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

[PommyMommy]

Random thoughts...

If the key was under a rock and they both knew where it was, Barbara would have gotten the key and went inside. RT said she wanted to go to the RV. I don’t think it was to stand around outside. She didn't suddenly decide to go rock climbing or back to a cave or off somewhere to pee in the cacti. Her husband was coming right behind her - they were almost to the RV. And, he said himself that the reason she went ahead was that she wanted to get to the RV - that's the whole reason they got separated in the first place. (All according to RT.)

• LE is unaware of how long RT and BT were separated
• LE is unaware of how far she was from the RV at the time

When interviewed, RT says he hollered, waved his arms, and got really panicky. "She didn't respond."
To family, he said he wasn't worried – he looked around and went to a cave

In his interview he says she had a beer in her hand
To family, she had a beer in a cup (unrecognizable as "a beer")

LE says they were hiking at 2:30
RT told family he started getting worried about noon and called the police
The dispatch shows RT called at 3:26 p.m.

RT says LE told him that he's their prime suspect.
RT says LE told him his polygraph showed deception.

There is no evidence to suggest that BT was abducted

After 9 days of searching using off-road vehicles, K9 units, cave searches, rope climbers, desert terrain ground hikers, and aerial support, no evidence of Barbara was located.

Where are the photos of Barbara in the desert that day?

Who saw Barbara last other than RT?

All MOO.

 

[PommyMommy]

This is probably a dumb thing to focus on but was she wearing shorts? I just kind of assumed that she was. If you are hiking a bikini bottom doesn't offer much protection if you trip. If you sit on a rock or anything rough it can really destroy your bottoms.

July 21st - 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.

 

[dbdb11]

<modsnip>
at this stage most sleuthing is going on in private conversations. i am staying active on this side just incase some detail arises or someone else with inside info chimes in. also just to keep this thread as active as possible. its heartbreaking when there is no activity.

i have to refer you to thread one and two. ive asked moderators to leave a few of my pre VI posts deleted, as the case was starting to lead down dangerous holes. obviously i am skeptical and have my own suspicions about barbs disappearance and larger forces at work. but the story we have is highly questionable, with a narrow window for disappearance claimed by husband, yet a gaping window between when barb and her husband were seen leaving their house in the morning, and when rob finally called police.

there will be questions about what i have shared. i have info i consider reliable from neighbors.

mods are saying accusations at rob and sketchy multinational pyramid schemes are not acceptable in this forum and i completely understand.

i also want rob to be a victim here <modsnip>

yes i would like to share everything publicly. but aspects of the case make me feel that might not be in barbs best interest. i appreciate everyones help, even the pure opinion and wild speculation. it is all energy being spent on the search for barb. thank you all

what are the possible motives for her disappearance? i also want to know, and i am confident police are scouring for answers.

the search is off officially, but we are still searching for better answers.

 

[PommyMommy]

The thread before this one... I think it was mentioned that R.T. had changed the description from "a bikini" , to -- "a bikini top and shorts".
Iirc.

Here are both of RT's interviews. Shorts are never mentioned.

At the 1:13 mark - 1st interview
"My feeling is that she was picked up. Because she had to cross the highway. She was wearing a bikini and she had a beer in her hand."

At the 1:12 mark - 2nd interview
"I feel that, uh, somebody picked her up, uh, because she was wearing a bikini, she had a beer in her hand, and she was ahead of me and she had to cross that road."

 

[Stripehaven]

@dbdb11 , are you able to tell us when Rob and your aunt were seen leaving their home?

 

[alucardsdream]

I thought he was in Indiana? Not sure the news traveled that far. I don’t know.

I think we all tend to forget that not everyone is a Websleuths member and obsessively follows crime news...I'm always a little taken aback when I mention a case to a friend or family member and they have no idea what I'm talking about. But you would think that at least one person who was associated with her son would have seen something and mentioned it to him, even if the son himself wasn't keeping up with news.

 

[sorrell skye]

I thought he was in Indiana? Not sure the news traveled that far. I don’t know.

I don't know how fast & how far the news traveled, but I heard about it up here in the PNW rather quickly.

My heart goes out to BT's son if he didn't hear about her disappearance sooner.

