Found Deceased CA - Fang Jin, 47, flew to LA from China, train to Palm Springs, Morongo Basin, 21 Jul 2023, w/ John Root Fitzpatrick, 55, (fnd dec.), 30 Jul ‘23 #2

[mst]

We actually don't know that he drove the truck there himself. Somebody could have driven the truck there with him in it either alive or already deceased.

 

[sasha17]

Somebody has access to satelite detailed accurate images of that region ?

In the Steve Fossett case, two of the companies that supply Google Maps with satellite images, GeoEye and DigitalGlobe, shared online their satellite photos of the area where Steve was believed to be for volunteers to look through. I don't know the specifics of how that all came about though, other than Steve was personal friends with a billionaire who helped coordinate it with Google.

https://www.npr.org/2007/09/12/14332329/internet-users-join-search-for-steve-fossett

 

[nao]

Sometimes people put the windows down when they first begin driving to get the hot air out once they turn the AC on. Then as the air cools down, they put the windows up. Maybe in this photo they just got into the car and began driving and were trying to let the hot hair out as the AC worked to cool things down?

Moo..I always have my windows open a bit, ac or heat. I just don't like being trapped in artificial air. I cannot be the only one that feels that way. Also sound..I cannot hear anything with fans going and windows up...moo

 

[10ofRods]

We actually don't know that he drove the truck there himself. Somebody could have driven the truck there with him in it either alive or already deceased.

Exactly. Although...since he was found near his parked truck about 2 months later, it seems to stand to reason that he was with his truck and no one else stole it. Otherwise, we have an unknown third party or parties waylaying him and then giving him his truck back.

If he didn't drive to Thermal on July 22-23, then all hope is lost in using any of the Julian/Thermal data points to locate Jin Fang.

And then there's a huge mystery regarding how he managed to stay with his truck until his death. If someone else was with him in Thermal, that's unknown - but to posit that JRF wasn't in Thermal is beyond the scope of what I can believe. The probabilities are VERY high that the man stayed with his truck or near it, until his death. It's about the only fact LE has released - he was near his parked truck (not wrecked, not embedded in riverine sands and gravels - parked).

Near the trailhead for Harper Canyon - but he is not far from his vehicle, as I understand it ( we don't know the exact distance, but he's not described as having hiked up into the Canyon - he is described as being near his vehicle).

IMO.

 

[JennieM]

I also think it’s moving but I can’t justify why I think that, just how it looks to me.

I had another look and I think I thought it was moving because it’s slightly tilting to the left. It could be how the image was taken but if it was static I think I would expect it to look more symmetrical. Am I making sense?

 

[crhedBngr]

Exactly. Although...since he was found near his parked truck about 2 months later, it seems to stand to reason that he was with his truck and no one else stole it. Otherwise, we have an unknown third party or parties waylaying him and then giving him his truck back.

If he didn't drive to Thermal on July 22-23, then all hope is lost in using any of the Julian/Thermal data points to locate Jin Fang.

And then there's a huge mystery regarding how he managed to stay with his truck until his death. If someone else was with him in Thermal, that's unknown - but to posit that JRF wasn't in Thermal is beyond the scope of what I can believe. The probabilities are VERY high that the man stayed with his truck or near it, until his death. It's about the only fact LE has released - he was near his parked truck (not wrecked, not embedded in riverine sands and gravels - parked).

Near the trailhead for Harper Canyon - but he is not far from his vehicle, as I understand it ( we don't know the exact distance, but he's not described as having hiked up into the Canyon - he is described as being near his vehicle).

IMO.

So, we don't actually know how long JRF was deceased.

IIRC, we know three things:

1. JRF is deceased.

2. JRF was close to/in his truck.

3. The location where JRF and his truck were found.

4. JRF and his truck were found in September.

Did I miss anything?

ETA: Is it possible he was in contact with DH until 07/24? Did DH become concerned when JRF didn't contact him for several days, and then report him missing as of 07/30?

JMVHO.

 

[Bogbacal2]

In the Steve Fossett case, two of the companies that supply Google Maps with satellite images, GeoEye and DigitalGlobe, shared online their satellite photos of the area where Steve was believed to be for volunteers to look through. I don't know the specifics of how that all came about though, other than Steve was personal friends with a billionaire who helped coordinate it with Google.

https://www.npr.org/2007/09/12/14332329/internet-users-join-search-for-steve-fossett

Somebody has access to satelite detailed accurate images of that region ?

I helped in that search for the pilot as well as a missing sailboat-it was on DigitalGlobe and it was called Tomnod. The satellite would put pics of the area out and you could search frame by frame and if you found something of interest, you would mark it. it was a wonderful tool, but they have since shut it down. It got very intense-I didn’t sleep for days searching! Does anyone know if anything like that exists now? I have looked but haven’t found anything.

 

[megs1477]

So, we don't actually know how long JRF was deceased.

IIRC, we know three things:

1. JRF is deceased.

2. JRF was close to/in his truck.

3. The location where JRF and his truck were found.

Did I miss anything?

ETA: Is it possible he was in contact with DH until 07/24? Did DH become concerned when JRF didn't contact him for several days, and then report him missing as of 07/30?

JMVHO.

