CA CA - Bob Harrod, 81, Orange County, 27 July 2009 - #18

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I just saw Bob's episode on Disappeared and came here to read more about it. I was hoping to find out what the overall opinion was of the websleuthers but found that there's 18 pages. That's just a bit too much reading for me! Anyhow, the show seems to point the evidence in one direction - is that the prevailing thought here too? Bob and Fontelle seemed like such a nice couple, it's so sad that they couldn't spend their last years together.
 
Coffeelover said:
I just saw Bob's episode on Disappeared and came here to read more about it. I was hoping to find out what the overall opinion was of the websleuthers but found that there's 18 pages. That's just a bit too much reading for me! Anyhow, the show seems to point the evidence in one direction - is that the prevailing thought here too? Bob and Fontelle seemed like such a nice couple, it's so sad that they couldn't spend their last years together.
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Welcome to Bob's thread! What was your take on where the show pointed the evidence?
 
What was your take on where the show pointed the evidence?
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Son-in-law and daughters. There wasn't anything suspicious about Fontelle IMO. On the other hand where would three (or one of them) middle-class, middle-aged women and man, get rid of a body so successfully? Different story if they were a mob family or similar.
 
Thank you for your reply, coffee lover.

Some of the things we know to be true:
SIL had a vehicle with a drop down trunk that was virtually hidden from view. Hypothetically, transporting Mr Harrod in this trunk would make it much easier to stop drop and dump at a myriad of places.
The timeline is wide open given that the alarm was not sounded until JuM contacted Mrs Harrod 1800 miles away around midnight Central Time to tell her that her husband had disappeared....some time between 10AM and 1PM west coast time. (Even then, it was Mrs Harrod that called in an incident report and then a missing person's report. No one else bothered.)
I think it is reasonable to believe that there might be someone else physically involved in transporting Mr Harrod, so that may widen up his location even more. SIL is limited to a degree by the arrival of the cleaning lady.

I also think background for the principals is a key part of all of this. For example, JeM changed his name at some point during his lifetime and we also know that his wife has claimed a myriad of things regarding his history that might include criminal activity- ie that he was a draft dodger who single handedly assaulted 4 FBI agents or some such story. This would certainly have resulted in jail or prison, so I am assuming there is a record for him out there.
 
Coffeelover said:
Son-in-law and daughters. There wasn't anything suspicious about Fontelle IMO. On the other hand where would three (or one of them) middle-class, middle-aged women and man, get rid of a body so successfully? Different story if they were a mob family or similar.
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It's my belief he was taken not far to the grandson's or up to JeM and JuMs property, then "cremated" (based on JuM detailed online posts to her community forum) and scattered in the same spot their mother was.
 
There are so many little details to this case that are so chilling. Anyone remember the "widow maker" tree discussion?
 
I thought it was laughable that (the person claiming to be) Bob's youngest daughter Julie boasted on Rim of The World that her husband was a draft dodger, and meanwhile....

her sister Roberta (or someone claiming to be) who obviously hadn't seen the post, insisted it wasn't true when asked about it elsewhere.

It would be interesting to know if the daughters' versions of what happened around the time of Bob's disappearance diverge - but that's the one subject they all studiously avoid. It's like Robert Merle Harrod never existed. Except his money's still here and very real, of course.
 
Ah, widowmakers are Eucalyptus, so-called because of their propensity to drop branches on people's heads.

Interesting to see they were taken to CA by Australians, during the gold rush. Someone rushed to collect a bag of Bob's gold (Krugerrands) after he went missing. His daughter Julie, I think. Gold and 'things' aren't usually what family members concentrate on, when a loved one goes missing. But each to his/her own, I guess.

Hopefully those Australians brought a little of their sense of fair play along with them too, because Australians have been very supportive of the search for Bob. It would be nice to see a little more 'local' support for Bob though. Even if it's as far away as Monrovia, Cypress, Running Springs etc.

'In the 1850s many Australians traveled to California to take part in the California Gold Rush. Much of California has similar climate to parts of Australia, and some people had the idea of introducing eucalyptus. By the early 1900s thousands of hectares of eucalyptus were planted with the encouragement of the state government. It was hoped that they would provide a renewable source of timber for construction and furniture making. However this did not happen partly because the trees were cut when they were too young and partly because the Americans did not know how to process the cut trees to prevent the wood from twisting and splitting'

http://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus#California
 
I bet Angelo will have it somewhere, but JuM referenced a connection between her father and the widow maker that is on the Michael's property at RS.

Zwie, it is interesting that you state "the person claiming to be" Jules on ROTW. Do you think it isn't JuM posting over there? The poster certainly has self identified quite clearly. If not JuM who do you think it might be?
 
Oh no, I'm quite certain it's Julie Michaels posting there. She is quite unique. I just thought I had to put a 'disclaimer' here on WS. But I can probably stop now, as it seems it's generally accepted IntuitiveJules is who she claims to be.
 
In my opinion only, if Bob Harrod had been disposed of in a way in which he could never, ever be found, there would have been less paranoia about the search for him, from certain quarters. That's why I think he's still findable.
 
More geography for Frank Girardot of the San Gabriel Valley newspaper to cover....
 
Thank you for that reminder Laughing. That's stopped me worrying a little.
 
zwiebel said:
'Widowmakers' are beautiful trees that make light forests, rather than the black ones I'm used to. But the nickname is just horrible. :(

http://jacklondonpark.com/jack-london-eucalyptus.html
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JuM posted in July of 2011 on her community forum:

My father did admire our Coulter pine that is now half burned. I will dedicate it to my dad, until he is returned or recovered.

THE COULTER PINE
is the heaviest pine cone in the world!!! They can weigh up to 10 pounds or more (where is the biggest one)? These cones can be deadly if they fall on your head. Old time loggers called them “widow makers” because they killed loggers when cones fell. The Indians also ate the pine nuts.

He loved sitting on our balcony with his little Pomeranian on his lap, I would wrap him in blankets and he would recline and fall asleep listening to the crickets and enjoyed the silence and solitude. I have some wonderful photos of him on our balcony. Oh the wonderful memories.
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http://rimoftheworld.net/discuss/166/4013
 
TY Angelo, that was the one. Dedicating a half burned widow maker to her father.
 
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