Regardless of when BT's son learned of his mother's disappearance, my heart still breaks for him.

Let us lift up BT's son in our hearts and in our prayers.

 

[Lilibet]

I am in agreement that an RV is something you drive!

Then there are trailers, campers, pop-ups etc.

Did RT like to impress people by calling his camper an RV?
Was he a person who liked to boast?

We know nothing about him and as far as I am aware, no one has come out giving information on what type of guy he is.

RT has a fifth wheel trailer, not a camper. It is a recreational vehicle (RV) by definition. He is not boasting or trying to impress people.

I was a full-time RVer for over eight years (it was our only home, which was a lifestyle choice thousands enjoy), so I can assure you that a recreational vehicle can be a motor home, a fifth wheel (which we had and which RT has), a trailer, a camper, etc. That being said, our friends who didn’t have experience with RV’s invariably referred to our fifth wheel as a “motorhome” which is a different type of RV, but seems to be the generic term for many people.

Here are pictures of various types of RVs from CA DMV:
Types of RVs
There are several types of RVs and trailers which offer living accommodations in a mobile setting. The following types of vehicles may be operated with the license classes described in the License Classes and Requirements chart on pages 2 and 3.

Type of Vehicle Explanation

Conventional-these vary in size from 13 to 35 feet. Most can be towed with a small size vehicle. A larger model may require a heavier pickup or van as the towing vehicle.

Fifth-wheel-is coupled to the towing vehicle (usually a pickup truck) with a hitch centered over the vehicle's rear axle. Fifth-wheels vary in length from 17 to 40 feet.

Folding Camping Trailer-has collapsible sides that are folded down for compact travel and unfolded at a campsite. Most can be towed by an average size vehicle.

Motor home-divided into two types. The larger one is built on a truck chassis with a gasoline or diesel engine and is capable of traveling long distances due to a large fuel capacity. The smaller or mini-motor home is built on a modified van chassis and usually has a section that overhangs the cab.

Van Camper and Conversion-van camper is equipped with most of the amenities found in motor homes, but bed size and space to maneuver are limited. Vehicles usually have a raised roof for additional headroom. A van conversion normally has a bed, dinette, sink, and a small water supply but is not as fully equipped for camping as a van camper.

(I had to delete the truck camper photo because only 5 images are allowed)
Truck Camper-a detachable section designed to be transported on a pickup truck. The larger varieties may require trucks with dual-rear wheels. Also called pickup camper
Types of RVs

 

[dbdb11]

@dbdb11 , are you able to tell us when Rob and your aunt were seen leaving their home?

815 am on morning of 12th

 

[cherrymeg]

I think we all tend to forget that not everyone is a Websleuths member and obsessively follows crime news...I'm always a little taken aback when I mention a case to a friend or family member and they have no idea what I'm talking about. But you would think that at least one person who was associated with her son would have seen something and mentioned it to him, even if the son himself wasn't keeping up with news.

When you google her most of the news articles refer to a woman in a bikini lost or taken from a desert. Some focus on her age. I saw the headlines for her case but I didn't read any articles at first. It didn't sound serious. I also don't live near the area and have no experience with deserts. Seeing her name on here made me click on the thread. It made her a person and it made it clear she had been missing for too long. That could be a reason he missed the news. Family members not contacting him thats could be partially because they would assume her husband did that. Her brother was/is ill and with time differences family overseas might not want to give him the news in email or voicemail.

 

[firstsleuth]

Sound In heat travels faster, farther in cold, Sand will absorb/block some air born noise. Lots of google info on it.
Interesting link on sound in the Mojave.
The Listen(n) Project from Arizona State University Captures the Wild and Man-Made Sounds of National Parks - CityLab

Could BT have heard someone yelling for her? Prob too many variables to know. Location, wind, other sound interference and even her own hearing ability.

JMO

This is a very interesting and informative site; thank you for posting the link.

In one of the videos, the gentleman spoke of the rocks amplifying the sound. Hiking in similar locations, I have noticed the same. But, it seems to vary based on weather conditions such as humidity and especially wind.

