CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #7

[Gigi3]

While this is a reasonable explanation of RT's statement, I thought the reason he parked across the street was because that was easier and simpler than trying to pull into the gas station/convenience store parking area. It doesn't sound like RT/BT got gas there, but who knows.

In any event, I'm glad the police have the surveillance video -- maybe they'll be able to tell if anything odd was going on aside from normal difficulties maneuvering trucks/fifth wheel RVs. JMO.

I was just thinking this same thing! When we travel with our RV, we always try to park across from a gas station if we aren’t needing gas. It’s so much easier to maneuver that way. Sounds like he just ran in for ice, so parking across the road make sense to me. MOO

 

[Sillybilly]

Now that's interesting!

Makes it a point to mention a disability, a wife who he can't get in or out of his rig without and then jogs away and enters his vehicle presumably without assistance. Interesting. MOO

RT did NOT mention he had a disability. The OP said the attendant, Mike, thought it was to imply a disability.

 

[MsBetsy]

I think it's a simple misstatement by this employee. The wife has to help with the truck. If you know Old People with RV's (anyone over 65? 60?) and you know Occam's Razor...I believe that's the answer (not really kidding).

It's not just old people or men who can't deal with convenience stores and very long rigs (this one is like 42 feet or something). My dad hated to admit it, but he needed someone to work with him on where to park. Parking AT a convenience store? Not gonna happen at any convenience store near where I live.

Parking NEAR a convenience store (in a spot you are guided to by your wife) is very very good (if you have to have something essential, like ice).

The ways of RV people are traditional. Mostly.

Do most people just disconnect the RV before pulling into the gas station to fill up their truck? Maybe that's what he needed help with?
I don't know much about trucks or RV's, but I had to climb into a truck when my car was towed and it was a lot harder than I thought it would be.
I can't imagine a 60 year old doing it that easily.
Imo

 

[Gigi3]

Do most people just disconnect the RV before pulling into the gas station to fill up their truck? Maybe that's what he needed help with?
I don't know much about trucks or RV's, but I had to climb into a truck when my car was towed and it was a lot harder than I thought it would be.
I can't imagine a 60 year old doing it that easily.
Imo

I know you didn’t ask me... but IME no. Our RV is also a toy hauler and is a little taller than most, and we’ve never had any issues pulling in for gas. JMO. I guess it could vary by person, but I’ve never seen anyone unhook for gas.

 

[RANCH]

RT did NOT mention he had a disability. The OP said the attendant, Mike, thought it was to imply a disability.

Do you want to bet that this "fact" will pop up in this thread more than once down the road?

I'm betting that it will.

 

[Leney]

Can Family Move Forward/Work Together to Find BT?

To best of your knowledge, have any fam members made accusations directly to RT about poss involvement he had w her disappearance? *
Any thoughts on feasibility of ^ suggestion ---
- w logistics to even 'meet', w fam being spread around US, some in Asia, etc. Does face to face, in person seem doable? Skype? Other vid conferencing?
-w mind-sets/personalities of various fam members?

Hoping for positive resolution in some way for all involved.

------------------------------------------------------
* Aside from what BT's son said in local Indy TV interview, if anyone characterizes that as accusations.

RSBMFF

The son stated he believed RT was involved in his interview.

There are numerous options. Facetime is one example. Virtual videoconferencing/phone are options.
None of these require travel, loss of context which can occur in the written word. This can be done in real time, and on short notice.
Typing is not required, although for business I usually have one person keep a record.
Most of these are cost effective.

In business this as well enables me to be reviewing documents without a phone attached to my ear.
It allows groups of people to be involved similar to speakerphone. Everyone can hear and respond accordingly.

 

[al66pine]

Do the Words Make a Difference?

Well, for one thing, LE actually gave one statement (no evidence of abduction) and the other was repeated by a reporter...I think that reporter was taking the "no evidence of abduction" and paraphrasing.... reporter is simply using her own words and seems to be in a hurry to file her report...

@10ofRods bbm sbm. Thanks for once again saying succinctly what I took twice as long to say about the significance of the two different sources of the stmts.

Toe-may-toe, Toe-mah-toe? No, It's a Kumquat
A couple examples (not from this case) of reporters' using "their own words" and
referring to different item than LE. Maybe they did not have time to wiki search the underscored words below.
---LE says officer used a Taser on suspect across the room, and reporter transmutes to used a stun gun. Whoops, stun gun does not deliver an electroshock to or incapacitate anyone across a room; unlike a Taser, it is a direct contact weapon. If LE ever tries to shoot me w an electro-shock weapon from across the room, pls let it be a stun gun, not a Taser .
---LE says the officer shot by suspect was wearing "body armor" "ballistic vest" or "bullet resistant vest" which reporter transmogrifies into "bulletproof vest" (as if such a thing actually exists). Yeah, I've seen/heard some LEOs using term, so there's that. But when a bank robber using a 50 caliber Desert Eagle semi-automatjc hits my torso as he stands behind me in line, I hope I'm wearing one of those magical bulletproof vests protecting me.

I'm thru parsing words for the evening to focus on BT.

 

[RANCH]

Do most people just disconnect the RV before pulling into the gas station to fill up their truck? Maybe that's what he needed help with?
I don't know much about trucks or RV's, but I had to climb into a truck when my car was towed and it was a lot harder than I thought it would be.
I can't imagine a 60 year old doing it that easily.
Imo

I doubt people disconnect their trailers to fuel up the truck. It would be a big hassle and you would have to find a safe place to leave the trailer while you went to the gas station. You can't just leave it on the road.

