CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, Bullhead City, hiking wearing bikini in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019

[Twistinginthewind]

This article mentions BT's stepdaughter agrees with RT that BT must have been abducted, because that's the only thing that makes sense (my paraphrasing):
'They told me I was being deceptive': Husband of missing 69-year-old bikini-clad hiker admits cops think he's the prime suspect after failing a polygraph as Mojave Desert search enters day 6

 

[PommyMommy]

You’re talking about a heavily forested area on the one hand, and a relatively open and accessible area on the other.

Barb’s not lost in the woods, and she was on a short walk, not a hike.

Yeah, I get the point being made but I don't think that particular case is a good comparison here. GL hiked 1,000 miles into the Appalachian Trail. Barbara disappeared in a matter of minutes in, for the most part, a flat, open desert area. MOO

 

[Elgana]

Yes- this has shades of Roberta Snider going missing. Her husband claimed he was taking her one more time to see Elvis' home. He even drove there- thankfully, videos of him along the way and back showed that he was alone, that Bobbie was not on the trip. I always was suspicious of this- even the fake obituary! Turns out, he never put her deceased body in the river in Tennessee, but they have yet to find Roberta's body and probably never will.

I really really want to know when the last time Barbara was actually seen by anyone or heard from- her voice, not a text message or email. When?

Yes, I remember that case and I have thought about this myself, was she never in the desert in the first place? Did he stage the trip and this whole scenario to cover up for something else? I would search his house and closer to home too. It wouldn't surprise me if that's what is going on here.

As oceanstarryeyes said, the comment about Vegas is weird. Why would he have a clue where someone is taking her if they abducted her? Is he trying to lead LE on a wild goose chase? Or is he expecting her body to be found somewhere in Vegas because he knows she is already there?

 

[PaulR]

You’re talking about a heavily forested area on the one hand, and a relatively open and accessible area on the other.

Barb’s not lost in the woods, and she was on a short walk, not a hike.

OK, so where is Paul Martin? That was also a pretty short walk - three miles round trip. Also along a popular trail, and open.

SAR does the best they can with the resources they have. You can read Tom Mahood's story of the searches for Bill Ewasko to get an idea about how physically demanding it is, and still not finding something - and he's also searching in a desert area (Joshua Tree in that case.)

 

[Twistinginthewind]

This article has a video of RT talking about the process he thinks BT's abductor should follow in returning her, which ends with him gesturing with his hands and saying "...and that's it!" (my paraphrasing):
Arizona woman missing in California's Mojave Desert

 

[Steelslady]

Haaaaaaa. Don’t forget polygraphs.

I’m not surprised they haven’t found any sign of her.

I don’t think she was there to begin with.

Me neither. I just can't shake this feeling, it resembles another case so closely.

I really am trying to hold out hope that she is ok, or was ok but fell or something, but my gut tells me no, that didn't happen. I'd be happy to be wrong- so happy.

 

[GordianKnot]

Haaaaaaa. Don’t forget polygraphs.

I’m not surprised they haven’t found any sign of her.

I don’t think she was there to begin with.

BBM:

I'm incredibly conflicted on that point right now.

With every minute that passes, though, I'm becoming more and more inclined to that POV.

You mentioned polygraphs...not in context, but regardless.
RT stated LE told him his showed he was being deceptive.
Then immediately added that he knows polygraphs aren't 100% reliable, and he hadn't slept the night before.

He's baked Vegas into his abduction theory, which has the hairs on the back of my neck standing straight up.

He says she had to cross the road, wearing a bikini, and carrying a beer; hence, someone took her.
I think that comment is a little revealing (no pun intended) in terms of giving a peek into how his mind works.

Having said all that, I'm remembering that Rousseau case.
I know, I know: I keep going on about that one ad nauseum.
But that's what has me mentally frozen in place right now.

That poor Rousseau guy in NC also went public saying he thought his wife and daughter had been abducted, and he came off all kinds of weird and suspicious-sounding in that presser.
Then, "Ouila!" his wife & daughter turned up after having gone voluntarily missing.
Which was a great outcome, considering the alternatives.
Still, I felt horrible for that poor man.

I just don't know what to think.

Actually, that's not entirely true:

I think LE needs to say something about this case.

That's what I think.

JMO.

 

[MassGuy]

OK, so where is Paul Martin? That was also a pretty short walk - three miles round trip. Also along a popular trail, and open.

