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

[Lilibet]

Regarding RT explaining his actions to the gas station clerk ...some people just feel the need to explain themselves even when they really don’t need to and no one cares. Or it may have been in response to some random comment by the clerk who observed his “roundabout” approach. Or just an expression of irritation over something (having to stop for ice?). Personally, I don’t think there was anything particularly weird about it, but that’s JMO. I’m glad LE is being so thorough, however. And it gives us something to chew on.

 

[Curiousobserver]

He was parked in the road?

On the side allegedly- but that might have made him a little nervous

 

[cazador]

Barbara is now an active search request at.. SWARM
https://www.sardrones.org

Here is the SWARM Group Facebook page.. For the purpose of education. Who are the volunteers and what have they been working on. What new developments in this new technology now being used for SAR work worldwide.

Search and Rescue Drones

 

[CharlestonGal]

Regarding RT explaining his actions to the gas station clerk ...some people just feel the need to explain themselves even when they really don’t need to and no one cares. Or it may have been in response to some random comment by the clerk who observed his “roundabout” approach. Or just an expression of irritation over something (having to stop for ice?). Personally, I don’t think there was anything particularly weird about it, but that’s JMO. I’m glad LE is being so thorough, however. And it gives us something to chew on.

What does it matter what RT's actions were at the gas station? His wife wandered off into the middle of the desert of her own free will. Why put RT under the microscope for something he had nothing to do with?

 

[CSIDreamer]

Barbara is now an active search request at.. SWARM
https://www.sardrones.org

Reading that and their fb info page, they are really needing more drone pilots in that area.

 

[Tillicum]

What does it matter what RT's actions were at the gas station? His wife wandered off into the middle of the desert of her own free will. Why put RT under the microscope for something he had nothing to do with?

Are you referring to LE putting RT under the microscope or are you referring to WS members?

As for LE if RT was telling the truth about being deceptive on his polygraph and being LE's prime suspect, then I can understand them wanting to confirm any details RT gave them about that day. As for WS'ers well I guess RT's statement about the poly and prime suspect perked our ears up. I really wish LE would publicly clear RT as a suspect if they believe Barbara truly wandered off of her own free will.

 

[Kapua]

They weren't buying gas. RT was buying ice. Getting your rig into a gas station that already has patrons (we don't know how busy it was at 9 am, but I'm guessing fairly busy) if you aren't buying gas is a pain, IMO. I agree that there's NO way he would separate the trailer from the truck (to buy gas or otherwise!)

Since LE says it has pictures of Barb near the spot at Kelbaker where RT said she disappeared, I"m not sure why anyone would start a search in between Needles and Mojave NP. IIRC, our VI says LE told him it was around 2 pm that the photo was taken.

I'm going with "Barb was still in the truck/trailer when they arrived at Kelbaker." I wish we had certain info about the time. RT would have known that police would not show up right away. There's approximately 1.5 hours between that photo, in any case, and when RT says he last saw her.


Yes, but google takes its photos in the early morning, often between 5:30 and 7 am. They do this for their own reasons. This was a Friday and I'd think 9:00-ish would be more crowded than 6 am. I agree it was a completely normal thing to do and actually was making the same point.



I wouldn't. I mean, I'd get it at the grocery store (cheaper) and put it in my freezer. I'd do this because getting off the highway when you don't need gas, just to get ice, is a pain, with or without an RV.

Since RT is also described as "naggy" (maybe the gas station was fairly busy and he was irritated? maybe their ice sign wasn't prominent? who knows?) and Barb was described as less cheerful than usual (by the kennel people), my point is that they both seemed stressed. It would have been less stressful had they gone to a store before the trip and loaded up on ice.

Living in a hot climate, many of us have several spare bags on hand. They didn't. Perhaps Barb was getting ready for her trip by cutting down on grocery shopping (no point in loading the fridge with stuff unless your husband is the kind who cooks that stuff for himself). Anyway, they sound stressed (a 5 day camping trip, followed by a brief respite, then a trip to Vegas to drop her at the airport, where she flies without a phone through LAX to Hong Kong...)

