CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #3

[BlkMtnGirl]

I've been here since almost day one. It's so sad we're still hashing out the same questions about Barbara's attire, and whether it makes any sense that the couple was in the desert with a beer (because we have nothing else to talk about.)

Here's a new question for those who are skeptical of Robbie's account:
Let's assume for a second he IS telling the whole truth in the interviews. Pretend you were in his shoes and a reporter asked you what you think happened to Barbara. If he is telling the truth, he knows she is not anywhere in the area, at least visibly so, and he knows there was a short window between the time he last saw her and she went missing. So what could he say when asked his opinion of what happened?
a) She fell into a mine shaft or crack in the earth that has yet to be discovered
b) She was taken by a large animal
c) She was abducted by passersby as she crossed the road
d) She is under an unknown rock formation, where she succumbed to a medical emergency (although he knows law enforcement has checked everywhere they can think of)
d) She was abducted by aliens or Bigfoot
Which of these options makes the most sense for him to say out loud in an interview? Assuming he is innocent, I feel sure he has thought through every one of these scenarios and is still guessing and grasping at straws as we all are.

Again, play along with me for a moment, and assume he IS telling the truth. Law enforcement asks what she is wearing. He says she's wearing her black bikini top, red hat, etc. My guess is, lo and behold, there on his phone is a photo of her in that same outfit, so that's what they post, regardless of how old and blurry the photo is. So now, people are giving him a hard time for not showing current pictures of her. I'm pretty sure my dad has never taken one picture of my mom, and they're in that age bracket (he had a phone he never, ever used - mom made him get one). My mom has taken some pictures of my dad, but they include the grandkids or other people. They're not in the "selfie" generation.

We know for a fact it wasn't unusual for Barbara to wear a black bikini top and red hat because we have a picture of her in that outfit. We don't know if that would be strange for her to wear in the desert, but she is very tanned. There are at least a few self-proclaimed "desert rats" on here who have said it would be unusual, but certainly not of the question. I personally would fry to a crisp in an hour out there, but we're not talking about me back here on the East Coast, we're talking about someone who loves the desert sun.

Sorry for the long post. I just had to get a couple of ideas off my chest. This case is keeping me awake at night. I'm afraid the thread is moving too fast for me and I just wanted to chime in while I can. Love you guys and all you do for the missing.

 

[cricket49]

I don't think the husband is the type who is good with finding words to say. I find nothing wrong with his statements. I almost can see the moment she went around the corner. I feel they are old school adventures, yes a beer in the hand, no need for proper gear. If he feels she was picked up, then maybe once she got to the road, a vehicle saw her, and asked for directions. At this point I believe him. I've seen so many cases lately with opportunities for criminals, that we never would have guessed it. I hope they find her.

I agree with your assessment of RT.

I know people when telling a story are not clear and consise. They start with A and jump to F leaving out details where you need to ask so many questions to get clarification of what they are trying to say.

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

There was mention in the previous thread that if there was an abduction the abductor would have left behind footprints.

Maybe LE did find some footprints. But how long ago where they left there? How could LE tell if the footprints were left by an abductor or some innocent person who stopped on the side of the road to take photos?

Without doing a comparison to a suspect's shoes the footprints may not mean much. JMO

And I would think they would be scuffling tracks (from a Kidnapping) beside the road or even tire tracks if there was a car already at the location where she crossed pulled over (maybe looking at the RV) but from reading posts from locals it sounds like that there’s always a light movement of sand in the wind so tracks would be covered fairly quick?

 

[Stragnet]

I've been here since almost day one. It's so sad we're still hashing out the same questions about Barbara's attire, and whether it makes any sense that the couple was in the desert with a beer (because we have nothing else to talk about.)

Here's a new question for those who are skeptical of Robbie's account:
Let's assume for a second he IS telling the whole truth in the interviews. Pretend you were in his shoes and a reporter asked you what you think happened to Barbara. If he is telling the truth, he knows she is not anywhere in the area, at least visibly so, and he knows there was a short window between the time he last saw her and she went missing. So what could he say when asked his opinion of what happened?
a) She fell into a mine shaft or crack in the earth that has yet to be discovered
b) She was taken by a large animal
c) She was abducted by passersby as she crossed the road
d) She is under an unknown rock formation, where she succumbed to a medical emergency (although he knows law enforcement has checked everywhere they can think of)
d) She was abducted by aliens or Bigfoot
Which of these options makes the most sense for him to say out loud in an interview? Assuming he is innocent, I feel sure he has thought through every one of these scenarios and is still guessing and grasping at straws as we all are.

