Found Deceased NC - Maddox Ritch, 6 w/Autism, Gastonia, 22 Sept 2018 #2

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Reminder:

Leave Facebook on Facebook. Do not bring rumors here from social media. If you can't link it, don't mention it.

ETA: The post directly above this post is fine as it is a MSM article. But do not paraphrase things you have personally read on Facebook and bring them here.

Thank you!
 
<modsnip>Sorry, didn't mean to cause a upset, I was just making a statement about how people grieve different, I saw the adds myself and wasn't trying to talk down on anyone, just saying everyone grieves differently.
liltexans said:
Reminder:

Leave Facebook on Facebook. Do not bring rumors here from social media. If you can't link it, don't mention it.

ETA: The post directly above this post is fine as it is a MSM article. But do not paraphrase things you have personally read on Facebook and bring them here.

Thank you!
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JuneRose said:
<modsnip>Sorry, didn't mean to cause a upset, I was just making a statement about how people grieve different, I saw the adds myself and wasn't trying to talk down on anyone, just saying everyone grieves differently.
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My reminder was not directed at any one poster in particular. Just a general reminder that if something can't be linked, it can't be discussed here.

We are not going to speculate about the family's financial situation here or what they may or may not be doing to pay for the burial of their sweet child.
 
This was not the outcome I had hoped for. I pray that this will be ruled a tragic accident.

That poor Dad. His FB post is heartwrenching. I remember when I had two small children that I was raising alone. They are so fast and no matter how diligent you are, they can slip out of sight.

My prayers are with the Dad, Mom and other family members.
 
yrmfp said:
"Maddox was my only child and he will be the only one i will ever have," Ian Ritch posted on Facebook. "Now today i found out im not a dad anymore."

Dad of Maddox Ritch takes to social media with emotional post
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That last line.. "Now today I found out I'm not a dad anymore".. As someone who has lost a child (due to my doctor's negligence, I gave birth to a full term stillborn daughter because of her), I know the pain. Grieving a child's death is extremely hard, and I pray for peace for Maddox's parents. The quoted line sticks out to me, because my daughter's father was in prison when I found out she had passed, and he was still in there when I had to give birth to her. After I told him, his response was "are you telling me my daughter is dead?" and when I cried yes, he said "I'm not a dad anymore?" My heart broke. In the weeks and few months after her passing, how I grieved was a lot different than him. He's still incarcerated, but how he dealt with it was much different. It's now almost 6 months since I had her, and the pain is still very fresh and real.

I just pray to the man upstairs that Ian won't continue to beat himself up for the rest of his life. I've recently been watching a woman on facebook who's 7 year old is severely autistic and completely non-verbal. Do we know how severe Maddox's autism was? She's explained some of the hardships they've had with their child. He used to bolt out of the door, they had 3 locks on each of their doors, locks and alarms on all doors and windows. Because when he would run, he would RUN. So I can understand how Maddox got away from Ian so fast.
 
G*d Bless you Katerz! Bless you for sharing your personal sorrow and journey. You are pointing out something so heartbreaking. None of us really know how the parents are feeling unless we have walked in their shoes. I can only imagine they are still in a deep state of shock, and might even be having trouble processing what has just/is happening. It's going to take them some time to just get past the initial shock and start absorbing the reality. My prayers are with them, and with you as you continue to take one day, or even moment at a time. Bless you.
 
Tragic outcome. This little boy had the sweetest face in the main pic that circulated.

Of course all speculation at this point. But I believe the fathers story and he's most likely told it exactly how it happened. Which of course has shocked many.

I think putting him in front of the camera with savvy press reporters, he's going to raise eye brows, he's not at all polished. He's going to fail the stink test by Joe Public. But to be fair, we have seen MANY cases where the parent did harm their child.

I didn't at all find it strange that the body was hard to see, easy to pass over and possibly was. Not sure where the HRD K9's searched.
 
rosesfromangels said:
G*d Bless you Katerz! Bless you for sharing your personal sorrow and journey. You are pointing out something so heartbreaking. None of us really know how the parents are feeling unless we have walked in their shoes. I can only imagine they are still in a deep state of shock, and might even be having trouble processing what has just/is happening. It's going to take them some time to just get past the initial shock and start absorbing the reality. My prayers are with them, and with you as you continue to take one day, or even moment at a time. Bless you.
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Thank you. I wasn't really wanting to share too much of it just because I don't want sympathy. I just want people to see that EVERYONE grieves differently. Not one person has the same feelings. We need to see where the investigation leads, and go from there. I still feel in my heart that sweet Maddox went running ahead like he was playing a game, got lost on the trail, went down to the creek for a drink of water and slipped and fell.. resulting in drowning.
 
