ANGELIZD's Place - Child Abuse Pages

In July of 2005, Tim and Lisa Holland reported their adopted son, Ricky, as missing. A few months later, Tim
lead police to the body of Ricky and so would be begin ANOTHER case where a child was given to the wrong people and ended up dead. Tim and Lisa would each accuse the other of killing this beautiful little boy.

Ricky's life started out in turmoil when he was given up by his biological parents at the age of two. After their
parental rights were taken away totally, Ricky was considered for adoption by Tim and Lisa who would receive
financial help from the state since he was considered to be a hard to place child, due to his age, The adoption
took place and immediately started Ricky's life of pain.

Ricky would complain to his social worker that he was being tied up to his bed and that he was being
handcuffed. Teachers as well as neighbors would report child abuse to the state, yet once again, a child was failed by those who were put in place to help children. Reports were made of Ricky being harnessed while on the school bus, being made to wear a diaper to school each day and being deprived of food.

Ricky was pulled out of school and his parents lied, saying they were going to home school him. The state claimed that Ricky had been pulled out of school and that the abuse was not known because he was at home being home school. Records show that the reports of abuse came BEFORE Ricky was pulled out of school and that the abuse reports might very well have been the reason he WAS pulled out of school. Just ONCE I would like to see the agencies who give these children to abusers, admit they were wrong! When authorities went into the the home of Tim and Lisa, their investigation would show them that Ricky had been killed in his home. What they DIDN'T find, was any evidence by way of homework, papers he had done or anything at all to indicate that Ricky had been being home schooled.

The home where Ricky Holland suffered and died

While claming to be waiting for Ricky to be found, the Holland's KNEW he was dead and that they had dumped his body in a swamp. Blood spatters were found all over the home, including under the carpet in Ricky's room, on the fireplace bricks and in the hallway. Time would eventually say that Lisa had hit Ricky with a hammer and neither did anything to help him. Ricky lay suffering for days until he finally died.

Tim lead authorities to Ricky's body. In a marsh like area, Ricky's remains were found in a plastic trash bag, half
sunk into a pool of ice. Ricky's bones were found among debris and a blue bed sheet. In the trash bag with Ricky was an orange t-shirt which had been torn into more than 20 pieces and sealed inside of a separate bag, the shirt was stained with blood.

A few things became apparent at trial:

• A nurse from a Jackson school testified that Ricky begged not to be sent home with his mother. She also testified that she reported small bruises on Ricky to Child Protective Services.

• Two pathologists told the media that Ricky's body exhibited a pattern of abuse in his face and upper body.

• The state Department of Human Services apparently received repeated reports about abuse.

After Ricky was reported missing, hundreds of law enforcement officers, rescue people
and voluneers searched the water and the land. In the boat above are, Tom Hovey,
Bob roth and Like Mohre. These men were searching the Red Cedar River.

Why is it that SO often the state is willing to ignore reports and then later when a child is dead they claim to have
done ALL they could have done to help the child? How many children have to die in this world, due to child
abuse, before someone says "Let's do something BEFORE this child dies".

Tim plead guilty to second degree murder and agreed to testify against Lisa. In November of 2006, Tim Holland was sentenced to spend 30 to 60 years in prison for what he did to Ricky. I don't think that is long enough. I believe that the sentence given to Lisa, life in prison without the possibility of parole, is the sentence that ALL people who kill a child while abusing them should get.

The Detectives on the task force which included Paul Nieusma, Mark Browser,
Roy Holliday, Brian Valentine, Brian Fox, Jason Ferguson, Steve Sopocy and BIlly Mitchell.

Ricky gets two memorial services

Relatives of imprisoned parents will hold rites

Karen Bouffard / The Detroit News

April 14. 2007

Ricky Holland, the 7-year-old whose death became a statewide scandal, will be laid to rest in private by relatives of the adoptive parents who murdered him nearly two years ago, a Lansing judge ruled Friday.

Ingham County Chief Probate Judge George Economy granted custody of the onetime foster child's body to Medical Examiner Dean Sienko and ordered that separate memorial services be held by Tim and Lisa Holland's respective families to avoid acrimony.

Economy ordered Sienko to coordinate the services within 45 days with Tim Holland's mother, Arcie Holland of DeWitt, and Lisa Holland's mother, Betty Thomas of Williamston.

The two families don't get along; Tim and Lisa Holland blame each other for the murder.

The judge issued a gag order on Ricky's services and final resting place, bringing a quiet end to a tragedy that unfolded after the Hollands reported Ricky missing from their Williamston home on July 2, 2005, and became an issue in last year's gubernatorial campaign.

The ruling disappointed observers such as Susan Adams, 45, of Farmington Hills.

She said she cried as she read media accounts about the case and hoped a public funeral would draw attention to the plight of abused kids.

"Why isn't this public?" she asked. "There needs to be as much light shed on this as possible, until there's a change."

Ricky's body has remained at a lab at Michigan State University since Tim Holland led deputies to it in a swamp in January 2006. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and testified at a fall hearing that Lisa, 34, abused the boy for years before killing him with a hammer. She got a life sentence, he is serving up to 60 years.

Ricky's death ignited a storm of criticism because he had been a foster child that state workers allowed the Hollands to adopt despite claims of abuse and neglect.

A memorial for Ricky just above where his body was found on Willaimston Road at the
Dansville State Game Area.