Again, play along with me for a moment, and assume he IS telling the truth. Law enforcement asks what she is wearing. He says she's wearing her black bikini top, red hat, etc. My guess is, lo and behold, there on his phone is a photo of her in that same outfit, so that's what they post, regardless of how old and blurry the photo is. So now, people are giving him a hard time for not showing current pictures of her. I'm pretty sure my dad has never taken one picture of my mom, and they're in that age bracket (he had a phone he never, ever used - mom made him get one). My mom has taken some pictures of my dad, but they include the grandkids or other people. They're not in the "selfie" generation.

We know for a fact it wasn't unusual for Barbara to wear a black bikini top and red hat because we have a picture of her in that outfit. We don't know if that would be strange for her to wear in the desert, but she is very tanned. There are at least a few self-proclaimed "desert rats" on here who have said it would be unusual, but certainly not of the question. I personally would fry to a crisp in an hour out there, but we're not talking about me back here on the East Coast, we're talking about someone who loves the desert sun.

Sorry for the long post. I just had to get a couple of ideas off my chest. This case is keeping me awake at night. I'm afraid the thread is moving too fast for me and I just wanted to chime in while I can. Love you guys and all you do for the missing.

From my own perspective, if I were Robert, my initial concern would be that Barbara fell/became disoriented due to the heat and is hurt somewhere. I wouldn't think she was abducted. From what others have posted, the incident involving the other female hiker occurred around the same time and wouldn't have been public at the time (am I correct?). So I'm not sure why Robert's concern was that she was abducted. Given the terrain, heat, and the fact that she was not carrying water, I'd think that she had fainted, gotten hurt, was somewhere in the area, and so would've appreciated help in searching for her.

Also, I am in the same boat with others questioning the 2-mile hike in that heat. I know others have mentioned that residents in that area are used to the heat, but it was mid-day when they went on the 'hike' or `walk' in July. IMO, something is off with Robert's story.

 

[alucardsdream]

There was mention in the previous thread that if there was an abduction the abductor would have left behind footprints.

Maybe LE did find some footprints. But how long ago where they left there? How could LE tell if the footprints were left by an abductor or some innocent person who stopped on the side of the road to take photos?

Without doing a comparison to a suspect's shoes the footprints may not mean much. JMO

Plus, a lot of the desert terrain is rocky, so don't really see many footprints. It's not like the sand at the beach...it's usually really hard and dry, at least in Arizona. Cali gets more rain than we do, but not by much in the desert regions.

 

[cherrymeg]

And I would think they would be scuffling tracks (from a Kidnapping) beside the road or even tire tracks if there was a car already at the location where she crossed pulled over (maybe looking at the RV) but from reading posts from locals it sounds like that there’s always a light movement of sand in the wind so tracks would be covered fairly quick?

The beer that he mentions, would that have survived a struggle if she was abducted? Was she likely to take a ride with a stranger?

 

[cherrymeg]

From my own perspective, if I were Robert, my initial concern would be that Barbara fell/became disoriented due to the heat and is hurt somewhere. I wouldn't think she was abducted. From what others have posted, the incident involving the other female hiker occurred around the same time and wouldn't have been public at the time (am I correct?). So I'm not sure why Robert's concern was that she was abducted. Given the terrain, heat, and the fact that she was not carrying water, I'd think that she had fainted, gotten hurt, was somewhere in the area, and so would've appreciated help in searching for her.

Also, I am in the same boat with others questioning the 2-mile hike in that heat. I know others have mentioned that residents in that area are used to the heat, but it was mid-day when they went on the 'hike' or `walk' in July. IMO, something is off with Robert's story.

Beer and not water for a hike in the heat, is that normal. Two miles seems like you should have water too. I agree with your thoughts, getting lost, disoriented, falling would seem more likely than abduction.

