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

[LietKynes]

Park worker who called 911 says father of missing autistic boy 'didn't act like a concerned parent' | Daily Mail Online

".... An employee at a North Carolina park who called 911 on Saturday to report an autistic six-year-old boy missing while on an outing with his father and the man’s girlfriend now says he does not believe the child was ever at the park.
According to Rick Foxx, a worker at Rankin Lake Park in Gastonia, Maddox Ritch's father Ian, did not seem very concerned about his special-needs son in the immediate aftermath of the boy's disappearance. ... "
Wow.

Park employees would get pretty used to who is coming and going. They are there literally every day and might also be observant of who's there for a day and which ones are regular guests.

Also from this link :"... ‘I’m not eating. I’m not sleeping,’ Ritch said. ‘I’m just worried about getting my little boy back. I thought after the first night, he would be fine...."
Emph. mine

Odd choice of words. Even after one night out alone in that park-- a six year old would be in danger. Even one without special needs.
There would be danger of drowning, stranger abduction, being bitten by an animal, etc.
Did dad go home that first night (evening of the 22nd) and sleep ? I haven't found that anywhere, just wondering. I know he said via msm that he felt guilty about sleeping in a bed while Maddox was still missing.

If dad is just clueless , innocent, and worried, then maybe his actions make sense.
If my kid was lost in a park.. you'd have to drag me away.
Trying to understand this case, but it's all over the place.

 

[SuperTmo]

I don’t think the FBI would have had the lake drained down, sent in all of their specialized sonar equipped boats and their special dive teams if they didn’t believe he could actually be in there.
I think he’s probably in the lake or a stranger abducted him in the parking lot. At first, I did suspect the Dad, but now leaning more towards him have quietly slipped into the lake unnoticed and if not there then an abduction.

I also wonder if anyone has come forward yet to verify actually seeing Maddox at the park on Saturday?
IDK, I guess I’m still all over the place with this case. I just wish they’d find him.

I believed he was at the park and ran off that day, but I don’t think the dad saw it happen. I think it’s likely perhaps dad and his friend were distracted by each other and took their eyes off of him for a few minutes or so, and something bad happened. If this is the case, that lapse in judgement will forever haunt this guy. This is a sad, sad story.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

I think it’s likely perhaps dad and his friend were distracted by each other and took their eyes off of him for a few minutes or so, and something bad happened.

That crossed my mind as well - dad and the girlfriend canoodling.

 

[Rockfarmer]

[QUOTE="why are they frantically asking over and over again for people at the park to call in?
[/QUOTE]
*respectfully snipped*
It scares me to think Maddox could have crawled unseen into an unknown park-goer's boat, van, trunk, cooler, tote, etc. been driven somewhere and then hopped out, or not
It concerns me that we haven't heard the SAR dogs hitting on anything. If they can't find him in the park, there will need to be a plan for how to expand the search and tracing those possibilities might give leads and be probative against existing evidence.
ETA: credit to Steelslady, sorry I'm not familiar with quotes on the new forum platform.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The ongoing search for missing 6-year-old Maddox Ritch has now expanded into marshlands and dense woods surrounding Rankin Lake Park in Gastonia, authorities said.

Authorities said this special team has different sonar equipment that have been used in previous searches and they have specialized training to locate even the smallest possible piece of evidence underwater.

NC Emergency Management teams have broadened their search area deeper into the marshlands and further east and north through the dense woods surrounding the park.

Gastonia police said they have located possible witnesses that they wanted to find, however, they're still searching for a male jogger that was in the area Saturday and a new possible witness that they hope to speak to:

Search for Maddox Ritch expands to marshlands, dense woods

 

[whatsnext]

Park worker who called 911 says father of missing autistic boy 'didn't act like a concerned parent' | Daily Mail Online

