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

[IceIce9]

During the presser today, Ian Ritch said “I started worrying once I got back and didn’t see him anymore..”

Any ideas on what he meant by this? Where was Ian getting back from when Maddox went missing?

It’s at approx at the 3:10 minute mark of the presser video.
The Gaston Gazette

I noticed that too. Thought he might have meant Maddox had run so far ahead that he was far back and could no longer see him.

At first I thought he meant that he and his friend had left the area to do something else and then returned back and Maddox was gone.

Odd wording by Dad.

 

[LietKynes]

During the presser today, Ian Ritch said “I started worrying once I got back and didn’t see him anymore..”

Any ideas on what he meant by this? Where was Ian getting back from when Maddox went missing?

It’s at approx at the 3:10 minute mark of the presser video.
The Gaston Gazette

Emph. mine

What ? I thought Maddox went running ahead and possibly ran behind a jogger for a bit-- as if to catch up with the jogger ?
Or that Maddox ran from them and towards a parking lot ?

This makes no sense.

 

[Msl1966]

Welcome!!

I'm not sure which away they are leaning. My personal opinion at this time is lost/in the water or stranger abduction. There seems to be a reason they want 100% contact with everyone at the park that day. I think anyone who doesn't check in, (that LE has any info to assist in tracking them down), will be investigated. JMO MOO

Or anyone who hasn’t checked in wasn’t really there in the first place.

 

[Alethea]

But let’s think about this logically.

Your kid is drowning, do you take out your phone to make sure it doesn’t get ruined?! No! You forget it’s even there. He let M run off ahead of him til he couldn’t see him, knowing he doesn’t talk, but didn’t follow immediately after, fast? And stopped to empty his pockets??

When my brother was a toddler someone left the gate open to the pool during a BBQ and he was at the edge of the pool. My mom saw from the kitchen and pushed the screen out of the kitchen window, jumped out of the window, ran across the deck and JUMPED OVER THE FENCE to grab him just as he jumped in. To this day we don't really know how she did it except mom super powers are real.

 

[stacypinder319]

“I started worrying once I got back and didn’t see him anymore..” are you serious? I would have been worried the second i lost sight of my child. Somethings not right here!

 

[Sillybilly]

Please remember:

WS is victim friendly. Be very careful with your speculation and do not make remarks that are accusatory or inflammatory about the parents of this missing child.

Thanks.

 

[msnewzealand]

There is a LOT of water from all angles here - the path around the lake, and there is that brown river between two parking lots. The path at the top goes through woods. Lots of questions with this case.

 

[Steelslady]

He was missing for maybe an hour. Odd that no body was at park to see dad,and mystery adult frantically searching for a missing child. No one pleading for help to find Maddox for an hour? No one hears them calling out his name?
I find this rather peculiar,and worthy of being addressed.
I really hope that the tips coming in breaks this case.

Totally agree. Why is it that no one has come forward about seeing Maddox or his father and this adult together? LE keeps begging for park goers that day to call them if they were at the park at that time- I am wondering, for those who may have called, if any of them saw the three of them either together or separately in the park that day. It seems odd that they keep begging park goers to call in.

 

[heartgoesout]

transcript
Dad "initially took off just a little ways maybe 25, 30 ft. from me and then he went to a major sprint after that and that's whenever I took off running after him. I was giving him just a little leeway, freedom, he likes playing outside he enjoys the outdoors so i just wanted him to have fun."

Reporter "how long before you began to worry?"

Dad "i started worrying once i got back and didn't see him anymore and once i got to where the office is you can see that there's the parking lot right there and you can still go around the lake, so once i could not see him anymore thats when i got scared."

 

[ChuckMaureen]

Might we have to assume someone is hiding, lurking or otherwise following people with children in wooded park settings while avoiding being noticed or caught in the act? Or is MR still somewhere within the overall scene?

 

[heartgoesout]

Reporter " I understand you might have trouble running?"
Dad " a, a, a little bit, I have diabetes and I have neuropathy in my feet so that causes a problem".
(it is only my opinion that he down played this problem)

 

[LietKynes]

So as of right now... law enforcement STILL would like people from that day and in that specific time frame; to come forward .
Anyone who was at that park and saw them !

We're about 5 days in from Maddox going missing.
There is something or some evidence that they're looking for.
Bothers me.
Very disheartening.

