 

[JennyJukes]

Thanks @chimpface I haven't had time to watch it yet. I'm from the area but didn't know Shaun personally and I moved a year after he disappeared. This sort of thing doesn't happen often up there so everyone knows about it.

At the time he went missing there were the rumours about them being chased from a van with an axe, and both groups thinking Shaun was with the other. I didn't know that had been confirmed to be true, it was just a wild rumour at the time. Similarly, it was thought that the call for assistance which was then cancelled was from his friends, I didn't know it was actually the farm owner. It makes sense that they were the one that called if the van driver went there for help.

I also did not know that NR was in court for assault. I checked the Find Shaun Ritchie facebook (Log into Facebook) but never saw mention of that. It says Shaun wouldn't have been there at the time, so was the attack on his friends one assault and an attack on another person after that? I'm a bit confused onthat part. I did see this on the Facebook page: Farmhouse blaze not connected to Shaun search which I never knew either even though it was a week after he went missing. Not sure if this is the same farm and if there's been another investigation into it?

I take it that NR is from the area. Does it say how they ended up in his van - did one of the guys know him and arrange a lift? If he's in an article for threatening someone in 1998 then he's much older than Shaun. I think his dad was concerned he was killed due to a drug debt - is that any relation to why they were in NRs van?

The "large animal found that the farmer hadn't seen in 3 years" - is that the skeleton of the horse they found?

<modsnip: No link to information stated as fact.>


My thoughts are the same as yours, they were drinking and messing around and the van driver threatened them with an axe. They were drinking, it would have been dark and he got stuck in a bog. The taking off the clothes is consistent with hypothermia too. Just the possible farmhouse having a fire a week later and the posts being deleted when the boys were in the van is suspicious. Maybe they took it down because they weren't sure if something did happen to him, and they were concerned about the consequences.

 

[chimpface]

Thanks @chimpface I haven't had time to watch it yet. I'm from the area but didn't know Shaun personally and I moved a year after he disappeared. This sort of thing doesn't happen often up there so everyone knows about it.

At the time he went missing there were the rumours about them being chased from a van with an axe, and both groups thinking Shaun was with the other. I didn't know that had been confirmed to be true, it was just a wild rumour at the time. Similarly, it was thought that the call for assistance which was then cancelled was from his friends, I didn't know it was actually the farm owner. It makes sense that they were the one that called if the van driver went there for help.

I also did not know that NR was in court for assault. I checked the Find Shaun Ritchie facebook (Log into Facebook) but never saw mention of that. It says Shaun wouldn't have been there at the time, so was the attack on his friends one assault and an attack on another person after that? I'm a bit confused onthat part. I did see this on the Facebook page: Farmhouse blaze not connected to Shaun search which I never knew either even though it was a week after he went missing. Not sure if this is the same farm and if there's been another investigation into it?

I take it that NR is from the area. Does it say how they ended up in his van - did one of the guys know him and arrange a lift? If he's in an article for threatening someone in 1998 then he's much older than Shaun. I think his dad was concerned he was killed due to a drug debt - is that any relation to why they were in NRs van?

The "large animal found that the farmer hadn't seen in 3 years" - is that the skeleton of the horse they found?

<modsnip: No link to information stated as fact.>


My thoughts are the same as yours, they were drinking and messing around and the van driver threatened them with an axe. They were drinking, it would have been dark and he got stuck in a bog. The taking off the clothes is consistent with hypothermia too. Just the possible farmhouse having a fire a week later and the posts being deleted when the boys were in the van is suspicious. Maybe they took it down because they weren't sure if something did happen to him, and they were concerned about the consequences.

No problem Jenny.

<modsnip: Quoted post was modsnipped>

I was also confused about that axe attack part but clearly that played a part in the events nights and I'm sure is why Shaun ended up dead on those fields somewhere.

Unfortunately I didn't write down the exact name of the farm but it was near Strichen so possibly the same? The article does refer to the police having established the cause of the fire and it not being related.

Yes NR is still living there as per the doc they tracked him down but he denied being NR even though his partner who answered the door called "Nugs" up the stairs to him to come down. Interesting part is he asked who they'd been talking to first before denying being him. I feel this character probably has a fearsome reputation in the area and also why no one else from that night spoke to the doc makers (ref point the other article about the attempted murder case).

I would presume the large animal they found was the skeleton of the horse but it didn't specify, it was at two different points in the documentary a "large animal" was mentioned and then that they found the skeleton of the dead horse in the bog that Shauns hoody was found in.

Just thought I'd point out re; drug debt his dad is on film quite a bit and doesn't mention it.

 

[chimpface]

Bump, hopefully some of the members who were interested in this case are still about?

@Purplepixii
@CoverMeCagney
@Kylelay
@Al Ka
@missstery
@Redgoblin
@elframo
@Craggus

 

[JennyJukes]

I just watched @chimpface. Some thoughts

- NR was known to them - I wonder how?

- I wasn't initially suspicious about the friends not reporting him missing for 2 days. Someone I knew went missing a few miles from Fraserburgh a few years after Shaun and people thought he was being hidden at a friends house because of an incident that happened. No-one really thought something bad happened to him. He was found weeks later after a fatal accident. But, Shaun's friends knew he was out without his phone. How far did the friends run from the farmhouse? When did they realize Shaun wasn't with the other group? Did the groups meet up at the end of the night? How did they get home? Even if the 2 groups went home separately, they surely would have contacted each other and realized Shaun didn't go home with any of them at least by the Saturday. It does make me wonder if he would have been found if they just reported it quicker.

- I do tend to believe that he passed away due to the weather and terrain conditions but the fact he hasn't been found makes me wonder how far he managed to get away. It seems most likely he is in a bog that they can't get to though based on the fact most his clothes were found nearby. Because the area isn't very habitable and not exactly somewhere people go often, I do wonder if he will ever be found though.

- I checked the farm from the last post I made and it looks like the farm that went on fire a week after he went missing is a different one to the farm they ran from.

- I'm glad they did this documentary and went out to try interview people. Sad that his friends that were there that night didn't agree to speak. I got a bit teary at the end watching his sister get upset. I don't know if I could be that brave to talk in a documentary. I know from social media a lot of people refer to "karma" coming and a lot of locals think the friends know more. You can see some posts from locals on the P&Js facebook post on the documentary: Log in or sign up to view. Also some interesting comments on the 'Find Shaun Ritchie' page, including a mention about one of the boys in the van on the post here ... Log in or sign up to view (click 'All Comments', read reply by TM under post by CT)