In the spring of 2019, concern began to grow for 58-year-old Ritchie Ambrose Collins, a resident of Bellingham, Washington. The precise date of his disappearance remains uncertain, though a neighbor recalled seeing him at his home on or around April 23, 2019. Friends and family had not received texts or calls from him since March of that year. Ritchie was known as a private person and a bit of a loner, so it was not entirely unusual for some time to pass without contact.
However, as weeks went by without a word, his family's attempts to reach him became more urgent, setting the stage for a troubling discovery.
The investigation into Ritchie's whereabouts began on April 30, 2019, when National Park Service rangers reported a vehicle that had been parked for an estimated two weeks at the Colonial Creek Campground in Newhalem. The car belonged to Ritchie, and perplexingly, the keys had been left on the hood of the vehicle. This discovery triggered extensive searches of the rugged, miles-long trails in the surrounding North Cascades National Park, but these initial efforts yielded no clues as to his location. Investigators learned that Ritchie was a prior military member, and a search of his residence uncovered survival-type gear and food. Despite this, his family conveyed that it was unusual for him to go camping and that he was not known to take extended backpacking trips, adding another layer of complexity to his sudden disappearance.
For two years, the case remained a painful mystery. Then, in July 2021, a breakthrough occurred when human remains were discovered several miles from where Ritchie's car had been abandoned. Along with the remains, investigators found personal items belonging to Ritchie. Subsequent DNA analysis confirmed that the remains were indeed those of Ritchie Collins, bringing a somber conclusion to the long search. The case of Ritchie Collins is a heartbreaking account of a man who vanished from his quiet life, leaving behind a few mystifying clues in a vast wilderness. The discovery of his vehicle pointed to a journey into the North Cascades, but the circumstances remained unclear, prompting a multi-year investigation that ultimately provided a tragic resolution for a family left searching for answers.Last Seen: Apr 23, 2019