".... An employee at a North Carolina park who called 911 on Saturday to report an autistic six-year-old boy missing while on an outing with his father and the man’s girlfriend now says he does not believe the child was ever at the park.
According to Rick Foxx, a worker at Rankin Lake Park in Gastonia, Maddox Ritch's father Ian, did not seem very concerned about his special-needs son in the immediate aftermath of the boy's disappearance. ... "
Wow.
Park employees would get pretty used to who is coming and going. They are there literally every day and might also be observant of who's there for a day and which ones are regular guests.
Also from this link :"... ‘I’m not eating. I’m not sleeping,’ Ritch said. ‘I’m just worried about getting my little boy back. I thought after the first night, he would be fine...."
Emph. mine
Odd choice of words. Even after one night out alone in that park-- a six year old would be in danger. Even one without special needs.
There would be danger of drowning, stranger abduction, being bitten by an animal, etc.
Did dad go home that first night (evening of the 22nd) and sleep ? I haven't found that anywhere, just wondering. I know he said via msm that he felt guilty about sleeping in a bed while Maddox was still missing.
If dad is just clueless , innocent, and worried, then maybe his actions make sense.
If my kid was lost in a park.. you'd have to drag me away.
Trying to understand this case, but it's all over the place.

It was mentioned here before that the Dad could be autistic himself. Add diabetes and you could explain alot of his behaviour.jmo

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Has it been reported anywhere when Maddox's mom last saw him? I've asked previously but haven't seen response, and I don't find anything in media reports about when Mom last saw her child. Dad said in interview that he has Maddox on weekends. Does this include Friday night? Did Maddox's mother see him sometime on Friday?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

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[SuperTmo]

Has it been reported anywhere when Maddox's mom last saw him? I've asked previously but haven't seen response, and I don't find anything in media reports about when Mom last saw her child. Dad said in interview that he has Maddox on weekends. Does this include Friday night? Did Maddox's mother see him sometime on Friday?

Were dad and mom married and living together or was Maddox on a visitation with his dad?

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Were dad and mom married and living together or was Maddox on a visitation with his dad?

Not sure if separated or divorced, but the couple is not currently together. In an interview, Dad says that he has Maddox on weekends.

 

[Indy Anna]

Most kids with Autism I worked with were drawn to water. The movement of the water fascinates them.

But if Maddox isn't found in the water and no traces of him in the park, I'm inclined to believe foul play.

I really do hope Maddox is found alive, though. But, what has the temperature been like at night? I'm further south and the temps have been dropping into the 50's at night here.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

“The dad approached me and said he lost his kid,” Foxx said. “I said, ‘When is the last time you seen him?’ He said that the kids, they were coming around the track, and the kid got away from him.”

I'd love to let you see the difference between him running and you running 'cause he's pretty fast," Ian Ritch said. It's hard, I'm so worried, and scared hoping that he's OK out there."

Ian Ritch said he wishes he could have handled the situation differently.

"I should've called him. I should've not let him get so far ahead of me before I started after him," Ian Ritch said.

Gastonia police officers and troopers went door-to-door Tuesday morning at businesses along Highway 321 just a few blocks away from the park. They were trying to obtain security camera footage that could reveal what happened to the child.

An employee at a local business said law enforcement has come to the shop six times since the boy went missing looking for video.

“They’ve checked the dumpsters, we’ve seen them go from business to business, and they’ve just been in and out of our office,” Faith Gates said.

Officials said they are receiving assistance from the Gastonia Police, Gaston County Sheriff's Department, Gaston County Emergency Management, Gaston County Police, Gastonia and Gaston County Fire Departments, Lincoln County Sheriff's Department, Lincolnton Fire, Charlotte Fire, Stanley Rescue, Lincoln County Land Search team, Spartanburg County Search and Rescue and Search and Rescue Dog Assistance, and Central Carolina K-9 Search Team.

Officials are also asking people who live near the park to search areas around their homes where a child might hide.

“If you have a shed, barn, wooded area, go take a look and call us immediately if you find anything out of the ordinary,” Helton said.

Maddox Ritch: Search for missing North Carolina boy enters 6th day

 

[Lmustang89]

In my opinion only:

I feel we are missing alot of info. I am on the fence because of this.

I agree with BetteDaviseyes questions. Also, wondering where were they were prior to the park. The dad lives in Concord, the park is in Gastonia (one hour and 5 minutes away for a park they never came to before)?? How does dad typically spend the weekends or visitation time with Maddox. Has Maddox run off before and gotten lost?

