Found Deceased CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #14

[Kapua]

bbm
LE did not say.
The husband's daughter may have guessed in the msm article, and said less than a mile from where the RV was parked ?
Again that's doubtful but it was a theory.
The searchers should have found her much sooner, if that's how close Barbara was.
Imo.

Looking at the pics of the trail, it was a short walk on a clear path, not a hike, and there was nothing particularly interesting off the path. And again, we only have RT's word that they ever stopped or walked there. FWIW.

 

[LietKynes]

How far was she found all trail? An experienced hiker would know to stay on trail.

bbm
Good question !
Barbara by all accounts was a very experienced hiker.

The articles -- when she was found , didn't specify ---- but it sounded like she wasn't too far from the RV.
IF it was a mile or less they should have found her possibly dehydrated but alive.

If she was kidnapped maybe the abductor moved her at a different time, later, to the spot where they'd parked for the hike ?
LE believe Suzanne Morphew (for those not following the case) was moved from the murder scene and is still not found, so it happens.
Imo.

 

[KALI]

For me, the moral of the story is... we may never learn how Barbara died.
Some wisdom too. I will not be camping, or hiking in death valley. Ever.

A very interesting editorial about the Death Valley tragedy.

Cue up the all-knowing Greek Chorus as someone has died in Death Valley

 

[Catmommy]

Yeah, it ain't called Pleasant Valley is it?

 

[LAhiker]

For me, the moral of the story is... we may never learn how Barbara died.
Some wisdom too. I will not be camping, or hiking in death valley. Ever.

Just to be infuriatingly technical. the area where she went missing is the Mojave National Preserve. Death Valley is to the north of that and is even worse as far as heat and dryness go.

But I know what you mean.

JMO

 

[moonriverfarm]

The terrain looks relatively flat with scrub, not tall trees or anything much to obstruct the view of anyone looking for a lost person. I just can't wrap my brain around her body being within a mile of the RV and never being seen in a search.

 

[rosesfromangels]

The terrain looks relatively flat with scrub, not tall trees or anything much to obstruct the view of anyone looking for a lost person. I just can't wrap my brain around her body being within a mile of the RV and never being seen in a search.

If you are able, volunteer for an outdoor search. It will give you a much different perspective.

Amateur opinion and speculation

 

[K9Enzo]

If you are able, volunteer for an outdoor search. It will give you a much different perspective.

Amateur opinion and speculation

Yes!

This terrain does not look straight forward to me. This is footage from the actual search. IMO

 

[wary]

The terrain looks relatively flat with scrub, not tall trees or anything much to obstruct the view of anyone looking for a lost person. I just can't wrap my brain around her body being within a mile of the RV and never being seen in a search.

I find it easy to believe, both from having seen that sort of terrain, and from having heard of the results of many searches.

 

[wary]

Yes!

This terrain does not look straight forward to me. This is footage from the actual search. IMO

Exactly! All those twisty ‘false paths,’ and vegetation high enough to hide what’s on the other side of it. And three square miles is a lot of terrain—I think sometimes people visualize walking in a straight line for a mile, and think that’s all there is to it.

 

[helpfulcharlie]

If you are able, volunteer for an outdoor search. It will give you a much different perspective.

Amateur opinion and speculation

At night. With a consumer-grade flashlight.

 

[Atrain18]

I had to drive along I-40 this past weekend and I passed Kelbaker Rd. It was sunny and 91°. The highway is elevated above Kelbaker and I could easily make out a Class C RV traveling north on Kelbaker a good 2-3 miles from the highway. The peaks/mountains around Kelbaker are prominent and distinctly different than the other mountains in the immediate area.

I wouldn't call the vegetation dense. Most of the shrubs are shorter than an average adult.

It was hard to wrap my head around someone getting lost (or not being seen) if they were within a mile of a known location out there.

I've hiked and mountain biked in the high desert of Oregon, in New Mexico, and Sedona a handful of times. The Mojave vegetation is less dense, less green, and shorter in height compared to the other locations mentioned above. Easy to get turned around, but difficult to get lost or lose perspective of where you are.

You could see A LOT just from being slightly elevated above Kelbaker driving down the highway.

I'm glad she was found, but I have a lot of questions.

I'm not insinuating anything, this is just my opinion and experience.

 

[annpats]

Just to bring me up to speed with this case, have LE ever released forensics of potential cause of death?

 

[LietKynes]

Just to bring me up to speed with this case, have LE ever released forensics of potential cause of death?

Sadly, I believe her remains were too decomposed.
A sad end for a beautiful and adventurous lady .

 

[Kemug]

Amen

 

[La Louve]

I just went back and read the entire discussion about what the convenience store employee said that day. To anyone who is NOT an RVer, RT’s comment (as recalled by the employee) and subsequent actions described by the employee sound very odd. Those of us with experience RVing did not view any of it as odd. The RVers seemed to prevail eventually but those members who were really suspicious of RT at the time still thought the whole thing was suspicious no matter what was said. I’m not going to recap it here so we don’t get into round two of that discussion. But there was really nothing to see there, especially now that Barb has been found close to where she was last seen by RT.

