TX TX - Caleb Harris, 21, Texas A&M University student, Corpus Christi, 4 Mar 2024 #4

[landfall867]

Totally agree (and welcome to Websleuths!). They also had those major storms days before the body was found. I'm sure that played a part as well.

Yeah. Awful, awful tragedy if this ends up being the case. I hope the family can get some closure soon.

Manholes are no joke. If this is a case of one being accidentally left open at night for maintenance, then there needs to be serious investigation, root cause analysis, and corrective action to prevent recurrence.

 

[IDK]

Unfortunately, it seems most likely he fell into a manhole (if this is Caleb), and the recent storm had pushed the body through the pipes and into the lift station.

Here’s an example of another incident in which a worker fell into a waste water treatment plant. They weren’t able to get the body immediately, and when they were able to, it had traversed through the pipes, some of which had a minimum diameter of about 10 inches.

An unusual occupational accident: fall into a sewage plant tank with lethal outcome - PubMed

Occupational accidents, often presenting with lethal outcomes, are a rarely reported issue in forensic literature. However, these incidents are part of medicolegal casework with special regard to reconstruction, liabilities and insurance law-related issues, respectively. We report on a lethal...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

So it seems that it’s certainly possible for a body to be able to fit through small piping like that, given enough pressure.

Wow— it will be interesting to see if the autopsy shows any of the signs of “massive trauma” indicated in the article. That poor soul, RIP.

“Moreover, as a consequence of the passage of the pipeline system, signs of massive trauma (several comminuted and compound fractures) were disclosed at autopsy. To us, this is the first report on a lethal occupational accident in a sewage plant; our observations demonstrate the rapid progress of putrefaction in a warm anaerobic bacterial environment and the massive trauma sustained.”

 

[SMK777]

Manholes are no joke. If this is a case of one being accidentally left open at night for maintenance, then there needs to be serious investigation, root cause analysis, and corrective action to prevent recurrence

Snipped for focus
Agreed. If the remains are Caleb’s, his family could possibly sue the city for wrongful death. Or indeed any victim’s family could.

 

[Beruptus]

Hey yall! Ive been watching this thread but haven't post anything until now.
The current posts have made me a bit confused so I just want to make sure that yall are aware that the bridge in the photo Caleb took is not the same bridge near the waterlift that you can see on google earth with manholes next to it. You can tell from the guard rails. The bridge closer to his apartment is the one featured in the photo. This bridge is along a sidewalk. Ill try to attach some photos of the different bridges rails
Feel free to ignore this if I’m just not understanding whats being talked about

 

[Muddy K]

Totally agree (and welcome to Websleuths!). They also had those major storms days before the body was found. I'm sure that played a part as well.

The thing is, these human remains were located in the wet well chamber of the lift station. That's the outbound water flow side. IMO, the remains were not able to wash toward the Greenwood treatment plant because they were too large to pass through that 18-inch exit pipe. I can't think of any other reason for the remains to be able to resist the natural outbound water flow.

This is also why I don't understand how, if it is Caleb and he did fall into an open manhole, his remains would have traveled through a 10- or 15-inch intake pipe and through the filter at the bottom of the lift station into the wet well chamber. JMO, it seems more feasible that he (or his body) would have entered the wet well chamber through the access panel outside the building.

Nevertheless, the ways and forces of water flow certainly may make things possible that are beyond my grasp.

I can imagine all too easily the horror of such a demise, and that makes me hope (ugh) that this poor person was dead before they entered the water. What an awful situation.

 

[SMK777]

The thing is, these human remains were located in the wet well chamber of the lift station. That's the outbound water flow side. IMO, the remains were not able to wash toward the Greenwood treatment plant because they were too large to pass through that 18-inch exit pipe. I can't think of any other reason for the remains to be able to resist the natural outbound water flow.

This is also why I don't understand how, if it is Caleb and he did fall into an open manhole, his remains would have traveled through a 10- or 15-inch intake pipe and through the filter at the bottom of the lift station into the wet well chamber. JMO, it seems more feasible that he (or his body) would have entered the wet well chamber through the access panel outside the building.

Nevertheless, the ways and forces of water flow certainly may make things possible that are beyond my grasp.

