His body has been found:
These are the words no one ever wanted to speak, print or read: Ryan Katcher is dead.
Almost six years of dreading that that statement was true ended for Katcher's family and community Tuesday in the waters of a Kickapoo State Park pond.
Late in the afternoon, crews working with the Vermilion County Sheriff's Department pulled a 1999 black Ford F-150 pickup truck out of Clear Pond. It was the truck Katcher, an Oakwood High School graduate, was driving the night he vanished.
And by Tuesday evening, the sheriff's department confirmed that Katcher's body was inside.
:-(
I'm glad you posted about this.
Well, this has been one of the most mystifying local stories in recent memory. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and the Oakwood community. I also feel somewhat attached to this story as I visit Kickapoo frequently and I have an eery feeling when it comes to this whole story.
I have other thoughts as to the "efforts" of the local authorities, but this is not the time for such remarks.
we got the autopsy reports saying no foul play - last night on the news they said they would try to do a blood-alcohol test - I haven't heard any reports about this on the radio today.
Were they not able to do the test, or are they just keeping the results confidential for the benefit of the family?
Toxicology tests are usually sent to the state police or an independent lab. They could take weeks to process. (Months if they went to the state police.)
I would question the validity of the tests based on the amount of time that has passed.
"I would question the validity of the tests based on the amount of time that has passed."
I don't know a thing about it - I just expected it to be mentioned since the local TV stations talked about it so much.
ok, just heard it on the latest radio report - they were unable to perform the test.
Thanks for the update. I was curious as to whether or not any tox would be able to be done.
I'm sure it is a relief to the family to finally have closure to such a tragedy, and my prayers go out to the family.
Yeah, but it's still a mystery what happened to him. Could he have passed out and veered into the pond? But what was he doing at Kickapoo by himself at 2:00 am to begin with? On the other hand, a suicide seems unlikely because I doubt anyone would choose to die by drowning. Or is it not unheard of? Such a sad turn of events.
my father killed himself by drowning. it's not so unusual. if you have a tall building nearby, maybe you'd jump.
Still seems off. If I was setting out to kill myself by drowning (a method of death I'd never choose), I'd chain some blocks to my feet and lock them on so I couldn't take them off. If I just drove my car into a lake, once it started filling up, my survival instinct would override my suicide plan and I'd open the car door once the water inside got high enough to decrease the pressure differential. Isn't that what most would do?
Does this discussion feel a little inappropriate to anyone else?
Umm, an untimely death is a matter of public interest, particularly if there might have been a homicide. If you think it's inappropriate to discuss a death six years after the fact, why did you start the thread in the first place?
OK, I'm OK with being wrong about the appropriateness of this; that's why I asked.
Just the speculation on whether he committed suicide and why he would choose drowning was giving me the creeps.
And yes, I started the thread, but didn't anticipate a discussion on motives.
As you were.
(And some people think I never change my mind!)
If people want to discuss methods of suicide then do it in the Open Thread. Discussing that suicide may have been involved Ryan's is nothing more than pure speculation based on nothing. It is a tragedy and does not need to degenerate into baseless speculation making it inappropriate for this thread.
Gordy,
Your instincts were right the first time. It is terribly inappropriate. I can't believe people are discussing this. The only thing that doesn't surprise me is that it is the people who use this site that are discussing it.
Stick with your instincts. It makes you a better person.
Opinions differ.
Ryan's mother is going through enough..I hope she does NOT see this website. Let her be, and get on with her life. Accidents do happen. Leave it at that. He was a good kid and everybody liked him, he had a girlfriend, and a good life.
MRS GRIFFITH HAS BEEN THRU ENONGH. SHE.S LOST HER BABY ALL OVER AGAIN.IF YOU GOT KIDS THEN YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND.IHAVE NEVER LOST A CHILD.BUT I KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE MY KIDS. I DON.T YOU BUT YOU DON.THAFT TO KNOW A PERSON TO SHOW THEM YOU CARE. GOD WILL SEE YOU THRU ALL YOUR PAIN AND SORROW.HE SAID HE WOULD .AND HE WILL. JUST OUT YOUR HAND IN HIS AND LET JESUS LEAD YOU ALL THE WAY.
i didnt know ryan, but i feel extremely saddened by all this. i was hoping so bad that they would find him alive and that he had just ran away and came back. im sure a lot of people wished that. and as for the local authorities and their efforts...i think they are a joke. 50 feet isnt THAT impossible to dive and detect a full size truck. probably a bunch of your typical redneck overweight sherriffs who dont want to do their jobs or are afraid of what they will find. this has been going on for over five years . and they dismiss it as an accident after a few days? WTF !!!! I would hire a non local forensic expert if i were the parents. if that sounded harsh , then sorry. But lie people have said, his mom has at least partial closure. I think one of his "Friends" at the party knows something. One guy who was there( forget his name but i'll find out) is known for passing out drugs at parties that have bad results. and a true friend would have made sure he got inside his home safely even if it meant waking the parents up and making sure they kept him home!!!!!
If a lake is deep enough and the water murky enough you would be looking for a needle in a haystack. As the report said the truck also floated out a ways and rested on a shelf. That sounds to me like an accident.
you should all let the boy rest in peace