CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #6

[Reasonable & Just]

Photos of BT that Day & Search Area

Hey LietKynes Thanks for your post. sbm^

At first I thought this - pix of BT that day on their walk - might help narrow the search area, that SAR could identify certain rocks/plants in pix to confirm RT’s description of walking path. Presumably walking path was basis for SAR team's designated search map, the path plus so many yards.
But then realized not necessarily. Still possible he took pix of her there along path and inside search area, but she went outside that area - deliberately or by accident, thru a mental fog/heat exhaustion, etc. Sigh.

Right, but why not to identify her? That beer container. Her boots. Her entire outfit. Why just that one blurry photo that only shows a portion of her top? It's really odd to me.

 

[LietKynes]

Right, but why not to identify her? That beer container. Her boots. Her entire outfit. Why just that one blurry photo that only shows a portion of her top? It's really odd to me.

Ita.

I'd asked about her boots-- as if she was in a mine (hope not !) or somewhere in the desert... wouldn't the last items to decay be the boots and beer container ?
And there's animal predation.
If we knew what type of boots-- we could post a store ad of the same type and color.
The same with the beer container and her clothing.

It's been done before with missing people.
Why not this time ?

 

[Reasonable & Just]

Ita.

I'd asked about her boots-- as if she was in a mine (hope not !) or somewhere in the desert... wouldn't the last items to decay be the boots and beer container ?
And there's animal predation.
If we knew what type of boots-- we could post a store ad of the same type and color.
The same with the beer container and her clothing.

It's been done before with missing people.
Why not this time ?

Exactly. Since this was Barbara's normal attire for hiking, then modesty might not be a concern for LE or family posting the photos, but even if it were - as you said, they could post a store ad. Photoshop her form out and just show components of the outfit AND the beer container. Kind of like they do with unidentified persons clothing. It's doable, even in a short amount of time.

 

[LAhiker]

Right, but why not to identify her? That beer container. Her boots. Her entire outfit. Why just that one blurry photo that only shows a portion of her top? It's really odd to me.

Maybe any photos were taken from a distance and are even less informative than the photo which has been made available? Or maybe they're intimate photos and likewise uninformative? I have no idea, but LE appears to think that it wouldn't be helpful to release any photos that might've been taken. JMO

 

[rosesfromangels]

BBM
Good point.

Maybe friends and family who live close enough can go out there and search ?

Given the heat, I’d leave it to the Pro’s. We don’t want any more casualties!

Amateur opinion and speculation

 

[CSIDreamer]

Maybe any photos were taken from a distance and are even less informative than the photo which has been made available? Or maybe they're intimate photos and likewise uninformative? I have no idea, but LE appears to think that it wouldn't be helpful to release any photos that might've been taken. JMO

We're basing this on being told there are photos with no verified proof as of yet, unless I missed something

or

The assumption LE has went all hush hush on releasing photos of a missing person.

I'm not singling you out by any means. Just trying to figure out WHY this would happen.

 

[Dawookie]

Did some research into the mineshaft option as well, there don't appear to be any mineshafts within the 1 mile radius (2 mile round trip hike). The 'rock formation' to the west would have to be the one they were heading to, I have placed a diamond around it. I don't think mineshaft is viable.

Surely somewhere along the road on either end should have security cameras that would be able to corroborate the timeline.

Has it been confirmed anywhere if the hike was 2 miles each way or round trip? If they hiked out more than a mile they would have been in the Sweeney Granite Mountains

There might be a camera at the railroad Dept in Kelso and unless things have changed since I was out there, I don't believe there's a camera at the Kelbaker exit off the 40

 

[Tillicum]

Note that it is still very hot there. Presumably, the goal would be to find Barbara without hurting anyone else. JMO

Good point. So maybe while they wait for cooler temperatures, they could have a vigil for Barbara, hand out missing flyers and participate in news interviews to keep Barbara's name and face out there.

 

[Nerissa]

IF indeed there are photos of BT there at the location of her disappearance, at that date: what rationalization would LE have to not release them?

In other missing persons: for instance, Amanda Eller- photos were released of her from the grocery store she visited: the last time she was seen on surveillance.......

There is rationale. Nothing is wily-nily with the motives of LE. So: what's the rationale to suppress the photos - ?