BBM
I think I missed some posts from the last thread; when I was reading the other day LE and the Coroner had not released info as to specifically where Barbara was found. Can you link me to that info please? no rush TIA

I'm so glad she was found and I truly hope there was nothing nefarious involved in her death.

RIP Barbara
:rose:

 

[al66pine]

Difficulty in Search?

The terrain looks relatively flat with scrub, not tall trees or anything much to obstruct the view of anyone looking for a lost person. I just can't wrap my brain around her body being within a mile of the RV and never being seen in a search.

@moonriverfarm bbm Based on various pix, Google Earth, etc, of the search site over the past couple years, I understand ppl may have this impression ---that BT's husband and S&R teams could not have missed BT either alive or dead.
Some of those 2-D views depict the terrain as being almost like a football field: impossible to miss her. But numerous small changes in elevation combined w various types of foliage present serious challenges to recognizing a body as such. Even for multiple trained S&R'ers.

IOW you had to be there. my2ct.

 

[Lilibet]

BBM
I think I missed some posts from the last thread; when I was reading the other day LE and the Coroner had not released info as to specifically where Barbara was found. Can you link me to that info please? no rush TIA

I'm so glad she was found and I truly hope there was nothing nefarious involved in her death.

RIP Barbara
:rose:

Hi @La Louve. The link below is the last info we have AFAIK. It mentions that Barbara’s remains were found “in a field off Kelbaker Road.” Some have believed that Barbara was never anywhere near where the RV was parked. When I said that “Barb has been found close to where she was last seen by RT,” I meant that she was found in the general vicinity (Kelbaker Rd) rather than in a totally different area as some had speculated. We don’t know how far from the RV she was found, of course, so it remains to be seen whether she could have gotten there on her own and whether it was within the area searched.

IMO Barbara was able to get beyond the search area in the hours before the search started, possibly dehydrated and disoriented. I’ve always believed that RT’s brief stop to take a photo was longer than he thought it was, which meant that Barbara was out of sight by the time he looked up. To me this makes more sense than a nefarious scenario but it’s JMO.

https://local.nixle.com/alert/8425388/
UPDATE – December 18, 2020
On November 27, 2020 two people were hiking in a field off Kelbaker Road when they discovered human remains. On November 28th a further search was conducted, and additional bones and evidence was recovered.
The remains have been positively identified as Barbara Thomas. The cause of death is pending.
No other details are available for release at this time.

 

[LietKynes]

Hi @La Louve. The link below is the last info we have AFAIK. It mentions that Barbara’s remains were found “in a field off Kelbaker Road.” Some have believed that Barbara was never anywhere near where the RV was parked. When I said that “Barb has been found close to where she was last seen by RT,” I meant that she was found in the general vicinity (Kelbaker Rd) rather than in a totally different area as some had speculated. We don’t know how far from the RV she was found, of course, so it remains to be seen whether she could have gotten there on her own and whether it was within the area searched.

IMO Barbara was able to get beyond the search area in the hours before the search started, possibly dehydrated and disoriented. I’ve always believed that RT’s brief stop to take a photo was longer than he thought it was, which meant that Barbara was out of sight by the time he looked up. To me this makes more sense than a nefarious scenario but it’s JMO.
https://local.nixle.com/alert/8425388/
https://local.nixle.com/alert/8425388/
UPDATE – December 18, 2020
On November 27, 2020 two people were hiking in a field off Kelbaker Road when they discovered human remains. On November 28th a further search was conducted, and additional bones and evidence was recovered.
The remains have been positively identified as Barbara Thomas. The cause of death is pending.
No other details are available for release at this time.

bbm
Thanks for the link.
Yes I thought Barbara's COD was still pending.
Sadly due to the time that has passed, we may never know if she was bludgeoned, strangled, or just collapsed from not having a source of water with her.
Has to be so frustrating for her nephew, and her family.
Imo.

 

[anneg]

Hi @La Louve. The link below is the last info we have AFAIK. It mentions that Barbara’s remains were found “in a field off Kelbaker Road.” Some have believed that Barbara was never anywhere near where the RV was parked. When I said that “Barb has been found close to where she was last seen by RT,” I meant that she was found in the general vicinity (Kelbaker Rd) rather than in a totally different area as some had speculated. We don’t know how far from the RV she was found, of course, so it remains to be seen whether she could have gotten there on her own and whether it was within the area searched.

IMO Barbara was able to get beyond the search area in the hours before the search started, possibly dehydrated and disoriented. I’ve always believed that RT’s brief stop to take a photo was longer than he thought it was, which meant that Barbara was out of sight by the time he looked up. To me this makes more sense than a nefarious scenario but it’s JMO.
https://local.nixle.com/alert/8425388/
https://local.nixle.com/alert/8425388/
UPDATE – December 18, 2020
On November 27, 2020 two people were hiking in a field off Kelbaker Road when they discovered human remains. On November 28th a further search was conducted, and additional bones and evidence was recovered.
The remains have been positively identified as Barbara Thomas. The cause of death is pending.
No other details are available for release at this time.

BBM. I completely agree with your opinion about what happened to Barbara. MOO