CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #9

[Nikynoo]

Snipped by me:


I did not think it was stated that Barbara was “not allowed” to have a cell phone, just that she didn’t have one. Am I mistaken?

I think it depends on who you talk to.

 

[Nikynoo]

BBM

Looks like it.
Trying to "out think" or "outwit" LE ...

or perhaps that's the legal advice he received? Either way, IMO it explains why RT has not done further interviews.

 

[Nikynoo]

Family suspects foul play in disappearance of Bullhead City woman

Bachman said more searches would be held as new information develops.
___________________

I don't know how I missed that last sentence during the first read-through of the article.

I note that LE is saying more searches will occur as "new information develops" vs. when temperatures cool/conditions are more conducive to searches.

That is a very instructive statement.

JMO.

They said this when they stopped the searches back at the end of July Daily searches suspended for bikini-clad woman who vanished in Mojave Desert.
"Additional searches will be conducted as any additional information is developed in the investigation," the sheriff's office said. "Detectives from the Specialized Investigations Division have assumed the investigation as is standard department policy when a missing person has not been located."

 

[Nikynoo]

<modsnip>

Please, will someone provide exact verbatim quote from LE saying they do "not suspect foul play" and a link? Or vid w those words from LE's mouth. Thanks in adv.
Here's an LE stmt, w exact quote & link, which is not the same as ^.
"...'We don't think she was abducted.... There's no evidence to suggest she was abducted,' spokeswoman Jodi Miller....' *
Maybe some ppl reading this ^ conclude that LE does not suspect foul play?
------------------------------------------------------------------
* From @RANCH, post 241. Thank you, Ranch.
"Here is the quote from the Daily Mail article.
'We don't think she was abducted. It's a very remote area. There's no evidence to suggest she was abducted,' spokeswoman Jodi Miller told DailyMail.com.
California police say missing hiker who vanished 'in her bikini' was NOT abducted | Daily Mail Online " bbm

apologies for the delay @al66pine , I'm in the UK
No direct quote in this article by Leah Pezzetti (the lady who interviewed RT) published on the 5th July and updated on 22 July Man says police think he is a suspect in wife's disappearance

"Authorities showed up with a helicopter and later search dogs, scouring the area to find her, but no trace of her has been found yet. They don’t believe she left by choice, but at this point do not believe there was criminal activity so they’re focusing their efforts on a search and rescue mission."

No direct quote here either (published 17 July) - 69-year-old woman missing after hiking with her husband in California desert
"A spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department told ABC News there is no evidence at this time suggesting foul play."

I will check the Sheriff Department press releases.

 

[Nikynoo]

Why the LE secrecy? I agree that it could be that the pictures don’t show what RT describes. Same with the 911 call. LE wouldn’t make those things public if they are investigating someone. Releasing it to the public wouldn’t help find Barb and could jeopardize their investigation.
JMO

I'm wondering whether she really was abducted, that is one reason that everything would be quiet. HOWEVER, I am sure that LE would share that fact with family (including our VI and Barbara's son), and they would be quiet too?

 

[Nikynoo]

whilst looking for a relevant press release by LE, I came across the Amboy case - Morongo Basin- Missing Person Located Deceased – San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department
snipped and BBM for focus:
"Multiple, large-scale search efforts continued since that day to locate Susan Schmierer and utilized Sheriff’s helicopters, K9 teams, volunteer search and rescue dog teams, Deputies, Detectives, Coroner investigators, and BLM Rangers. Over a dozen Search and Rescue volunteers spent thousands of hours searching for Susan and covered an area of approximately 36 square miles. "
Just a reminder, Susan was not located until 9 months after she went missing.

 

[Nikynoo]

Is this weird or normal? I can find NO press releases for Barbara, but plenty of other missing persons- Search Results for “” – San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department

OK, I have found this via Twitter, but nothing else and certainly nothing since 22 July - July 22nd - The investigation continues into the whereabouts of missing person Barbara Thomas from SBSD - Colorado River Sheriffs Department : Nixle. Also note, the change of 'no sightings of Barbara' (16 July) to 'no evidence of Barbara' (19th July). Might be explained by a change in personnel for twitter updates, maybe not.