 

[Mauig’ma]

So as of right now... law enforcement STILL would like people from that day and in that specific time frame; to come forward .
Anyone who was at that park and saw them !

We're about 5 days in from Maddox going missing.
There is something or some evidence that they're looking for.
Bothers me.
Very disheartening.

Yes, others that noticed them being there

 

[rosesfromangels]

Yes, anytime there is a little one missing I think we all get this horrible anxious "time clock is ticking" feeling. It's a horrible feeling, but nothing in comparison to what the parents must be feeling. I think we all know in our hearts how this is going to end, but as long as he hasn't been found...we must remain hopeful.
I'm so tired of these "boys and water" threads. So many of them!
Sweet little one...

 

[scdiv]

In the press conference, the dad did say Maddox would typically sprint, but stop and wait for the dad to catch him. And that he turned around a few times to look back at the dad, but then would take off running again. Have no idea on what took place, but his words could explain why he didn't immediately yell to someone to grab the kid if he really was thinking Maddox would stop on his own?

The "got back" was odd choice of words in the press conference. In one of the other news videos, the father was saying how he ran around other people on the track and once he got around them, he didn't see Maddox again. So it's possible he meant once he got back on the track? About 1:08.

CBS News Exclusive: Interview with Maddox Ritch's father, Ian Ritch

Also, he says he has no idea if Maddox was headed toward the office and parking lot or continue on the track, that he was looking to see which direction he had gone, but couldn't tell because there were too many options.

No idea. Just hope LE is on it whatever happened and they find Maddox safe and well.

 

[Scrapper18]

Lots of people wanting to blame the dad. As the parent of a daughter with autism, I have a few thoughts. First, when we find something she likes and enjoys (which there are few things), we love to allow her time to engage in that activity. Second, in our mind, she is simply our daughter. We are not thinking of her disability every minute of every day. In fact, when she is in her element and engaged in a favorite activity, it’s easy to zone out, let the defenses down a little and just enjoy the “normalcy”. Third, special needs parents are like other parents. We enjoy spur of the moment activities and don’t always check things out before going. From what I’ve read, Maddox loved running. I’m sure dad has taken him to many parks and let him run numerous times. Nothing bad happened before, I’m sure dad was not thinking something bad would happen now.

We are ALL guilty of being lured into a false sense of security. Mollie Tibbetts went running - like she always did. Shannan Watts went home to her husband, perhaps argued with him; like I’m sure she did numerous times before. Accidents happen. Bad things happen. Whether it’s an adult, child, parent or parent of a special needs child, sometimes things just go wrong.

I pray they find Maddox safe and sound.

 

[osu]

“You're a grown man. He's a little boy. How did he outrun you?" @DavidBegnaud asks the father of Maddox Ritch, the missing 6-year-old autistic boy in North Carolina.

"He can run. He can run. And I couldn't keep up with him. Not that fast."

CBS News on Twitter

ETA: Full interview

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[Ed79]

transcript
Dad "i started worrying once i got back and didn't see him anymore and once i got to where the office is you can see that there's the parking lot right there and you can still go around the lake, so once i could not see him anymore thats when i got scared."

The "got back" was odd choice of words in the press conference. In one of the other news videos, the father was saying how he ran around other people on the track and once he got around them, he didn't see Maddox again. So it's possible he meant once he got back on the track? About 1:08.

I haven't watched enough of Ian speaking yet but this comes across to me as a man who may not be the most articulate person. I could very well be wrong, but I assume he means when he got around the trail to the park office/kiosk/whatever it is and where the parking lot is. It is plausible that as he ran after him that panic was building but he held out hope that Maddox would be at the parking lot/entrance area and "once he got back" that full blow fear kicked in. Again, I could be wrong, just trying to look at it from all angles.


Keep in mind I am sure he has had to repeat this story hundreds of times. As he tells it for the 101st I am sure he subconsciously thinks the audience knows more of it than they actually do.

 

[pamelado2]

"It's been torture": Father of missing 6-year-old boy with autism says son took off running

Ritch later said that neuropathy in his feet caused by diabetes makes it difficult for him to run.

 

[Ed79]

We are ALL guilty of being lured into a false sense of security. Mollie Tibbetts went running - like she always did. Shannan Watts went home to her husband, perhaps argued with him; like I’m sure she did numerous times before. Accidents happen. Bad things happen. Whether it’s an adult, child, parent or parent of a special needs child, sometimes things just go wrong.

Very well said.