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

[Advocate4]

If she was rock-hunting that day, where was she putting them? No pockets on bikinis, not much on shorts either, and we haven't been told she carried a bag to put them in.

 

[firstsleuth]

S

Our upstairs big 3 ton AC unit decided to take a dive yesterday. In the deep South, and I work from home upstairs. I cannot imagine waiting very long anywhere in the Mohave right now

But she wouldn’t have needed to wait long and it’s not so hot in the dry heat of the desert until it goes over 105, especially when you’re acclimated

Sorry about your AC...hopefully repaired soon!

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

If she was rock-hunting that day, where was she putting them? No pockets on bikinis, not much on shorts either, and we haven't been told she carried a bag to put them in.

Good point!

 

[PommyMommy]

RSABBM:

Thanks for sharing that info, db, and for providing the 8:15 departure time.
I'm going to assume that departure time is part of the info from neighbors you consider to be reliable.

I share your concerns re: the gaping window of time that opens up b/t when they left and when he reported her missing, which was at 3:36 pm, if I recall correctly from the 9-1-1 records. @PommyMommy, is that right, 3:36?

Has anyone mapped out how long it would take to get there from their house? I know @Lilibet said it would take under 2 hours.

I've always had a concern that BT could be in the desert, but at a (very) considerable distance from the purported location where she went missing. This departure time only deepens my concerns about this possible scenario.

I do hope BT had his cell phone turned on the whole time.
If so, this should have enabled LE to get some really good ping data to help verify the phone's, and thereby, the vehicle's, movements that day.

Obviously, it's critical for LE to be able to determine if/where/how long they stopped along the way to that site that day.

I think LE has stopped searches at that location b/c they have satisfied themselves that BT is not there.
Kudos to them for having done their due diligence in searching for her at that location for as long and exhaustively as they did.
I think the SBSCO will direct their attention elsewhere moving forward.

Reading up on the Erin Corwin case will give a lot of reassurance to anyone wondering about the SBSCO's ability to conduct thorough searches and/or their commitment to getting a result.

They did a superb job in EC's case of both locating her remains and bringing her murderer to justice.

JMO.

The 911 call was made at 3:26 p.m.

Dispatch Call Log – San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department
7/12/2019 3:26:24 PM CR CR191930018 CRR1900230 MISPER NAT 936** HIDDEN HILLS RD, KEL

Google shows approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes from the home to Kelbaker/Hidden Hill Rd. Google Maps

 

[firstsleuth]

The 8:15 a.m. Friday July 12 “last seen time” came from our VI. I’m not sure where @dbdb11 got his information, but it seems definite.

So, is this time also the last known sighting of Barbara by someone other than Robert? I’ve been wondering if something happened to her before Friday and after Wednesday when she spoke to Hong Kong family members

 

[firstsleuth]

Good point!

In Robert’s backpack?

 

[PaulR]

The 911 call was made at 3:26 p.m.

Dispatch Call Log – San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department
7/12/2019 3:26:24 PM CR CR191930018 CRR1900230 MISPER NAT 936** HIDDEN HILLS RD, KEL

Google shows approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes from the home to Kelbaker/Hidden Hills Rd. Google Maps

The problem is that is the dispatch log, not the call log.

RT said it took hours from his call until LE appeared. If there was no disposed right away, the timeline fits.

 

[PommyMommy]

The problem is that is the dispatch log, not the call log.

RT said it took hours from his call until LE appeared. If there was no disposed right away, the timeline fits.

Have you been able to verify with LE that the log records the time units were dispatched and not when the call was received? If not, I can try to do that so we can clear this up. I would like to be sure as well. MOO

 

[PaulR]

Have you been able to verify with LE that the log records the time units were dispatched and not when the call was received? If not, I can try to do that so we can clear this up. I would like to be sure as well. MOO

Working on it and will update the thread when I find out.

The reason I think it is not listing the actual 911 calls is that there doesn't seem to be enough volume. I understand the Colorado River area is lightly populated but if that log lists every 911 call, there were only six yesterday (7/25.)

Dispatch Call Log – San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department

 

[whatizzinit]

Someone with no pockets wearing a bikini who might want to go back to the RV before her husband is done taking pictures. IDK?

I used to keep small important items in my sock or shorts pocket.

 

[moonriverfarm]

I’m glad someone said it. Same here. It was actually a hard stop for me.

Can anyone message me about "breadcrumbs"?

 

[Steelslady]

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.

Excellent post and summarization, @PommyMommy . So many inconsistencies in his story to LE and her family.

 

[Kapua]

If Barbara took a panorama photo from the top of the hill, whose phone did she use? I gathered from other posts that she didn't have a phone. And if she did have a phone, how did the police end up with the photos that were on it?

If the police have RT's phone and he is claiming Barbara took the photos, that's a completely different story from her taking photos with her own phone, which then ends up in RT's or the police's hands. Maybe RT was carrying it for her; if she was wearing only a bikini, that would make sense.

She may have used a camera to take photos. Using a separate camera allows you to take very good photos and doesn't use up the charge on your cell phone. I still use mine on trips. MOO

 

[firstsleuth]

If Barbara took a panorama photo from the top of the hill, whose phone did she use? I gathered from other posts that she didn't have a phone. And if she did have a phone, how did the police end up with the photos that were on it?

If the police have RT's phone and he is claiming Barbara took the photos, that's a completely different story from her taking photos with her own phone, which then ends up in RT's or the police's hands. Maybe RT was carrying it for her; if she was wearing only a bikini, that would make sense.

It has been stated in previous threads, Barbara does not own a cell phone; Robert told family members she took the 360’ photo, but he also told them she went missing shortly after noon and it took LE 2 hours to arrive at the scene. We know from dispatch posts he did not call 911 until 326 (or 336?) pm. Discrepancies here on the part of LE or Robert that cannot be resolved until we know more from LE.

Perhaps Barbara’s HK family was asking uncomfortable questions of Robert, perhaps the couple had an argument/fight he did not want to disclose and she stormed away, got lost/injured and/or abducted, perhaps Robert wasn’t completely truthful with her family...so much we don’t know...

Occamszebra: love your username; this case to me trends toward zebra solution in spite of William

 

[LietKynes]

IIRC, mods on another thread said at least 1 WS member was posting on his SM account, trying to get him to come here, and said to stop.

Well that's disappointing.

 

[rosesfromangels]

Great summary PommyMommy. The biggest question for me is who (besides the husband), last saw BT and when?

Was there any disagreement about her going to see her brother in China?

Amateur opinion and speculation

 

[PaulR]

She may have used a camera to take photos. Using a separate camera allows you to take very good photos and doesn't use up the charge on your cell phone. I still use mine on trips. MOO

Also no camera phone can replace a good SLR. But I don't think we know if she had a camera, much less an expensive one, with her.

I've also seen people using their iPads (or other tablet) to take photos.

 

[firstsleuth]

Have you been able to verify with LE that the log records the time units were dispatched and not when the call was received? If not, I can try to do that so we can clear this up. I would like to be sure as well. MOO

That would be so helpful PommyMommy; at least for my reeling head. Thank you

 

[CocoChanel]

MOD NOTE:
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THREAD WILL REOPEN WHEN THIS CLEANUP IS COMPLETED.

CocoChanel
Moderator

 

[CocoChanel]

MOD NOTE:

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CocoChanel
Moderator.