I may be the only person who feels this way, but I don't feel at all comfortable with JRF being treated like he's guilty of something until LE publicly announce he's a suspect. At this point (let me stress, at this point) he's still another victim who went missing and was later found dead.
That could change in the blink of an eye, but IMO it's where things stand right now.
It IS certainly uncomfortable to think it.
I’m sorry for brainstorming scenarios that make anyone uneasy.
Let’s go back to offering alternative scenarios, then, taking into account:
[1] Fang sent her last night video at 10:19pm on 7/21.
[2] JRF entered the marine base at 10:19pm on 7/21.
[3] 7/22 truck sighting in Thermal.
[4] 7/24 JRF phone ping in the Julian area.
[5] No phone usage from Fang after 7/21. No ping from her phone, say SBCSO.
[6] Odor of decomposition in JRF’s home (observed 8/1).
[7] Mobile home’s door open (observed 8/1).
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This won’t be all known facts, of course, as I’m trying to fill in the blanks for a possible scenario that does not involve JRF harming Fang :
So…
Fang’s last video was just a normal video sent as she sits in the truck as JRF pulls in to the marine base with the intention to gas up his truck. Another busy day is planned for tomorrow that will include lots of driving in the desert, so a full tank is a good idea. Since the pumps are still open, it’s a better time to do it that time of night while it’s cooler, and they’re still out and awake, anyway.
She writes they’ll be going camping, but it is not really true. She knows her parents would be vocal in their disapproval of the reality, and would worry about her too much, so she tells them this instead of letting them know she is spending her nights with her new beau at his mobile home in the desert.
They leave his Morongo Valley home the next day, 7/22. We know the truck was captured on surveillance in the Thermal, CA area, so this is where they went.
This is where I get stumped.
7/22 to 7/24…Did they ‘sleep under the stars’ in the bed of his truck (is that allowed) in the Anza Borrego area the whole time away? VI said there was not much in the way of provisions in the truck, though, when found.
Harper Flat, where the truck is found: is this when they had some accident? We know the truck, when found, was “pretty wrecked“. JRF had attempted a difficult rocky path that he shouldn’t have and disabled his truck, then they start walking to get somewhere safe or get a cell signal, but succumb to the heat?
Still doesn’t answer why she never returned calls or sent any messages on her phone. Nowhere to charge her phone? Lost her phone along the way ? JRF doesn’t have WeChat on his phone (if want to borrow his), and even if he did, would it be hard to access Fang’s account with her circle of friends from his phone?
I also don’t know where the odor of decomposition and open door fit into this, but..
It was suggested maybe spoiled meat and other food in the refrigerator/freezer, if the power was out for days?
As for the door being open, I feel like JRF would lock his door as a habit. So, who left it open? Maybe his place got broken into while they were gone for a few days on their trip, and the thief left it open?
It’s tough filling in the blanks for what we don’t know!