Ricky Holland Vanished

Hi. Im in a forensic anthropology class at CSULA and for our final Im doing a presentation on a forensic case..I chose Ricky’s case. I ve been following it since the beginning and well the outcome serves the topic i.e. remains found,ID’d, fractured bones tell of severe trauma..your blog has been instrumental for me. thanks. im also thinking of having additional material of other children who have been killed by parents- remains found later, can u think of similiar cases in media with extensive trauma to the bones specifically? thanks for your help.

Alison, I am glad that my blog has been helpful to you. I thought about your question regarding cases of children killed by their parents, remains found later with extensive trauma to the bones specifically.

I was able to come up with a few cases that may possibly fit some of your criteria. However, in some of these cases I have chosen the perpetrator of the crimes was sometimes a boyfriend, step-father, grandmother. I chose these cases because even though they were not the parent of the murdered child they were either caregivers of the child or lived in the home. They were people in a position of trust.

When I first saw your request I wanted to be able to not come up with any data for you. It is unfortunate that I was able to come up with more than one.

Good luck on your presentation, good luck on your career in the exciting field of Forensic Anthropology if that is indeed your choice of career. Let me know how you do with your presentation.

If I can be of any further assistance or you need clarification of the stories below just email me using the link in the sidebar.

1. Davion Mutts

Four-year-old Davion Mutts was allegedly killed by his aunt’s live-in boyfriend. The live-in boyfriend was charged with murder, the aunt and the boyfriend’s mother were all charged with neglect.

Davion was murdered and he was reported missing by the boyfriend and the aunt. The body was discovered in a wooded area the next day.

Davion died from inflicted brain injury and shaken impact syndrome.

The murder trial is set for April 17, 2006

Hampton Man Indicted On Capital Murder Charge

Preliminary Hearing Held for Suspects in Neglect, Death of 4-Year Old

2. Matal Zachary Sanchez

Four-year-old Matal Sanchez (some reports spell his name Matel) was allegedly murdered by his stepgrandmother Christine Coffman. She lived in the home with Matal’s mother, her son, Matal and Matal’s sister.

Christine Coffman had a history of psychosis and was taking medications. She had attempted suicide by cutting her throat.

Christine lead investigators to Matal’s body three days after he was reported missing. Matal died from one or more blows to the head. Christine Coffman stated she struck him in the head with a rock after first trying to strangle him.

Below is a link to the court document requesting a search warrant. There is a lot of forensic discussion in this document regarding findings of blood evidence. It is in PDF format.

Affidavit of Probable Cause for Search Warrant

Court documents reveal details of 4-year-old boy’s death

3. Brianna Lopez

Brianna Lopez lived a lonely life. There was no one willing to help Brianna when her father and uncle spent the night of July 19, 2002, tossing her around, causing the injuries that finally killed her. Her wounds were so graphic that hardened police officers who had investigated such crimes for 20 years needed counseling.

Behind the immediate wounds were signs of constant abuse that spanned most of Brianna’s five months on earth. Fresh human bite marks and bruises covered old ones. Ribs were broken, then healed. Brianna had been shaken several times. She had been raped.

Though the community raised thousands of dollars to help the family pay for a funeral and memorial, family members rejected the gesture, and the money. They buried her privately, quickly and quietly in a cemetery in Doña Ana, excluding even some family members from attending. Shortly thereafter, the dirt mound above the grave was raked flat, and the identification marker was removed.

The marker was later returned. But when people who had never met Brianna repeatedly visited the grave site to leave flowers and honor the child, the family built a locked, metal enclosure around the grave site.

A ceramic, cherubic angel, with its right index finger in front of its lips, tells those who pass by to keep quiet. As the community struggles to understand why seven children have died in Doña Ana County in the last 31/2 years due to child abuse, experts are pointing in part to the type of isolation Brianna’s family demanded after her death. Families without a support system have less ability to cope with the inevitable stress that afflicts all families. District Attorney Susana Martinez said most of the seven children who have died have been members of isolated families.

Isolation Can Often Trigger Abuse

4. Nixmary Brown

Nixmary Brown was 7-years-old when she died from a blow to the head while being dunked head-first in a bathtub by her step-father. It is believed that she was beaten for quite a few months before she died in addition to being starved, sexually abused, tethered to a chair and made to use a litter box for her toileting needs.

NYC Outraged Over Girl Tortured, Beaten to Death

Both families are in pain that I do not even begin to comprehend because I have never had a child of mine murdered or vanish.
Richard Christie is the grandfather of 5 year-old Evelyn Celeste Miller who disappeared from her home in Floyd, Iowa sometime during the night of June 30/July1 of this year. Read Richard’s blog here. A massive search was conducted for Evelyn and her body was discovered by kayakers in the Cedar River six days after her disappearance. There was a meeting of the Grand Jury but as of yet no indictment. Last week, Casey Frederickson, the fiancé of Noel Miller, Evelyn’s mother, and the person who was caring for Evelyn on the night of her disappearance attempted suicide. Noel said in an interview that Casey’s frustration of not knowing who murdered Evelyn and having the investigation focused on them led to Casey’s actions. I am not so sure about those reasons but as I said earlier, there is no way I can possibly know how these family members feel. I guess in that regard I also cannot know how one might act out on those feelings as well.Richard Holland’s family lost their son on the night of June 30/July 1 of this year in Williamston, Michigan. Apparently Ricky pushed his bed up underneath his window and climbed out sometime during the night. There was also a massive search conducted to find Ricky but to no avail. It was at first thought that perhaps Ricky had run away from home because he had done so in the past. This thinking delayed the release of an Amber Alert. I do not know if it would have made a difference in this case or not.

Tim and Lisa Holland, Ricky’s adoptive parents have given one interview to the local media. It has come to my attention that they have personal and legal reasons for not appearing in the main stream media. It has also come to my attention that Tim and Lisa Holland have both spent quite a bit of time searching for their son including passing out fliers all over the state of Michigan.

Tim and Lisa Holland have had the finger of law enforcement pointed at them as well. Two separate searches were conducted of their home. The first search concerned a report by the Holland’s that they had buried the family dog in the backyard of their home soon after Ricky’s disappearance. Law enforcement conducted a search of the backyard to make sure that the dog was buried in the backyard and not Ricky. The search produced what the Holland’s indicated was in the backyard; dog bones. The second search conducted included taking items from the home such as the computer and the family vehicles.

I cannot imagine how I would feel if my child was missing or had been murdered and law enforcement were searching my home.

The Holland’s, Miller’s, Frederickson’s, and Christie’s are all looking for closure, empathy, answers and justice in their own way. They are also looking to be released from the incredible pain of the loss of a child. I wish I could help them; two families connected by a single night but with the same fate.