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

[slowpoke]

Snipped & bolded by me:

Regarding the key being still under the rock, we always return the key to its hiding place immediately after using it. So the key could have been under the rock even if she was inside or if she had been there and left. She could have been there, opened the awning, returned the key and left. The key under the rock means nothing IMO.

On the other hand, if they were to be leaving and driving on after this 2-mile hike/walk of theirs, I’d say in that case BT would not have returned the key under the rock.

Which makes me curious about their travel that day. The People.com article states: “Robert says they had taken a short trip in their camper when they decided to pull up and go for a 2-mile walk to explore rock formations.” That sentence makes it sound like this was an impromptu stop. So, what was the intended destination? Or, I think the sentence from the article could also be interpreted to mean they were done with a short trip (somewhere unknown to us), and were perhaps on their way back home, whereupon they made this impromptu stop?

Arizona Woman, 69, Missing for 5 Days in the Mojave Desert After Going Hiking with Husband

 

[Twistinginthewind]

I think you mean late afternoon since that is when it's hottest.

Early afternoon, when the sun is high overhead, is the time to avoid being active outdoors, in my experience, especially in the desert, and especially in July, one of the hottest months of the year. JMO.

 

[Razz]

Found Deceased - CA - Sandy Giles, 44, Earp, 13 May 2017

This was a heartbreaking case of a woman traveling alone from CA to Al.
Her car was discovered abandoned outside of Parker,CA where she was supposed to pick up some wired money from a WalMart. The last time she was seen was by a PO who helped her put gas in her car on I-5 about 90 miles N. of where her car was found abandoned. During that time he offered to take her to a hospital as she was suffering from an asthma attack.

At the site outside of Parker, her sandals were found under a small tree.
(The landscape sounds the same as in this case). They searched all over for her and about 8 weeks later, she was found approx. 150 ft from her car near the edge of the highway where she had been covered by sand. It's unknown if she was hit or suffered a heart attack but apparently, a truck scraping the highway of sand came through the night of her disappearance and covered her body with sand. She was so badly decomposed they were unable to give a cause of death.

 

[Steelslady]

Remember the man who said his wife died in Memphis, he took her to a hospital but could not remember which one? And turns out the woman never made it to Memphis. I see some similarities here.

Yes- that is exactly the case I am comparing this too- Roberta Snider of Ohio. It is eerily similar, only Philip claimed she died on the way to Memphis and he dumped her body in the Tennessee River.

This abduction story just sounds so very made up to me. I also see his daughter agreeing that it is the only thing that makes sense. I'm not sure how it makes sense- a woman in a bikini and hat with a beer in her hand is abducted as she turned the corner or crossed the highway? I'm not even sure her carrying a beer makes any sense to me, either.

 

[Snoopster]

I know that camper looks brand new, and my dad mentioned a new dually (new toy) in the Thomas garage few weeks back.

It was suggested to me by an actual insider that herbalife is a front for other things, and I don't see why that couldn't be extremely pertinent.

Thanks dbdb. So are you saying that one of them was involved with herbalife? I think I missed how the topic originally came up.

A separate question: Was it only going to be Barb coming to Hong Kong? And, did she talk on the phone to your family last Wednesday, or was it by electronic means? Did she mention a specific flight number? (i.e. did it seem that she had something specifically booked?)

Only answer what you can and what you have time for.
Thanks for contributing!

ETA: dbdb - ignore my question about herbalife as I see you have already addressed it.

 

[oviedo]

Cops insist they're examining 'all possibilities' after missing hiker's husband claimed he's suspect | Daily Mail Online

SABBM:

'At this time, our search efforts are directed on locating Mrs. Thomas in the area last witnessed by Mr. Thomas,' San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Public Information Officer, Jodi Miller told DailyMail.com Thursday when asked about his claim he was a 'prime suspect'.

Miller did not provide further details about the polygraph result which Mr. Thomas put down to being tired.

Miller added to DailyMail.com: 'As with all of missing person cases we examine all possibilities with the desired outcome of locating the missing person.'

Boy, I am surprised - LE spoke to the DM??

 

[MassGuy]

Boy, I am surprised - LE spoke to the DM??

LE basically offered the Daily Mail a cookie cutter response.

“Yeah, we’re exploring all options. Thanks for calling.”

 

[Lilibet]

Aren’t we still waiting for dbdb11 to be verified as an insider per SillyBilly’s post last night?

 

[PommyMommy]

Snipped & bolded by me:

On the other hand, if they were to be leaving and driving on after this 2-mile hike/walk of theirs, I’d say in that case BT would not have returned the key under the rock.

Which makes me curious about their travel that day. The People.com article states: “Robert says they had taken a short trip in their camper when they decided to pull up and go for a 2-mile walk to explore rock formations.” That sentence makes it sound like this was an impromptu stop. So, what was the intended destination? Or, I think the sentence from the article could also be interpreted to mean they were done with a short trip (somewhere unknown to us), and were perhaps on their way back home, whereupon they made this impromptu stop?

Arizona Woman, 69, Missing for 5 Days in the Mojave Desert After Going Hiking with Husband

They embarked on their camping trip on Friday - the same day BT disappeared. According to dbdb11, BT told family they were going camping and would be out of pocket for a few days. So, I imagine they intended to park the camper at some kind of campsite/RV park. However, they pulled over along the side of the road somewhere to go on a 2-mile hike. Point is, I don't think they pulled the camper all the way out there on Friday just to turn around and go home. MOO

 

[Inthedetails]

They embarked on their camping trip on Friday - the same day BT disappeared. According to dbdb11, BT told family they were going camping and would be out of pocket for a few days. So, I imagine they intended to park the camper at some kind of campsite/RV park. However, they pulled over along the side of the road somewhere to go on a 2-mile hike. Point is, I don't think they pulled the camper all the way out there on Friday just to turn around and go home. MOO

Do we know when the camping trip was actually planned? Spur of the moment? Or are they spontaneous by nature? Or planners?

jmo

 

[Snoopster]

Snipped & bolded by me:


On the other hand, if they were to be leaving and driving on after this 2-mile hike/walk of theirs, I’d say in that case BT would not have returned the key under the rock.

