IN IN - Ricky Thomas, 13, Bristow, 6 Nov 1997

[imamaze]

Moved from LTWH board to here for discussion. Originally posted by: auntbaby

Below are links to the case of Ricky Thomas , a teen who simply vanished from a country lane in Bristow Indiana.
http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.a...v=menu54_3_3_2
http://www.missingkids.com/missingki...archLang=en_US
http://www.missingkids.com/missingki...archLang=en_US
__________________
Ricky Thomas
Missing: November, 1997
Perry County, Indiana
It's been nearly three years since 13-year-old Ricky Thomas disappeared without a trace from his Bristow, Indiana home. Neighbors last saw him walking to his cousin's house a mile away. He was with his two hunting dog puppies. The dogs haven't been seen since either.
His mother and stepfather don't believe he ran away. They say he was home sick from school the day he disappeared. The last time they saw him he was in bed.

 

[monkalup]

http://www.missingkids.com/missingk...NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US
RICKY LANE THOMAS Age Progression
Case Type: Endangered Missing
DOB: Dec 21, 1983 Sex: Male
Missing Date: Nov 6, 1997 Race: White
Age Now: 25 Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
Missing City: BRISTOW Weight: 170 lbs (77 kg)
Missing State : IN Hair Color: Sandy
Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Hazel
Case Number: NCMC840241
Circumstances: Ricky's photo is shown age-progressed to 19 years. He was last seen at approximately 1:00 p.m. on Oak Ridge Road in Bristow, Indiana on November 6, 1997. He has small scars on both cheeks.

 

[monkalup]

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/t/thomas_ricky.html
Ricky Lane Thomas Jr.

Left: Ricky, circa 1997;
Right: Age-progression at age 19 (circa 2002)


Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

Missing Since: November 6, 1997 from Bristow, Indiana
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: December 21, 1983
Age: 13 years old
Height and Weight: 5'8 - 5'9, 170 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Sandy blond to brown hair, hazel/green eyes. Ricky has small scars on both of his cheeks.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: Long denim shorts and a black hooded sweatshirt with "Route 66" imprinted on the front.


Details of Disappearance

Ricky's stepfather, John Martin, saw him at the family's residence in Bristow, Indiana at approximately 11:30 a.m. on November 6, 1997. Ricky called his cousin, Daisy Applegate, between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. and told her he planned to walk to her home, which was about one mile to one and a half miles from his house. Ricky intended to stay overnight at Applegate's home. He was last seen walking along Oak Ridge Road in Bristow shortly after speaking on the phone. He never arrived at his cousin's residence and has not been seen again.
Ricky and Applegate were supposed to go to Tell City, Indiana together on the day he disappeared; his call to her was to confirm their plans. He told her he had $20 and wanted to visit a McDonald's restaurant in Tell City. Applegate called Ricky's home later that evening to tell his mother, Tina Martin, and stepfather that he had never arrived, but Tina did not notify police until the next day.

Ricky had taken two backpacks and his wallet with him before leaving his home. All of his other personal belongings remained in his room. The money he told Applegate he had was left in his wallet on his dresser. Ricky's two thirteen-week old puppies were missing, however. His loved ones say it is unlikely that he would have taken the puppies with him to his cousin's home.

Tina and John told authorities that they did not believe Ricky ran away from their residence. He had serious behavior problems and disciplinary problems at school prior to his disappearance and was kept at home as a result. His parents were supposed to be homeschooling him, but both of them were at work at the time of his disappearance. Tina and John both took polygraph tests in connection with Ricky's case, but the results have not been released.

There have been no arrests in Ricky's case, but his stepfather has been named as a possible suspect in his disappearance. Ricky frequently lived with Applegate for months at a time when John and Tina said they could not control him. After Ricky vanished, an anonymous caller told Tina Martin to go to a remote location where she would find proof that he was still alive. Tina went to the directed spot and found Ricky's snow globe. John later admitted to planting the globe there, disguising his voice, and making the call to Tina.

John did not participate in the search for Ricky. He and Tina are now divorced. Applegate stated that she believed Ricky left of his own accord and will return home when he is grown, but police believe he met with foul play.

Ricky's father, Ricky Lane Thomas Sr., died in his Evansville, Indiana home in 2000 as the result of a drug overdose. Foul play is not suspected in Ricky Sr.'s death and it is not believed to be connected to his son's disappearance. He was not named as a suspect in his son's case, but they reportedly had a troubled and violent relationship and some of Ricky's family members suspected that Ricky Sr. was involved.

Ricky's case remains unsolved.



Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Indiana State Police
812-482-1441



Source Information
The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children
America's Most Wanted
WFIE-14
The Child Seek Network



Updated 1 time since October 12, 2004.

Last updated May 19, 2005.

Charley Project Home

 

[monkalup]

Missing but not forgotten

Jan 16, 2007 03:58 PM CST


Reporter: Stefanie Silvey
New Media Producer: Rachel Chambliss

The miracle in Missouri gives new hope to others waiting for news of missing loved ones.

The safe recovery of the two boys is good news to thousands of families, including several in the Tri-State, who've been waiting and hoping for years a missing family member will once again be home.