I think that stopping for fuel means you have to do some planning and maneuvering with your rig while stopping for ice means you can simply park where it's most convenient, meaning the easiest place to park and leave without much hassle.

That sounds like what RT did to me. JMO

 

[Leney]

Do you count social media? Or are you asking if someone has flown from Indiana or Hong Kong to talk to RT face to face? Email and phone are direct, right? But what about social media?

Social media such as facebook etc. create what I call echo chambers. Information tends to echo and echo and echo as most are created with individuals of the same thought process. Thus I consider it counter-productive. IMO

 

[distracted]

Apparently Robert's attorney, Eric Anderson, who gave a statement in the Indiana news, is no longer representing him. What might this mean to an intelligent business man? No need for a lawyer anymore cause the heat is passed?

The most common reason is that the lawyer is not being paid or there aren't funds to pay the attorney in the future. Another reason could be because the attorney doesn't practice the area of law required in the future.

 

[Lilibet]

I was just thinking this same thing! When we travel with our RV, we always try to park across from a gas station if we aren’t needing gas. It’s so much easier to maneuver that way. Sounds like he just ran in for ice, so parking across the road make sense to me. MOO

Exactly. Anyone who is an RVer tries to avoid tight spaces and the wife having to give directions. A recipe for stress! I finally told my husband (who didn’t trust my directions) “Look. I’ll get behind the wheel when we have to park the RV. YOU tell me what to do.” Worked like a charm.

 

[Leney]

On Barbara's NamUs link under Distinctive Physical Features nothing is listed. It would seem at 69 years old she would have her share of scars etc. @dbdb11 do you know if Barbara had any scars, tattoos or birthmarks?

Sometimes scars are internal not external. i.e. broken bone

 

[Lilibet]

I doubt people disconnect their trailers to fuel up the truck. It would be a big hassle and you would have to find a safe place to leave the trailer while you went to the gas station. You can't just leave it on the road.

I think that stopping for fuel means you have to do some planning and maneuvering with your rig while stopping for ice means you can simply park where it's most convenient, meaning the easiest place to park and leave without much hassle.

That sounds like what RT did to me. JMO

You are exactly right. You learn to quickly size up a gas station to see how easy it is to get in and out and how many cars are there, etc. But there’s no need to unhitch. If you’re smart, you fill up your truck before hitching up. And you park in an easy spot if you just need ice or snacks.

This is a non-issue. There was nothing suspicious about RT parking across the street. The attendant misunderstood. I suspect RT said something like “My wife would have to help me get in and out” [of the gas station] when he explained why he came across the street and entered the store in a roundabout way.

Nothing to see here folks.

 

[MsBetsy]

It was our VI's opinion she thought it might have been valuable. So not the word expensive.
CA - CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #5

"In any case, your sentiment above is all good. I felt she left the phone because she didn't want to take something which could have been very valuable, in her estimation. Both her son and my dad's wife claim Barb expressed wanting a phone, and she never got one... for what its worth."

Ok, but even if she thought the phone was valuable it really is not an indication that she would or would not have wanted other expensive things.
Since they both loved camping and the outdoors, maybe she had no problem spending money on an RV, a plane, or a boat.
Do we even know how much money each one of them made or how they decided to spend their money?

I'm not sure how we would know how Barabara felt about what they spent their money on or how much each of them made without knowing the details.

Did she make more money than he did? Did they argue over money? Did one spend more money than the other? Did they each contribute equally to the bills and expenses? Did they live beyond their means?
Without knowing any of the details it's impossible to know whether one did not approve of the others spending habits. Imo

 

[al66pine]

Boat, Plane, RV Purchases?

If I understand correctly our VI said that Barbara didn't want to keep the cell phone their family gave her to use in HK because it was expensive. Wonder what she thought of the cost of the boat, plane and RV.

@Tillicum Thanks for post. I have to wonder too.
A person might turn down a gift, if donee perceived/misperceived the $ spent on gift as a strain on donor's budget at that time. May tell donor it is too valuable or may give other reason.

That same person may not object to spouse's purchase of boat, plane, RV. I doubt we actually know source of funds to buy these. May be from her $. OTOH, as someone insinuated, BT may have raised Cain about one or all of these purchases.
jmo, as possibilities.

 

[RANCH]

attendant was just repeating to me what he had already told police, and im just repeating what i heard. i agree though.

Did you ask him what he saw and heard that day?

Or did you ask him to repeat what he told LE?

 

[dbdb11]

You are exactly right. You learn to quickly size up a gas station to see how easy it is to get in and out and how many cars are there, etc. But there’s no need to unhitch. If you’re smart, you fill up your truck before hitching up. And you park in an easy spot if you just need ice or snacks.

This is a non-issue. There was nothing suspicious about RT parking across the street. The attendant misunderstood. I suspect RT said something like “My wife would have to help me get in and out” [of the gas station] when he explained why he came across the street and entered the store in a roundabout way.

Nothing to see here folks.

this is why i included a photo of the gas station and across the road. i was trying gauge the hassle.

 

[dbdb11]

Did you ask him what he saw and heard that day?

Or did you ask him to repeat what he told LE?

both.

 

[RANCH]

both.

What did you ask him first and can you tell us exactly how you phrased the questions?

 

[Lilibet]

this is why i included a photo of the gas station and across the road. i was trying gauge the hassle.

You’re being thorough @dbsb11. And what’s a hassle for one person isn’t a hassle for another. But at their age, keeping it simple is the wisest course. If “Mike” the attendant isn’t an RVer himself, it would be easy to misunderstand what RT meant about needing Barb’s help.