Although my small 16 year old son is not autistic he does have severe adhd, severe impulsiveness, emotional immaturity and anxiety (on 3 different meds from a pediatric neurologist, which I had my 16 year old tested back when he was in 5th grade to find out specific neuro issues). His dad (a narcissistic bully) does not understand our son's emotional issues (we are divorced and out of years of monthly visits to the neurologist, pediatrician, psychologist, etc he went to one or two visits). He underminds his issues. But both of us are helicopter parents. Never out front riding his bike alone, always outside with him regardless if in front yard or backyard, etc., rarely comes to the store with us because of his impulsiveness he can't always control himself with wanting to buy everything in the store, rarely would we go to someone else's house because he would want to take something (impulsiveness). He also has issues sleeping and took off once across the street so we installed dead bolts on our doors and that helped (it was a stressful time due to his babysitter who was our friend age 40 years old killed herself away from her kids but our son only knew that she died as her husband didn't want his kids to know their mom killed herself) - now on a med to help him sleep.

 

[PiertotumLocomotor]

Park worker who called 911 says father of missing autistic boy 'didn't act like a concerned parent' | Daily Mail Online

".... An employee at a North Carolina park who called 911 on Saturday to report an autistic six-year-old boy missing while on an outing with his father and the man’s girlfriend now says he does not believe the child was ever at the park.
According to Rick Foxx, a worker at Rankin Lake Park in Gastonia, Maddox Ritch's father Ian, did not seem very concerned about his special-needs son in the immediate aftermath of the boy's disappearance. ... "
Wow.
Park employees would get pretty used to who is coming and going. They are there literally every day and might also be observant of who's there for a day and which ones are regular guests.
Also from this link :"... ‘I’m not eating. I’m not sleeping,’ Ritch said. ‘I’m just worried about getting my little boy back. I thought after the first night, he would be fine...."
Emph. mine
Odd choice of words. Even after one night out alone in that park-- a six year old would be in danger. Even one without special needs.
There would be danger of drowning, stranger abduction, being bitten by an animal, etc.
Did dad go home that first night (evening of the 22nd) and sleep ? I haven't found that anywhere, just wondering. I know he said via msm that he felt guilty about sleeping in a bed while Maddox was still missing.
If dad is just clueless , innocent, and worried, then maybe his actions make sense.
If my kid was lost in a park.. you'd have to drag me away.
Trying to understand this case, but it's all over the place.

My husband used to work for parks and rec with the next county over - Mecklenburg.
As park security, he would routinely count literally every single person in each area (picnic area, shelter, playground, volleyball, soccer, tennis courts, trails, bathrooms). If I recall correctly, he did this several times every shift and all this was recorded. I think the purpose partly was to see which areas were utilized the most/least.
IF Gaston County Parks & Rec work similarly, it wouldn't be too far fetched for park employees to recognize regular visitors vs. newcomers. However, if there was a special event occurring, I don't know how much two adults and one kid would stand out among all the others.

 

[Boodles]

Most kids with Autism I worked with were drawn to water. The movement of the water fascinates them.

But if Maddox isn't found in the water and no traces of him in the park, I'm inclined to believe foul play.

I really do hope Maddox is found alive, though. But, what has the temperature been like at night? I'm further south and the temps have been dropping into the 50's at night here.

It is very warm here, with lows in the 60’s or even 70’s. The days are hot, and very humid.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

In my opinion only:

I feel we are missing alot of info. I am on the fence because of this.

I agree with BetteDaviseyes questions. Also, wondering where were they were prior to the park. The dad lives in Concord, the park is in Gastonia (one hour and 5 minutes away for a park they never came to before)?? How does dad typically spend the weekends or visitation time with Maddox. Has Maddox run off before and gotten lost?

Although my small 16 year old son is not autistic he does have severe adhd, severe impulsiveness, emotional immaturity and anxiety (on 3 different meds from a pediatric neurologist, which I had my 16 year old tested back when he was in 5th grade to find out specific neuro issues). His dad (a narcissistic bully) does not understand our son's emotional issues (we are divorced and out of years of monthly visits to the neurologist, pediatrician, psychologist, etc he went to one or two visits). He underminds his issues. But both of us are helicopter parents. Never out front riding his bike alone, always outside with him regardless if in front yard or backyard, etc., rarely comes to the store with us because of his impulsiveness he can't always control himself with wanting to buy everything in the store, rarely would we go to someone else's house because he would want to take something (impulsiveness). He also has issues sleeping and took off once across the street so we installed dead bolts on our doors and that helped (it was a stressful time due to his babysitter who was our friend age 40 years old killed herself away from her kids but our son only knew that she died as her husband didn't want his kids to know their mom killed herself) - now on a med to help him sleep.

