CA CA - Bryce Laspisa, 19, Castaic, 30 Aug 2013 - #8

[Solitaryone]

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...0110103_1_east-27th-roads-crash-site-shannons

Not being able to spot a body from the air (or otherwise) always reminds me of the case of Tanya Shannon who, after the car crashed, walked away into a snowy soybean field wearing a red formal dress. She didn't get very far, about three-forths of a mile. Despite early ground and air searches, she wasn't found until almost a month later.
A news helicoper spotted her body just as formal searches were getting underway again.

Strange as she was found not too far away from the crash site.
It's bewildering how the searchers missed her during the first week of organized searches.
The weather and frigid temperatures hindered their efforts.
Still, hard to believe she wasn't found sooner.

I remember that case so well! Every year around the holidays, and every now and then, I still think of this tragedy, and say a prayer for Dale and Tanya Shannon's children.

 

[Trackergd]

At this stage, I don't think aircraft would be of much use, IMO.

If he is still out there it is going to take some very thorough searching which will require a whole lot of man hours, either by a whole lot of people, or over a whole lot of time.

I guess we have had different experiences with air searches. I have had a fair amount of luck with them. Missing hikers in most cases.

The CAP has been more than helpful over the years and unless something has changed, they did not charge a fee. At worst, it might be fuel.

In one case of a SAR drone link in one of the early threads, the high resolution camera on the drone picked up the missing boys hat in a swamp leading to the recovery of the body just as the searchers were packing up

While nothing completely replaces a ground search with trackers and dogs, it can cover a lot of territory in a short time and look for anything obvious.

I would respectfully submit that this is one of an ever shrinking list of options if a continuation of SAR is warranted. Using the CAP Ranger Cadets for ground search is another.

 

[Trackergd]

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...0110103_1_east-27th-roads-crash-site-shannons

Not being able to spot a body from the air (or otherwise) always reminds me of the case of Tanya Shannon who, after the car crashed, walked away into a snowy soybean field wearing a red formal dress. She didn't get very far, about three-forths of a mile. Despite early ground and air searches, she wasn't found until almost a month later.
A news helicoper spotted her body just as formal searches were getting underway again.

Strange as she was found not too far away from the crash site.
It's bewildering how the searchers missed her during the first week of organized searches.
The weather and frigid temperatures hindered their efforts.
Still, hard to believe she wasn't found sooner.

RBBM

Some times searchers get focused on looking for someone upright and forget to check in thickets, under trees, up in trees, in drainage pipes and in ground clutter. It also happens that when a grid area is searched, the team moves on to another area as directed and later the remains are found a few yards past the end of the grid search area. Had they walked a few more feet.....

Sometimes the victim gets into places that searchers do not feel safe in searching and assume that if they cannot access the area safely, the victim would not either.

As much as we would like to think so, ground searches are not 100%.

 

[zwiebel]

I don't like the idea of an ever-shrinking list of search options with the passing of time. That's the only worry about the new strategy that's been adopted. I'd hate to think any chances of Bryce being found are slipping away.

Is it too obscure to think that Bryce may have read about the McStay family's disappearance, because of the FB link? Been inspired to stage his disappearance in a similar manner?

To be honest though, events leading up to his disappearance seem to be erratic and random, and I find it hard to believe there was any advance plan.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

JMO but I never thought there was a ton of media for this case. Certainly not what I think of as high-profile, as far as media attention goes. I hope that if the family decides a media blitz is the next step, they are able to get their (media's) interest. Bryce does not fit a profile, IMO, generally appealing to media.

I think getting national media attention for this case would be extraordinarily difficult. Like you said, he doesn't fit the profile that appeals to the media. But also, this case is almost three months old and there's no new developments. Even most high-profile cases aren't being reported on regularly in the media at this point. I also think the theories of what happened to Bryce (runaway, amnesia, killed in accident, suicide) are ones that do not appeal to the media at all. There's a hopeful part of me that thinks that at least one media outlet would give the case a segment, but it wouldn't surprise me if they get no replies from trying to do a media blitz.

 

[zwiebel]

I'm a bit more optimistic.

Eternal optimist. That's what comes of trying to find Bob Harrod.

Might have to try a hundred media outlets if the time comes, and maybe one will pay off, but that's all that matters. If there is a will (especially if it comes from loved ones) there will be a way to get Bryce's name up there again, I believe.