 

[BlkMtnGirl]

From my own perspective, if I were Robert, my initial concern would be that Barbara fell/became disoriented due to the heat and is hurt somewhere. I wouldn't think she was abducted. From what others have posted, the incident involving the other female hiker occurred around the same time and wouldn't have been public at the time (am I correct?). [respectfully snipped for focus]

Yes, I agree. I think pretty much anybody would rationally think she fell/got lost, etc., but the interviews were given after he and LE had been searching for some time with no luck. I think he was reaching for the most plausible answer considering she had not been found in the area where he believed she could have been. I think he was thinking the same as most of us: there's no way she would have wandered far away. MOO. None of it is making sense to any of us.

 

[RANCH]

The beer that he mentions, would that have survived a struggle if she was abducted? Was she likely to take a ride with a stranger?

Why would there have to be a struggle?

Maybe Barbara got into a car at gunpoint without putting up a physical fight. JMO

 

[cherrymeg]

Why would there have to be a struggle?

Maybe Barbara got into a car at gunpoint without putting up a physical fight. JMO

Would you bring your beer? I'd like to say I wouldn't want to be sober for a kidnapping but I know the chances of surviving once you get into a car are worse than if you run. She isn't a kid or teenager she is an adult with life experience. She could have also gotten in a car with someone she thought she knew.

 

[mjp1228]

It’s always nice to know someone is thinking the same thing!

I’m right there with you, too. I’m also having a hard time believing she ever made the trip to the desert that day. Story just doesn’t ring true to me.

 

[PaulR]

His statement "I won't press charges" leaves her completely out of the picture. Anyone out there who does statement analysis and has time to look at his verbiage, would be interesting to hear your comments.

One, statement analysis is junk science, pure and simple: statement analysis - The Skeptic's Dictionary

Two, him using the word "I" is literally the only correct thing he can say there. He can't say "we" (meaning him and Barbara) won't press charges because he obviously can't speak for Barbara right now. He can't say whether the DA won't press charges because he's not with the DA's office.

Three, if he said "we" people would say he's controlling and can't speak for Barbara.

 

[kakadu]

His statement "I won't press charges" leaves her completely out of the picture. Anyone out there who does statement analysis and has time to look at his verbiage, would be interesting to hear your comments.

I would not give that sentence so much meaning. He is not used to speaking to the media and was maybe just emotional and therefore did not choose the right words. Provided he is innocent. JMO

 

[Stragnet]

One, statement analysis is junk science, pure and simple: statement analysis - The Skeptic's Dictionary

Two, him using the word "I" is literally the only correct thing he can say there. He can't say "we" (meaning him and Barbara) won't press charges because he obviously can't speak for Barbara right now. He can't say whether the DA won't press charges because he's not with the DA's office.

Three, if he said "we" people would say he's controlling and can't speak for Barbara.

LOL - You're welcome to your opinion, but I respectfully disagree with you on this one.

 

[MimosaMornings]

A lot of questions with no answers.

 

[alucardsdream]

One, statement analysis is junk science, pure and simple: statement analysis - The Skeptic's Dictionary

Two, him using the word "I" is literally the only correct thing he can say there. He can't say "we" (meaning him and Barbara) won't press charges because he obviously can't speak for Barbara right now. He can't say whether the DA won't press charges because he's not with the DA's office.

Three, if he said "we" people would say he's controlling and can't speak for Barbara.

Guilty or not, the fact that he's the husband means that everything he says is going to be scrutinized and picked apart. He is literally in a lose-lose situation right now. People will judge every word he says and every word he doesn't say. He truly can't win.

 

[helpfulcharlie]

One, statement analysis is junk science, pure and simple: statement analysis - The Skeptic's Dictionary

Two, him using the word "I" is literally the only correct thing he can say there. He can't say "we" (meaning him and Barbara) won't press charges because he obviously can't speak for Barbara right now. He can't say whether the DA won't press charges because he's not with the DA's office.

Three, if he said "we" people would say he's controlling and can't speak for Barbara.

