Though Ricky’s mother adored him, he seemed to share a closer bond with his father, Michael, who, despite being deployed to Iraq shortly after Ricky’s birth, maintained a close relationship with his son.
When Michael returned, Shannon refused him visitation rights. After a court hearing was scheduled—and Shannon failed to appear—she and Ricky disappeared. Two months later, they were officially declared missing. Michael was bewildered.
Where was his son? An arrest warrant for Shannon was issued, presuming she fled to prevent Michael from seeing Ricky. When police questioned Shannon’s mother, Diane Dos, she accused Michael of being abusive, launching a campaign against him.
Michael suspected Diane knew of Ricky’s whereabouts, but lacked proof. Two years passed with no leads until a 2009 tip led police to Diane’s home.
A previous search had revealed nothing, but this time, they discovered a hidden crawl space behind a dresser, where Ricky and Shannon were found. It was a heartbreaking scene. Shannon was arrested for felony child abduction, and Diane was charged with aiding her.
Diane’s claims of Ricky spending only 5 minutes in the hideout over two years were dismissed. Following their court appearance, the truth about the mother and daughter’s story began to unravel, showing Michael as the victim.