 

[RDW]

I don't like the idea of an ever-shrinking list of search options with the passing of time. That's the only worry about the new strategy that's been adopted. I'd hate to think any chances of Bryce being found are slipping away.

Is it too obscure to think that Bryce may have read about the McStay family's disappearance, because of the FB link? Been inspired to stage his disappearance in a similar manner?

To be honest though, events leading up to his disappearance seem to be erratic and random, and I find it hard to believe there was any advance plan.

Above BBM.

There is no doubt that something happened in Bryce's life or was happening in his life that he recognized as needing corrected. The quick fix was to get the heck out of Dodge and to a safe haven (home perhaps?)...The seemingly randomness of his movements, sporadic communication and loitering nature of his 30 plus hour travels leads me to believe that he was trying to delay the inevitable...Confronting Mom and Dad with _______________! There is a hundred different things that could be put in the blank. I'm pretty sure more than a few kids have left school in this exact scenario simply because they miss Mommy. Embarrassing, yes. Uncommon, not close.

As a youth, If I got into some kind of trouble...I don't don't remember ever taking a short cut home. It was always the circuitous route, which allowed one to sort things out prior to the inevitable.

In all of the posts regarding Bryce's disappearance, not one gives solid information as to why he was heading home. There has been much speculation, from elaborate schemes to a simple "I need a break". I too have offered several plausible (at the time) scenarios.

I now firmly believe he was heading home at his own sweet pace...The unfortunate tragedy in Bryce's journey began with the wrecking of the car (IMHO accidental) and subsequent untimely arrival of LE for training. This triggered a reaction or actions that we may never fully come to know.

Thank about this...A tad emotionally unstable 19 year old Bryce, Heading slowly home with head hung low....Crash car....Walking back to get help...Look up and see six or so cop cars..In the boondoks, at zero dark thirty..Not sure about y'all, but I am darn certain.... I would have freaked out and undoubtedly made a rash, perhaps even tragic decision.

 

[Hatfield]

Above BBM.

There is no doubt that something happened in is life or was happening in his life that he recognized as needing corrected. Bryce realized this. The quick fix was to get the heck out of Dodge and to a safe haven (home perhaps?)...The seemingly randomness of his movements, sporadic communication and loitering nature of his 30 plus hour travels leads me to believe that he was trying to delay the inevitable...Confronting Mom and Dad with _______________! There is a hundred different things that could be put in the blank. I'm pretty sure more than a few kids have left school in this exact scenario simply because they miss Mommy. Embarrassing, yes. Uncommon, not close.

As a youth, If I got into some kind of trouble...I don't don't remember ever taking a short cut home. It was always the circuitous route, which allowed one to sort things out prior to the inevitable.

In all of the posts regarding Bryce's disappearance, not one gives solid information as to why he was heading home. There has been much speculation, from elaborate schemes to a simple "I need a break". I too have offered several plausible (at the time) scenarios.

I now firmly believe he was heading home at his own sweet pace...The unfortunate tragedy in Bryce's journey began with the wrecking of the car (IMHO accidental) and subsequent untimely arrival of LE for training. This triggered a reaction or actions that we may never fully come to know.

Thank about this...A tad emotionally unstable 19 year old Bryce, Heading slowly home with head hung low....Crash car....Walking back to get help...Look up and see six or so cop cars..In the boondoks, at zero dark thirty..Not sure about y'all, but I am darn certain.... I would have freaked out and undoubtedly made a rash, perhaps even tragic decision.

I had never considered he may have seen all the LE show up. If he did spot them, I agree that I would have panicked. My first reaction probably would have been to hide somewhere really fast. Since he was only on foot after the car wreck then that limits where you can hide.

Wondering if all the abandoned cabins/cottages have been thoroghly looked in around that lake. There has to be many of these types of vacation type cabins/cottages around there. Some would be a little further than one would think.

It seems almost every recreation lake I know of has cabins around them. Some are not real close but close enough to rent out to guests. Wonder if all of them were searched enough. Some of them would be up to 3 miles away or more. The closer ones would need checked first of course but then checking the farther ones too.

 

[SmartSassyBBW]

I live near the area and don't believe there to be any lake front properties. This is a reservoir that was man made. If you check out the Google Earth view I'm pretty sure you will see that although it is not far from the freeway and has buildings and stores between the freeway and the lake, past the lake is undeveloped trees area of the Angeles Forest area.