I don't think it's that cut and dried. Fact is, people will tell you who they are. If you read Mark Bowden's book on the arrest and prosecution of the Lyon sisters' abductor, investigators repeatedly used Welch's own choices of words against him, i.e., dropping a "we" by accident when a "they" would have been more consistent with the story he was trying to tell of his lack of involvement. Using these techniques repeatedly and consistently caused him to inadvertently reveal more and more information, until he finally admitted far more than his initial story. While it's not quite the same as the referenced situation -- it's in an interrogation/interview situation rather than pure armchair statement analysis like we're discussing here, the words people choose when they're focusing on other words do tend to mean something. I'm sure the LE and polygraph folks working with RT are paying close attention to his choice of words as he reveals his story.

TBH, I don't think we have enough to go on from him yet -- maybe with more camera time, we would. But I'm willing to bet that LE has some thoughts.

 

[moonriverfarm]

MOO she was never there.
And is it just me who would deem a two mile excursion in the desert more of a hike than a "walk"?

 

[Midwestmom2019]

I've been here since almost day one. It's so sad we're still hashing out the same questions about Barbara's attire, and whether it makes any sense that the couple was in the desert with a beer (because we have nothing else to talk about.)

Here's a new question for those who are skeptical of Robbie's account:
Let's assume for a second he IS telling the whole truth in the interviews. Pretend you were in his shoes and a reporter asked you what you think happened to Barbara. If he is telling the truth, he knows she is not anywhere in the area, at least visibly so, and he knows there was a short window between the time he last saw her and she went missing. So what could he say when asked his opinion of what happened?
a) She fell into a mine shaft or crack in the earth that has yet to be discovered
b) She was taken by a large animal
c) She was abducted by passersby as she crossed the road
d) She is under an unknown rock formation, where she succumbed to a medical emergency (although he knows law enforcement has checked everywhere they can think of)
d) She was abducted by aliens or Bigfoot
Which of these options makes the most sense for him to say out loud in an interview? Assuming he is innocent, I feel sure he has thought through every one of these scenarios and is still guessing and grasping at straws as we all are.

Again, play along with me for a moment, and assume he IS telling the truth. Law enforcement asks what she is wearing. He says she's wearing her black bikini top, red hat, etc. My guess is, lo and behold, there on his phone is a photo of her in that same outfit, so that's what they post, regardless of how old and blurry the photo is. So now, people are giving him a hard time for not showing current pictures of her. I'm pretty sure my dad has never taken one picture of my mom, and they're in that age bracket (he had a phone he never, ever used - mom made him get one). My mom has taken some pictures of my dad, but they include the grandkids or other people. They're not in the "selfie" generation.

We know for a fact it wasn't unusual for Barbara to wear a black bikini top and red hat because we have a picture of her in that outfit. We don't know if that would be strange for her to wear in the desert, but she is very tanned. There are at least a few self-proclaimed "desert rats" on here who have said it would be unusual, but certainly not of the question. I personally would fry to a crisp in an hour out there, but we're not talking about me back here on the East Coast, we're talking about someone who loves the desert sun.

Sorry for the long post. I just had to get a couple of ideas off my chest. This case is keeping me awake at night. I'm afraid the thread is moving too fast for me and I just wanted to chime in while I can. Love you guys and all you do for the missing.

So how about this answer:

“I don’t know what happened to her.” Or “I’ve thought about every possibility that I can come up with, but just don’t know.”

As for him DEFIANTLY saying right into the camera, “absolutely not!” How about “oh no, I’m scared for her.”
Or “I’m so worried about her.” Or “I just want to find her.”
Something is off.

 

[PaulR]

You’re not jaded. It’s a statistical fact, common knowledge. Even husband Fotis Dulos stated as much in his tv interview about his “missing” wife Jennifer Dulos, another BIG thread here in WS. It’s somewhere in that Dulos thread, the tv interview and then comments from other Sleuthers.

That's not really the way statistics work. Statistics are for populations; you have 100K people, so many of them will die by accident, by suicide, by homicide, etc.

If we were to look at a 69 year old woman, statistics say her most likely causes of death are heart disease and cancer. I'm pretty sure that's not what happened here, though it's possible she had a heart attack while trying to manuever around some rocks and fell in a crevasse that hasn't been searched yet.

But notably, homicide as a cause of death isn't even in the top 10 for older women.