Father of missing 6-year-old child wih autism blames himself

Ian Ritch, the father of Maddox Ritch, who has autism, blames himself for his disappearance and says that he should have done something to stop him.

Maddox went missing on September 22 at Rankin Lake Park, in North Carolina, after he started running ahead of his father.

They were walking near the lake when Ian lost sight of the 6-year-old and started panicking when he ran after him and didn't spot him.

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After learning that Maddox was missing, the Gastonia Police Department searched the perimeter hoping to find but nothing came up.

That's when they decided to call for backup and hundreds of officials from the FBI, the Gastonia Fire Department and other law enforcement agencies have joined the search.

GUILTY CONSCIENCE

During an interview with "Good Morning America," Ian revealed that he was sure that Maddox would be found within a day, but as time passed, his guilt increased.

Ian confessed that he has been having trouble sleeping because he would go home and lay on his comfy bed while his son is somewhere in the woods sleeping on the hard ground.

A MOTHER'S PLEA

Carrie Ritch, Maddox's mother, begged for tips that might help bring her little boy home, claiming that he is her "whole world" and her "reason for living."

Up until recently, a mother and her two daughters were also reported missing by husband and father Chris Watts, who later confessed to the police that he had murdered his family.

HORRENDOUS CRIME

The three bodies were found on the property of a petroleum and natural gas exploration company, where Watts used to work.

He is currently being held at Weld County Jail, north of Denver.

He is being charged with three counts of first-degree murder, as well as three counts of tampering with a deceased human body.