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

[dbdb11]

Great points, I was also wondering if he was carrying a phone. Would also like for LE to look at the last photo taken for a timeline.
Would also like to know if scent dogs are being used and if they have caught her scent anywhere around the camp area to where they were hiking.

Scent dogs are on the case, i believe as I was told Robbie wasn't permitted in the search area so as to avoid throwing off the dogs.

I contacted law enforcement through one of the numbers at the bottom of a news article and left my info, hoped to ask some questions but the other end of the line wasn't having it.

I will try to get exact location, if not exact coordinates from Robbie or his family. Looked at google earth between hidden hills, kelbaker and I40... Lot of nothing. Not impossible Barb would get lost or disoriented, however based on report from Rob's fam about how familiar they were with this area in particular, it just doesn't seem likely. furthermore, if she was lost or disoriented and remained in the general area, unconscious or otherwise, the search and scent dogs probably would have turned her up.

I'd say safe to assume this was a walk for them; media pasting 'bikini' and 'hike' everywhere. Highly doubtful they were out for a hike with a beer.

 

[PommyMommy]

I'm miffed by the words "bikini clad" and "beer in her hand". Come on now reporters. She's not some irresponsible party girl. She is a 69yo woman on her vacation.

I agree - super annoying. MOO

 

[slowpoke]

I'm miffed by the words "bikini clad" and "beer in her hand". Come on now reporters. She's not some irresponsible party girl. She is a 69yo woman on her vacation.

Although, to look at it in a positive light, it is memorable to readers to read “bikini”, “beer”, “Mojave desert”, and “69-year old woman”. It gives you a visual folks will remember, and that is valuable in a missing person case!

 

[fictionisbetter]

I'm miffed by the words "bikini clad" and "beer in her hand". Come on now reporters. She's not some irresponsible party girl. She is a 69yo woman on her vacation.

I agree. I am actually angry at myself for mentioning her bikini top in the title of this thread, but I don't know how to edit the title.

(Edited: autocorrect messed up a word).

 

[lonetraveler]

Any water sources anywhere? Or shade? I'd think once she realized she was lost, she try to find both. And if she's familiar with the area, then wouldn't she know where to seek them? For that matter, wouldn't she remember how to get back to her trailer?

Or at the least, walk toward the highway.

 

[GordianKnot]

I'm miffed by the words "bikini clad" and "beer in her hand". Come on now reporters. She's not some irresponsible party girl. She is a 69yo woman on her vacation.

I'm okay with the description.

For one thing, it appears to be factually accurate.
BT was in point of fact apparently wearing a black bikini and carrying a beer when she went missing.

Those are important details.

If somebody saw her walking that day and heard that description, they would probably then recognize it as having been her and report that sighting to LE.
Also, if someone came across a discarded beer can or clothing matching the description in the area, they would also hopefully report that to LE.

I don't think it makes her sound like an irresponsible party girl.
It makes her sound like a free-spirited adult woman who's out having an adventure.

Ageism can be a subtle thing, but it's a very real thing.
The woman's allowed to wear a bikini.
If I'm that fit at 69, I can promise you I'll be rockin' a black bikini, so there's that.

She's also clearly of legal drinking age, and allowed to enjoy a beer, so there's that, too.

The other reason I'm okay with this description is because, quite frankly, it will draw more attention to this case.
Click-bait isn't necessarily a bad thing when you're trying to get the word out and to capture the public's attention.

JMO.

 

[lonetraveler]

Maybe finding a beer bottle or can of a certain brand?

I was thinking the very same thing. Wondering if the beer bottle has been found.

 

[lonetraveler]

If he lost sight of her right after he turned around, how did he know she was 1/2 mile ahead? And yes, a beer had what to do with it? MOO

I can see me holding a beer while hiking, LOL. I'm wondering if the beer bottle has been found.

 

[Richmond]

SCBS says they were hiking in the Hidden Hill area of the Mojave Desert.
69-year-old bikini-clad woman missing in Mojave Desert – San Bernardino Sun

Google Maps - Hidden Hill, Mojave Desert

If this is the correct area and the camper was parked on Kelbaker Rd, this was more than a 2-hour hike. We don't know where they were parked, right? MOO

BBM. I read that it was a 2-mile hike, not a 2-hour hike. Maybe I missed something.

 

[lonetraveler]

I agree. I am actually angry at myself for mentioning her bikini top in the title of this thread, but I don't know how to edit the title.

(Edited: autocorrect messed up a word).

Don't be angry at yourself. People will definitely recognize her more easily knowing that she is wearing a bikini.

 

[PommyMommy]

BBM. I read that it was a 2-mile hike, not a 2-hour hike. Maybe I missed something.

Whoops, my bad! I meant 2-mile but typed 2-hour... It's too late to edit but I'll make a note of the correction. Thank you.