ITA that if the police show up (any place) and start asking for CCTV footage and interviewing workers, that does color what the interviewee is going to say (and remember).

I believe our VI said the photo was around 2 pm (but hasn't seen it himself, is getting that from LE).

I don't recall seeing any posts from our VI confirming the time as around 2 PM. I saw one that said that LE had confirmed that RT was at that location at the time he said he was - but he told the family around noon, IIRC, and he told LE that he searched for an hour or so. I don't think we know for sure when those photos were taken. We only know that they exist.

There's definitely a chunk of time missing from the timeline, no matter how you slice it.

And yes, RT would have known that LE does not patrol the area, but rather responds when called. IMHO

 

[Ninety5rpm]

I just want to state a few obvious things in the hopes it might help. All my opinion.

1. Either RT is innocent, or not.
2. Assuming RT is innocent, that leaves two general possibilities:
   • After separating from RT, BT got lost on way back to RV, left the trail, and vanished, despite presumably extensive search in open desert terrain.
   • BT got back to RV when someone with nefarious motives happen to arrive and took her.
3. Both possibilities in #2 are extremely unlikely IMHO.
   • If she's dehydrated and disoriented she's not going to make it far in that heat no matter which direction she goes. If she left the trail for some other reason, it wouldn't take long for dehydration and disorientation to set in in that heat without water.
   • This is a desolate road. The odds of some psychopath pulling up there just when she got back to the RV are very, very small. I suppose it's possible some druggie opportunist was in the process of breaking into and stealing from the RV when she arrived, but that too is very unlikely, and that someone like that would take her is even more unlikely.
4. Although we can't completely rule out the #2 possibilities, since they are so unlikely per #3, it's only reasonable to consider the alternative in #1.

Also, I have this question:

• I saw a mention about the 5th wheel being unhitched. Is that confirmed? If so, has RT explained why? If it did happen and we know exactly where, I suspect a search within a two hour drive radius (120 miles?) is in order. Yeah, I know that's 45,000 square miles. Ugh.

 

[Lilibet]

What does it matter what RT's actions were at the gas station? His wife wandered off into the middle of the desert of her own free will. Why put RT under the microscope for something he had nothing to do with?

I’m not the one putting him under the microscope! I’m responding to those who are. Defending him, if you will from those who view his actions and words at the gas station as nefarious.

We don’t know what happened to Barbara.

 

[Lilibet]

I just want to state a few obvious things in the hopes it might help. All my opinion.

1. Either RT is innocent, or not.
2. Assuming RT is innocent, that leaves two general possibilities:
   • After separating from RT, BT got lost on way back to RV, left the trail, and vanished, despite presumably extensive search in open desert terrain.
   • BT got back to RV when someone with nefarious motives happen to arrive and took her.
3. Both possibilities in #2 are extremely unlikely IMHO.
   • If she's dehydrated and disoriented she's not going to make it far in that heat no matter which direction she goes. If she left the trail for some other reason, it wouldn't take long for dehydration and disorientation to set in in that heat without water.
   • This is a desolate road. The odds of some psychopath pulling up there just when she got back to the RV are very, very small. I suppose it's possible some druggie opportunist was in the process of breaking into and stealing from the RV when she arrived, but that too is very unlikely, and that someone like that would take her is even more unlikely.
4. Although we can't completely rule out the #2 possibilities, since they are so unlikely per #3, it's only reasonable to consider the alternative in #1.

Also, I have this question:

• I saw a mention about the 5th wheel being unhitched. Is that confirmed? If so, has RT explained why? If it did happen and we know exactly where, I suspect a search within a two hour drive radius (120 miles?) is in order. Yeah, I know that's 45,000 square miles. Ugh.

Someone asked if he would have unhitched his RV to go into the gas station to get gas. The answer was no.