 

[MsBetsy]

And I agree that they were talking about searching. I'm not disputing that.

But if they had photos that they were confident placed her where RT said they were, why not publicly acknowledge that? It is very pertinent to the scope of the search - and valuable for searchers to see an image of what she actually looked like that day.

The fact that they haven't said a single public word (if I am not mistaken) about having a photo of BT taken that day in that area really makes me really wonder what they found on them or from them.

Yeah, I don't think LE ever said anything at all about the pictures. All they said in regard to her being there was that the search was conducted based on the last location where Robert saw her. They spent a lot of time and resources looking for her there so they must have believed him.

Maybe if a reporter had specifically asked about the pictures they would have made a comment about the pictures, but the media never showed much of an interest in the case.
We still don't know if the picture on the missing persons poster is from that day or not, but maybe they did show the searchers another picture of her and we just don't know. But I think they knew what to look for, and even without a picture if they found anything at all it would have helped. Even if they found a piece of clothing that did not match the description of what she was wearing they would have looked into it, I would think.
At first the VI just assumed they had pictures of her there, and later on confirmed that they said they did have pictures of her at around 2:00 pm. That would make sense if he called 911 at around 3:00.

Imo

 

[MsBetsy]

<modsnip>

Please, will someone provide exact verbatim quote from LE saying they do "not suspect foul play" and a link? Or vid w those words from LE's mouth. Thanks in adv.
Here's an LE stmt, w exact quote & link, which is not the same as ^.
"...'We don't think she was abducted.... There's no evidence to suggest she was abducted,' spokeswoman Jodi Miller....' *
Maybe some ppl reading this ^ conclude that LE does not suspect foul play?
------------------------------------------------------------------
* From @RANCH, post 241. Thank you, Ranch.
"Here is the quote from the Daily Mail article.
'We don't think she was abducted. It's a very remote area. There's no evidence to suggest she was abducted,' spokeswoman Jodi Miller told DailyMail.com.
California police say missing hiker who vanished 'in her bikini' was NOT abducted | Daily Mail Online " bbm

Well, I don't know how to link it, but in a video posted in the media thread from July 19th, the reporter says,
"Investigators say the questions they asked Robert are standard for missing persons investigations, stressing they do not suspect foul play in this case."

It's on the first page, post number 6.

 

[MsBetsy]

Snipped by me:


I did not think it was stated that Barbara was “not allowed” to have a cell phone, just that she didn’t have one. Am I mistaken?

No, that's correct.
The VI explained that when she was given a cell phone in Hong Kong, she had to be taught how to use it.
Because she wanted to stay in a hotel, her family apparently insisted that she have one.
When she left, she left the cell phone behind.

Then later he said that she had expressed to someone that she always wanted one, but had never gotten one.
Not that she wasn't allowed to have one. Imo

 

[firstsleuth]

Family suspects foul play in disappearance of Bullhead City woman

Finally!!!! AZCentral is widely read here in the Phoenix valley of the sun IMO. Thank you @artsy1 !!!!! Maybe some national news agencies will mention this article...

I followed the reporters link to her Twitter page and did not see much response. Perhaps those here who have twitter accounts might want to give her some positive attention for her well-written article? Comment, like, and share. I just now sent it via FB Messenger to Mike Galanos of HLN, who previously reported on this case.

Here is the link to the reporter’s twitter page:

Chelsea Curtis (@curtis_chels) on Twitter

And here is a screenshot of the reporter’s twitter post:



ETA: I’ve always been a fan of squeaky wheels!

ETA: link to Galanos’ FB page:
Mike Galanos

 

[Rural_PC]

Family suspects foul play in disappearance of Bullhead City woman


"The agency's Specialized Investigations Division has assumed the investigation into Thomas' disappearance, according to Bachman. The department's website states that the Specialized Investigations Division is composed of homicide detail, crimes against children and technology crimes."

homicide and technology crimes...

perhaps forensic analysis of the photographs taken?

