CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #8

[lolafaith]

Seeing as no one saw them walking around the desert, it is possible that RT had arranged to meet someone there, isn't it? And that this third party was involved in whatever happened to Barbara? Their car/truck could have been parked across the road or anywhere nearby?

What if he had arranged a meet for some kind of a deal - something went wrong, and the person/persons grabbed Barbara? Would that scenario work in line with his comments that she could have been taken and might be in Vegas?

Thoughts?

 

[campbellsouup]

@lolafaith I've been thinking around that scenario as fell. It would certainly require whatever the meeting was to be super illegal or possibly embarrassing for RT to not mention it. Did find the connections to MLM scheme / unknown plane ownership a bit odd though. IMO it's a bit of a stretch, still.

 

[Curiousobserver]

Ha! Unfortunately this question is a bit of landmine.

I agree with what you are saying about the difficulty of burial, and the need for the area to be accessible by vehicle.

Another factor to consider is the time constraint, assuming that Barb was seen alive that day.

She likely isn’t all that far from where they allegedly went hiking, atleast in regards to driving distance.

If this is foul play, the key is figuring out the last time she was independently spotted, and working outwards from there.

Yep-

Assuming there are pictures of her on-site, others have agreed he had at most 3.5 hrs or as little as 1.5 hours. Enough time to go pretty far, but considering what he was driving, and what he was doing there are probably some likely nearby spots people who know that area could point out. You can't take that rig just anywhere and they measure fuel consumption in gallons per mile not miles per gallon. He would have needed to stop for gas again.

Assuming there are no pictures then he has 7ish hours and the sky is the limit. Definitely 1 or more gas stops that could be verified.

If this were pre-planned, as in I took some pictures on a camera with the wrong date to establish a false timeline then I would expect is behavior afterward to have been much more "perfect".

 

[GordianKnot]

The timing of those pictures would have to be confirmed in order for me to buy it.

So the pictures would have to have been definitively taken when he says he took them, and they would have to prove that Barb is there.

Otherwise, the time frame would be pushed to the left.

We know LE has pushed that time frame waaaay left. They're interested in footage from 9 am that day, and I suspect they're working even further back than that.

Clearly, LE wants to determine when and where the last known independent sighting of BT occurred.

They wouldn't be at the gas station asking questions and collecting surveillance footage, otherwise.

Once LE's determined time (and location) of last independent sighting, they'll focus in on the existing window of time b/t that and the 3:26 pm 911 call.

JMO.

 

[MassGuy]

We know LE has pushed that time frame waaaay left. They're interested in footage from 9 am that day, and I suspect they're working even further back than that.

Clearly, LE wants to determine when and where the last known independent sighting of BT occurred.

They wouldn't be at the gas station asking questions and collecting surveillance footage, otherwise.

Once LE's determined that, they'll focus in on whatever window of time exists b/t last independent sighting of her and the 3:26 pm 911 call.

JMO.

Hell, they wouldn’t be asking for footage period, if they believed that Barb was simply lost in the desert.

They aren’t buying the narrative here.

Clearly.

 

[MsBetsy]

If BT fell down a steep slope miles distant from where they were walking when RT said she disappeared, and perished from the fall and/or heat, would her death be considered 'natural causes'?

If there was no proof that anyone was with her or caused her to fall or left her alone and incapacitated or dead on purpose?

Just wondering in terms of 'COD-speak' if her body is found at the bottom of a ravine, mine, canyon rim, rockslide, rock formation, etc., and no evidence can be found as to why or how she fell, if 'natural causes' would be on the coroners' certificate, or something else like "mechanical failure" (medical term meaning someone tripped or fell) or "unknown", and how these different CODs may affect payout on any life insurance policy in BT's name?
MOO

I would think in that case the manner of death would be accidental, not natural causes. Imo

 

[GordianKnot]

*DBM

 

[campbellsouup]

If this were pre-planned, as in I took some pictures on a camera with the wrong date to establish a false timeline then I would expect is behavior afterward to have been much more "perfect".

BBM, human process that could account for this variance - remorse/regret.
MOO

 

[1&2&3]

People are very good at putting on a deceptive face regarding the true going on in their marriage.

People are also excellent at hiding in their words what the marriage is like.

In this marriage, we can’t talk with Barbara. Clues that something was amiss have been mentioned, no car, no cell phone, no separate email account, she and RT were always together etc. it seems she was not allowed a free moment by herself. RT watched or controlled every moment of her life.

If so, she may have settled for it as it was better than being divorced, living as a single lady at her age on a low social security. Or, even having to work for minimal wage just to exist.

One point that has really bothered me is RT telling about the ‘Love Notes’ BT left on or under his pillow. A very sweet jesture but why when he seemed to always be with
her, perhaps smothering her?

