10ofRods
Verified Anthropologist
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- Jun 27, 2019
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About good samaritanism in the desert:
Unless an RV occupant signals distress to someone on the road, seeing a RV pulled off on those pullouts is normal. Unless BT was seen pulling frantically on the RV door, or she tried to flag someone down, no one would want to interrupt what was obviously recreation. It would be scary to most Californians to have someone slow down and call out on a remote desert highway (we would all signal for help, I think).
Woman waiting by RV? Probably has someone nearby. Is in the desert to sunbathe and enjoy herself.
One thing is very strange about the abduction scenario and that's the very short time frame (according to RT) in which it could have occurred. He would have been 5-10 minutes behind her. A car goes by every 2-5 minutes out there. So, if an abduction was planned, then it had to be timed very carefully. She could easily have chosen to stay near him.
A waiting non-stranger abductor would risk being seen by cars while they waited. An abductor who was called and given a signal? That would mean the abductor was following them around and it would be highly coordinated abduction likely involving use of phones.
RT's story does not have him see any abductors or, apparently, suspect abductors at first. He shouts for her. He looks around, goes back to the rock-shade, waves his arms (perhaps from one of the small rises on the trail?) He says he looks under rocks (I think he must mean the bigger ones back toward where they separated).
IF RT or Barbara had serious enemies then RT would surely tell the police about it. In detail.
These enemies would have had to follow RT closely since 8:15 that morning...either pull over or keep driving by a dirt turn-out, not knowing how long the hike was going to be or if Barbara was going to be alone (maybe they intended to kidnap both of them? if they had both gone missing, though, the media attention would be much much higher...that's a really daring act and probably means more than one abductor, that's organized crime level of abduction).
It's really hard to think this was a random abduction (as RT seemed to imply, IMO). It would be easier for me to believe they'd had a spat (or Barbara had had it with the RV not opening and it was hot) and she flagged down a car, got in and got a ride to...someplace with A/C? She had no money, no ID...surely she would have just waited or gone to hurry up RT? Even if planning to leave him, this is a very unlikely scenario (no clothes, no phone, no money, no ID, etc).
Unless an RV occupant signals distress to someone on the road, seeing a RV pulled off on those pullouts is normal. Unless BT was seen pulling frantically on the RV door, or she tried to flag someone down, no one would want to interrupt what was obviously recreation. It would be scary to most Californians to have someone slow down and call out on a remote desert highway (we would all signal for help, I think).
Woman waiting by RV? Probably has someone nearby. Is in the desert to sunbathe and enjoy herself.
One thing is very strange about the abduction scenario and that's the very short time frame (according to RT) in which it could have occurred. He would have been 5-10 minutes behind her. A car goes by every 2-5 minutes out there. So, if an abduction was planned, then it had to be timed very carefully. She could easily have chosen to stay near him.
A waiting non-stranger abductor would risk being seen by cars while they waited. An abductor who was called and given a signal? That would mean the abductor was following them around and it would be highly coordinated abduction likely involving use of phones.
RT's story does not have him see any abductors or, apparently, suspect abductors at first. He shouts for her. He looks around, goes back to the rock-shade, waves his arms (perhaps from one of the small rises on the trail?) He says he looks under rocks (I think he must mean the bigger ones back toward where they separated).
IF RT or Barbara had serious enemies then RT would surely tell the police about it. In detail.
These enemies would have had to follow RT closely since 8:15 that morning...either pull over or keep driving by a dirt turn-out, not knowing how long the hike was going to be or if Barbara was going to be alone (maybe they intended to kidnap both of them? if they had both gone missing, though, the media attention would be much much higher...that's a really daring act and probably means more than one abductor, that's organized crime level of abduction).
It's really hard to think this was a random abduction (as RT seemed to imply, IMO). It would be easier for me to believe they'd had a spat (or Barbara had had it with the RV not opening and it was hot) and she flagged down a car, got in and got a ride to...someplace with A/C? She had no money, no ID...surely she would have just waited or gone to hurry up RT? Even if planning to leave him, this is a very unlikely scenario (no clothes, no phone, no money, no ID, etc).
Thanks for insightful post. snipped for focus. 
