GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Maddox Ritch died after he disappeared at a Gaston County park in 2018. Now, his story is helping law enforcement officers better understand how to search for children with autism.
Maddox was just six years old when he disappeared at Rankin Lake Park. Crews spend five days searching for him but sadly, they found his body in a nearby creek.
Now, Special Agent James Granozio on the Charlotte FBI Team has developed a checklist for investigators to use.
“He was a little boy that was just running around having a good time. And he died,” Granozio said. “So we all wanted to know what we could learn from it to hopefully prevent it from happening again.”
Past coverage:
- Gastonia police confirm Maddox Ritch was in park before disappearance
- IMAGES: Officials find body near Gastonia park
- Discovery of body believed to be that of missing boy takes emotional toll on community
- RELATED: Maddox Ritch’s grandmother describes little boy as ‘loving,’ ‘bubbly’
- ‘Sweet and loving little boy’: Funeral plans announced for Maddox Ritch
- 911 call from Rankin Lake Park employee released in case of missing boy
- Click here to read Maddox’s obituary
- Community shows support for missing boy at vigil
- Neighbors come together as crews continue to search for missing 6-year-old boy
Granozio said the goal is to help law enforcement know how children with autism function and think.
There are different questions to consider:
- Does the child have a tracking mechanism?
- Is the child afraid of water or do they like it?
- Is the child afraid of the dark and nighttime?
- Will they hunker down or move around?
The checklist has been part of the FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team toolkit for more than a year.
Both Granozio and the Gastonia police chief said this is a rare positive development from such a tragic case.
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