Richard Holland is Missing
Story Created: August 28, 2005
I don’t know why the disappearance of Richard Holland bothers me so much except for the fact that 
he is still missing and he is only 7-years-old.
- It does not satisfy me that they “think” he ran away from home.
- It does not satisfy me that they looked for him as long as they could and then stopped looking.
- It does not satisfy me that there has been virtually no media coverage of his disappearance, including his hometown of Williamston, MI.
- It does not satisfy me that his parents have failed to make his disappearance well-known.
While I realize it is easy to make comments about this investigation should have been handled, it is baffling that there has not been more effort put forward to find this child. The last article I believe was published on August 13 in the Lansing State Journal. The link will take you to their achives, if you want to read the story there you have to pay for the article.
Here is that article:
The Ingham County Sheriff’s Office, with help from Michigan State University’s anthropology department, dug up a dog’s body Friday in Tim and Lisa Holland’s backyard.
Police obtained a search warrant in an effort to confirm it was a dog buried in the yard and not the couple’s missing 7-year-old son, Ricky Holland, said Detective Sgt. Roy Holliday. Ricky was last seen July 1.
Ingham Undersheriff Matthew Myers said authorities obtained a warrant and performed the dig “just to be on the safe side.”
Holliday said the Hollands were not home at the time.
Ricky disappeared from his Williamston home after his parents tucked him into bed July 1. Police believe he may have run away but have not ruled out the possibility that he then was abducted. His disappearance has drawn national attention.
Myers said the Hollands called the sheriff’s department a couple of weeks ago to let them know that their dog died and they were going to bury it in the backyard.
Holliday said the investigation has shifted but would not elaborate. He also would not say if the Hollands are suspects at this time.
The Hollands’ attorney, Neal Rockind, said Friday that his clients were frustrated about the day’s events.
“They want to get the investigation focused in the right direction,” Rockind said. He said that direction is away from the Hollands.
“My fear about what the police did today is that people will stop trying to find that boy,” Rockind said. “He’s out there, and we want him to come home.”
Holliday encouraged anyone with information to call the department.
Contact Tricia Bobeda at 377-1213 or tbobeda@lsj.com.
I am glad the police checked out the story that the parents gave them about the burial of the family dog. As it turns out LE had known about the burial of the family pet a month prior to the execution of the search warrant. This is just one instance of LE taking their time instead of really working the case.
I don’t recall where I read this bit of information yesterday but I thought it was interesting. Apparently LE has sent out letters to the school districts telling personnel to be on the lookout for Richard Holland, I guess in case someone tries to register him for school. The other suggestion is that if Richard tries to board a school bus, the drivers are to allow him to board, take him to school and call police. To me, these ideas seem like a long-shot.
I wish we heard more from the parents.
I am reminded of the disappearance and murder of Evelyn Celeste Miller that took place on the same night that Richard disappeared. Evelyn also disappeared out of her home in the middle of the night. Her disappearance occured in a small town in Iowa. I remember the concern of the searchers, the mother’s plea on television for her safe return, as well as the search being conducted over the long 4th of July weekend. People cared.
There are still no suspects in the Evelyn Miller murder just as there are still no suspects in the disappearance of Richard Holland. Two both sad and baffling cases. Evelyn Miller’s grandpa, Richard Christy has a blog. I encourage you to visit his blog and support his quest for justice for his granddaughter Evelyn Celeste Miller.
2 Responses to 'Richard Holland is Missing'
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Both the Chief Deputy and myself were called by the Holland’s the day they buried the dog. The reason it took 3 weeks before our investigators dug up the remains was because they needed to obtain a search warrant to do so. Ricky’s parents were cooperative. The reason the dog was exhumed was to prevent any doubt that all bases were being covered and all information received was being confirmed to prevent any doubt. The reason they used a search warrant is because it was required.
Victim Advocate
23 Sep 05 at 4:28 pm
I know that alot of time and effort has been put into the search and the police have been doing the a good job but there was leads that police havent follow up on and the reason i know this is because there was a group of people that said that he was spotted near a farm in Williamston but the cop left and didnt come back and the dog pick up his scent and then lost it
Anonymous
4 Nov 05 at 6:21 pm