 

[10ofRods]

Our VI did not say that Barbara was not allowed to have a cell phone. He said that she didn't much like technology, but that she used RT's phone to call them, with the phone on speaker phone. The family thought nothing of this, apparently and neither did many Websleuthers, who also make family calls on speaker phone.

So the idea that "she was not allowed to have a cell phone" comes entirely, I believe, from forum participants, not the VI, not RT, not MSM. If Matt said this in his interview, I missed it. Matt specifically says they talked on the phone often. I also missed the part where the VI said Barbara had always wanted one.

IOW, she didn't have one, she shared RT's, no one ever said anything about "allowing" Barbara to have a cell phone.

The Az Central article is great. I'll certainly let Chelsea Curtis know I'm grateful for the coverage.

 

[darring21]

Our VI did not say that Barbara was not allowed to have a cell phone. He said that she didn't much like technology, but that she used RT's phone to call them, with the phone on speaker phone. The family thought nothing of this, apparently and neither did many Websleuthers, who also make family calls on speaker phone.

So the idea that "she was not allowed to have a cell phone" comes entirely, I believe, from forum participants, not the VI, not RT, not MSM. If Matt said this in his interview, I missed it. Matt specifically says they talked on the phone often. I also missed the part where the VI said Barbara had always wanted one.

IOW, she didn't have one, she shared RT's, no one ever said anything about "allowing" Barbara to have a cell phone.

The Az Central article is great. I'll certainly let Chelsea Curtis know I'm grateful for the coverage.

Thank you for keeping the board straight on what the facts actually are and your many other contributions.

 

[MsBetsy]

Family suspects foul play in disappearance of Bullhead City woman


"The agency's Specialized Investigations Division has assumed the investigation into Thomas' disappearance, according to Bachman. The department's website states that the Specialized Investigations Division is composed of homicide detail, crimes against children and technology crimes."

homicide and technology crimes...

perhaps forensic analysis of the photographs taken?

Yes, I would think they looked closely at the photographs even before the case was passed along to the SID.
The reason I think they had access to them very early on is because the VI mentioned that when he called RT he was busy looking through photos with LE.
I think it's possible that they were looking through the pictures he and Barbara had taken that day.
I'm not sure what forensic analysis would be needed, other than verifying the dates were correct and had not been manipulated, or that the pictures matched the location where they were. Imo

 

[LAhiker]

Yeah, I don't think LE ever said anything at all about the pictures. All they said in regard to her being there was that the search was conducted based on the last location where Robert saw her. They spent a lot of time and resources looking for her there so they must have believed him.

Maybe if a reporter had specifically asked about the pictures they would have made a comment about the pictures, but the media never showed much of an interest in the case.
We still don't know if the picture on the missing persons poster is from that day or not, but maybe they did show the searchers another picture of her and we just don't know. But I think they knew what to look for, and even without a picture if they found anything at all it would have helped. Even if they found a piece of clothing that did not match the description of what she was wearing they would have looked into it, I would think.
At first the VI just assumed they had pictures of her there, and later on confirmed that they said they did have pictures of her at around 2:00 pm. That would make sense if he called 911 at around 3:00.

Imo

I think you're right that LE has never said anything publicly about the pictures. I don't know whether any reporters have asked about them.

I agree that it's likely that SAR would've followed up on any scraps of clothing or other clues they might've found in the search area, whether or not they fit RT's description of what BT was wearing.

I could be wrong, but I don't think the VI said that LE said that the photos were taken around 2pm. I think he said that LE told him that the photos confirmed that RT/BT were where and when RT said they were. But we don't know exactly where & when that was. 2pm may be an estimate arrived at by working backwards from the 3:26 911 call and RT's statement that he searched for about an hour before calling 911.

JMO

 

[MsBetsy]

I think you're right that LE has never said anything publicly about the pictures. I don't know whether any reporters have asked about them.