(BTW: I'm not entirely certain the existence of these photos have been confirmed...the VI has mentioned something to this effect: but do they KNOW they exist or 'believe' they exist....?)

JMO

 

[LAhiker]

We're basing this on being told there are no photos

or

The assumption LE has went all hush hush on releasing photos of a missing person.

I'm not singling you out by any means. Just trying to figure out WHY this would happen.

Who told us there were no photos?? ((ETA: @CSIDreamer subsequently edited their post so it no longer implied this.))

Some people apparently believe or know there are photos. But no photos have been released. I'm keeping an open mind on this.

 

[CSIDreamer]

IF indeed there are photos of BT there at the location of her disappearance, at that date: what rationalization would LE have to not release them?

In other missing persons: for instance, Amanda Eller- photos were released of her from the grocery store she visited: the last time she was seen on surveillance.......

There is rationale. Nothing is wily-nily with the motives of LE. So: what's the rationale to suppress the photos - ?

(BTW: I'm not entirely certain the existence of these photos have been confirmed...the VI has mentioned something to this effect: but do they KNOW they exist or 'believe' they exist....?)

JMO

Like mind here.

 

[al66pine]

....
Seems that LE has given up on this search though. They didn't even care to add anything to their website about it. Just a single FB post.

@campbellsoup Thx for your post. ^sbm
Possibly given up on searching now for BT in area of RT/BT walk.
IIRC when SAR ended search the sheriff announced the investigation would continue.

 

[Reasonable & Just]

We're basing this on being told there are no photos

or

The assumption LE has went all hush hush on releasing photos of a missing person.

I'm not singling you out by any means. Just trying to figure out WHY this would happen.

I might be misunderstanding your post, but I asked the question that LAhiker responded to. My question is based on another poster (whom I quoted in my original post) who asserted that there are definitely photos of Barbara from that day and at the location. Our VI stated that he agrees with that (also quoted in my post). So that's where this is coming from.

Post 719, and you can read unsnipped original posts by clicking on small arrow near their names (as you likely know but am sharing with others who may not)

 

[CSIDreamer]

Who told us there were no photos??

Some people apparently believe or know there are photos. But no photos have been released. I'm keeping an open mind on this.

I edited while you were replying. I missed an entire sentence in my post you quoted. Oops.

 

[CSIDreamer]

We're basing this on being told there are photos with no verified proof as of yet, unless I missed something

or

The assumption LE has went all hush hush on releasing photos of a missing person.

I'm not singling you out by any means. Just trying to figure out WHY this would happen.

I'm just bringing this forward as basically messing up a post and getting quick replies while editing leads to questions.

 

[LAhiker]

I edited while you were replying. I missed an entire sentence in my post you quoted. Oops.

Thanks. Your post makes more sense to me now.

 

[CSIDreamer]

Thanks. Your post makes more sense to me now.

Good lol. That was a hot mess.

 

[deugirtni]

I edited while you were replying. I missed an entire sentence in my post you quoted. Oops.

You are able to edit to your post within a certain small timeframe.. you could just add it with an ETA

 

[Micheline]

I am so happy our VI has confirmed there being time stamped photos of Barbara from where Robert said she was that day and at the time he said she was there (see post quoted below).

IMO that leaves 2 scenarios, Barbara somehow getting lost in the desert, and still to be found there.
Or, Barbara being taken by a stranger or someone known to both her an Robert.

I do not know which scenario makes the most sense at this point. YOP

i totally agree there are photos of barbara there when robert said she was there.

i dont really see the connection you are drawing between photos of her being where he said she was, and him being a wrongfully suspected victim.

 

[Reasonable & Just]

I am so happy our VI has confirmed there being time stamped photos of Barbara from where Robert said she was that day and at the time he said she was there (see post quoted below).

IMO that leaves 2 scenarios, Barbara somehow getting lost in the desert, and still to be found there.
Or, Barbara being taken by a stranger or someone known to both her an Robert.

I do not know which scenario makes the most sense at this point. YOP

@Micheline, is the person who gave you info about the photos aware of the VI process? And did they tell you why the photos weren't used to help the public ID Barbara's clothing, boots, and her beer container? Thanks.