Withdrawn Traces

Just finished reading Withdrawn Traces by Sara Hawys Roberts and Leon Noakes. I'm a massive Manic Street Preachers fan and I've always been interested in Richey's disappearances. There was quite a lot in the book that I didn't know. For one thing I didn't realise how large the divide was between Richey and the rest of the band. I knew there was contention about the bands direction, but I didn't know how different things were. Over the years the divide has certainly been downplayed and  sanitised.
The Aspergers suggestion seems to make a lot of sense when you look back at how intensely focused and obsessive Richey was. I also didn't know how incompetent the Police investigation was. I knew it was bad, but it really was completely inept. The efforts by the band in helping find Richey also seems lacklustre. I was always 50-50 on whether he had killed himself or just decided to disappear.
With all the evidence compiled in the book I have to change my mind to 25-75 in favour of Richey exiling himself in '95. I don't know if he could still be alive, but now I wouldn't be all that surprised. If you're at all interested in either the Manic Street Preachers or Richey's disappearance I highly recommend it.