Found Deceased CA - Fang Jin, 47, flew to LA from China, train to Palm Springs, Morongo Basin, 21 Jul 2023, w/ JohnRoot Fitzpatrick, 55, missing, 30 Jul ‘23

[10ofRods]

I didn't see that his phone pinged after her last contact. Interesting. I wonder if that ping was all they had or if they can see if he made calls, used the phone, texted, etc. Where else was the phone from the 22nd to the 24th. Were they both victims of a crime and his truck and phone were stolen? If he did something to her, then why hasn't he been seen for 3 weeks? I was leaning toward an accident, but that phone ping has me thrown.

Also if she ran a background check on him, then why didn't see she he had the criminal history or if she did see that, did it not concern her? Seems she checked into him and tried to be safe about her trip.

I also am wondering if she and him were talking as more than a tour guide/tourist and maybe she shared with her family/friends just that he was the tour guide? It might be alarming for them if she was traveling here to meet someone for other reasons than touring the US. Maybe she was keeping some things private so they didn't give her a hard time about it? If they had a love interest then had a fight maybe he did leave her somewhere, but not harmed in any way. Now with the media going crazy, he's panicked about things? Still wouldn't explain why she didn't contact family after the video.

I think it's likely that the "checking" done by FJ's good friend was by using something like FastPeopleSearch or similar and did not involve paying the fees required to get a full criminal report from someplace like Intelius or Whitepages. The friend said she thought it was just "vehicle" stuff and not that serious. This is being hard for us to discuss since "local news" in China is covering the case (in Chinese) and I am not sure we can use those sources here (I mean, I suppose we can, but might need to point to Google translate results, I'm not sure, exactly).

At any rate, it's been reported in English (in the High Desert papers) that a friend did check JRF's background, at least did a casual search.

I think if Fang Jin were abandoned, without her phone, by someone who was supposed to be traveling with her, then that abandonment had to be away from any place where she could immediately ask for help - which surely she would do.

He may be panicked, but something very sinister is keeping Fang Jin from contacting LE or her family.

That's why so many of us are on this thread. We want answers!

IMO.

I completely agree with everything you said. Unfortunately, I don’t think LE is even searching for them. They have classified them as voluntarily missing. Maybe that’ll change in October when Ms Jin’s visa runs out. This case needs some national media attention.

You're right, of course. They aren't actively searching for them. They are voluntarily missing until that car is found, basically. I bet there is some amount of "looking," but it's a vast area in four different counties (at least), four different SAR systems, etc. And LE do not usually call out SAR (who are volunteers) until they have a definite "last place seen or detected."

A video showing a road near 29 Palms, with the car in motion is not a good "last place seen' marker. The car itself needs to be found. I am very concerned that JRF apparently avoided big highways and was mostly in places where there would be few cameras and no plate readers, IMO. I wonder why his family is not out raising a ruckus to get a search near Julian underway. I feel as if this couple is just going to go into NAMUS and then be lost among so many jurisdictions (it isn't even clear if JFR was with his phone when it pinged in Julian).

imo

 

[sinderella]

I'm wondering if LE is searching JRFs home for any clues where he was planning to take her camping/sightseeing, just anything!

I previously posted a subreddit the family friend created for Jin Fang, didn't know it wasn't allowed here. I'm new to this site and was drawn to this missing case since I live in Palm Springs and frequently drive to Yucca Valley/Joshua Tree on the weekends.

As many have said, July was very hot and after living in the desert for over a year, most residents here make sure to be well prepared when leaving the house during the summer months so I imagine with JRF's military background and living in the area, he was well prepared, especially if he's taking someone on a tour.

If Jin Fang lost reception or her phone had no more battery life, it doesn't make sense that JRF's last known location was in Julian on 7/24, she could have borrowed his phone, especially if she was in frequent contact with her family.

 

[10ofRods]

I'm wondering if LE is searching JRFs home for any clues where he was planning to take her camping/sightseeing, just anything!

I previously posted a subreddit the family friend created for Jin Fang, didn't know it wasn't allowed here. I'm new to this site and was drawn to this missing case since I live in Palm Springs and frequently drive to Yucca Valley/Joshua Tree on the weekends.

As many have said, July was very hot and after living in the desert for over a year, most residents here make sure to be well prepared when leaving the house during the summer months so I imagine with JRF's military background and living in the area, he was well prepared, especially if he's taking someone on a tour.

