CA CA - Bryce Laspisa, 19, Castaic, 30 Aug 2013 - #7

[docbh]

So he dumps his truck, but leaves the stuff he bothered to take in the first place? That is where you lose me. Unless he intended to make his parents even more frantic. Leaving the stuff behind is more ominous to me.

You leave the laptop and cell phone because you're a tech savvy kid and you figure either one could be used to track you. That fits with the theory he was trying to disappear, IMO. You figure you leave them in the car and they all disappear in the lake. Rolling the SUV throws a wrench into all that.

 

[McSpy]

Yeah, it does seem to imply Bryce wrecked his own vehicle with the stuff in it.

But here is another possiblity that I am sure was mentioned before.
What if he met someone in town who did him harm before that last drive to the lake. If a transient killed him in a fight or something and just wanted to get rid of evidence, he may have dumped Bryce anywhere along some road, and then went back to the lake just to dump the vehicle. He may have known the vehicle would be found right away by LE, so he made it look like a wreck. He could have hid the body much easier somewhere else before dumping the truck. He may not have wanted to keep bryce with the truck because of how he killed him would have been analyzed and he may have known they would realize he didnt die from the car wreck.

But I think I agree with you that IMO, I think it may have just been Bryce himself during the wreck. The main reason is the blood found in truck was identified to be his. I do think the blood was probably from glass or something during the wreck.

Didn't the dogs track Bryce's scent from the SUV? This suggests he was in the vehicle.

 

[AmandaFast]

I think the accident was an accident in the sense of that he didn't mean to roll it. I think he was trying to sink it into the lake.

I also agree and totally think it was all the tracking and following tactics that made him freak out. I wouldn't be happy if someone was following my every move either especially not at 19.

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[Hatfield]

Didn't the dogs track Bryce's scent from the SUV? This suggests he was in the vehicle.

Yeah, IMO, I think I am settling with the theory that he was in the vehicle when it wrecked. The blood seems to really indicate that to me.

 

[McSpy]

Except technically, no one saw him in Castaic at all.

Of course the dogs did track his scent there, but what they tracked showed he walked away from his vehicle, around the lake edge, across the dam and then away from the lake altogether, back down toward suburban Castaic and back near the 5 fwy.

To me, that indicates (unless he retraced his steps backwards back the exact way he left his vehicle, with no deviation from that path, or unless there was error with the dogs who tracked his scent), he got in a vehicle around where his scent disappeared, near the freeway.



I was just looking at a map. Bryce's scent path away from Castaic was neither on Lake Hughes Road, nor any main road in the area. He walked in areas where there weren't many roadways, until he approached his last spot. So he truly could have avoided patrolling police, easily.

And since his car was down an embankment, off a main road but it may have been hard to see from
a car driving on Lake Hughes Road.

In other news, I have submitted the video to the family for approval. There are some audio issues near the end but my biggest complaint is the length - 5 minutes. More than twice the length I wanted. I think that's a problem when it comes to holding the attention of 18 to 25 year olds, who were my target for the video. But it's hard to cut it down once you get everything together and edited!

And some of you might get annoyed that, despite the length, I didn't add too much detail. But I didn't want to overload people. I just wanted to get Bryce out there and known by more people. I hope the video helps with that. If it doesn't require much editing, hopefully we can link it soon.

As far as the video, I suggest that you say the most important info in the first 30 seconds and then repeat it at the end. In my experience, people have short attention spans with online videos—as you suspected!

 

[Mazer]

When I went to the area and followed his path I walked to the 7/11 and it's only about a 40 minute walk and I walk slow as hell lol. If he leaves his car in once piece then they know he ran off. I don't think he wanted anyone to know he was running off.

I also don't think that was the plan. The plan was to spend the weekend away and then check in until his mom tracked him. I think he was tired and coming down off Adderall and made a rash decision. I think if it weren't for all the media attention that he may have come back. However it was critical they get involved so it stinks. I think by now he realized he's made a horrible mistake but he doesn't know how to come home .

I still absolutely consider him missing despite thinking he purposely is missing. I think he was 19 years old and a decision like this at 19 isn't rational and even if he made it intentionally I don't think he was thinking straight. So despite him probably doing this intentionally in my mind I think he still 100% needs to be found.

