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

[Mind your biscuits]

Imo this case will hinge on cell phone data. Like many on here, I believe poor Barbara is elsewhere in the Mojave.

 

[Cherwell]

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.

She probably did take a bag. A plastic carrier bag would be enough for anything found on a short walk, and would fold up very small. It would take up no room in the backpack, or she could tuck it into her bikini top or waistband if necessary.

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

Agree with this. I have a modest small point-and-shoot camera, and it takes much better photos than my phone. When I think I might want to take photos, I make a point of taking the camera with me.

 

[artsy1]

I have to wonder if this means anything. Please follow this to the end.

July 22nd - The investigation continues into the whereabouts of missing person Barbara Thomas from SBSD - Colorado River Sheriffs Department : Nixle

snip
SUMMARY:
UPDATE - Monday, July 22, 2019

The ongoing daily searches for Barbara Thomas in the Mohave National Preserve have been suspended. Additional searches will be conducted as any additional information is developed in the investigation.

Then yesterday's dispatch log:

Dispatch Call Log – San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department

snip

7/26/2019 4:55:53 AM CR CR192070002 FU NAT KELBAKER RD/HIDDEN HILLS RD, KEL

So did they go back out there yesterday? Did they develop new leads?


ETA: FU means Follow Up

 

[10ofRods]

Unlike the Sheryl Powell case, LE in this case is making it very clear that the investigation is still open. The Needles FB forum (open only to people who live in Needles) posted the Sheriff's announcement and there's a lot of local discussion about the case. Outsiders can go read the discussion.

I'm very curious what the follow-up at Kelbaker/HH might be. That was at 5 am, possibly due to increased heat. It could be as simple as getting a few new measurements, it could be due to something RT or others have remembered about the case. It is getting hotter out there. Highs are more in the 115-117 range, as opposed to 100-103 when Barbara disappeared.

 

[PommyMommy]

I have to wonder if this means anything. Please follow this to the end.

July 22nd - The investigation continues into the whereabouts of missing person Barbara Thomas from SBSD - Colorado River Sheriffs Department : Nixle

snip
SUMMARY:
UPDATE - Monday, July 22, 2019

The ongoing daily searches for Barbara Thomas in the Mohave National Preserve have been suspended. Additional searches will be conducted as any additional information is developed in the investigation.

Then yesterday's dispatch log:

Dispatch Call Log – San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department

snip

7/26/2019 4:55:53 AM CR CR192070002 FU NAT KELBAKER RD/HIDDEN HILLS RD, KEL

So did they go back out there yesterday? Did they develop new leads?


ETA: FU means Follow Up

It may be related to vehicles that were in the area when BT went missing - license plate info from 360 photo?
Someone reported seeing RT and/or BT in another area?
Someone reported seeing the truck/RV driving or parked somewhere?
Someone found a pair of sunglasses or something and called it in?

MOO

 

[MsBetsy]

She probably did take a bag. A plastic carrier bag would be enough for anything found on a short walk, and would fold up very small. It would take up no room in the backpack, or she could tuck it into her bikini top or waistband if necessary.


Agree with this. I have a modest small point-and-shoot camera, and it takes much better photos than my phone. When I think I might want to take photos, I make a point of taking the camera with me.

Apparently all she had with her was a beer.
Robert may have had a phone or camera and water in a backpack, but he claimed that all she was carrying was a beer. Imo

 

[SDHELPS]

@dbdb11 are you able to tell us if LE has been in contact with any family members in terms of giving them any updates (or lack there of). I know if I had a missing relative, I would be contacting the detective on a daily basis, even though they may not have much to offer. Let today be the day they find Barbara!

 

[10ofRods]

She could have stuck her bag in his backpack, though. He certainly said that all she was carrying was a beer.

So...I think it's been more or less established that the Red Cap photo is from an earlier trip into the desert and while the background looks to be in the same area, it's not from this trip (and could be a lot of different places).

Her gear for this walk was therefore really limited and RT was carrying the essentials when they separated.

 

[kkdj]

Apparently all she had with her was a beer.
Robert may have had a phone or camera and water in a backpack, but he claimed that all she was carrying was a beer. Imo

I think his description of her being in a bikini and carrying a beer goes to the lifestyle of living at the river. Very common attire and drink. Very normal there.

 

[rosesfromangels]

She could have stuck her bag in his backpack, though. He certainly said that all she was carrying was a beer.

