ALLEGAN COUNTY, Mich. - $7,500 will be rewarded to the person with information leading to the remains of Richard Hitchcock, but the full reward is a limited time offer.
Hitchcock's cousin, Kellie Greene, said she's been reliving his disappearance for almost 25 years now.
"December 22nd, 1990 my mother gave me a call and said that Richie was missing and that we needed to go down to the bar where he was last seen," said Greene.
That bar was the Riverfront Lounge in Allegan. Greene said she remembers her cousin's disappearance as if it were yesterday.
"They divided us into two teams while we walked the river banks and they did their diving in the water to search for him," said Greene.
Hitchcock's car was found in a nearby parking lot days later. But since then, nothing new has been obtained following years of searching.
"I show up on door steps, show them Richie's picture and tell them who I am and if I can enter their property: whether I can do a ground search with people, a search with a canine cold case team, even a ground penetration radar team."
Greene said her and the rest of Richie's loved ones are desperate for closure.
"He didn't get to live his life and that's not fair," said Greene. "It's not fair that they get to keep living their lives knowing where he is, at least tell us where he is. We deserve that, we’re his family," said Greene.
But not all hope is lost, An anonymous donation of $1,000 was set up to help discover Richie's remains on June 4th, 2015. That amount has since been doubled and is still climbing with yet another donation of $5,000.
"I received another phone call stating that if by Monday night at midnight if someone leads to Richie's remains they will pay an additional $5,000. But it has to be by Monday, midnight of next week."
Even though the deadline for the full reward is approaching, Greene said she will never give up on her cousin.
"I’m gonna keep going and do it as long as it takes," said Greene. "Keep going and if I find him myself or push someone else into it, it has to be done. I will do this until my dying breath."
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Richard Hitchcock, all tips can be made anonymously and directed to the Allegan County Sheriff's Department at (269) 673-0500.
Additional case information is posted on a Facebook group where you can send in tips and contact Hitchcock's family with any other information.