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I think Amanda is more correct than not. I also believe the sightings in Oregon are more probable than not and those were about three weeks after the crash.

Nineteen year olds both men and women, but men more obviously can be really dunderheaded at times.

 

[SDHELPS]

I think the accident was an accident in the sense of that he didn't mean to roll it. I think he was trying to sink it into the lake.

I also agree and totally think it was all the tracking and following tactics that made him freak out. I wouldn't be happy if someone was following my every move either especially not at 19.

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After the unusual behavior 3 days prior I think it was the icing on the cake in terms of breaking.

I would feel a lot more confident about this if we could get information as to why LE says he is not in the lake and it's no longer a place to search. ARGH~

The important thing is he needs to be found and I think with a larger scale media attack (not just L.A.) someone will come forward with information. If he IS OUT THERE...more than one person knows!

 

[Hatfield]

I think the accident was an accident in the sense of that he didn't mean to roll it. I think he was trying to sink it into the lake.

I also agree and totally think it was all the tracking and following tactics that made him freak out. I wouldn't be happy if someone was following my every move either especially not at 19.

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Thanks for the reply. It definitely seems to be a plausible theory.

I especially agree that Bryce probably was fed up with being on a tight leash and being tracked down. Remember his reaction when the service man called home, and Bryce said in the background something like "yeah I was sleeping" or something like that. It seemed he didnt even want to get on the phone at that point, and just let the service man talk to her. That kind of spoke volumes right there.

 

[McSpy]

What determines if a photo was geotagged? Is it something the phone's camera does automatically? I'm guessing that regular cameras, or at least slightly older cameras, don't geotag as that is the kind of picture I was trying.

My iphone geotags, but I'm not sure it does if I turn off "Location Services."

I have a camcorder, which has a gps too, but that also can be turned off. Some cameras have them, some don't, but I'm seeing it more often in newer cameras, especially the higher end.

 

[Mazer]

Hey, thanks for the links! I think the thread is just going a but slow these days. Sadly. But you certainly cleared up some confusion. Thank you.





I was talking to a guy I know, age 25, about this case. He immediately thought foul play, which I never seriously considered. He talked about how he and his friends were at a rest stop along the 5 when one went into the bathroom, alone. He was intercepted there by a man in camo, holding a large knife, who just stared at him and began menacing him. He called out, "Hey, hey! What the [cuss word] and his friends started calling out, "What's up? Are you okay?" and running toward the bathroom. When the man heard the buddies coming, he took off into the dark.

Sometimes crooks don't want your stuff. They want you.

But what of all the people who stop at the rest stops along I5 who are not involved in any incident what so ever. I suspect the probability of encountering the above situation is very low.

 

[pinkshoemama]

Woe I see your evidence and appreciate it but I dunno. I still don't know that we know he was going home. In a few articles it states that his mom had no clue he was on his way home until the gas texted her a survey about the assistance. She called him once she got that text and he didn't answer.

She was extremely worried so she called Christian and asked him to go check on him. He said he was sleeping. Hours go by and still no call from him so she calls the police now to check on him. They find him at a different location near a motel and do a wellness check and tell him to call his mom. He calls his mom and tells her he's on the way home and was tired.

This whole thing screams to me that he didn't want his mom knowing what he was doing or where he was going. He tells her he's going home to make her happy and calm her down.

However the truth of the matter is that the 5 freeway was his way to pretty much go anywhere from his school. He could have pretty much gone anywhere from the 5 including out of state.

I think if you look at the facts (this is at everyone now not Woe) that you will see that its very unlikely foul play or him going home. If he was really going home he would be calling his mom and telling her he's on he way and communicating with her. His parents did say that he would never run off and not call. Well if he was never the type to make his parents worry then why did he go hours and hours without answering a phone call from his mom and only calling her when the police tell him to?

He only called her that he was getting off in Castaic because he knew she would call the police again and ping him. He was buying time in Castaic to get a new ride and get out of there. He pulls off the road for 2 hours waiting for his ride to come and when they are just about to get there he starts looking for a place to dump the car.

He dumps the car and then walks to the area near the 7/11 where his ride is waiting for him and he takes off.


