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

[iamshadow21]

Did I miss something or why is the smell of decomposition mentioned in the warrant discounted?

Not discounted, so much as less likely to be connected given where they were found.

The fact that we've never heard anything else about it makes me think the odour is not connected. JRF could have had a fresh steak he left in the fridge. The power where he lived regularly goes out. Given the disappearance, it would be just good policing to get the right paperwork in order if there was the slightest whiff of decomp.

MOO

 

[10ofRods]

Did I miss something or why is the smell of decomposition mentioned in the warrant discounted?

It's mentioned, but LE apparently thinks that there was no human body stored in the mobile home, or they'd not have concluded that this is an accident. People here who said it could be garbage or results of electrical outage/freezer/refrigerator related are probably right.

IMO

 

[10ofRods]

That's actually an interesting question.

First of all, a simple box of matches. Wooden ones best, but honestly, always bring matches.

There are some easy ways to start a fire with easily available fire kits: flint/striker/prepared kindling accelerator like fire cubes, shaved wood fibers, or other common accelerators. Doritos are also actually good tinder. Maybe not a lot of wood there to burn, but certainly very dry brush or dead cactus material. And I have to assume he had a decent knife/machete, camper saw / ax.

But you should also be able to start a fire from your vehicle: Maybe your vehicle still has a cigarette lighter. Or use the jumper cables you should have to spark through a metal piece under tinder ( this video uses a paper clip, but also show how incredible dry steel wool works with this !

Here Are Some Ways to Start a Fire With Your Car

For, you know, outdoors purposes.

www.roadandtrack.com

If you don't bring these types, you may have to resort to the old stick rubbing techniques. But that is actually very hard physical work, especially if you are desperately dehydrated in 115 degree-plus heat in non-relenting blazing sun. Maybe Navy SEAL training has them doing this, but honestly, when out in a remote wilderness area with a vehicle, you should always be prepared to build a fire without exhausting yourself.

Then when the fire is going, pour some engine oil into the remnants of one of your tires ( at a safe distance from the vehicle) and set it on fire.

The irony is that JRF apparently thought he was expert at surviving (building shelters, building fires, finding water) in the Mojave/Sonoran deserts. But he either didn't bring matches or a fire striker (we carry both of course) but if he did, he was no longer thinking clearly (always a risk in the heat, but I too learned that the hard way - fortunately survived because was not out in the middle of nowhere at the time).

I bet there were no jumper cables. I say that because I don't see a utility box in the rear of his truck (Thermal picture) which is standard in my world for all desert-equipped trucks. If we have to posit that the tent, all their food and water, their sleeping bags, fire making equipment (good to have some bits of kindling too), jumper cables, extra clothing, were ALL in the back seat of the truck, well, that would have obscured the back window - and that didn't happen either. Whatever was in the truck was a reasonable amount to put on the back seat and floor - but no extra supplies in a box in the truck bed and no big water barrels in the truck bed.

Other things needed: those thingies one uses to put under tires when stuck in sand or deep gravel; flashlights (plural); solar chargers (plural) and so on. No way, IMO, that was all in the back of the truck.

Well, unless the truck picture is after he unloaded ALL that stuff at the campsite (but no one unloads the Big Gear Box or Water Canisters, ever, IME - they are too heavy for one person to handle).

IMO, IME. I find great value in discussing all of this, because each of us will take the info to our communities and think about this sad case when we are deciding to go out in the wild.

 

[Lusitana]

Was Fang Jin found as well?

 

[10ofRods]

Was Fang Jin found as well?

Yes. A bit further toward the highway (we don't know how far).

 

[LeahBee]

Was it confirmed to be her body and LE concluded its an accident?







Edit: I see where the family received word about the body but I'm missing where investigators stated this is an accident

 

[azure]

It's mentioned, but LE apparently thinks that there was no human body stored in the mobile home, or they'd not have concluded that this is an accident. People here who said it could be garbage or results of electrical outage/freezer/refrigerator related are probably right.

