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

[SDHELPS]

I think there's a problem with that. The post says, "According to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Office..." but that is not the description given by the SBCSO.

Every report including the Sheriff's office and RT himself says she was wearing a black bikini. I think this Facebook post is wrong.

July 17th - The search for Barbara Thomas, age 69, is continuing in the area of Kelbaker/ Hidden ... from SBSD - Colorado River Sheriffs Department : Nixle
Barbara was last seen wearing a black bikini, a red baseball cap and tan hiking boots with black socks.

I agree that it's unusual that this is the only source that mentions "shorts". However, I would have to believe she was wearing more than a two piece bikini. MOO

 

[PommyMommy]

BBM:

I really want to know the timeline leading up to her disappearance, too.

What day did they leave their home for their trip?

Did they stop in any other cities or at any other camping sites on their way?

What was the specific route they took?

When & Where was the last independent sighting of BT?

According to this article they drove out there on Friday - the same day she went missing. It doesn't sound to me like they had done any camping yet but had simply drove to the area, pulled over, and went for a hike. MOO

Woman missing from Mojave Desert
Barbara and Robert Thomas drove their camper to the area on Friday and then went on a short, two-mile hike.

 

[Tallulah. Lakkey]

I'm really on the fence with this one. Torn between a mishap that involves her falling in a mine or such that her bright red hat and black swimsuit have not been visible to the helicopter or ATV searchers.... And the classic, "the husband did it."

Just speculation, but since they are outdoorsy people and hike in the desert quite a bit it is entirely possible that if she did realize she was lost she dug a hole and buried herself a little bit in the sand to stay out of the sun and keep cool. This doesn't keep her head out of the heat nor keep her from getting heat exhaustion, but it helps extend the time before this happens by regulating your body temperature. The problem with this is that you are no longer visible, however normally when the sun goes down is when you would climb out. Unfortunately this has not happened yet which is what concerns me.

 

[PommyMommy]

I wish we knew whether that picture of her in the red hat with that black bikini top and sunglasses is timestamped for the day she was reported missing or not.

That one's near the top of my growing list of questions too. MOO

 

[Gunslinging Granny]

Thomas said the police consider him the prime suspect "because it was just the two of us." He went for a polygraph test and authorities told him he was being deceptive, but Thomas said he had not had any sleep when he took the test.

Husband of Woman Who Vanished During Mojave Desert Hike: 'I Just Want Her Back'

 

[Twistinginthewind]

I wish we knew whether that picture of her in the red hat with that black bikini top and sunglasses is timestamped for the day she was reported missing or not.

No word on that (or anything else from LE on the details), but what if LE asked RT about what he said BT was wearing when she disappeared, and he replied she wore her bikini top all the time when we hiked in the desert, and I even have a picture to prove it, and he pulled that photo up and gave it to LE, and it's not from the day she went missing, so that is why they haven't said it is. JMT (just my thoughts).

 

[PommyMommy]

Both of RT's interviews.

Woman missing from Mojave Desert, husband believes she was taken

Woman in Bikini Vanishes in Desert

 

[Lilibet]

We have wondered why RT is focused on Las Vegas. They used to live in Henderson NV, right next door to Las Vegas. I don’t think his theory makes much sense, but I thought I’d mention this.

Last sentence of this link.
Woman missing from Mojave Desert

 

[Gunslinging Granny]

How many abandoned mine shafts are near where they went hiking?

Edit: Found answer. There a many, but this is over 360 acres.
Desert Mines & Mills

 

[Tillicum]

How do we know she didn't go in the camper, change her clothes, put the key back under the rock and hitched a ride to Vegas? I know this is really, really unlikely but I'll sleep better tonight thinking this is what happened.

 

[Gigi3]

Did he say the key to the camper was under a rock or the key to the truck? Because if they had only pulled over to hike and not set up to camp then she would want to get in the truck not the RV as it would not be cooling. I’m a bit confused on that. JMO

 

[MassGuy]

Just speculation, but since they are outdoorsy people and hike in the desert quite a bit it is entirely possible that if she did realize she was lost she dug a hole and buried herself a little bit in the sand to stay out of the sun and keep cool. This doesn't keep her head out of the heat nor keep her from getting heat exhaustion, but it helps extend the time before this happens by regulating your body temperature. The problem with this is that you are no longer visible, however normally when the sun goes down is when you would climb out. Unfortunately this has not happened yet which is what concerns me.

I’m not sure that’s even feasible. I did a couple training exercises in that general area, and you’d probably need a shovel to dig a hole.

In the area I was in atleast, it wasn’t like beach sand.

It’s hard and rocky, which is why the area floods easily on the rare occasion it does rain.

 

[PommyMommy]

How many abandoned mine shafts are near where they went hiking?

Edit: Found answer. There a many, but this is over 360 acres.
Desert Mines & Mills

See zecats post below. I also found one that's not on this list called Hidden Hills mine.