JMO, MOO

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"Thanks" is not enough. Agree with your theory 1000%.

 

[nikb]

I think the accident was an accident in the sense of that he didn't mean to roll it. I think he was trying to sink it into the lake.

I also agree and totally think it was all the tracking and following tactics that made him freak out. I wouldn't be happy if someone was following my every move either especially not at 19.

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Same here... heck even in my early 30s I took off for almost a week one time and no one knew where I was going (me either, I just started driving). My family knew I was extremely stressed out at the time and I'm sure they were worried, but I tried to reassure them before I left that I was fine just needed some time to myself. Had they sent the police to check on me or tell me to call them, I would've been extremely ticked off. I don't envy parents of kids that age away at college, and the kids themselves for that matter. They're in such a grey area when it comes to boundaries, freedom (but not too much), staying in touch vs. "cutting the apron strings" so to speak, the kids wanting to be independent but still relying somewhat on the parents, etc. It's a hard balancing act even in a good frame of mind. Add in extra stressors such as moving, relationship changes, etc. and man... it's a lot. I've got quite a bit more life experience under my belt than Bryce does and it stresses me out when I really try to get into what his mindset might've been like during those few days.

 

[McSpy]

I think the accident was an accident in the sense of that he didn't mean to roll it. I think he was trying to sink it into the lake.

I also agree and totally think it was all the tracking and following tactics that made him freak out. I wouldn't be happy if someone was following my every move either especially not at 19.

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Possible, but why not keep the vehicle? Why not drive it to Oregon and then dump it in a lake there? I'm more inclined to think he was just trying to get around the gates, but anything is possible. I guess it is hard to know what he was thinking, because we don't know him.

 

[mck16]

I think the accident was an accident. In his dazed or injured state he set off to go get help fully intending to come back and get the car. That is why he left all his things there. While walking to get out of the park he either passed out or had an accident while walking. I think they might find him somewhere around the lake or in it. jmo

 

[Woe.be.gone]

My head is swimming in circles now.
Before I go, I want to add that I don't or never did believe Bryce was headed home on Thursday but I believe, due to early reports, that is what his parents believed and stated so to various media outlets and the sheriff's office people/LE.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/05/burned-body-found-bryce-l_n_3873887.html
"vanished about a week ago on the way to visit his parents in LN."
"His parents became worried that he hadn't arrived the next day,"

http://fox40.com/local-news/stories/sierra-college-student-goes-missing-in-socal/
Third article down at link above.
"Laspisa had been driving home from Sierra College, the school he attended outside of Sacramento, when he told his mother on the phone he was too tired to drive. That was about 2 a.m. Friday, August 30."

This same article reports that an underwater search of the lake was still being conducted on Thursday.

http://napervillesun.suntimes.com/news/laspisa-NAP-09062013:article
"His parents believe he was driving to Orange County to visit them when he vanished, authorities said."

Why is there a discrepancy as to what Bryce's parents thought regarding Bryce's intentions on Thursday?
Will someone please show me a link that leads them to believe otherwise? Not to show what B was actually doing but what his parents believed he was doing as their initial comments indicate.

http://sheriff.lacounty.gov/wps/por...low+vehicle+found+near+castaic+lake++lasd+scv
The Sheriff's statement makes the same claim that Bryce's family members believe that Bryce was driving from Northern California to where they live in Orange County to see them.

 

[SDHELPS]

Possible, but why not keep the vehicle? Why not drive it to Oregon and then dump it in a lake there? I'm more inclined to think he was just trying to get around the gates, but anything is possible. I guess it is hard to know what he was thinking, because we don't know him.

The vehicle was registered/owned by the parents. So if he were to take a trip out of state I'm sure he would have still been reported missing, hence getting pinged and perhaps the family would report the car stolen if he was not answering the calls. JMO :twocents:

 

[McSpy]

Same here... heck even in my early 30s I took off for almost a week one time and no one knew where I was going (me either, I just started driving). My family knew I was extremely stressed out at the time and I'm sure they were worried, but I tried to reassure them before I left that I was fine just needed some time to myself. Had they sent the police to check on me or tell me to call them, I would've been extremely ticked off. I don't envy parents of kids that age away at college, and the kids themselves for that matter. They're in such a grey area when it comes to boundaries, freedom (but not too much), staying in touch vs. "cutting the apron strings" so to speak, the kids wanting to be independent but still relying somewhat on the parents, etc. It's a hard balancing act even in a good frame of mind. Add in extra stressors such as moving, relationship changes, etc. and man... it's a lot. I've got quite a bit more life experience under my belt than Bryce does and it stresses me out when I really try to get into what his mindset might've been like during those few days.