IMO

Where did LE conclude this was an accident?

I don't necessarily think this wasn't an accident, but I haven't seen LE explicitly state that it was.

 

[10ofRods]

Was it confirmed to be her body and LE concluded its an accident?

I don't think the death certificate has been released. I'll wait for our VI to weigh in, although he may have done so already. Here's what we have from MSM:

Agencies block public release of info about bodies in desert

Relatives of victims were notified about the remains of loved ones found in the Anza-Borrego desert.

www.cbs8.com

IMO

 

[Herat]

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I haven't notice desert travel or camping gear in the few photos FJ posted. The Thermal traffic cam does not show any roof racks, or any supplies or spare wheels or tires on the roof, no jerry cans, no utility boxes. The truck has looked very clean and spare in the photos. No gear box with jack, ropes, cables, shovels, no high-lift jack. If they were trying out survival camping, it's understandable they might not bring a generator, fridge, and lights, but there is still a minimum of comfort and preparedness materials you need to have in the vehicle to assure it will drive and you will have shelter, food, and water. Again, no large carboys or other large water storage. A flat of bottled water from Costco is just not sufficient. Perhaps the photos that we have never seen showed their preparedness, but I haven't yet seen a hint of it.

We have metal sand ladders for sand driving.

I would think that a grid search of the area near the vehicle might turn up some remnants of the truck's contents to better help understand how they had prepared.

 

[Laughing]

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The Alchemist advises, ''You must love the desert, but never trust it completely. Because the desert tests all men: it challenges every step, and kills those who become distracted." The Alchemist, Paul Coelho

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

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Unfortunately I think his time as a SEAL, and his subsequent alcoholism, means there's a good chance he had some degree of PTSD and concurrent mental health problems. Combine that with wanting to impress a new love and you potentially have a recipe for disaster.

It may well be that JRF would have been capable of this 20 years ago, but sadly he wasn't a fit 30-year-old anymore.

 

[Herat]

Didn't his friend DH rave about JRF's intense survival skills and experience? Doesn't DH know something about the scenario for this fateful trip?

I recall reading many pages back that DH knew where the truck was or something to that effect.

What's happened to DH? No news from him.

 

[mark1969]

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

My sincerest condolences to @mark1969 and to all family, friends and loved ones of Fang.

It's both a sadness and a blessing that Fang was found in the kind of environment where people all too often remain missing. I hope her family will receive the answers and the closure they seek.

 

[Red Clover]

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The song fits Yama perfectly
Wishing all of her loved ones peace and strength.
Please accept my sincere condolences.

 

[JennieM]

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I am sorry Mark

 

[Teche]

DBM

 

[Bogbacal2]

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Beautiful soul..So sorry Mark. Praying for her family and her girls.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

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Peace and strength to you and Fang’s family, from me here in England.

 

[masquerading]

My heart goes out to Fang Jin’s family and friends, but especially her daughters. She was a beautiful, adventurous soul. I hope more answers are to come for them and I wish them so much healing.

Please don’t take my next statement as argumentative (I know WS is for speculating and looking further, and I’m not here to police what you post!), however can I just remind everyone that as it stands BOTH JF and JRF are victims here? I had to catch up in this thread maybe 16-17 pages and I’m a bit bothered by the way some seem to keep placing blame and casting doubt on JRF (he should’ve been more prepared/known better as a SEAL, he has a history of driving infractions??, etc etc) when there’s really nothing to suggest that he harmed JF or himself on purpose. And as many have shared in the posts before this one, it’s entirely possible to be well prepared and still face tragedy in the desert. Placing blame just seems kind of… off. Because he’s a victim here too. Am I making sense? They both deserve the same dignity as victims here, IMO. I think the difference in attitudes might be that we’ve been able to humanize Fang Jin more, especially with the help of our VI, mark. We haven’t heard from anyone on JRF’s side. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t also a person who also died a tragic death alongside his new friend.

Hopefully I articulated that well (edited to insert the smiley instead of “:/“)