Found Deceased AR - Rodney Letterman, 33, Devil's Den, West Fork, 28 Aug 2017

[neesaki]

Oh boy, even though this states it has been updated it says RL has the medical condition and the medical supplies were for him. I was hoping that by now there would be more consistency in reporting. :sigh:
http://m.bartlesvilleradio.com/page...-arkansas-search-for-missing-bartlesville-man

 

[Elainera]

Crews still searching for missing hiker in northwest Arkansas
7:40 AM. CDT August 30, 2017

The parks department says he did not have a lot of hiking experience.

Darn.

 

[Elainera]

Found this map, it is lying on its side - North is on the right.



The Butterfield Trail runs along the east side of the park (dotted line at bottom in this picture), coming close to hwy 74, crossing it at one point. It seems to loop back west in the south, rejoining the creek (upper left corner in this picture).

https://www.nwatrails.org/trail/devils-den-state-park/

This is the google map for the area:

https://www.google.co.in/maps/place...6b383d8f26e0ed!8m2!3d35.7842931!4d-94.2452239

 

[Gardener1850]

Still missing: http://www.thv11.com/news/local/cre...missing-hiker-in-northwest-arkansas/469216035

 

[neesaki]

Can not believe he hasn't been found. Leaning a bit now towards something hinky. But that could have something to do with all the other hinky cases I've followed here. JMO

 

[Elainera]

Local authorities and rescue teams searching for a missing hiker at Devil's Den State Park remain hopeful that they'll find him alive, said Monte Fuller, park superintendent.

His friend told officials that Letterman had 1 to 1½ liters of water with him, but no other supplies.

"We are still searching like he is still a missing individual," he said. "That's because the weather has been fairly good, and there is water nearby, a few creeks. It may not be the cleanest water, but there is water."

Emergency crews from several counties have searched about 2,000 acres so far. Several tracking dogs have been used, and a drone has searched the area but with limited success because of the thick vegetation in the area, Fuller said. Crews have also used ATVs and horses in the search.

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/sep/01/missing-hiker-hunt-goes-on-in-state-par/

 

[Elainera]

Search for Missing Hiker Scaled Back

Crews have scaled back the search for a missing hiker in Devil's Den State Park, but they're not giving up.

When Letterman suffered a medical emergency, his friend went to get help, but Letterman was gone when he returned.

This coming Labor Day weekend, the park expects some 5,000 visitors each day, which means a lot more eyes on the trails.

"That will be part of our continued efforts...At the bulletin boards at the trailheads we've posted a photo of Mr. Letterman and some information and who they can contact," Scott says.

The park will also hand out flyers to people hiking the Butterfield Trail, where Letterman was last seen.

The search and rescue team consulted with Letterman's family before making the decision to scale back the search. Park officials say they were comfortable with the decision and for now they have returned to Oklahoma.

http://www.nwahomepage.com/news/search-for-missing-hiker-scaled-back/803085918

bbm - First time I hear that this was in fact a medical emergency.

All the more surprising that the family is ok with scaling back the search effort and returned home. I have never heard anything like it. Usually families and friends continue searching long after official search teams have left.

Odd :thinking:

 

[Elainera]

Search Continues For Missing Hiker at Devil's Den

State Park officials are handing out flyers to every person on Butterfield Trail.

From Texas to Missouri, hikers are coming from all across the country. Park officials are informing everyone of their ongoing search.

The park superintendent said there were about 30 people registered on the Butterfield Trail Saturday.

No hikers have come across any clues leading to Letterman's disappearance.

"They gave us a sheet of paper and said this man had been missing for a week to keep our eyes out for him. He's not in any danger as far as they know but that if we do see him approach him and say hey people are looking for you it's important that you contact someone now," said Brandon Roellig, who lives in Springfield, Missouri.

http://www.nwahomepage.com/news/search-continues-for-missing-hiker-at-devils-den/803560895

So now they're saying he's not in any danger, after yesterday's report of a "medical emergency".

His disappearance is bizarre, the reporting even more. :gaah:

 

[Gardener1850]

That is bizarre. Someone out in the woods for a week without anything except a water bottle is in danger. Unless they think maybe he is not in the woods anymore? :thinking:

 

[Betty P]

That is bizarre. Someone out in the woods for a week without anything except a water bottle is in danger. Unless they think maybe he is not in the woods anymore? :thinking:

If he can find water, which seems likely in that park, he should be ok for a while. He may have gotten lost by wandering off the trail. It's big park with a lot of rugged woods, so easy for someone not familiar to lose their way and wander for days.

A young 8 yr old girl was lost there in 1946 after wandering away from her family's camp site. She wandered lost for 6 days until found by rescuers sitting in a cave a few miles away. Her name was Kathy Van Alst. You can read about her rescue online, but many CT groups theorize she was kidnapped by a Sasquatch or somesuch.

Most likely he is lost, wandering far off the trail. Maybe he left the trail to find a creek or river for water, then couldn't find his way back. I do hope they find him.

 

[Elainera]

I find it hard to believe that he got lost. The park is framed on the west and east by major highways, it's only about a mile across. Lee creek runs roughly through the middle of the park. The Butterfly Trail there were on runs very close to hwy 74, within 100 yards I guess. At one point in the south it crosses it, or runs underneath it. Just going a few 100 yards east or west and he should have stumbled upon either the highway or the creek.