From the article, the 3 things:
Hoss said investigators called Fitzpatrick’s family last week to inform them that his body had been found in Harper Canyon, south of state Route 78. Fitzpatrick’s truck was parked nearby.

 

[crhedBngr]

From the article, the 3 things:
Hoss said investigators called Fitzpatrick’s family last week to inform them that his body had been found in Harper Canyon, south of state Route 78. Fitzpatrick’s truck was parked nearby.

I updated my post to indicate both JRF and truck were found in September.

JMVHO.

 

[nao]

Moo.. maybe they can find phones that were near by when they last communicated? Was Fang Jin carrying cash? Could easy be he died (is cause of death known) and the truck n him were just moved up there to confuse Fang Jins whereabouts?...moo

 

[tarabull]

(Maybe) something else for the list of things we know...

A spokesperson for the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office said Monday that the case surrounding Fitzpatrick’s death was under seal, and authorities could not comment on the ongoing investigation.

 

[10ofRods]

So, we don't actually know how long JRF was deceased.

IIRC, we know three things:

1. JRF is deceased.

2. JRF was close to/in his truck.

3. The location where JRF and his truck were found.

4. JRF and his truck were found in September.

Did I miss anything?

ETA: Is it possible he was in contact with DH until 07/24? Did DH become concerned when JRF didn't contact him for several days, and then report him missing as of 07/30?

JMVHO.

Sounds about right to me (given ordinary probabilities).

He is now deceased. We don't know for how long, but I'll be very surprised if he was alive on 7/31. He found a place to die (or someone found a place to kill him) that wouldn't be found for more than a month. Not hard to do out there - although if he did commit suicide (which I believe is likely), he was pretty knowledgeable about how to do it without being found right away (his poor family).

I think DH took action to try and track down JRF and knew how to report him missing (probably had lots of concerns and was listened to).

JRF and truck were found on an isolated trail head, but JRF was not on that trail - he was near his truck.

IMO.

 

[10ofRods]

Kind of irrelevant since the case is under seal, but the San Diego County Medical Examiner issues press releases for all non-homicide cases. I went through to see if there was anything else in that area and didn't really see anything of note, but wanted to drop the link in case anyone else wanted to look.

https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/me/press/press.html

To me, this implies a local jurisdictional practice of keeping mum on homicides (and by extension, suicides).

IMO

 

[10ofRods]

Sometimes people put the windows down when they first begin driving to get the hot air out once they turn the AC on. Then as the air cools down, they put the windows up. Maybe in this photo they just got into the car and began driving and were trying to let the hot hair out as the AC worked to cool things down?

True, but inside a campground, cars are not usually going very quickly. People do tend to roll their windows down to see what environmental conditions they are about to contend with - esp. out that way.

It's entirely possible this was the beginning (or end) of a long day's journey toward camp. However, I don't think we have any evidence of how many people were in the truck.

IMO.

 

[acutename]

Truck was also there.... now still identifying his body.... still no prove Fang was with him ... and still no Fang found

would be nice to know if the truck was stuck, partly buried, out of gas, damaged in any way, locked, unlocked, with provisions, with any of Fang's possessions, empty. etc.

 

[acutename]

I can confirm that the area around there is much more than a Toyota Tacoma can take and is extremely desolate with few visitors. I own a Tacoma as well and have been out that way near there, and I would not take my own Tacoma out there for fear of getting stuck. The other side of the highway is quite popular for off roaders as we have few places for that in SoCal, except for the Ocotillo Wells area on the other side of the highway, which is always busy with visitors off roading and camping. I was going to head out to Banner Grade soon with my drone as I was thinking they crashed in that area before this new news, but with these latest developments I may head out with the drone to Harper Canyon area and have a look around. I will park my truck where I know it will be safe from getting stuck, because if JRF drove deep into that area in that Tacoma they show him driving, it would be very easy to get stuck out there.

If JRF lived in Morongo, wouldn't he be savy about where he could and could not drive his truck? unless he was impaired in some way and not navigating in a sensible way...

 

[Frannie]

This is a twist I didn’t expect. How did he die?

 

[charminglane]

This is a twist I didn’t expect. How did he die?

Mystery question.
Under seal.

 

[Sundog]

This is a twist I didn’t expect. How did he die?

We don't know yet. Perhaps they are waiting on toxicology results. Still investigating.
Here is the MSM article that includes pretty much all that we know. We were all stunned when we heard the news.

Mystery surrounds missing San Bernardino man found dead in Anza-Borrego state park

EAST COUNTY — A mysterious death, a missing woman and many unanswered questions are at the heart of an investigation into a 52-year-old man found dead last month in Anza-Borrego Des…

www.sandiegouniontribune.com

 

[hazel324]

I can't let go of the fact Fang stopped communicating with loved ones late 7/21. Had she been travelling and visiting the next locations, photos would have been uploaded...following the pattern of the previous week. She loved recording all the new sights around her and uploaded a LOT in that first week.

I believe JRF passed around 7/24-26. Dental records were deemed essential for a positive ID since his remains were so decomposed which is not surprising in that location. IMO cod might be undetermined, maybe misadventure for the records, as was likely his intention following a tragic situation that may never be revealed.