 

[MassGuy]

What does it matter what RT's actions were at the gas station? His wife wandered off into the middle of the desert of her own free will. Why put RT under the microscope for something he had nothing to do with?

How do we know she wandered off into the middle of the desert of her own free will?

We have a statement from her husband, and not much else to go on.

Not all of us take information like this at face value.

Clearly law enforcement had questions, as they apparently administered a polygraph.

You don’t do that unless you have a reason.

Trust but verify.

 

[cazador]

Reading that and their fb info page, they are really needing more drone pilots in that area.

This is all new to me..
Looking at their member list I found 2 people who live in the area we want searched and I will call both of them. I called the owner of SWARM this morning.. I have no experience with this Drone myself but I have purchased one and I am practicing with it each night when I get home. I would prefer experienced operators. So it takes time to get volunteers to come together unless it is a LE request. He told me about custom software designed by one of his volunteers they use on any video taken, even by the helicopter used by SAR group who has already searched. So if allowed by the sheriff he could start with that. Other then that the request is on their web site and on their Facebook page.. This is where we begin..

 

[Nerissa]

What does it matter what RT's actions were at the gas station? His wife wandered off into the middle of the desert of her own free will. Why put RT under the microscope for something he had nothing to do with?

Ironically enough - RT doesn't think she did as you suggest whatsoever...

He thinks she was abducted

LE doesn't

 

[Kapua]

This is all new to me..
Looking at their member list I found 2 people in the area we want searched and I will call both of them. I called the owner of SWARM this morning.. I have no experience with this Drone myself but I have purchased one and I am practicing with it each night when I get home. I would prefer experienced operators. So it takes time to get volunteers to come together unless it is a LE request. He told me about custom software designed by one of his volunteers they use on any video taken, even by the helicopter used by SAR group who has already searched. So if allowed by the sheriff he could start with that. Other then that the request is on their web site and on their Facebook page.. This is where we begin..

It wouldn't hurt to check with helicopter pilots as well.

 

[Tillicum]

I don't recall seeing any posts from our VI confirming the time as around 2 PM. I saw one that said that LE had confirmed that RT was at that location at the time he said he was - but he told the family around noon, IIRC, and he told LE that he searched for an hour or so. I don't think we know for sure when those photos were taken. We only know that they exist.

There's definitely a chunk of time missing from the timeline, no matter how you slice it.

And yes, RT would have known that LE does not patrol the area, but rather responds when called. IMHO

I tried to read past messages from our VI and couldn't find where he confirmed the 2 pm photo either but I might've missed it.

 

[Richmond]

What does it matter what RT's actions were at the gas station? His wife wandered off into the middle of the desert of her own free will. Why put RT under the microscope for something he had nothing to do with?

Based on your previous comments, I read this as sarcasm. But others seem to be reading it literally.
Unfortunately sarcasm often doesn’t translate well to the written word. I apologize if I’m reading it wrong. If I’m reading it correctly, I agree with you.

 

[10ofRods]

What does it matter what RT's actions were at the gas station? His wife wandered off into the middle of the desert of her own free will. Why put RT under the microscope for something he had nothing to do with?

Well, because our VI mentioned the LE (interested in finding Barbara) stopped by and got the surveillance video. Some people get curious. I agree with you, there's nothing we know except that, apparently the day started out like any normal camping trip...

 

[Cherwell]

Ironically enough - RT doesn't think she did as you suggest whatsoever...

He thinks she was abducted

LE doesn't

We don't know if he thinks that now.
It is understandable that he might have wanted to think it after the early searching failed to find her.

 

[Kapua]

Well, because our VI mentioned the LE (interested in finding Barbara) stopped by and got the surveillance video. Some people get curious. I agree with you, there's nothing we know except that, apparently the day started out like any normal camping trip...

Except that they boarded Lexi, Barb's dog, and they usually brought her along. MOO

 

[CharlestonGal]

We don't know if he thinks that now.
It is understandable that he might have wanted to think it after the early searching failed to find her.

What a strange thing to want to think.