So...I think it's been more or less established that the Red Cap photo is from an earlier trip into the desert and while the background looks to be in the same area, it's not from this trip (and could be a lot of different places).

Her gear for this walk was therefore really limited and RT was carrying the essentials when they separated.

Has it been verified, that we know of, that she was even on a hike that day? I’m really struggling with this story. Anything is possible, but this isn’t making sense to me.

Amateur opinion and speculation

 

[kkdj]

Has it been verified, that we know of, that she was even on a hike that day? I’m really struggling with this story. Anything is possible, but this isn’t making sense to me.

Amateur opinion and speculation

Same here Rose.
I question the whole story. I guess that goes to deception of a lie detector test, right?

 

[artsy1]

Has it been verified, that we know of, that she was even on a hike that day? I’m really struggling with this story. Anything is possible, but this isn’t making sense to me.

Amateur opinion and speculation

IMHO, I don't think LE and searchers would have looked for so long if they didn't think she was there. I don't think there's verification of anything at this point.

 

[steelybird]

sbm.
I think it's interesting how he mentions the beer and the highway as two reasons he thinks she may have been abducted.
In any other case yes maybe, but this "highway" is in the middle of nowhere with only the occasional vehicle driving by, and didn't she keep the beer in some kind of cup?
So how is her having to cross a nearly empty road with a mug in her hand relevant to anything?

It's been said Barbara is in good health, but what about him?
If his story is true, I think we can rule out she went to explore on her way back, as he said she went ahead "because she wanted to use the RV." But if he took longer than he remembers, maybe she went for a walk as she waited? Refreshed with water and a snack she could have gone quite far before becoming disoriented/ realising she was lost in a totally different area than where the searches have been.
jmo etc.

eta @Lilibet saw your post after I posted, we're having the same thoughts here =)

Sorry if this is dumb but I don’t understand what sbm and bbm mean on this site. I see them used quite often. I tried googling it but a bunch of unrelated definitions came up.

 

[Kapua]

Apparently all she had with her was a beer.
Robert may have had a phone or camera and water in a backpack, but he claimed that all she was carrying was a beer. Imo

Everything we know about where they were, what she was wearing, and what she was carrying comes from RT.

 

[rosesfromangels]

IMHO, I don't think LE and searchers would have looked for so long if they didn't think she was there. I don't think there's verification of anything at this point.

Well I think it was their duty to search, and they have. Perhaps they should extend that search to a different location...

Do you think there is even the slightest chance they quarreled and she took off for China? If so, it’s. Or inconceivable she isn’t keeping up with news here. Although I would hope there has been contact with her family there? I would think that was one of the boxes checked?

Amateur speculation and opinion

 

[Kapua]

Sorry if this is dumb but I don’t understand what sbm and bbm mean on this site. I see them used quite often. I tried googling it but a bunch of unrelated definitions came up.

"snipped by me" (I deleted part of the quote) and "bolded by me" (I made that part of the text bold for emphasis). Both are used when you want to reply to a particular part of a person's post.

 

[10ofRods]

I think his description of her being in a bikini and carrying a beer goes to the lifestyle of living at the river. Very common attire and drink. Very normal there.

Yes. Reading the comments on the Daily Mail article (now closed), I wanted to be able to leap in there and shout, "BUT THAT'S HOW PEOPLE ROLL!" (out on the desert). I have several family members into that lifestyle. I love the desert myself, but not as much as the mountains. A lot of "desert rats" are very proud of their ability to withstand high temperatures.

Surely by now, LE has developed ideas about whether she was actually out there. The length of the search would say "yes" to that, but perhaps they are rethinking. I think that after about day 4, SAR was treating this as a body recovery mission (hence the looking in crannies in the rock outcropping). But it went on for about 10 days. If RT's polygraph showed him to be deceptive about her even being out there, that didn't change LE's focus on finding her out there.

 

[Kapua]

IMHO, I don't think LE and searchers would have looked for so long if they didn't think she was there. I don't think there's verification of anything at this point.

They had to do a thorough search, IMHO, whether or not they thought she was there. LE has to conduct a proper investigation based on the missing person report.

 

[kkdj]

So, hypothetically, they left at 8:15, dropped their dog off somewhere, grabbed a bite to eat and pulled over at Kelbaker or thereabouts around 11:00.
I suspect someone else was there right about that time.

 

[bykerladi]

Maybe LE is searching there because they have no other clues to go on.