 

[PommyMommy]

SCBS says they were hiking in the Hidden Hill area of the Mojave Desert.
69-year-old bikini-clad woman missing in Mojave Desert – San Bernardino Sun

Google Maps - Hidden Hill, Mojave Desert

If this is the correct area and the camper was parked on Kelbaker Rd, this was more than a 2-hour hike. We don't know where they were parked, right? MOO

CORRECTION: Above post should read "2-mile hike," not "2-hour hike." So sorry, guys! MOO

 

[Richmond]

CORRECTION: Above post should read "2-mile hike," not "2-hour hike." So sorry, guys! MOO

Also just read above that dbdb doubts this was a hike, but rather out for a walk with a beer. It makes sense--if this was an area very familiar to them that they might go on a short walk with a beer. It might explain why she had no water with her. MOO (Not that I consider a 2-mile walk in the desert short, especially with no water. But I'm not sure where the 2 miles came from.)

 

[helpfulcharlie]

Also just read above that dbdb doubts this was a hike, but rather out for a walk with a beer. It makes sense--if this was an area very familiar to them that they might go on a short walk with a beer. It might explain why she had no water with her. MOO (Not that I consider a 2-mile walk in the desert short, especially with no water. But I'm not sure where the 2 miles came from.)

As I like to tell my hiking buddies sometimes, BEER IS MOSTLY WATER.

 

[mxprincess399]

It is off of Kelbaker road (not any officially sanctioned/commercial campsite), and I am told it is quite barren (flatland?), and would be very hard to lose track of someone, or for someone to lose track of their own bearings-- especially someone familiar with the surroundings.

​

This, combined with proximity to a relatively busy road is why Rob suspects abduction. I was told the reason he thinks Vegas is because the 40 highway goes directly to Vegas? again am not familiar with the area personally, just relaying what I was told.

BBM SBM

The 40 actually goes toward Needles, Laughlin, Bullhead City etc. It's the 15 that goes to Vegas which is the freeway to the north of Kelbaker Rd. You have to go south on Kelbaker Rd to hit the 40.

About 35 miles north on Kelbaker Rd to the 15 from Kelso. About 20 miles south on Kelbaker Rd to the 40 from Kelso.

What if they were actually parked/camped off of Hidden Hills Road? And Needles Highway/40 is what her husband is referring to as a highway?

I though it was said they were 20 miles north of the 40?

 

[PommyMommy]

DBM...Please disregard

 

[CPL593H]

Just wanted to add a few thoughts as I've explored this exact area.

I was initially thrown off by the media reports that they were 20 miles north of I-40, as there aren't really any campsites there and nothing to explore. So the info that it was actually near Hidden Hills (about 9 miles north of I-40) makes a lot more sense. There are a bunch of really great boondocking sites just past Granite Pass, off of dirt roads to the west of Kelbaker rd. I would bet that's where their trailer was, and the "highway" she had to cross to get back to the camper was Kelbaker rd. Kelbaker rd. is not very busy at all, so the likelihood of encountering a car would be small, but also if you did, there likely wouldn't be anyone else around to see you. Also, yes, camping in the desert might seem crazy to a lot of you, but to a desert rat it's nothing unusual, and Granite Pass is a great area to choose because it's at about 4000 ft elevation. And the campsites are nestled into the mountains such that the sun sets behind them pretty early, making them nice and cool (in the desert it cools off pretty quickly in the shade).

Abduction does seem farfetched to me at first thought, as it seems more likely to me that she got lost on her way back, or possibly while looking for shade to cool off on her way. That area with the campsites is nestled up against the Granite Mountains, which are literally just piles of boulders strewn everywhere, like a maze of rocks, so it would be quite easy to get lost. The campsites are set back quite a ways from the road, and though one could just walk down the dirt roads towards them, in that heat I know I would be tempted to take a shortcut across the boulders.

BUT that said, I could also see another possibility : she reached Kelbaker rd, where a car was passing. Maybe that person stopped and offered her a ride back to her camper, which would be tempting to anyone in that heat, especially since as I said, the campsites are still quite a ways from the road (the closest site is about 1/2 mile). In that case, abduction becomes a possibility. I don't know Barbara personally at all, but I've also found that older people tend to be more trusting of strangers than I would be. I know I (30-something woman) would NEVER accept a ride, even from a seemingly kind person, but I bet my 60-something mom would. It's scary to think about.

 

[doodles1211]

It has been super hot lately. But, up there, they temps go from extreme high to what must feel like freezing frigid cold at night.



https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/mojave-ca/93501/july-weather/337159

 

[cryscrys]

Her Nixle Alert has been deactivated.

what could cause that?

 

[Rosegold68]

what is a nixle alert?