I noticed in the press conference, when they were asked whether his clothes were intact, and if there was any visible trauma, they wouldn't answer. Is that standard procedure, or are they withholding information to see if anyone slips up?

I wish they would find the jogger, and the person with the white truck, even if they don't think they have much to contribute.​
 
dfanady said:
I noticed in the press conference, when they were asked whether his clothes were intact, and if there was any visible trauma, they wouldn't answer. Is that standard procedure, or are they withholding information to see if anyone slips up?

I wish they would find the jogger, and the person with the white truck, even if they don't think they have much to contribute.​
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Law enforcement can and will withhold any information that will help solve the crime. The child could have been stabbed to death, or beaten to death, raped, shot, ect... They keep this information hidden much like an oncologist does after a biopsy. They know the answer, but the lab must confirm it first. With LE this knowledge is crucial to be kept secret because it allows them to collect the proper evidence. I can tell you this, there is ZERO chance that child just "fell" into the lake and drowned then washed 2 miles down that Creek without someone noticing THE day it happened. I say this because I have taken my wife and my son and his best friend there numerous times. There are lots of people there even on bad weather days. Someone would have noticed a child "falling" into the lake and drowning especially if the dad was already in persuit as he claimed.
 
Mr. Mfwic said:
Law enforcement can and will withhold any information that will help solve the crime. The child could have been stabbed to death, or beaten to death, raped, shot, ect... They keep this information hidden much like an oncologist does after a biopsy. They know the answer, but the lab must confirm it first. With LE this knowledge is crucial to be kept secret because it allows them to collect the proper evidence. I can tell you this, there is ZERO chance that child just "fell" into the lake and drowned then washed 2 miles down that Creek without someone noticing THE day it happened. I say this because I have taken my wife and my son and his best friend there numerous times. There are lots of people there even on bad weather days. Someone would have noticed a child "falling" into the lake and drowning especially if the dad was already in persuit as he claimed.
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I don't have the link but it has been stated that he couldn't have fell into the lake and been swept away because of underwater screens that would prevent that. He could, however have followed the trail that goes under 321 and then fell into the creek.
 
Last edited:
In your opinion, is it viable or plausible that the child could have entered the creek from the park area? My understanding is that the park is not completely fenced in and getting to the creek is possible.

I also notice a foot bridge at the north and eastern corner of the park that has a gully under it leading to the creek. It appears going through the woods and making it to that gully might allow an explorer get to the creek and possibly without being seen.

Mr. Mfwic said:
Law enforcement can and will withhold any information that will help solve the crime. The child could have been stabbed to death, or beaten to death, raped, shot, ect... They keep this information hidden much like an oncologist does after a biopsy. They know the answer, but the lab must confirm it first. With LE this knowledge is crucial to be kept secret because it allows them to collect the proper evidence. I can tell you this, there is ZERO chance that child just "fell" into the lake and drowned then washed 2 miles down that Creek without someone noticing THE day it happened. I say this because I have taken my wife and my son and his best friend there numerous times. There are lots of people there even on bad weather days. Someone would have noticed a child "falling" into the lake and drowning especially if the dad was already in persuit as he claimed.
Click to expand...
 
Kaplan said it is “too early” to say whether foul play is suspected. Although a medical examiner will confirm the identity of the remains, Kaplan said it is “reasonable to say that it’s [Maddox].

Gastonia fire chief Phillip Welch said Maddox could not have been swept into the creek from the lake due to a screen in the discharge area.

Welch added that it is possible Maddox walked under fencing around the park to get to the creek. It is unclear how he got into the creek.

“We were searching on the presumption that he could have moved around. We had new eyes every day in the same areas.”
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Body Believed to Be of Missing Boy, 6, with Autism Found Partially Submerged in N.C. Creek
 
dfanady said:
I noticed in the press conference, when they were asked whether his clothes were intact, and if there was any visible trauma, they wouldn't answer. Is that standard procedure, or are they withholding information to see if anyone slips up?

I wish they would find the jogger, and the person with the white truck, even if they don't think they have much to contribute.​
Click to expand...

Very common for clothes to be ripped/pulled off in water deaths. I wouldn't read much into them not answering that or the trauma question. We need to remember that this is a little boy, not entertainment.
 
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