I can imagine all too easily the horror of such a demise, and that makes me hope (ugh) that this poor person was dead before they entered the water. What an awful situation.

Yes, I have similar questions. I wish we had official statements and analysis from law enforcement and other officials as to:

1. If the victim was Caleb &
2. What medical examiner and law enforcement believe happened, and how.

It seems we will get these answers but apparently not without quite a lot of waiting.

 

[microsleuth88]

The thing is, these human remains were located in the wet well chamber of the lift station. That's the outbound water flow side. IMO, the remains were not able to wash toward the Greenwood treatment plant because they were too large to pass through that 18-inch exit pipe. I can't think of any other reason for the remains to be able to resist the natural outbound water flow.

This is also why I don't understand how, if it is Caleb and he did fall into an open manhole, his remains would have traveled through a 10- or 15-inch intake pipe and through the filter at the bottom of the lift station into the wet well chamber. JMO, it seems more feasible that he (or his body) would have entered the wet well chamber through the access panel outside the building.

Nevertheless, the ways and forces of water flow certainly may make things possible that are beyond my grasp.

I can imagine all too easily the horror of such a demise, and that makes me hope (ugh) that this poor person was dead before they entered the water. What an awful situation.

Yeah, this what I am wondering this too. I am leaning towards if this was an accident would it be more likely that the building was maybe left unlocked and he fell into the well inside maybe checking around inside. The gate outside around the building could easily have been gone under or heck sometimes those gates have a chain wrapped around the two gate doors that leaves enough room between that someone could fit between.

Also, if foul play was involved and he was maybe meeting someone. Could CH jabe known a way to get into the building? Could this have also been a meeting spot and maybe he had met ppl there before?

 

[TwoBlueJays]

Finally caught up on the latest Gray Hughes YouTube video. He makes a convincing case for the person found in the lift station well to have been placed there and discusses pipe diameters among other reasons why he posits this theory. And from the video (mentioned upthread) it is a partial body, not fully decomposed, and relatively intact. So good chances for DNA recovery. Moo

 

[Sundog]

The thing is, these human remains were located in the wet well chamber of the lift station. That's the outbound water flow side. IMO, the remains were not able to wash toward the Greenwood treatment plant because they were too large to pass through that 18-inch exit pipe. I can't think of any other reason for the remains to be able to resist the natural outbound water flow.

This is also why I don't understand how, if it is Caleb and he did fall into an open manhole, his remains would have traveled through a 10- or 15-inch intake pipe and through the filter at the bottom of the lift station into the wet well chamber. JMO, it seems more feasible that he (or his body) would have entered the wet well chamber through the access panel outside the building.

Nevertheless, the ways and forces of water flow certainly may make things possible that are beyond my grasp.

I can imagine all too easily the horror of such a demise, and that makes me hope (ugh) that this poor person was dead before they entered the water. What an awful situation.

From what we have been reading, I think it's possible that the sudden exposure to the chemicals and gases involved may have rendered a victim unconscious immediately which I hope was the case for the person whose remains have been discovered, if they were alive when they entered the water. JMO.

 

[shetalksinstereo]

From what we have been reading, I think it's possible that the sudden exposure to the chemicals and gases involved may have rendered a victim unconscious immediately which I hope was the case for the person whose remains have been discovered, if they were alive when they entered the water. JMO.

In our area, two farm workers recently fell in a manure lagoon and died. The ag people said they were most likely overcome from the methane and were unconscious when they went in. So awful though! Any farm job is an elevated risk of danger. Another younger farm worker recently was charged by a cow and ultimately died from her injuries, which is very rare but animals are unpredictable.

 

[x_files]

The thing is, these human remains were located in the wet well chamber of the lift station. That's the outbound water flow side. IMO, the remains were not able to wash toward the Greenwood treatment plant because they were too large to pass through that 18-inch exit pipe. I can't think of any other reason for the remains to be able to resist the natural outbound water flow.

This is also why I don't understand how, if it is Caleb and he did fall into an open manhole, his remains would have traveled through a 10- or 15-inch intake pipe and through the filter at the bottom of the lift station into the wet well chamber. JMO, it seems more feasible that he (or his body) would have entered the wet well chamber through the access panel outside the building.

