Investigators look for clues after the body of a 6-year-old boy has been found

The death of an autistic child who had been missing for days until his body was found had authorities in North Carolina looking for clues about his death. FBI agent Jason Kaplan said the investigators still wanted to hear from people at Gastonia Park last weekend. Maddox Ritch he escaped from his father.

"In law enforcement, we will not take anything for granted," Kaplan said at a press conference on Thursday when the authorities announced the discovery of a body.

"So, there is a lot of work, and many people have lost a lot of sleep and are committed to continuing to answer all the questions we can about Maddox, how his movement happened and how he finished where he did it. "

Kaplan said that there had been speculation about the actions of Maddox's parents, but he said that the investigation focused on the child's movements. Specifically, Kaplan said the investigators are looking for a man in a white truck who reportedly saw Maddox before he disappeared.

"We always want to hear from other people who have not contacted us," Kaplan said.

The Gastonia Police Department has been conducting the investigation since the boy disappeared. The FBI helped in the case.

Last Saturday, Ian Ritch said the boy had fled from him and a friend to Rankin Lake Park and disappeared before he could catch up with him. Ritch said that foot neuropathy caused by diabetes prevented him from running after Maddox.

Kaplan and Gastonia Fire Chief Phil Welch said the boy's body was found in about 3 feet of water in a stream, just over a mile east of the park, by a researcher. who the bank.

Welch said the area had already been searched by drones, all-terrain vehicles, kayak teams and foot patrols.

"We were trying to presume that he could have moved," Welch said.

CBS Affiliate Charlotte, WBTV, has been talking to Jeremy Day, who lives with his family about 150 yards from where Maddox was found.

"Knowing that he was found, there is a kind of worry," Day said.

Day said that he knew the area well and he described the terrain where the boy's body had been found to be "very thick".

"High grass, thick brush, it is swampy, and you usually have water there all year," said Day. "The brush is so thick that it's hard for anyone to go through it."

Kaplan said that even though it was too early to determine whether Maddox was involved in a criminal act, investigators would follow all angles to find out exactly what had happened.

"Where did he come in, how did he get there, how was he killed, what was the cause of death, was there a crime or a simple accident," Kaplan said. "These are very difficult questions to answer, but these are questions we will answer."