Detective Sergeant Steve Chambers, ISP, says, "At this point, we don't have a body. We don't have a crime scene."

"There is somebody out there that knows something. There has to be," says Daisy Applegate.

Ricky Thomas was 13 when he disappeared from his Bristow, Indiana home in November of 1997.

Applegate says, "Dead or alive, I mean, just let us know where he is."

He would be 22 today.

"Obviously, Ricky was not the type of person at 13 years old that could have left home and survived on his own," Chambers states.

Chambers is assigned to this missing persons case. "I believe he met with foul play, and the last person to have seen him alive was his stepfather."

Police investigators continue to follow any leads. Anyone with information in this case should contact Indiana State Police-Jasper District.

Dorcas Nesmith describes, "Can you imagine not knowing what happened to someone in your family?"

Her niece, Shannon Green, disappeared in 1986. She was last seen walking away from her Owensboro home.

Days after Shannon's disappearance, another teenager disappeared, Dewayne Bell. Just recently, an audio tape surfaced suggesting Dewayne Bell killed Shannon and others before disappearing himself.

Person asks, "Hid them where? You ain't going to tell me where you hid them? I don't blame you. I wouldn't tell neither."
Dewayne responds, "I....put them in a cornfield."

Numerous digs have taken place, but, so far, neither body has been found. Anyone with information in this case should contact the Owensboro Police Department.

Sarah Teague promises, "Until I find out how she took her last breath, I will not give up hope that one day she will come walking through my door."

Heather Teague disappeared off Newburgh Beach in Henderson in August of 1995. A man across the river actually witnessed her being dragged off the beach by an unknown assailant as she was sunbathing. She's never been seen since.

"If I could bring Heather back and have her in my arms and in my sight for just one day, for just one hour, just one minute, that would be the sweetest, most precious gift, I could imagine," says Sarah.

Anyone with information in this case can contact the Kentucky State Police or the FBI.

http://www.14wfie.com/global/story.asp?s=5...tType=Printable

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Ricky's case was mentioned on Nancy Grace, America's Missing. Clip here:

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/crime/2011/02/06/ng.americas.missing.hln

 

[IndianaLostandFound]

Here is a link to a recent article on Ricky's case.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8024895/cold_case_mystery_what_happened_to.html?cat=49

 

[M86]

Charley Project - Ricky Thomas
NamUs - Ricky Thomas

This needs to be solved... and after reading various articles, it's apparent we know who is responsible.

 

[Jbrown324320]

its sad that all the evidence points towards the step-father and they can't arrest him. the mom isn't talking either. scary. poor kid. never had a chance in life. one of the parents died of a drug overdose.

 

[dotr]

Bumping this very sad case and wondering if Ricky's Mom might give more info. now that she is divorced and a fair bit of time has passed.
Why would the 2 puppies be missing?
If the s.father was guilty, and wanted it to look like R ran away, wouldn't he take the 20 dollars from his wallet?

 

[Fuuro]

What kind of "innocent" person would plant evidence in the case of one of their children to make it seem as if foul play wasn't involved? That is ridiculous and it makes Stepdad look much worse in my eyes.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

I wasn't able to read this whole article because a subscription is required but it says that new information might give the case momentum. They received a tip that might connect Ricky with a body of water in the Ferdinand area. A dive search has not yet been scheduled.

http://www.perrycountynews.com/content/ricky-thomas-cold-case-heating

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Another article has confirmed the tip received about Newtown Lake.

http://www.14news.com/story/30299708/isp-to-search-lake-for-missing-perry-co-teen

Troopers say they recently received a tip that Thomas may be at the bottom of Newtown Lake, just outside of Ferdinand.

Police are still trying to figure out when a dive team will be able to search the lake.

 

[concernedmother]

http://www.duboiscountyfreepress.co...on-ferdinand-tip-about-18-year-old-cold-case/

Another article about the lake.

 

[Tulessa]

I wasn't able to read this whole article because a subscription is required but it says that new information might give the case momentum. They received a tip that might connect Ricky with a body of water in the Ferdinand area. A dive search has not yet been scheduled.

http://www.perrycountynews.com/content/ricky-thomas-cold-case-heating

I have friends in the Ferdinand area.

 

[Tulessa]

Another article has confirmed the tip received about Newtown Lake.

http://www.14news.com/story/30299708/isp-to-search-lake-for-missing-perry-co-teen

Did you read those comments? Wow.

http://www.14news.com/story/30299708/isp-to-search-lake-for-missing-perry-co-teen

 

[Tulessa]

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/t/thomas_ricky.html

 

[Tracey4AU]

So sad that nothing seems to have been done in terms of finding this young man back then. It's like he didn't even matter to anyone. Heartbreaking.

 

[dotr]

Hope they find this young fellow, poor kid- he deserved a better hand than the one he seemed to hold.
This sad tale reminds me somehow, of the fine film "Stand by me". imo.

 

[silverkitty]

Did you read those comments? Wow.

http://www.14news.com/story/30299708/isp-to-search-lake-for-missing-perry-co-teen

I couldn't find a comments section on that page. However, the middle of the page is a large blank, at least on my phone.

 

[concernedmother]

I remember when this happened. It is not far from me.