Nevertheless, the ways and forces of water flow certainly may make things possible that are beyond my grasp.

I can imagine all too easily the horror of such a demise, and that makes me hope (ugh) that this poor person was dead before they entered the water. What an awful situation.

After watching Gray Hughes's recent videos, I don't think it's possible he accidentally slipped into a manhole, and then his body traveled to the station.
15 inches is way too small. He had to have been dumped at the station or was in the station removed the lid and fell.
Too bad there are no cameras at this station. I'm leaning towards foul play.

 

[SMK777]

After watching Gray Hughes's recent videos, I don't think it's possible he accidentally slipped into a manhole, and then his body traveled to the station.
15 inches is way too small. He had to have been dumped at the station or was in the station removed the lid and fell.
Too bad there are no cameras at this station. I'm leaning towards foul play.

It’s worrisome that they may not be able to officially rule as to how he actually did get in there.

 

[x_files]

It’s worrisome that they may not be able to officially rule as to how he actually did get in there.

I would like to see all waste treatment stations sewer etc have SECURITY CAMERAS on them.
It's such an easy thing to do to help SOLVE CRIMES.

 

[SMK777]

I would like to see all waste treatment stations sewer etc have SECURITY CAMERAS on them.
It's such an easy thing to do to help SOLVE CRIMES.

Agreed. When the remains were first discovered, I just assumed there would be plenty of CCTV footage. Then I read and discovered that there were no cameras.

 

[Janitor101]

@Janitor101 in Thread #3 asked:
“I'm probably mistaken, but I thought Gray Hughes said yesterday that the manhole was approximately 15" in diameter. Is that correct?”

=====

I believe 15” in diameter is the size of the sewer pipe, not the size of the manhole. The pipe runs through the manhole.
Source

I thought this pic illustrated a sewer pipe vs manhole well for my understanding. (Not a TX page, but hopefully all are generally similar.)
View attachment 515064

Very nice illustration, slowpoke! Thank you.

 

[Cedars]

After watching Gray Hughes's recent videos, I don't think it's possible he accidentally slipped into a manhole, and then his body traveled to the station.
15 inches is way too small. He had to have been dumped at the station or was in the station removed the lid and fell.
Too bad there are no cameras at this station. I'm leaning towards foul play.

IMO, Gray makes a big assumption there. After many months, it could have been more like a shirt floating, which could certainly have passed through pipes.

In addition to the question of what was really recovered, it does depend on the system, which as someone mentions, potentially includes filters, more than just pipes.

And we don't know whether the manhole cover was already off, or did Caleb possibly remove it himself, and what would be involved.

I personally feel I'd prefer to wait for all the technical facts.

Partly, I question why anyone would commit homicide in this case, and why go to all that trouble, when a river is right nearby.

JMO

 

[x_files]

Agreed. When the remains were first discovered, I just assumed there would be plenty of CCTV footage. Then I read and discovered that there were no cameras.

So weird, are the city stations that under funded? What if an employee feels what safety measures do they have in place?!

 

[SMK777]

So weird, are the city stations that under funded? What if an employee feels what safety measures do they have in place?!

Yeah, I think probably funding must play a part, but it’s not right for employee and public safety. Agreed.

 

[x_files]

Yeah, I think probably funding must play a part, but it’s not right for employee and public safety. Agreed.

I cannot imagine how much that would cost. Security cameras are pretty cheap now.
I think all the true crimes and missing person cases could be solved a lot quicker with video footage.
The only case that still eludes everyone seems to be Missy Bevers's case.

 

[technicallymissing]

Partly, I question why anyone would commit homicide in this case, and why go to all that trouble, when a river is right nearby.

JMO

(respectfully snipped by me)
I'm sort of wondering if someone was under the impression that if they put Caleb (or whoever this poor person is) in the station that his body would float through the sewer system and out to the ocean or something. With as many pages as we've all spent trying to figure out how exactly these waste systems work I could see an average person thinking the station might be a better place to hide a body than the river where he might have risen to the surface or been otherwise spotted. Perhaps they thought the waste system would do the same thing as the river only with extra level of concealment.