Authorities find body believed to be that of missing 6-year-old N.C. boy

A body believed to be that of a 6-year-old boy with special needs who went missing in North Carolina over the weekend was found on Thursday afternoon, police said.

Authorities have notified the parents of the boy, Maddox Ritch, and identification of the body will be done by the medical examiner’s office, the Gastonia police department said in a statement.

Ritch, who has autism and is nonverbal, was last seen by his father and another adult at Rankin Lake Park in Gastonia on Saturday, police have said.

The FBI and two dozen agencies worked to locate him in the days that followed, with around 100 people scouring more than 1,400 acres in and around the park on Sunday.

With heavy hearts we announce a body believed to be 6-year-old Maddox Ritch was found at approximately 1 p.m. off of Marietta Street/Old Dallas Highway in Gastonia. Maddox’s parents have been notified of the discovery. The investigation is ongoing.

— FBI Charlotte (@FBICharlotte) September 27, 2018

The investigation is ongoing, the FBI’s office in Charlotte said in a tweet.

Law enforcement officials said they planned to hold a news conference at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday.

This is a developing news story. Refresh for updates.