Found Deceased CA - Erika Lloyd, 37, car found vandalized near Twentynine Palms & Joshua Tree NP, 14 June 2020

[Herat]

Is the fact that it is the Walnut Creek PD instead of San Bernadino SO that is handling her Missing Person case of any significance?

Or does it mean that her last confirmed personal sighting (not phone call or text) was in Walnut Creek, rather than elsewhere?

 

[rainynights]

Walnut Creek mom missing since June trip to Joshua Tree

[...]

She told her roommate she was meeting friends to camp there and clear her mind.

Lloyd lost contact, then her Honda sedan was found a few miles from Joshua Tree, abandoned with its front and back windshields shattered.

With friends and family alarmed, the terrain between the campground and the vandalized car was searched by air, all terrain vehicles and ground teams with dogs.

"The vehicle was damaged before leaving the park," said Detective Alan Pennington of the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department, "and there was minor damage to the undercarriage where it was disabled, the vehicle had broken down."

Pennington knows Lloyd's loved ones fear foul play, but says he has found no evidence of that.

"We know she alone going to the park and alone inside the park, we have evidence of that."

Now, 7 weeks later, search and rescue teams continue to look for Lloyd, but if lost, her chances of survival are slim in the relentless 100-plus degree heat.

Her tent and other camping gear were left behind at her campsite.
But there is another possibility.

"Highway 62 is easily 100 yards from where the vehicle is disabled and she easily could have gotten a ride with somebody and is out there somewhere."

(bbm, more at link)

 

[Deleted member 269000]

Walnut Creek mom missing since June trip to Joshua Tree

[...]

She told her roommate she was meeting friends to camp there and clear her mind.

Lloyd lost contact, then her Honda sedan was found a few miles from Joshua Tree, abandoned with its front and back windshields shattered.

With friends and family alarmed, the terrain between the campground and the vandalized car was searched by air, all terrain vehicles and ground teams with dogs.

"The vehicle was damaged before leaving the park," said Detective Alan Pennington of the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department, "and there was minor damage to the undercarriage where it was disabled, the vehicle had broken down."

Pennington knows Lloyd's loved ones fear foul play, but says he has found no evidence of that.

"We know she alone going to the park and alone inside the park, we have evidence of that."

Now, 7 weeks later, search and rescue teams continue to look for Lloyd, but if lost, her chances of survival are slim in the relentless 100-plus degree heat.

Her tent and other camping gear were left behind at her campsite.
But there is another possibility.

"Highway 62 is easily 100 yards from where the vehicle is disabled and she easily could have gotten a ride with somebody and is out there somewhere."

(bbm, more at link)

Hmm. So according to the SBSO, she drives to Joshua Tree. Either severely damages her car upon arriving (I’m curious at to the use of the word “disabled”) and nevertheless proceeds to a campground and makes camp. Or she sets out, makes camp, and some other individual(s) wreck her car. She then decides to either leave her camp of her own volition without striking her tent or breaking camp, or she’s taken from the camp or surrounding area against her will. Someone then takes the disabled, heavily damaged vehicle, drives a few miles, and abandons it or it breaks down. This one is a head scratcher.

Granted, I haven’t spent too much time on this case, but my initial opinion, however poorly informed, is that she, as an inexperienced camper and outdoorswoman in blistering heat and a challenging environment, succumbed to the elements and died of exposure or, given that there seems to be some discussion as to her mental state, possibly committed suicide. I believe the vandalism to the vehicle and it’s subsequent movement could be simply that, vandalism and a joyride, the product of a crime of opportunity when her vehicle was left unattended.

 

[archenemy toenail]

Walnut Creek mom missing since June trip to Joshua Tree

[...]

She told her roommate she was meeting friends to camp there and clear her mind.

SBM I wonder what these friends she was supposed to be meeting have to say...

 

[Janeumayer]

We cannot dismiss hallucinogenic drug use (LSD, peyote, mushrooms, etc) in these type of scenery. A lot of people use them as therapy while out in the desert.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

This feels oddly like Erin Valenti.

Found Deceased - CA - Erin Valenti, 33, from Utah, en-route from Palo Alto to San Jose, 7 Oct 2019

Even the specific detail about her talking fast on the phone to her mom.

 

[Janeumayer]

This feels oddly like Erin Valenti.

Found Deceased - CA - Erin Valenti, 33, from Utah, en-route from Palo Alto to San Jose, 7 Oct 2019

Even the specific detail about her talking fast on the phone to her mom.

Oh yes! I remember her. Very sad case.

 

[dulcinea]

We cannot dismiss hallucinogenic drug use (LSD, peyote, mushrooms, etc) in these type of scenery. A lot of people use them as therapy while out in the desert.

JT (the actual city and surrounding area) is certainly known for drugs. You could quite easily locate just about anything you wanted. My mind keeps going back to her having a psychotic break. I am leaning away from drug induced, but anything is possible.

 

[Ontario Mom]

This feels oddly like Erin Valenti.

Found Deceased - CA - Erin Valenti, 33, from Utah, en-route from Palo Alto to San Jose, 7 Oct 2019

Even the specific detail about her talking fast on the phone to her mom.

That part rang familiar to me as well but I couldn't remember the case. Thanks for that.

 

[RumorMonger]

Walnut Creek mom missing since June trip to Joshua Tree

Her tent and other camping gear were left behind at her campsite.

(bbm, more at link)

SBM, Bold by OP
Is this the first mention that EL had any camping gear? IIRC earlier articles stated that there was no sign of camping gear and I don't remember ever reading that it was discovered in the meantime. Or is this just poorly worded speculation in the article?