Which makes me curious about their travel that day. The People.com article states: “Robert says they had taken a short trip in their camper when they decided to pull up and go for a 2-mile walk to explore rock formations.” That sentence makes it sound like this was an impromptu stop. So, what was the intended destination? Or, I think the sentence from the article could also be interpreted to mean they were done with a short trip (somewhere unknown to us), and were perhaps on their way back home, whereupon they made this impromptu stop?

Arizona Woman, 69, Missing for 5 Days in the Mojave Desert After Going Hiking with Husband

I'd be careful about over analyzing words in the media. They can misinterpret and provide a comment out of context, or simply choose words poorly. It's possible that BT/RT could have planned to camp there for the night. They could have parked, pulled out the awning, sat outside with a snack and then gone for their short walk, with a plan to come back, have a drink and then have a late lunch or early dinner before going for a longer hike when it became a bit cooler. Perhaps they like to pick impromptu spots.

In the end, it's not clear what their plans were.

 

[PommyMommy]

Do we know when the camping trip was actually planned? Spur of the moment? Or are they spontaneous by nature? Or planers?

jmo

When it was planned? No, I think only RT or BT could tell us that. Sounds like family was aware of the trip a few days before they left, though. MOO

 

[ZhaZhaHa]

BBM:

This update gives lie to the old saying, "No News is Good News."

In this instance, "No News is Bad News."

• SBCSO continuing to remain tight-lipped.
• No evidence that BT was abducted.
• Not a single trace of BT having been found .
• LE is "unaware" of how long RT and BT were separated before she disappeared.
• LE "doesn't know" how far BT was from the RV at the time they became separated.

One logical explanation for the first 3 bullet points would be that BT was never at that location.

Unless RT has significant memory issues, there is NO logical explanation for the last 2 bolded bullet points.

Those are totally inexplicable.
Totally.

JMO.

I wonder if they are searching anywhere along the way to the spot where she was originally said to have gone missing? If there are caves and mine shafts, and if foul play occurred, she could be anywhere along that road.

Seems LE would be aware of a timeline by now? From RT? Or will they not land solidly on his word until she is found?

Are there groups who specialize in birds of prey activity? Scavengers? Is this just something I see in movies and it's realistically very difficult to find IRL?

 

[Inthedetails]

When it was planned? No, I think only RT or BT could tell us that. Sounds like family was aware of the trip a few days before they left, though. MOO

That alone is useful, that others knew of the trip in advance. Thanks.

jmo

 

[ZhaZhaHa]

Also, I think we forget that people acclimate to different areas differently. Who would go out into the Mojave in full sun and go on a hike? Area people who are already used to the heat (you wouldn't catch ME out there in 90-100 degrees!). BUT, where could you catch me? In 20 degrees with a sled in one hand and an adult beverage in a travel mug. Barbara might not go look at that too fondly, but I love it. We're all different. And why a beer? Vacation time.

 

[Sillybilly]

Aren’t we still waiting for dbdb11 to be verified as an insider per SillyBilly’s post last night?

There are no Verified Insiders in this thread at this time.

Unless/until a member is verified, all information stated as fact without an MSM or LE link to support is considered rumor and will be removed.

ETA: As soon as @Tricia is able to verifiy dbdb11, we'll let you know on the thread.

 

[PaulR]

Are there groups who specialize in birds of prey activity?

Kind of, there are people who are into falconry, but usually that's more along the lines of having their birds of prey hunt rabbits and such.

For scavengers, sure, there are ornithologists who study them: The Vulture Chronicles

 

[Steelslady]

Also, lie detector tests don’t test for lies—they test for physical reactions related to stress. An innocent person may well feel more stress than a sociopathic guilty person.

MOO

(I remember a time when I was part of a large group of employees, not singled-out in any way. They lectured us about workplace crime, and even though I had never done what they were talking about, I began to blush—a hot vivid embarrassing blush. I bet I’d have flunked a lie detector test.)

They aren't full proof and most, if not all of us, already know this.

I remember poor Jessica Lunsford's grandmother failed the lie detector test, and she had nothing to do with the poor little girl's death.

I think of a lie detector like LE does- it's a tool to help with an investigation, but it isn't full proof.

 

[wary]

I wonder if they are searching anywhere along the way to the spot where she was originally said to have gone missing? If there are caves and mine shafts, and if foul play occurred, she could be anywhere along that road.

Seems LE would be aware of a timeline by now? From RT? Or will they not land solidly on his word until she is found?

Are there groups who specialize in birds of prey activity? Scavengers? Is this just something I see in movies and it's realistically very difficult to find IRL?

I think that it’s very difficult IRL. I can’t remember any case I’ve paid attention to, where someone was found because of vultures. (I know of one case where, after someone was found, some neighbors said that yes, they’d seen vulture activity nearby.)

 

[ZhaZhaHa]

Kind of, there are people who are into falconry, but usually that's more along the lines of having their birds of prey hunt rabbits and such.

For scavengers, sure, there are ornithologists who study them: The Vulture Chronicles

Would police use their services?

She's been missing since July 12. It's been a full week. Either they think they're going to find something, or I bet the search will be coming to an end soon :/