Had he been mean to BT, either mentally or physically? Was RT the type of man who needed constant ego attention and was a me-me person? Was it easier for BT to not argue with him, let him be downgrading and demeaning?

I know of a personal story currently happening, 50 year marriage, wife is a year into a stroke recovery, bed bound, and he is mean as a devil to her! Wouldn’t visit often in nursing home, call or answer her calls. Yet only her life long friends know! All others think how good he is to her.

Therefore, all is not what is pictured in talking with either one. My belief is that is what the case was in the Thomas marriage. RT. was a narcissist, ruler, controller. Whatever happened, he knows why BT is gone! JMO! MOO!

 

[Tillicum]

JMO but I don't think this was pre-planned or was done for an insurance pay out. IMO if Barbara wasn't abducted and didn't get lost/injured/ill and died from exposure, then I think they were both stressed out and someone lost their temper.

 

[Twistinginthewind]

JMO but I don't think this was pre-planned or was done for an insurance pay out. IMO if Barbara wasn't abducted and didn't get lost/injured/ill and died from exposure, then I think they were both stressed out and someone lost their temper.

I think BT's disappearance was pre-planned, and happened the weekend before she went overseas alone to be with her family for a reason.

The timing of her disappearing right before a major trip to be with family, when she had no family or friends locally, has always stuck with me.

Just like the timing of a visit with a family member was coming up for Erin Corwin, who had no family locally when she disappeared in the desert in SB County the week before her mother was coming to visit her in Twenty Nine Palms. She had a 'mighty secret' (she was pregnant) only known to her and her (married) lover, who killed her right before her mother came to visit. Although he later confessed he did it to keep his wife from finding out about their affair, her death was pre-planned by him, presumably, IMO, to make sure that face to face upcoming time with a close family member would not occur during which she might let the cat out of the bag.

In BT's case, I think there was something about RT or his activities or some unhealthy aspect of their relationship that he suspected she was going to share with her family while away from him that he decided he didn't want to risk her sharing with them.

ETA: So he planned her disappearance, either by himself, or with the help of others, or left her somewhere vulnerable where she would be disappeared by others without directly implicating himself. Time will tell, I believe LE is making progress in this direction, and hope Barbara will be found soon.

MOO

 

[dbdb11]

I don't understand why media hasn't requested the release of the 911 call. It's like they have no interest in this case. Maybe we could all contact that Indiana news station that interviewed Barb's son and request an update on the case and possible 911 release?

police have already returned my public info request. it was denied on the grounds that investigation is active, and release of call could compromise investigation in someway.

 

[dbdb11]

Can you provide a link as to LE stating this is a death, is suspicious, or that they are still investigating? I'm not aware that they have commented any any of these factors?

Amateur speculation and opinion

the 'missing persons' investigation is still active. police have been very careful about what they state publicly, so i am inclined to believe i should leave it at that.

 

[Blue Ridge]

the 'missing persons' investigation is still active. police have been very careful about what they state publicly, so i am inclined to believe i should leave it at that.

Glad to hear it confirmed by LE that it's still an active investigation!

 

[LietKynes]

police have already returned my public info request. it was denied on the grounds that investigation is active, and release of call could compromise investigation in someway.

Emph mine
Thanks, @dbdb11 .

Best news in a long time.
This is not a cold case , and LE are looking at someone(s).

 

[Tillicum]

police have already returned my public info request. it was denied on the grounds that investigation is active, and release of call could compromise investigation in someway.

Thanks for the update DB. If you're wondering why it's so quiet in here now, we're all sitting on our hands.

 

[noel leon]

the 'missing persons' investigation is still active. police have been very careful about what they state publicly, so i am inclined to believe i should leave it at that.

Ohh dbdb11 , I am so sorry that this is looking like , well ,what you have been suspecting.Makes me cry a tear for you and your family...

now I have dried my eyes , I AM ANGRY!!!!!

 

[MassGuy]

Ohh dbdb11 , I am so sorry that this is looking like , well ,what you have been suspecting.Makes me cry a tear for you and your family...

now I have dried my eyes , I AM ANGRY!!!!!

To play devils advocate (which I genuinely am, because I agree), keeping an investigation open and pursuing a case as if it may be a homicide, isn’t all that unusual.

Just because law enforcement might be playing this close to the vest, and treating Rob with suspicion, doesn’t mean that this was in fact foul play.

They just need to keep that door open, because a mistake could prove very costly down the road.

You only get one shot to get this right.

For the record, I don’t believe a word of what I just wrote.

 

[mickey2942]

Oddly, my friend who lives in Las Vegas, hasn't heard much about this. Is that because it happened in California?

 

[MassGuy]

Oddly, my friend who lives in Las Vegas, hasn't heard much about this. Is that because it happened in California?

Hell, I doubt many people in California even know about it.

This case received some coverage early on, but has gone dead quiet since.

Also, there was another missing hiker case around the same time, and I think some people have conflated the two.