I'll also, again, note that the story seems to have solidly changed in terms of where EL was headed. EL's mom says she was headed to the desert. Big Sur is never mentioned and "the desert" would exclude Big Sur as a possible destination. I'll stop talking about it now (probably) but I just find that change so odd.

 

[rainynights]

SBM, Bold by OP
Is this the first mention that EL had any camping gear? IIRC earlier articles stated that there was no sign of camping gear and I don't remember ever reading that it was discovered in the meantime. Or is this just poorly worded speculation in the article?

I'll also, again, note that the story seems to have solidly changed in terms of where EL was headed. EL's mom says she was headed to the desert. Big Sur is never mentioned and "the desert" would exclude Big Sur as a possible destination. I'll stop talking about it now (probably) but I just find that change so odd.

As far as I've seen, that recent article was the first mention of camp gear being found. Perhaps it is poorly worded. MOO

From 7/6/2020: No foul play suspected after searching missing Walnut Creek woman’s car – KESQ

“When the vehicle was noticed inside of the campgrounds there was no camping equipment directly associated with or in the vicinity of it," said Nathan Lewis, Park Ranger for Joshua Tree National Park. "So we can’t confirm or deny that the individual camped or stayed in the park.”

 

[Herat]

As far as I've seen, that recent article was the first mention of camp gear being found. Perhaps it is poorly worded. MOO

From 7/6/2020: No foul play suspected after searching missing Walnut Creek woman’s car – KESQ

I also noticed that huge discrepancy.

As far as I understood from the San Bernadino Sheriff's Office release and the Walnut Creek Police Office missing person notice, there was No campsite, No camping gear, No physical evidence that she had ever actually been at Indian Cove Campground.

 

[MntnHiker]

Yes, the change is odd. Is it possible there was some camping equipment in the general vicinity but investigators initially didn't think it was hers? I don't know. The change is odd.

I wonder if she lied to her roommates about meeting friends. Getting away from it all, unplugging from the Internet, etc., makes it sound like you'd kind of want to be alone. I am curious if she gave her roommates specific friends' names. If so, I have to imagine they already would have been interviewed by LE. The reason I say maybe she lied is it may be concerning to roommates and family if she said she was going alone. I know my mom would have a conniption if I told her I was going to go camping alone in the desert without cell service and I'm in my thirties and a grow woman. Obviously, people do it, and I am actually in support of adventuring alone if you take proper precautions. But I digress. It may have been something that caused friends or family to protest, to try and convince her to not go or to go with her, and she didn't want that so she said "Yeah, I won't be alone. I'm meeting friends." Just MOO

 

[Ajai Baktar]

This KTVU article shows that there was a lot of details kept hidden from the public. Finally, more to go on.
Okay now we know for sure she was in the park and alone.
Her friends she went to meet???
This looks bad for her now.
Hopefully she got a ride out of the area, and does not want to be found.

 

[Herat]

Was there a real SAR search of the area?

The damaged car was found very quickly and there would have been a decent chance to find her before the extreme and life-threatening heat set in.

 

[MntnHiker]

I'm curious what evidence they had that she was alone inside the park? Also they didn't mention having evidence she left the park alone (or even that she left the park), so those can't be ruled out.

Damage to the undercarriage that disabled the car. Did she run over something large in the road? I am still confused about the car getting vandalized in the park and then driven out and abandoned. Maybe while she was sleeping or away from her campsite, someone vandalized the car for whatever reason - maybe looking for stuff to steal? Rangers left a note while she was gone from the campsite. She came back, decided to spend the night even with a vandalized car and leave the next day. But on her way out of the park, she runs over something that damaged and disabled the car. So she goes walking for help as she maybe had no service and got picked up by the wrong person. All MOO but possibly one scenario that would make this all make some sort of sense?

Now the only weird thing is her camping materials being left at the campsite. But one thought I had was maybe leaving the park to go in search of an autobody shop or something where she could get her car fixed from the vandalization damage/grab a rental with the intent of returning to JT to keep camping. According to Google, there is an Enterprise in Twentynine Palms. Perhaps?

 

[rosesfromangels]

Damage to the undercarriage would be consistent with either joyriding, or drunk driving.....or running over something/someone. : (

amateur opinion and speculation

 

[dulcinea]

Damage to the undercarriage would be consistent with either joyriding, or drunk driving.....or running over something/someone. : (

amateur opinion and speculation

Joshua Tree is famous for its gigantic boulders and rock formations. People come from all over the world to climb them. Sometimes when you're driving on a dirt road in the park there are smaller boulders that would be easy to hit if you're not careful and would undoubtedly cause damage to the underside of a car.

 

[Ajai Baktar]

Damage to the undercarriage would be consistent with either joyriding, or drunk driving.....or running over something/someone. : (

amateur opinion and speculation

Agreed. This is not difficult terrain to navigate. If you’re just leaving the park. I don’t believe she left the park. Some yahoos came across her vehicle with the note on it, and knew it was fair game for the taking. As for her... who knows right now. We didn’t even know she had camping gear until a couple days ago.

 

[AntBird]

Hi All, As someone who lives not too far from there and the Idyllwild area (I hike both areas a few times a year), does anyone think Erika's case might be connected to the missing women in the Idyllwild/Anza area? If this is off topic, feel free to disregard. I'm still a newbie here but I don't think it's too far of a reach. Here's the link to the forum on WS CA - CA - 6 individuals missing near Idyllwild, summer 2020