The only way I can imagine him getting lost is if he followed the creek north, it looks like there's nothing at all for miles in that direction. Maybe he didn't look at a map before setting out, and was confused as to which direction to go?

Or he fell or had a medical episode somewhere close to where his friend left him and just hasn't been found yet.

 

[ttcRider]

Nothing new, no updates... so strange.

 

[ttcRider]

Can not believe he hasn't been found. Leaning a bit now towards something hinky. But that could have something to do with all the other hinky cases I've followed here. JMO

I am with you neesaki. We havent even heard from the 'hiking partner'... we dont even know his name. Now the family has stopped giving updates but say if you want to keep sharing his missing posters you are more than welcome???

Nothing from his wife either.

Huh?

 

[Elainera]

He still hasn't been found per "Our Missing Hearts" and his sister's comment from Sep 15 under this flyer.

https://www.facebook.com/OurMissingHearts/posts/1540043866056872

Sister says they are still searching for him.

I have the feeling they could need some help from a professional search organization.

 

[neesaki]

He still hasn't been found per "Our Missing Hearts" and his sister's comment from Sep 15 under this flyer.

https://www.facebook.com/OurMissingHearts/posts/1540043866056872

Sister says they are still searching for him.

I have the feeling they could need some help from a professional search organization.

I think that would be a great idea.

 

[alexwood]

I guess nothing has changed. I sure hope they are going forward with a prof. search organization. This good weather won't hold out for long. I think if a wild animal were involved, there would be obvious signs. The cell phone was found, and some other possible clues that LE hasn't revealed to the public, but that's it. His hiking companion said that he had a 1.5 liter bottle of water. Was that found? I don't know what to think -- other than to ask -- Are we sure he was ever there? His phone could have been put there by anyone who had access.

 

[Gardener1850]

I guess nothing has changed. I sure hope they are going forward with a prof. search organization. This good weather won't hold out for long. I think if a wild animal were involved, there would be obvious signs. The cell phone was found, and some other possible clues that LE hasn't revealed to the public, but that's it. His hiking companion said that he had a 1.5 liter bottle of water. Was that found? I don't know what to think -- other than to ask -- Are we sure he was ever there? His phone could have been put there by anyone who had access.

BBM. What I don't understand in a case like this is what could there be that LE wouldn't reveal to the public? If what we are being told by the friend is true and this is a missing hiker situation, what is there to hold back? It makes me question (like you said) if he was ever there OR if perhaps LE found evidence of something nefarious they don't want to release. :thinking:

 

[Gardener1850]

I didn't want to bring this up before but he does have an arrest history in Kansas:

https://kansas.arrests.org/Arrests/Rodney_Letterman_25244006/
https://kansas.arrests.org/Arrests/Rodney_Letterman_25929939/
https://www.policearrests.com/arrests/rodney_wayne_letterman_id_38779163.html
https://bailbondcity.com/kansas/ksdoc-inmate-LETTERMAN/0108657

One of his charges is a probation violation in 2016. Could he still be on probation? He might have a motive for going missing on his own or he might have some acquaintances with motives to disappear him.

 

[alexwood]

I didn't want to bring this up before but he does have an arrest history in Kansas:

https://kansas.arrests.org/Arrests/Rodney_Letterman_25244006/
https://kansas.arrests.org/Arrests/Rodney_Letterman_25929939/
https://www.policearrests.com/arrests/rodney_wayne_letterman_id_38779163.html
https://bailbondcity.com/kansas/ksdoc-inmate-LETTERMAN/0108657

One of his charges is a probation violation in 2016. Could he still be on probation? He might have a motive for going missing on his own or he might have some acquaintances with motives to disappear him.

This certainly puts a different light on the situation. Hmmm. I can see why the two hikers may have "separated" if something happened to this guy having to do with a nefarious activity on both of their parts. Which brings me to question the likelihood that this guy did not have a backpack when he went hiking. I think that is odd, if only for this reason: Who wants to lug around a water bottle the whole time you are hiking? With a backpack, your hands are free. But, also, if the "hike" was very, very short -- a few hundred yards, maybe, and then he became "ill", well, then not having a backpack would not be unusual. (IMO -- if this rambling makes any sense.)

 

[Gardener1850]

This certainly puts a different light on the situation. Hmmm. I can see why the two hikers may have "separated" if something happened to this guy having to do with a nefarious activity on both of their parts. Which brings me to question the likelihood that this guy did not have a backpack when he went hiking. I think that is odd, if only for this reason: Who wants to lug around a water bottle the whole time you are hiking? With a backpack, your hands are free. But, also, if the "hike" was very, very short -- a few hundred yards, maybe, and then he became "ill", well, then not having a backpack would not be unusual. (IMO -- if this rambling makes any sense.)

Makes a lot of sense. The info about him not having a backpack is strange to me too. This is supposedly a picture from that day:

He has a big backpack on, big enough he could have enough supplies to camp for several days. Maybe he set it down when he felt "ill" but I did not see any mention of them recovering his backpack, just that he only had a water bottle. Did the friend carry both their packs back to the car and why wouldn't he leave Rodney's pack with him while he rested?