Found Deceased WA - Ritchie Ambrose Collins, 58, North Cascades National Park, April 2019

[britney collins]

I spoke with The Vanished Podcast last week and episode 303. Case Update: Ritchie Collins will be available Monday 9/6/2021 on Apple Podcasts or anywhere else you listen to podcasts!

It will answer some questions but also a lot of questions have still not been answered.

I’m doing ok, I hope all of you are doing good & taking care of yourselves. Thank you for everything you do!

 

[K9Enzo]

I spoke with The Vanished Podcast last week and episode 303. Case Update: Ritchie Collins will be available Monday 9/6/2021 on Apple Podcasts or anywhere else you listen to podcasts!

It will answer some questions but also a lot of questions have still not been answered.

I’m doing ok, I hope all of you are doing good & taking care of yourselves. Thank you for everything you do!

Hi - I just listened to the last episode where Marissa said she was giving a update on a WA case. I did wonder if it was your dad. Thank you for agreeing to do a follow-up. Hope you're doing well. Again, you fought hard for your dad's recovery. Mad respect to you.

 

[Luckyzmom]

Hugs))) to you Miss Britney I am so happy you have some of your Dad's belongings
I hope you get the answers you seek. Be well,stay safe I look forward to the podcast sending Love and Light your way. I know he would be very proud of you

 

[margarita25]

‎The Vanished Podcast: Case Update: Ritchie Collins on Apple Podcasts

 

[britney collins]

PLEASE HELP ME hold Whatcom County Sheriffs Office & Whatcom County Medical Examiner accountable to do their jobs and follow Washington State Law.
MedicalExaminer@co.whatcom.wa.us
Kgates@co.whatcom.wa.us
CPolinde@co.whatcom.wa.us
Hello, I am requesting you to please immediately follow Washington State Law and identify Ritchie Collins unidentified human remains. It has been 6 months since his remains have been found.
"If the body or human remains are still unidentified thirty days after discovery, the county coroner or county medical examiner investigating the death must, as soon as practicable, submit information regarding the body or remains to the national missing and unidentified persons system created by the United States department of justice's national institute of justice. Information submitted to the national missing and unidentified persons system must include, to the extent information is available, a detailed personal description, DNA information, copies of fingerprints on standardized eight inch by eight inch fingerprint cards or the equivalent digital image, forensic dental examination records, and other identifying data, including date and place of death. If the identity of the body or human remains is later established, the county coroner or county medical examiner must notify the national missing and unidentified persons system within forty-eight hours.
[ 2020 c 45 § 3; 2001 c 172 § 1; 1984 c 17 § 19; 1983 1st ex.s. c 16 § 17. Formerly RCW 68.08.360.]
https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=68.50.330"

 

[Andreee]

I am not American, but I think what you are saying is that the Namus website is not up to date on noting that your dad has been found. I looked and yes, it still says not located! That is unacceptable! I hope a write-in will remedy that.

 

[britney collins]

I am not American, but I think what you are saying is that the Namus website is not up to date on noting that your dad has been found. I looked and yes, it still says not located! That is unacceptable! I hope a write-in will remedy that.

You are correct. Thank you so much! I have been so patient and only have asked twice for an update only to be met with lies and then ignored.

“Hi Britney,
This is a challenging message to start! I really love seeing all of your beautiful updates from your trip - I hope you are finding happiness out on the road.

I do want to be sensitive here as I imagine talking about this must leave you emotionally drained. My heart breaks that you still don’t have answers and you are left trying to track them solo. WCME did reply to me - they said everything is in the hands of WCSD. They provided me a case number (19A14816) but I am certain you must have this already.

I reached out to the sheriffs department too and Detective Sergeant Courtney Polinder replied. She assured me that they are pursuing answers and shared that they are in contact with WSP crime labs and NamUs to see if either can handle the testing. It sounds like they are trying to move forward with NamUs. I asked for a timeline and she said first quarter of next year she should know more about labs in our area that NamUs can work with. I can only imagine that this must be hard to hear since that feels so far away and you have already waited so long - and for that, I am very sorry.

She mentioned too that Detective Gates is writing a letter with all of the facts of the case to give to the next medical examiner.

I don’t know if this is at all helpful to you but I hope that it might help a little - or at least doesn’t bring more pain. ”

 

[Andreee]

You are correct. Thank you so much! I have been so patient and only have asked twice for an update only to be met with lies and then ignored.

“Hi Britney,
This is a challenging message to start! I really love seeing all of your beautiful updates from your trip - I hope you are finding happiness out on the road.

I do want to be sensitive here as I imagine talking about this must leave you emotionally drained. My heart breaks that you still don’t have answers and you are left trying to track them solo. WCME did reply to me - they said everything is in the hands of WCSD. They provided me a case number (19A14816) but I am certain you must have this already.

