Maddox Ritch was a 6 year old boy with autism who was recently found dead in North Carolina. Maddox was at the park with his dad on September 22, 2018 and decided to run off and follow a runner. Maddox’s father thought he was just messing around since he always did that, but eventually Maddox never turned back.  By the time his father tried catching up to him, Maddox was no where to be seen. On Wednesday,  police released the 911 call, a park employee told authorities Maddox’s parents had been searching for him for almost an hour. Maddox’s father said not being able to find his son has “been torture.” His father explains, “I’m not eating. I’m not sleeping. I’m just worried about getting my little boy back.”

On Thursday, approximately at 1:00 p.m., a body was found in Long Creek in the city of Gastonia about 2-3 feet under water. According to authorities, the area was about a mile from where Maddox went missing. “We believe that we have found Maddox, and I think it’s reasonable to say that it’s him,” FBI supervisory special agent Jason Kaplan said at a news conference on Thursday. According to authorities they are still investigating this case and have not yet come out with any further information and are still waiting for autopsy results.