Didn't he want to talk to his mom, because something was upsetting him? He had a long drive. Too bad he didn't talk with her indepth over the phone about his problems before he left to drive home. It seems his girlfriend and friends thought he was acting weird and took his keys. Seems like he wanted to drive off at that time.

 

[docbh]

Possible, but why not keep the vehicle? Why not drive it to Oregon and then dump it in a lake there? I'm more inclined to think he was just trying to get around the gates, but anything is possible. I guess it is hard to know what he was thinking, because we don't know him.

If he was trying to disappear, or if he was becoming increasingly agitated with his mom "tracking" him, then it certainly seemed to center on that SUV. The roadside assistance, the police when he was napping, etc etc. There is no telling what that SUV symbolized to him in terms of his relationship with his parents. If he was trying to disappear I can see trying to roll it into the lake. If he was angry, I could also see trying to destroy it as a symbolic act. I still think rolling it was accidental, whatever the circumstances. Get rid of the phone, laptop and car and you're free. Especially if there was any added paranoia...

 

[nikb]

Random thought just came to me... The blood in the vehicle, we're assuming it came from the accident or at least from that day, right? (at least I have been) But do we actually know how old it was? Could he have had a nosebleed the week prior or something and just didn't get it fully cleaned up? I don't know it if matters anyway at this point, I'm just trying to think of anything that might matter.

I am pretty convinced he was alone and in the vehicle at 2:00ish am when he talked to his Mom and the car was seen on camera right where it should've been based on what he told her. If the blood found was a few hours old I'm thinking it's either from the crash or foul play. If it was older, it opens up a couple of other possibilities in my mind - albeit unlikely possibilities.

 

[sreshowtime]

IMHO I am afraid Bryce had self harm on his mind, given what has been told about the hours and days preceding the vehicle being found. At least that is how I interpret it. I do wonder if he thought the slope behind the tower was much steeper than it was and that he literally thought he was going to drive off a cliff into the lake. But once he started his descent, it wasn't what he imagined and there was no way to safely stop the forward momentum.

Likewise, I wonder if he was going to leave the vehicle behind that fence and leave on foot, but misjudged the surroundings, and the vehicle possibly 'got away' with him.

I personally am afraid that once the vehicle came to rest, he was able to leave the scene, even in his distressed state, & additionally shook up from the incident, and has made his way on out to a remote, as of yet discovered place, and just hasn't been found yet.

I have a difficult time with the thought of his going to such an extreme to just dump a vehicle in this manner, and leave his stuff, to go take off on some personal quest, unbeknownst to anyone. He could have left the vehicle intact, and his belongings, at other numerous points between college and...home or where ever. And still no one would have been any wiser as to where he might have gone.
He would have to know his parents would be frantic at his missing, and then to compound it by this incident with the vehicle seems rather convoluted.

and I am not personally putting a lot of 'faith' in that 'Bryce going over the dam and to the lagoon and then wherever' trail. That was what, 7 or 9 days out? I would be much more interested in the indications the dogs may have given the very first day. So they went to the 'water' supposedly. But there is land over that direction too. So I can't get too hung up on the water thing myself.

That is some rough terrain, with all sorts of nooks and crannies...very needle in a haystack. And it may take patience, perseverance and a good dose of luck to search thoroughly.

And for someone else to go to such lengths to get rid of the vehicle, if they harmed Bryce...again seems like so many other less risky methods, imho.

I sadly think he just hasn't been located yet, and is some where out in an isolated area along the Upper Lake/Lake Hughes Rd. In the back country if you will....
I truly hope I am wrong. Usually I can come up with quite the 'theories' but I just haven't been able to with this case. My heart just aches that the answer is very sad.
I make no apologies for how I feel and would be elated to know I am completely mistaken.
Where are you Bryce?