Ricky Holland Vanished

When Ricky Holland was first reported as a runaway from Williamston, Michigan on July 2, 2005 there was much media coverage in the area. As time passed, media coverage dwindled to a cursory mention in the news about once or twice a month in the local paper that he was still missing.

When police began to look closer at the adoptive parents Tim and Lisa Holland for clues of what happened to Ricky and the search warrants began to be served on them there was renewed interest in his case. Of course, when Lisa Holland was arrested for two counts of domestic battery in January of this year, all eyes were once again focused on the case.

Three days after the arrest of Lisa Holland for the domestic battery Tim Holland led investigators to Ricky’s badly decomposed remains. The outrage and sorrow in the city of Williamston and the surrounding area became further topics for news stories.

Information that has been released in the media from trial transcripts and other court documents obtained by various news organizations paints the picture of horrific abuse and emotional torture Ricky suffered at the hands of mostly Lisa Holland.

Yes, people are outraged and wonder how this type of abuse could have happened and why DHS did not step in and rescue Ricky and his siblings; why they were allowed to remain in such an abusive home. Many who comment on this blog and via private email indicate to me that they would love to see either Tim or Lisa Holland or both of them “fry” for Ricky’s torture and murder. They want them to suffer in prison the way they made Ricky suffer. Some even believe in this instance bringing back the death penalty to Michigan is in order for the Holland’s.
I agree that Tim and Lisa Holland, if convicted of the crime they are accused of committing should remain in prison for the remainder of their natural lives.

Some will be satisfied once the conviction is in and Tim and Lisa Holland are sitting in prison.

The conviction of Tim and Lisa Holland does not answer the outrage of the “why” and the “how” Ricky Holland’s abuse and murder happened and continued under the watchful eye of DHS.

There will be another Ricky Holland if the deficiencies are not addressed that allowed Ricky Holland to be adopted by parents so ill-equipped to parent a child.

I have set up Rallies for Ricky Holland to address this issue, to make some sort of changes to the current policies and laws in place that allowed Ricky Holland to be adopted by the Holland’s and allows other “Ricky Holland’s” to continue to be adopted by parents ill-equipped to parent a child. There has been very little response. Note: Rallies for Ricky forum is no longer active.

The forum is there free for the using to organize and create whatever is needed to affect change. There were many visitors to this blog during Ricky’s disappearance and since he was found. People leave comments and email me indicating their outrage. Outrage is fine but action is better.

I can’t believe that there are only 3 people, yes 3 who have shown an interest in working towards making changes. These three have been busily writing letters to the Governor and other legislatures, calling and writing the press, trying to keep Ricky’s picture in focus. Many have visited the forum, few have registered and even fewer have been willing to participate.

I am at a loss of what to do. I can leave the forum up and hope more people will get involved or I can close the forum and consider I did the best I could and continue to write the blog, covering the trial.

If I lived in Michigan I would never give up the fight for Ricky Holland. I would never let his picture fade into obscurity.

Please remember Ricky.

I find that it is difficult for me to keep this blog going because there is no news regarding Ricky’s case. At times I feel very discouraged that once again Ricky’s name is no longer in the news.

Not many people seem interested in joining the Discussion Forum or are interested in joining together in “Rallies for Ricky” to organize events to keep his name in the public eye. I guess I have to realize that for some he was just another kid that was murdered by people he trusted.

Note: Rallies for Ricky discussion forum is no longer in existence.

Ricky has not been laid to rest. His body still lays in the morgue, it is considered as evidence for the upcoming murder trial of Tim and Lisa Holland.

Tim Holland’s mother claims that she wants to pay for the funeral and she wants the exclusive right to do that. She has also claimed that she “wants to do right” by Ricky and paying for the funeral is her way of doing this. It is unfortunate that in the quotes I have read from her she has never said that she loved Ricky.

Part of my problem in keeping the Ricky Holland Discussion Forum alive and making changes happen in Michigan is that I do not live in Michigan. I need the help of the citizens of Michigan to accomplish this. I am offering the web space and any other things needed within my power to get changes made, but I cannot do it alone.

I encourage you to visit the Ricky Holland Discussion Forum and get the addresses for government officials and write letters to them. Also, it is an election year in Michigan. Write to the candidates and find out what their positions are concerning reform in the area of Child Protective Services, Foster Care and Adoptions.