Our house sits next to the Phoenix Mountain Preserve with a small mountain at the north end of the range rising up from the boundary of our back yard. Some days (most days) when we are in our backyard, the pool, or sitting on the patio when people are hiking up there, we can definitely hear them talking. Some other days we can actually hear their conversations; we try not to listen in. One day a woman was hiking and singing softly to herself and we could hear that as well; she was amazing. So it’s variable, other days we don’t hear anything. I would say it’s about a half mile to the top, perhaps 4-500 feet elevation gain.

I think it’s likely Barbara was in hearing distance from Robert, but perhaps she got angry and stormed off. When I’ve done that a couple of times, I’m energized and can walk a long way in the desert. I also know when I return, whatever tiff we’ve had will be long forgotten on both sides. We are good at walking away and then picking right back up on the things we so much love about each other. The remoteness of a location always makes me feel more safe, not less. For example, I would never separate in Central Park.

For Barbara, I am concerned about sroads analysis and concern about the possibility of her seeking shelter. He described the terrain as likely difficult to search. Also, suppose she did storm off. I know the energy that temporary anger can supply. It’s kind of empowering!? Who knows how far I would’ve gone, especially bc I would have had the presence of mind to first drink half of that gallon of water! I might be storming off, but I don’t lose my mind. I would also have given my husband a time I would return...likely 30 minutes. And yes, even in a bikini top if that’s what I was wearing. But what if Barbara miscalculated? Then yes, she might have sought shelter waiting to make it back to the RV at night. And perhaps, in seeking shelter in those rocks and cholla and creosote bushes and scrub, she slipped, hit her head, or worse. I believe sroad stated the searchers did a 5 square mile search? Maybe not enough...

Just my opinion and speculation; not sure where I’m going with all this except that I had completely discounted lost or injured and was stuck on abduction or foul play by the last person who saw her. Now I’m holding 3 conflicting theories in my mind thanks to sroad’s thoughtful analysis and exploration of the area

MOO and speculations trying to organize my thinking about where she might be so perhaps we can help

 

[sorrell skye]

Personally sorrell, I have ruled open shafts out. I supplied the links because they make for interesting reading

Thank you Knox.

 

[AliceInPain]

What am I missing? Why is it scary she was last seen "815 am on morning of 12th"?

 

[Lilibet]

What am I missing? Why is it scary she was last seen "815 am on morning of 12th"?

Scary because that leaves a big time gap until RT called 911 at 3:30 pm. That’s 7 hours unaccounted for (except by RT). It takes less than 2 hours to get to where he parked the RV IIRC. Barbara could be anywhere he could drive to within those 7 hours...unless his account is the truth. I wanted it to be true, but this 7 hours is a game-changer IMO.

 

[Rosegold68]

its no big issue.....the police will have a full timeline of whereabouts, probably verified

 

[AliceInPain]

its no big issue.....the police will have a full timeline of whereabouts, probably verified

Only on their way there, store receipts or road cams. from between 11-3.30 no.

 

[Lilibet]

its no big issue.....the police will have a full timeline of whereabouts, probably verified

I expect/hope that LE has been able to put together a timeline, filling in seven hours. And I hope it will lead them to Barbara. We haven’t been able to figure out a consistent timeline based on RT’s statements, even for the time he says they were on a walk. Leaving home at 8:15 leaves a lot more questions than before and a lot more possibilities that I hadn’t wanted to consider. But maybe they stopped at Costco for several hours. Only LE knows.

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

Where did the exact 8:15 departure time come from?
Even if the 8:15 time is correct that could be about right.
How do we know that they didn’t stop for Breakfast,
stop for Gas, etc?
They hiked for a couple hours.
RT looked for BT before calling 911.
RT said it took a couple hours before 911 arrived .
All of the above could fit within a 7 hour time frame.

 

[Rosegold68]

easy to fill in those hours with breakfast, lunch....etc

they had no fixed schedule.....no need to be back home for kids, animals or appointments. i don't feel its suspicious and i know LE will have plenty of info us, and the extended family, are not privy to

 

[AliceInPain]

They likely had lunch as well, plus add in Barbara liked to collect desert rocks and sticks (or whatever VI said,) it may have been a walk with lots of stops.
But I agree, LE will know RTs timeline and version of events.