Thank you so much for sharing your unique perspective. It helps me to understand that ‘I don’t understand’ about this disorder. You and others who share personal stories and insight help us all. I’ll quit right here because it’s taken me ten minutes to post this. What in tarnation is going on with this site today? But thank you!

 

[PiertotumLocomotor]

In my opinion only:

I feel we are missing alot of info. I am on the fence because of this.

I agree with BetteDaviseyes questions. Also, wondering where were they were prior to the park. The dad lives in Concord, the park is in Gastonia (one hour and 5 minutes away for a park they never came to before)?? How does dad typically spend the weekends or visitation time with Maddox. Has Maddox run off before and gotten lost?

Although my small 16 year old son is not autistic he does have severe adhd, severe impulsiveness, emotional immaturity and anxiety (on 3 different meds from a pediatric neurologist, which I had my 16 year old tested back when he was in 5th grade to find out specific neuro issues). His dad (a narcissistic bully) does not understand our son's emotional issues (we are divorced and out of years of monthly visits to the neurologist, pediatrician, psychologist, etc he went to one or two visits). He underminds his issues. But both of us are helicopter parents. Never out front riding his bike alone, always outside with him regardless if in front yard or backyard, etc., rarely comes to the store with us because of his impulsiveness he can't always control himself with wanting to buy everything in the store, rarely would we go to someone else's house because he would want to take something (impulsiveness). He also has issues sleeping and took off once across the street so we installed dead bolts on our doors and that helped (it was a stressful time due to his babysitter who was our friend age 40 years old killed herself away from her kids but our son only knew that she died as her husband didn't want his kids to know their mom killed herself) - now on a med to help him sleep.

Hold on, dad Ian lives in Concord? I saw that mom Carrie lives in Concord as well. Gastonia is definitely out of the way... How long have mom and dad been separated for? If the separation is new, maybe he or she live closer to Gastonia in a rental or with a friend.

Is Rankin Lake Park a popular place? The big, well known parks that come to mind are Romare Bearden and Freedom parks. I'm southeast of Charlotte, whereas Concord is about northeast...and would have no reason to go on the complete other side of town for just any, "run of the mill" park, even to get a change of scenery.

It looks like Rankin Lake park has your standard amenities, plus the fishing and boating, but they weren't there for fishing or boating...Obviously that's not to say you can't visit a park if you're not boating, but that's strange to me that someone would drive an hour away to a park. Maybe the girlfriend lives there so it was more convenient to meet up there?

Do they regularly check out new parks? Or stick to a handful of usual ones? Why this park on that day? I would like to think that it was an innocent "throw a dart at the map" decision.

Not accusing or theorizing, just brainstorming and sharing thoughts.

 

[GraceG]

Hold on, dad Ian lives in Concord? I saw that mom Carrie lives in Concord as well. Gastonia is definitPu8ely out of the way... How long have mom and dad been separated for? If the separation is new, maybe he or she live closer to Gastonia in a rental or with a friend.

Is Rankin Lake Park a popular place? The big, well known parks that come to mind are Romare Bearden and Freedom parks. I'm in southeast Charlotte, whereas Concord is about northeast...and would have no reason to go on the complete other side of town for just any, "run of the mill" park, even to get a change of scenery.

It looks like Rankin Lake park has your standard amenities, plus the fishing and boating, but they weren't there for fishing or boating...Obviously that's not to say you can't visit a park if you're not boating, but that's strange to me that someone would drive an hour away to a park. Maybe the girlfriend lives there so it was more convenient to meet up there?

Do they regularly check out new parks? Or stick to a handful of usual ones? Why this park on that day? I would like to think that it was an innocent "throw a dart at the map" decision.

Not accusing or theorizing, just brainstorming and sharing thoughts.[/QUOTE

Public legal records show the father in an apartment in Concord, and mother at a residence (type unknown) in Huntersville, NC. Not sure where either of those are in relationship to the park.

 

[PiertotumLocomotor]

Thank you for that. I just google mapped Rankin Lake Park, Huntersville and Concord. Huntersville is about thirty minutes away from both the park and Concord.

Again, just sharing thoughts!

 

[Alethea]

Ben Williamson: NEW: police now pouring out of Rankin Lake Park. Something is up. #FindMaddox #WBTV

WBTV Ben Williamson on Twitter