Here's a list. One near Mojave Preserve seems to be in that area. Not sure though how many are.

Desert Mines & Mills

 

[PommyMommy]

How do we know she didn't go in the camper, change her clothes, put the key back under the rock and hitched a ride to Vegas? I know this is really, really unlikely but I'll sleep better tonight thinking this is what happened.

She'd have to be a quick dresser. If RT's story is true, she disappeared in a matter of minutes. She also would have to have been picked up immediately.

Search continues for missing Bullhead City woman
Robert said they were almost back to the trailer when he stopped to take a picture while Barbara continued on.

Search continues for missing Bullhead City woman
He said when he arrived at the camper a few minutes later, there was no
of his wife; the camper was still locked.

 

[GordianKnot]

According to this article they drove out there on Friday - the same day she went missing. It doesn't sound to me like they had done any camping yet but had simply drove to the area, pulled over, and went for a hike. MOO

Woman missing from Mojave Desert
Barbara and Robert Thomas drove their camper to the area on Friday and then went on a short, two-mile hike.

Awesome, thanks, Mommy!

Have you seen anything in MSM saying anything about whether they were planning to stay there overnight or what their itinerary was for this trip?

OTOH, the fact that LE apparently told RT his poly results indicated he was being deceptive are really troubling.
OTOH, RT did consent to a polygraph, and it doesn't appear he's retained a lawyer, judging by his willingness to go on camera and announce he's LE's prime suspect.

Why does RT think somebody picking her up and taking her to Vegas is what happened, when LE still has searchers out using ATVs, dogs, helicopters, etc., in the area from which he reported she went missing?

JMO.

 

[GordianKnot]

She'd have to be a quick dresser. If RT's story is true, she disappeared in a matter of minutes. She also would have to have been picked up immediately.

Search continues for missing Bullhead City woman
Robert said they were almost back to the trailer when he stopped to take a picture while Barbara continued on.

Search continues for missing Bullhead City woman
He said when he arrived at the camper a few minutes later, there was no
of his wife; the camper was still locked.

It's just so hard to figure how she could have vanished so quickly.

Even if she went out of eyesight, how did she go out of earshot that quickly?

The only thing I can think of is that she may have had a medical event like a massive heart attack or stroke on her way back to the camper, in which case she wouldn't have been able to call out or respond to others calling out to her.

But if that were the case, she would have fallen somewhere close to their camper, and you'd expect searchers to have found her by now.

JMO.

 

[TravelingBug]

<snip>

Why does RT think somebody picking her up and taking her to Vegas is what happened, when LE still has searchers out using ATVs, dogs, helicopters, etc., in the area from which he reported she went missing?

JMO.

I wonder if on some level it might be wishful thinking?

Her being abducted and being held (which seems to be his thought/hope since he mentions someone just giving her back no questions asked, etc. so he seems to be hoping/thinking "held" not abducted/killed) at least gives him some hope she might be alive.

Whereas if she were lost/injured in the desert, it'd require quite a miracle for her to survive very long at all given the heat, her lack of water, etc.

I don't know, just a thought about why he might be hung up on her maybe being abducted and taken to Vegas.

 

[Twistinginthewind]

According to this article they drove out there on Friday - the same day she went missing. It doesn't sound to me like they had done any camping yet but had simply drove to the area, pulled over, and went for a hike. MOO

Woman missing from Mojave Desert
Barbara and Robert Thomas drove their camper to the area on Friday and then went on a short, two-mile hike.

Yes, that has been posted about several times on this thread with MSM links, that they had just pulled over to the side of the road to go for a 2 mile hike (according to RT), and they were not near any pulloff or camping / RV parking area at the time, and it was pretty remote. No info at all on where they had been or where they were going or planning to stay based on MSM articles thus far, nor any statements from LE investigating her disappearance. JMO.

 

[Lilibet]

<rsbm for focus>
Why does RT think somebody picking her up and taking her to Vegas is what happened, when LE still has searchers out using ATVs, dogs, helicopters, etc., in the area from which he reported she went missing?

JMO.

I think RT is clinging to hope that she is still alive, and the Las Vegas scenario is that hope. There is little chance she’s still alive in the desert.

 

[Gigi3]

It's just so hard to figure how she could have vanished so quickly.

Even if she went out of eyesight, how did she go out of earshot that quickly?

The only thing I can think of is that she may have had a medical event like a massive heart attack or stroke on her way back to the camper, in which case she wouldn't have been able to call out or respond to others calling out to her.

But if that were the case, she would have fallen somewhere close to their camper, and one would think searchers have found her by now.

JMO.

Very true. Also, unless that camper was hooked to electricity, then I have no clue why she would be going in there. I know from experience it can take a few minutes for ours to cool down after it’s hooked up. JMO