SAR does the best they can with the resources they have. You can read Tom Mahood's story of the searches for Bill Ewasko to get an idea about how physically demanding it is, and still not finding something - and he's also searching in a desert area (Joshua Tree in that case.)

So you genuinely believe that this woman got lost on a walk, and is still out there?

I don’t. I’ve seen this movie before.

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

.

 

[wary]

The road this is taking is certainly suggestive of that.
We have heard someone spoke with her on Wednesday and that's the last know of anyone hearing from her, except the husband who shows deception on his lie detector test.

Hmm, remember, we don’t know that he showed deception on his lie detector test.

We know that he said that LE told him he showed deception on the test.

I can’t imagine any reason HE would lie about that, but my understanding is that it might be quite likely that LE would lie to him as an interrogation technique.

 

[Twistinginthewind]

Yeah, I get the point being made but I don't think that particular case is a good comparison here. GL hiked 1,000 miles into the Appalachian Trail. Barbara disappeared in a matter of minutes in, for the most part, a flat, open desert area. MOO

And she vanished within a mile of their vehicle and her husband taking a photograph -- it was a 2 mile hike and they were on their way back according to RT, so this all happened within less than a mile, according to RT.

 

[PommyMommy]

Me neither. I just can't shake this feeling, it resembles another case so closely.

I really am trying to hold out hope that she is ok, or was ok but fell or something, but my gut tells me no, that didn't happen. I'd be happy to be wrong- so happy.

Are you thinking of Serenity, Steels? MOO

 

[PaulR]

I thought he never mentioned Vegas - it was a reporter from Vegas who was prompting him about whether she could be in Vegas and his sure-I-just-want-her-back answer got blown up into this.

 

[Steelslady]

OK, so where is Paul Martin? That was also a pretty short walk - three miles round trip. Also along a popular trail, and open.

SAR does the best they can with the resources they have. You can read Tom Mahood's story of the searches for Bill Ewasko to get an idea about how physically demanding it is, and still not finding something - and he's also searching in a desert area (Joshua Tree in that case.)

<modsnip - rude>

Her husband said that she was ahead of him while he took a picture- she was in HIS SIGHT, until she turned a corner. A corner! NOT miles, not a mile, not 1/4 of a mile, a corner turned! IF she was there, she should have been found, especially since she was allegedly going back to the RV!

 

[PaulR]

So you genuinely believe that this woman got lost on a walk, and is still out there?

I don’t. I’ve seen this movie before.

I don't know. Frankly a lot of the evidence going the other way strikes me as silly. He mentions what she was last wearing and it's picked apart (even to the discussion of whether it was really a bikini if she was wearing shorts), even though it's SOP to say what the missing person was wearing last. Or that she had a beer, and that somehow this is indicative of anything (even though a lot of people drink beer.)

I've seen this movie too, which is this forum going nuts whenever a woman goes missing.

 

[slowpoke]

I hope this isn’t a dumb, basic question, but is it known or do we have a pretty good idea of which side (east or west) of the Kelbaker Road the RV was parked?

I’m trying to see on the map to which “rock formations” they walked to, which would have to be on the opposite side of Kelbaker from where their vehicle was parked to fit with RT’s words of having to cross the road to get back to the RV.

Can anyone clarify this for me? I have been following along with you all, but sometimes I miss things.

 

[Steelslady]

Are you thinking of Serenity, Steels? MOO

Roberta Snider- husband is acting eractic like Philip did. - in Serenity's case, I think she was truly picked up by someone.

 

[PommyMommy]

I thought he never mentioned Vegas - it was a reporter from Vegas who was prompting him about whether she could be in Vegas and his sure-I-just-want-her-back answer got blown up into this.

We don't know that the reporter prompted him.

At the 1:22 mark, the reporter says, "He thinks there's a chance she was taken to the Las Vegas area so he's asking everyone to stay on high alert."

 

[happyday]

After seeing the terrain, I think she is there somewhere too. She may have went further to look at rocks......sigh.

That was my thought when seeing the pics someone posted yesterday of rock formations in the area.

 

[PommyMommy]

I hope this isn’t a dumb, basic question, but is it known or do we have a pretty good idea of which side (east or west) of the Kelbaker Road the RV was parked?

I’m trying to see on the map to which “rock formations” they walked to, which would have to be on the opposite side of Kelbaker from where their vehicle was parked to fit with RT’s words of having to cross the road to get back to the RV.

Can anyone clarify this for me? I have been following along with you all, but sometimes I miss things.

We know they were hiking to the east of Kelbaker Road but we don't know where the camper was parked. AFAIK. MOO