 

[gitana1]

Maybe now that Bryce has been missing almost 3 months Tim Miller founder of TES could get the clearance from LE to search the Castaic Lake area by horseback. Tim will only work on cases where the families are completely up front and honest about everything and no deception.

He has withdrawn from cases before when he felt the family was holding back and or lying, for instance the Caylee Anthony case. There was a lot of deception with the family going on in that case.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/casey_anth...story?id=14059042&ref=https://www.google.com/

I do not understand why posters keep insinuating that this family has been anything but 100% honest with professional missing persons' organizations or LE. There has been zero to indicate they have been holding back. Just because they don't publicize every last thing about Bryce and the trip he took down south doesn't mean these people are anywhere close to the Anthonys or being deceptive in nay way at all. I'm very tired of that insinuation, frankly. casey anthony murdered her child and her family knew it, or at least knew she had done something horrible. They helped her cover that up.

Again, the public is not entitled to know everything about this case or any other. There are professionals in charge. And while we can help with suggestions or showing up to search etc., we are NOT those professionals.

 

[Whiteorchids]

I do not understand why posters keep insinuating that this family has been anything but 100% honest with professional missing persons' organizations or LE. There has been zero to indicate they have been holding back. Just because they don't publicize every last thing about Bryce and the trip he took down south doesn't mean these people are anywhere close to the Anthonys or being deceptive in nay way at all. I'm very tired of that insinuation, frankly. casey anthony murdered her child and her family knew it, or at least knew she had done something horrible. They helped her cover that up.

Again, the public is not entitled to know everything about this case or any other. There are professionals in charge. And while we can help with suggestions or showing up to search etc., we are NOT those professionals.

Misunderstood, not insinuating that at all. I have always been on the families side and supported them. Although, I do thinks its possible certain friends may know more than what they are telling.

I agree we at WS don't have to know all the details. If Tim was working on the case he would definitely need to know everything good or bad that pertains to the case as he is the PROFESSIONAL.

 

[la2cabo]

I agree with keeping the case publicized. They did hire a PI long ago. See that "finally" in your post seems like snarky criticism to me.

I find it very hard to believe that people are unliking a missing persons fb page.



Print flyers and hand them out at homeless shelters or to homeless people you feel safe approaching. Handing out flyers at truck stops. Spreading the word about Bryce to friends and family.

If anyone thinks Bryce's family and friends have given up, they must not know love, IMO nor are coming close to imagining what this must be like for them.

ABOVE BBM My comment was not at all meant to be snarky. I've thought that they needed to bring in a PI since the time LE announced they weren't conducting any more searches. IMO that also meant spending little to no time on the case unless, perhaps, they received a solid lead. I said finally because as of mid October they had not hired a PI, as far as I know. If they had in fact hired one why would they have asked Amandafast to go to Buttonwillow? That would most certainly fall under the category of being a trip for the PI to make.

I haven't seen anything posted about them hiring a PI. How do you know this to be a fact and when was one brought in?

Yes, the number of "likes" on the FB page has declined. I actually started keeping track for a while because I was told that by someone and I wanted to see for myself as I also found it hard to believe.

I NEVER suggested Bryce's family and friends had given up. In fact I stated just the opposite.

With all due respect, in my opinion you think it is "criticizing the family" when somebody posts an uncomfortable topic that the family may not want discussed. When the family asked for the public's help, unfortunately they opened the door to everything in their lives being a topic of conversation.

 

[cluciano63]

I wish the best to Bryce and his family. I feel there is little more to be said on this thread, that won't cause offense. My feelings have always been that more sophisticated searching needs to take place on land and water and that if family is convinced he is not there, than nothing less than total frankness about Bryce's life as of that date can help find him. Maybe they have been 100% honest and if so, then finding him may just come down to sheer luck, whereas knowing specifics, if there are any, might point to certain areas or groups of people. JMO

 

[Whiteorchids]

I wish the best to Bryce and his family. I feel there is little more to be said on this thread, that won't cause offense. My feelings have always been that more sophisticated searching needs to take place on land and water and that if family is convinced he is not there, than nothing less than total frankness about Bryce's life as of that date can help find him. Maybe they have been 100% honest and if so, then finding him may just come down to sheer luck, whereas knowing specifics, if there are any, might point to certain areas or groups of people. JMO

Well said. Thank you.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[gitana1]

[/b]


ABOVE BBM My comment was not at all meant to be snarky. I've thought that they needed to bring in a PI since the time LE announced they weren't conducting any more searches. IMO that also meant spending little to no time on the case unless, perhaps, they received a solid lead. I said finally because as of mid October they had not hired a PI, as far as I know. If they had in fact hired one why would they have asked Amandafast to go to Buttonwillow? That would most certainly fall under the category of being a trip for the PI to make.

