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 #3

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Interested_But_Confused said:
In which case the flooding during the storm would presumably be even worse and more powerful than that?



Thank you, that's pretty much what I had always thought. To say, over a week after they searched the trailer, that it wasn't a criminal investigation and there were no suspects, would it be fair to say they probably didn't find something immediately recognisable and definitive?

For example if they did find blood or other human tissue and fluid that would suggest foul play, wouldn't the case be deemed criminal almost immediately? At the very least someone would have moved a body, even if the death itself could have been accidental or natural.
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What is the significance of sealing the search warrant as well as the autopsy report? What are circumstances that might have made LE do that?
 
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10ofRods said:
How would we know if a criminal investigation was underway? I would assume that it's already a criminal investigation (that's what it's called when a situation is investigated to see if a crime has been committed; we have the homicide attachment to the search warrant). So I'd say it looks like a criminal investigation already, to me.
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That's why I'm asking how common it is for LE to outright lie rather than say "no comment."

We know they conducted a search, with a homicide attachment, on the 1st of August. We know the Sheriff's Dept. said there was no criminal investigation and no suspects on August 9.

So did the search on the 1st find nothing to warrant opening a criminal investigation, or were they lying when they said there wasn't one? We can't know which is the case, but it presumably has to be one or the other.

--

As far as the condition of the truck is concerned, I'm from the UK and to me saying something is "pretty wrecked" means it's destroyed. But it's a very ambiguous word that can be both an under or overstatement. It can mean almost anything. From what you've said, in SoCal, "pretty wrecked" has a much narrower meaning. So I appreciate you telling me that.
 
Sarah McGregor said:
BBM

If the car was disabled and they attempted to walk to safety, why would they leave any water in the truck?
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Water is heavy to carry, especially if you are carrying it in extreme heat. One gallon weighs 8.3 pounds, so it carrying 4 gallons would be 25.2 pounds. In that heat you should have a generous amount of extra water in the vehicle Especially to have when you returned from hiking. Five to 10 gallons would not be excessive. So for safety sake, there should have been water left in the vehicle as a safety.

I can’t find a close-by weather station, but Palm Springs was 120 degrees that day with 8% humidity, 95 F at midnight with a low of 88 at 5am.
 
Interested_But_Confused said:
For example if they did find blood or other human tissue and fluid that would suggest foul play, wouldn't the case be deemed criminal almost immediately? At the very least someone would have moved a body, even if the death itself could have been accidental or natural.
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IMO, so much depends on the balance of all the evidence taken together, plus their investigative strategy.

I recall one case where there was obvious evidence of assault and blood but ' an
expert concluded that the amount of blood found at the home did not in itself mean [the victim] was dead. Technically, she’s still a missing person."
Jacquie Levitz cold case

On the other hand, they never found any forensic evidence about Suzanne Morphew until recently, yet charged her husband with murder (but dropped the charge for lack of proof).

I do think, for LE, it's not just about finding answers, it's about 'if we identify a person that must be prosecuted, can we win that prosecution case?'

JMO
 
slowpoke said:
What is the significance of sealing the search warrant as well as the autopsy report? What are circumstances that might have made LE do that?
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I'm waiting on another case, similarly sealed autopsy and every single document, LE lips are sealed, though cause of death (gunshot) was verbally given to family.

In that case, at question is: when did he die, was it murder or suicide, what were events during the period he was missing. If murder, who (could be someone very close to him).

It's been 5 months, the case is in Missouri.

JMO
 
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cenazoic said:
Please see the search warrant under “Expertise of Affiant”, which details Det. Bengard’s expertise, and the ‘Homicide Attachment”.

Basically, based on the above, it’s reasonable to assume the decomp was human; certainly two or more LEOs thought so. Do you have evidence that it wasn’t?
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It's not actually clear that Det. Bengard ever went to the trailer prior to applying for the search warrant--or even that he personally went to the trailer at all. A Det. Crowl is named as having conducted a welfare check, at which point he found the door of the trailer open, entered, saw items belonging to JF and also smelled decomp.

I know there are people who can distinguish human decomp. from other kinds of decomp. (just as I can smell the faintest trace of cigarette smoke even when nobody else can) but without knowing Det. Crowl's expertise in that area, it's impossible to say if he's one of them.
 
Cedars said:
IMO, so much depends on the balance of all the evidence taken together, plus their investigative strategy.

I recall one case where there was obvious evidence of assault and blood but ' an
expert concluded that the amount of blood found at the home did not in itself mean [the victim] was dead. Technically, she’s still a missing person."
Jacquie Levitz cold case

On the other hand, they never found any forensic evidence about Suzanne Morphew until recently, yet charged her husband with murder (but dropped the charge for lack of proof).

I do think, for LE, it's not just about finding answers, it's about 'if we identify a person that must be prosecuted, can we win that prosecution case?'

JMO
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Excellent points, thank you.

The major difference I see between the case you mentioned and the case of JF and JRF, is the smell of decomposition in JRF's trailer. If the decomposition was human (still a big IF), there would be absolutely no ambiguity regarding the amount of blood etc.: that person was dead.
 
Wait what?

Isn't that how a search warrant works?

You have the judge sign it first. and THEN officers can go in.
The ONLY reason a judge will sign it is if there is a good reason.
I understand it to be.... LE went to check on the trailer home since there was a missing persons report.... THEN they noticed wait what why is door "open" (ajar?left open? Unsure).... and they ALSO notice the odor... which is alarming.... so they go back and have judge sign the search warrant, adding the homicide attachment. They go BACK after 545PM on 8/1 with the warrant in hand, and collect those items. (Judge signed it at 545pm.)

Anyone in law enforcement able to shed light on this? Cuz this is just too many versions of the same story floating around.
 
InspectGadget said:
More human remains found in desert, family of missing woman Fang Jin notified

“The remains found on Saturday are believed to be those of missing Chinese tourist, Fang Jin, 47, according to an attorney associated with he case who spoke to private investigators hired by the Jin's family. The remains believed to be those of ex-Navy SEAL John Fitzpatrick, 52, were found by a camper on September 17 in Harper Canyon.”
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--Fitzpatrick’s truck remains abandoned in the desert, according to a law enforcement source, who said it’s going to take a helicopter to get it out.--
 
Red Clover said:
--Fitzpatrick’s truck remains abandoned in the desert, according to a law enforcement source, who said it’s going to take a helicopter to get it out.--
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Wow so did they wreck the truck and were they possibly disoriented and tried to go for help?

I think if the decomp smell at the house was either of them, then there would be evidence of that in that truck either in the bed or in the cab. There would not be a good way to clean the truck so that nothing reminded IF what was smelled in the trailer was decomp. That would mean transporting the source of that demop smell would leave evidence of that right?

I think I am leaning toward believing this was some type of tragic accident. Either they crashed the truck and got out and tried to walk for help and succumbed to the heat or one or both were maybe injured and got disoriented from a crash? Or if the truck got stuck, then did they try to walk for help?
 
If this does turn out to be Fang, I'm so sorry to @mark1969 and the rest of Fang's family for their loss.

I guess the only question now would be whether Fang was alive or dead when she arrived at Anza-Borrego--and how close her remains were to the truck and JRF. I'm still thinking this was some kind of tragic accident but am prepared to be wrong.

If the truck is still out in the desert I feel like a forensic team must have at least given it a once-over -- right? It wouldn't just be left there to rust. And if it had shown signs of being the scene of a crime I would hope more priority would have been given to retrieving it and storing it as evidence.

Somehow my gut just doesn't feel like this case is being treated as a crime... but I also don't have the expertise to say for sure.
 
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