I reached out to the sheriffs department too and Detective Sergeant Courtney Polinder replied. She assured me that they are pursuing answers and shared that they are in contact with WSP crime labs and NamUs to see if either can handle the testing. It sounds like they are trying to move forward with NamUs. I asked for a timeline and she said first quarter of next year she should know more about labs in our area that NamUs can work with. I can only imagine that this must be hard to hear since that feels so far away and you have already waited so long - and for that, I am very sorry.

She mentioned too that Detective Gates is writing a letter with all of the facts of the case to give to the next medical examiner.

I don’t know if this is at all helpful to you but I hope that it might help a little - or at least doesn’t bring more pain. ”

Hi again, So who wrote the above letter? If someone on this thread or you yourself can post some kind of letter backing you up that we can send to the powers that be and include where to send it, maybe we can do so? I'm clueless as to what to say and who to send it to in these types of things, but will be fine to send something if I have 'spelled out' directions lol!

 

[britney collins]

Hi again, So who wrote the above letter? If someone on this thread or you yourself can post some kind of letter backing you up that we can send to the powers that be and include where to send it, maybe we can do so? I'm clueless as to what to say and who to send it to in these types of things, but will be fine to send something if I have 'spelled out' directions lol!

I tweeted a couple months ago about how my Dad’s remains have still not been identified by DNA. A wonderful woman messaged me and asked if she could write and ask for me since they ignored me, she wrote me the above message. I looked up the laws about unidentified remains and wrote the email above with the law attached to the 3 email addresses I included in my post. They are the Whatcom County Medical Examiner, the lead detective and sergeant detective.

 

[britney collins]

I just got an e-mail from the Whatcom County Medical Examiner Gary Goldfogel:
"This is a copy of what I just sent to the other person who sent the same email.

It has been submitted. I have done what you requested within days of discovery of the human remains. We have done all we can locally. We do everything possible for our families but are dependent for DNA evaluation and other forensic anthropology upon the state. We will immediately contact family upon confirmation or any follow up information.
Gary Goldfogel MD
Whatcom County Medical Examiner"

!!!!

 

[Andreee]

I just got an e-mail from the Whatcom County Medical Examiner Gary Goldfogel:
"This is a copy of what I just sent to the other person who sent the same email.

It has been submitted. I have done what you requested within days of discovery of the human remains. We have done all we can locally. We do everything possible for our families but are dependent for DNA evaluation and other forensic anthropology upon the state. We will immediately contact family upon confirmation or any follow up information.
Gary Goldfogel MD
Whatcom County Medical Examiner"

********!!!!

So your dad has been found, but not officially with proof from DNA?! Confusion reigns! I hope someone can help you further, Britney, someone who has contacts who reads this thread or has the knowledge and background to assist with this! So that the whole matter can be settled properly!

 

[britney collins]

So your dad has been found, but not officially with proof from DNA?! Confusion reigns! I hope someone can help you further, Britney, someone who has contacts who reads this thread or has the knowledge and background to assist with this! So that the whole matter can be settled properly!

Yes. SOME of his human remains (his skull is missing) and his wallet, credit cards, gun and dog tags. I’ve been waiting 6 months for DNA confirmation and ignored and lied to. Thank you for caring.

 

[Andreee]

Yes. SOME of his human remains (his skull is missing) and his wallet, credit cards, gun and dog tags. I’ve been waiting 6 months for DNA confirmation and ignored and lied to. Thank you for caring.

You're welcome. I mean, even though all signs point to this being your dad, it would be the right and legal thing for the authorities to confirm that with DNA results asap!

 

[britney collins]

Detective Polinder called today & they have NO reason to believe that it’s not my Dad. He said Whatcom County Sheriffs have done everything they can. Washington State Patrol can’t don’t DNA testing. NAMUS couldn’t do DNA, but now they can but they have to find a lab that they can work with. They might know in January where to send my DNA & my Dads DNA and it could take 4-6-8 MONTHS. I asked him to have some compassion and understanding, and maybe their desensitized, I asked what if this was your family? I’ve been so kind and patient. He said but it’s not his family and he’s not desensitized they have 100s of cases that are waiting for DNA testing. I asked about the belongings and preliminary death certificate that detective gates voluntarily offered me 30 days after my Dad’s remains were found and he said that’s the medical examiner’s job. He said they didn’t get back to me because there were no updates. He was pretty defensive to my basic questions, sipping from a to go cup with a straw and laughing asked why I CC’d the media are they going to get a bunch of questions now? To my questions about following state law he said my Dad is in NAMUS. I explained to him after I asked over and over and over and over again he was finally put in NAMUS. His unidentified remains are still NOT in NAMUS along with his DNA, a detailed description of his remains including date discovered & location (which is required by Washington State Law to be done within 30 days of discovery). [ 2020 c 45 § 3; 2001 c 172 § 1; 1984 c 17 § 19; 1983 1st ex.s. c 16 § 17. Formerly RCW 68.08.360.]