I haven't seen anything posted about them hiring a PI. How do you know this to be a fact and when was one brought in?

Yes, the number of "likes" on the FB page has declined. I actually started keeping track for a while because I was told that by someone and I wanted to see for myself as I also found it hard to believe.

I NEVER suggested Bryce's family and friends had given up. In fact I stated just the opposite.

With all due respect, in my opinion you think it is "criticizing the family" when somebody posts an uncomfortable topic that the family may not want discussed. When the family asked for the public's help, unfortunately they opened the door to everything in their lives being a topic of conversation.

Let's be super clear: The family has asked NO ONE to go anywhere and conduct searches on their own. Not sure where that misconception came from.

And no, they did not open up the door to everything in their lives being a topic of conversation. At least not on websleuths. there are TOS that prohibit that, thank God.

What too many keep forgetting is this is a victim-friendly site.

 

[LinasK]

I had never considered he may have seen all the LE show up. If he did spot them, I agree that I would have panicked. My first reaction probably would have been to hide somewhere really fast. Since he was only on foot after the car wreck then that limits where you can hide.

Wondering if all the abandoned cabins/cottages have been thoroghly looked in around that lake. There has to be many of these types of vacation type cabins/cottages around there. Some would be a little further than one would think.

It seems almost every recreation lake I know of has cabins around them. Some are not real close but close enough to rent out to guests. Wonder if all of them were searched enough. Some of them would be up to 3 miles away or more. The closer ones would need checked first of course but then checking the farther ones too.

Castaic Lake is one that locals go to to waterski, fish, swim, etc for day trips. It's not a vacation destination...

 

[CatFancier]

We've pretty much hit the limit on discussing the family. Move on...

 

[Eric91390]

Wondering if all the abandoned cabins/cottages have been thoroghly looked in around that lake. There has to be many of these types of vacation type cabins/cottages around there. Some would be a little further than one would think.

It seems almost every recreation lake I know of has cabins around them. Some are not real close but close enough to rent out to guests. Wonder if all of them were searched enough. Some of them would be up to 3 miles away or more. The closer ones would need checked first of course but then checking the farther ones too.

Hello Hatfield (and other websleuths), as it happens there aren't really any cabins or cottages. Southern California is very beautiful and diverse but one thing we don't have a lot of are beautiful lakes surrounded by cabins. Lake Castaic is a prime example as it is yet another reservoir and right next to a freeway. The city of Castaic is basically a glorified truck stop, and small enough that he would have been spotted there by now. The only way I think Bryce would have gone to get space between himself and the vehicle as soon as possible was south along the Old Road toward Valencia. This is because it's just wilderness to the east and west, and north is such a punishing uphill grade that a lot of cars don't even make it. Valencia is part of Santa Clarita, which is the fourth largest city in L.A. County, which is the largest county in the country. There is plenty of room to get lost.

I live east of Castaic and on my drive home from work each day I take a longer route, going up the Old Road and hanging a right on Rye Canyon. I do this because I keep thinking I'll find Bryce on the side of the road. On weekends the errands I need to run take me to the mini-malls at the corner of Rye Canyon and Newhall Ranch Road and of course I keep an eye out there too. There is Hamburger Habit that I go to a lot. It makes me think of the alleged sighting early on at a different Habit in town, a bit further down in Valencia.

 

[Voice4theSilent]

There was a man that went missing near Castaic when his car went off the road and landed in a ravine that was impossible to climb out of. He was found, miraculously, when he heard his family randomly calling for him along the route he was suspected to be driving when he disappeared. The crazy thing was, where his car landed when it crashed was directly almost bumper to bumper with another car that had a deceased man in it that had died after his car went off the road at the same location. Crazy, right?

Here is the link:
http://www.signalscv.com/archives/51954/

Does anyone familiar with that area know how far the area where the missing man was found is in relation to where Bryce's truck was found? From reading several articles on the above miracle it sounds like the area is very treacherous? TIA.

ETA - If you drive a Toyota it might be wise to stay away from the Castaic area.

 

[nothingnew]

We've pretty much hit the limit on discussing the family. Move on...

Can the PI discussion be continued or no? TIA