This is my previous post with the final paragraph containing the unacceptable content deleted. I will add a new final paragraph.
I have followed the BL disappearance from the beginning, mostly because it was well-publicized in the Naperville, IL area. As many of you know, BL graduated from Naperville Central HS in May 2012. At about the same time, Mr and Mrs L retired, sold their Naperville home and moved to a condo in Southern CA with BL. The Ls appeared to be quite anxious to move in that they dropped the price of their home significantly to accomplish the sale. It appears that BL lived most of his life in the Naperville home and online information indicates that he was unhappy with the move and missed his Naperville friends.
Shortly after the Ls arrived in CA, BL began his first year at Sierra Community College, in Northern CA over 400 miles from his parents. Online information indicates that his first year was problematic and that during the Spring 2013 session he was expelled from the college dorm for an unspecified reason. Online information indicates also indicates that he had a difficult relationship with his dorm roommate. However, BL did have a slightly older girlfriend.
When BL returned to Sierra Community College in August 2013, he moved into an apartment with a new roommate since he could not live in the dorm. His older girlfriend had graduated and moved to Cal State in Chico to continue her studies. Clearly, at this point, BL had a lot of stress factors in life. It does not seem that BL wanted to be in CA, he did not want to be in college and he was separated from his girlfriend. He has only been back at college for several days before his final return trip to Southern CA to visit his parents.
I won’t recount all of the circumstances surrounding his final return trip to Southern CA since they are well known. However, it’s clear that as BL began his trip he had undertaken actions which disturbed his fellow college students, his girlfriend and his mother. He then began an extended trip to Southern CA with lengthy stops along the way and then disappeared near Castaic Lake. A video surveillance camera showed his Toyota Highlander passing the camera three times in a three hour period as he apparently drove down to the lake and back. On the third drive, the vehicle overturned and BL disappeared. Without being more specific, this suggests that BL was trying to make a decision involving being down near the lake. In August 2013, the lake was several hundred feet deep and formed behind a 300 foot dam. Dogs initially detected his scent near the water. Dogs later detected his scent on the dam and possibly leaving the area.
The preceding narrative may point to an unfortunate conclusion. However, BL’s last text to a college friend seemed upbeat but cryptic. I don’t believe that his college friend has been forthcoming in explaining the text. BL had a lot of stress factors in life but were they really sufficient to lead to an unfortunate conclusion? Also, no remains or material clues have ever been found.
I agree with recent posters that the family should be forthcoming with BL's apparent state of mind prior to his disappearance. What pushed BL over the brink? Until that happens, this matter will never be resolved. I also agree that the person who likely knows what BL planned was the last person he texted. The last text was quite cryptic. What did the text mean?
Last November, after reviewing all of the information, I concluded that BL entered the water in a distressed and probably drugged state of mind and did not exit. When a person drowns the body sinks. It does not float until the body fills with decomposition gasses. If a person drowns in a deep lake, it may sink into a layer of water where the temperature is a constant 39 degrees. This greatly slows the rate of decomposition and may prevent the body from floating and keep it at great depths. This has happened before at Castaic where a drowning victim was only located with special sonar. 14 months later it is unclear whether remains will ever be found. Possibly a red shoe will be found at some point.
This is a sad situation. But, unfortunately, young people often don't have an adequate perspective on life. They don't realize that life has many ups and downs and that if you wait a bit and work ai it things will usually improve.