richey edwards

[mindbullets]

as its nearly 10 years since he dissappeared has anyone got any interresting theories as to where he might be? or is he just dead.what an amazing thing it would be if he turned up alive and well next year.

[andy hughes]

I think he is dead. The indications are all there - a history of serious depression and self-harming, the absence of any serious sightings, the absence of any contact, the untouched back account. It's not easy to simply drop off the grid, but it is pretty easy to drop off a high bridge. Sadly, i think Ritchie simply couldn't take it any more, whcih is a tragedy, not least for his parents and family who must live their lives never knowing the truth. A death is hard to deal with, an absence is nearly impossible.

[nicola_red]

My brother and I were discussing this only the other day, the radio played the new Manics track and we both agreed how terrible it was, and I reminisced about how great they were when I saw them live in 1994, just before Richey disappeared. My brother pointed out that he has now officially been declared dead and that he most probably is, but I'm not so sure.  There were theories kicking around at the time that he had moved up to the Scottish Highlands and i think that's entirely plausible.  There can't be many 90s indie fans living up there and I reckon he could happily live unnoticed.  But there again I do love a conspiracy theory.

[littleoldme]

I doubt very much whether he can be both still alive AND living in the UK - someone would have found him by now, I'd have thought. My feeling is that he's dead, but if he is still alive, I think he'll have moved abroad somewhere the Manics are not well known.

[daddyg]

Frankly nicola_red that is ridiculous. I am presuming that you have never been to Scotland never mind the Highlands. The Highlands are the same as any other part of the UK in as much that they have young people who are into all kinds of music. They even get television and everything would you believe so I'm pretty sure that somebody would recognise him. He'd have to be living in a cave and not having any contact with anyone to go unnoticed and unrecognised. Plus if you'd ever been to the Highlands you'd know that for a large part of the year they're crawling with tourists. Maybe some of the more cosmopolitan tourists would recognise as the local neep kickers are clearly incapable. Flippin cheek.

[brawburd]

daddyg just took the words right out of my mouth.  Strange thought process there Nicola_red!

[FP]

I must admit that when I went to the Scottish Highlands for a holiday I thought how advanced the area was compared to the south.  Road signs in several languages, decent roads and really clean and tidy towns.  Everything looked so well managed.  Very impressive!

[nicola_red]

Well, I see my answer was derided by one and all - I must add that it was someone else's idea that he could be there and not mine!  I suppose I was envisioning a really remote little corner of Scotland, does such a place exist or is it a product of my imagination?

[nerfherder]

In answer to your query and to put both Nicola_Red and her detractors to rest.... I recently was involved in an expedition to dive a ship wreck off st Helen's Reef around Rockall.... and sure enough, there was a sign on Rockall saying "Richie was here RE '04".. I have the photos to prove it....

In honesty, he's probably not dead and might be in Goa or some other out of the way place in India, Tibet or otherwise, let's face it, it is a big planet and not everyone out there is a Manics fan or has even heard of the Manics....

I reckon he should be left alone if he is alive or dead.