'Have a heart, be a human': Colorado Navy vet John Ratcliff appeals to car thief to return his dead daughter's ashes
DENVER, COLORADO: John Ratcliff, a 70-year-old Navy veteran, is desperately searching for his daughter's ashes after they were taken when a thief stole his SUV. Ratcliff had packed his entire life into the 2004 Chevy Trailblazer, including sentimental items like his old uniforms, mementos from his Navy service, and family pictures, as part of preparations for moving to Florida from Colorado.
However, the most devastating loss for Ratcliff is the ashes of his beloved daughter who passed away in 2020. In a heartfelt plea to the thief, Ratcliff urged them to return his daughter's ashes as he weeps every time he remembers not having them. The nights ever since have been sleepless and sad for the veteran.
READ MORE
John Holoka: WWII air force officer's remains identified 79 years after he was killed in action
'Have a heart, just be a human'
"Have a heart, just be a human, why would anybody see those ashes and not give them back?" he said. "They have to be the coldest people in this world, you know, to do something like that," Ratcliff told FOX31, appearing frail in a wheelchair and wearing an oxygen tube. Ratcliff revealed that he weeps at night because of the loss of his daughter and the added pain of losing her ashes is almost unbearable for him and his family. "Please return it. We need it," he said.
The SUV was stolen on January 27 from a hotel parking lot near E 40th Avenue and Chambers Road. Surveillance footage showed a yellow car dropping off a man who walked around the SUV before getting inside and driving it away, with the yellow vehicle following behind.
Ratcliff and his family are focused solely on recovering his daughter's ashes
The SUV is easily identifiable as it has a broken rear hitch loop. Ratcliff believes that the thief could have used a makeshift key to start the SUVbas the ignition switch was broken. Although Ratcliff's mementos from his time in the Navy are important, he and his family are focused solely on recovering his daughter's ashes.
'Every night I think about it I weep'
Ratcliff's appeal has touched many hearts with people coming together to help him locate the stolen SUV and return his daughter's ashes. "But not having her ashes has really hurt and it hurts me. And I am strong, it still hurts me. Every night I think about it I weep."