I agree that it's likely that SAR would've followed up on any scraps of clothing or other clues they might've found in the search area, whether or not they fit RT's description of what BT was wearing.

I could be wrong, but I don't think the VI said that LE said that the photos were taken around 2pm. I think he said that LE told him that the photos confirmed that RT/BT were where and when RT said they were. But we don't know exactly where & when that was. 2pm may be an estimate arrived at by working backwards from the 3:26 911 call and RT's statement that he searched for about an hour before calling 911.

JMO

Oh, ok, I thought I remembered 2:00 pm for some reason. I remember thinking that did not match with the time Robert told his family that he decided to call after looking for her. (around noon)
But of course we really don't know anything for sure since nothing has been verified by LE. Imo

 

[10ofRods]

I do remember a post that said 2 pm, also (for the photo). But I believe the post was deleted.

What we do know from our VI is that LE told him that they had a photo showing that she was in the Mojave Preserve that day (I don't think it was ever specifically said "She was at Kelbaker/HH" rather that "She was out there" (in the area where they searched).

If Barbara had collapsed from heat exhaustion (or simply gotten dizzy and sat down more than a mile from the road and then RT lost sight of her), the search started in the wrong place.

One explanation for RT's words on camera regarding being a suspect would be that he felt/feels very guilty. Many husbands would. Many would have a hard time admitting they had lost their (vulnerable) wife in the desert. Maybe she went to sit down nearby, maybe they were way further out in the desert, but both are hard for him to admit (she was feeling a bit tired or unwell, in 100-104F heat, he put taking a picture above staying at her side, etc). People do rewrite things in their heads in order to feel better, that's for sure. And some people have very hard time admitting they were wrong as the real story would still be in their heads. This would also explain the polygraph issues. I think we all know people like this, they're not uncommon (can't admit to any sort of error on their own part, it's always the other person's fault).

If he lost sight of her further out in the desert, looked (panicked) for an hour, then went back to the RV and she wasn't there either, that's an entirely different scenario, would have been an entirely different search.

 

[oviedo]

Well, I don't know how to link it, but in a video posted in the media thread from July 19th, the reporter says,
"Investigators say the questions they asked Robert are standard for missing persons investigations, stressing they do not suspect foul play in this case."

It's on the first page, post number 6.

@MsBetsy
Is this the post?
San Bernardino County Sheriff on Twitter
The search for Barbara Thomas, age 69, is continuing in the area of Kelbaker/ Hidden Hills near the I-40
1:12 PM - 17 Jul 2019

JUL 19, 2019
Video: The search continues for 69-year-old hiker Barbara Thomas
At the end of this video, the reporter says, "Investigators say the questions they asked RT are standard for missing person investigations stressing they do not suspect foul play in this case."

JUL 19, 2019
Video: Husband of missing 69-year-old hiker says police consider him a suspect

• SBCSO says they are not releasing any information about the missing person investigation and interviews with family members.
• Authorities also say they have no evidence the woman was abducted nor have they found any trace of her.
• Rescuers resumed the search at daybreak using off-road vehicles, K9 units, hikers, and aerial support.
• Authorities are unaware of how long RT and BT were separated before she disappeared nor do they know how far she was from the RV at the time.
• Officials also say that they are unaware of any medical conditions that may have caused BT to become disoriented or lost.

 

[LietKynes]

It was RT who was helping Barbara sell her house when they met.
Barbara's family are the ones who said she wasn't allowed to have a phone while at home after marrying RT.
Her son and nephew (?) let her use a burner phone while she was in HongKong visiting her brother and family.
She apparently wasn't able to use a phone when with RT.

No one knows why.
Although one could guess.

This was discussed in previous threads and seemed to 'stand out' to some.
A sort of red flag ?
Imo.

Iirc, it was her son who said she wasn't allowed to have a phone ; either in his msm interview or before this.
Take it with a grain of salt... as MS tends to ramble on quite a bit.
He (MS) said he and Barbara communicated via computer.
I'd take that to mean over email or FB messaging.