Gastonia, N.C. (WCNC) - Nearly a month after six-year-old Maddox Ritch was reported missing, his father, Ian Ritch, once again broke his silence on social media.
Ritch is believed to be the last person to see his son at Gastonia's Rankin Lake Park before the boy went missing.
Ritch said Maddox, who had autism and was non-verbal, ran too far ahead, which resulted in him losing sight of his son.
Following an intensive search that drew national attention, Maddox's body was found about a mile from the park on Long Creek.
On Saturday, he wrote on the popular Maddox Scott Ritch Case Discussion Facebook page, "These pics are from our park in kannapolis and after i walked the greenway this is why i feel like he could have qent this way. It reminded me of our old park and im sure he would think that too. I never weent that way before if i knew it id have went that way looking for him." [sic]
He also included photos of Maddox at an unspecified park.
In two of those photos, he appears to be mid-stride as he runs away from the photographer.
A third photo showed him clearly at a distance from the photographer.
The Facebook page where he published those photos is a closed group dedicated to discussing the Maddox Ritch case. Those who want to join must request permission.
More than 4,000 people belong to the group, including several out-of-state residents and several NBC Charlotte reporters.
NBC Charlotte's reporters mainly monitor the group for any new developments in the case or any leads worth pursuing.
Besides social media, Ritch hasn't spoken publicly about his son's death and hasn't granted any interviews since a September news conference.
Investigators are still waiting for results from the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's Office.