If Jin Fang lost reception or her phone had no more battery life, it doesn't make sense that JRF's last known location was in Julian on 7/24, she could have borrowed his phone, especially if she was in frequent contact with her family.

I doubt they can search someone's home just because they are missing. That's one reason I was wondering about JRF's family. LE need search warrants or permission from an owner to search. Not sure what JRF's relationships with family might be.

Welcome to Websleuths! Your local interest and knowledge is much needed.

Interesting point about the two phones. Presumably, Fang Jin's is on a Chinese-based cellular provider (and it's possible it stopped working). While she could have borrowed his phone, I know that I can't just dial people in China (Mr. Rods has the ability to make international calls, so we share his phone for those). I could add that plan to my phone, but we use it so rarely.

So it's possible that JRF didn't have an international calling plan. I am not sure what happens at that point. The calls simply do not go through on my phone - I'd have to dial 611 and get someone at my provider to add that service in (or go online to do it myself - but I think it takes a couple of days to start working).

Interesting questions. It's frustrating that searches cannot be conducted without some sort of permission. If JRF had an emergency contact listed on an employment form, I doubt that would be enough. In my own case, we just give keys to our kids and they know it's up to them to decide whether to go in - they have blanket permission, of course.

IMO.

 

[megs1477]

I pulled up some cell phone coverage maps and there are a lot of dead zones around Julian. The further away from civilization, the less reception.
My fear is that they are stranded somewhere and the SBSD classifying them as ‘voluntarily missing’ will result in them not being found in time.

 

[ConundrumPonderer]

I think this is so frustrating because they’re not legally “missing persons” yet. Neither Fang nor John have reasons for the police to consider this an emergency. Yes, Fang has been out of contact with her daughter, which is unusual enough that her daughter has become incredibly worried, but whilst it’s entirely reasonable for her daughter to be panicked, we all know this from every missing case, adults are allowed to go off on their own, even if it’s incredibly unusual. I think it’s very likely the phone simply didn’t have service, but they’d intended to be back in communication when they left the remote area, as far as the information we have tells us. If they had an accident, John, better than 99% of the planet, would be able to save them, but given the amount of time, I’m scared something happened to him, then what would happen to her?
MOO

 

[crhedBngr]

I, too, think the two of them might have met their ill fate like Jonathan Gerrish & Ellen Chung family and Lauren Cho. but thne If you read JRF's Linkedin page, it seems that he has zillions of survival skills as a former navy seal... so it's hard to believe they could make mistakes like Gerrish & Chung.

here is a new article published by "Xinmin Weekly" on Baijiahao hosted by Baidul
百度安全验证
(Note: "Xinmin Weekly" is a reputable magazine headquartered in Shanghai, Baidu is sort like China's Google, Bijiahao is a blog-styled information sharing platform where 1.9 million publishers share news and contents on daily basis)

This article gives one detail we did not know before: a man claiming to be JRF's friend contacted Jin's daughter Lin, asking about the progress of the case. he was very inquisitive, but Lin did not trust him.

The article also revealed that Jin Fang was running a homestay business in Portugal before returning to China. Emily met Jin when she booked Jin's homestay, Jin offered great help when Emily missed her airplane but could not get a refund from the airline. The two women hen became close friends.... if you like, you can read the whole article on Baidu website.

RBBM

Has it been verified that he is a Navy Seal?

If people are pulling that information from his LinkedIn account and have not seen this info anywhere else, then I am skeptical about any survival skills he may have.

JMVHO.

 

[megs1477]

RBBM

Has it been verified that he is a Navy Seal?

If people are pulling that information from his LinkedIn account and have not seen this info anywhere else, then I am skeptical about any survival skills he may have.

JMVHO.

He is a US Military Veteran (source: court ordered Veterans Treatment Court). Any specifics of his service would likely not be publicly available.

 

[10ofRods]

Well, even if he is a Navy seal, he's possibly out in the desert, having had an accident or otherwise in trouble.

If they were both in Julian on the 24th, that's now more than three weeks ago. Neither has been heard from or noticed by officials since the 24th (For FJ, it's 3 more days, I believe).

I really worry that they both could have been victims of foul play or a bad accident. If his phone is now off as well, that's very troubling.

 

[acutename]

I, too, think the two of them might have met their ill fate like Jonathan Gerrish & Ellen Chung family and Lauren Cho. but thne If you read JRF's Linkedin page, it seems that he has zillions of survival skills as a former navy seal... so it's hard to believe they could make mistakes like Gerrish & Chung.

here is a new article published by "Xinmin Weekly" on Baijiahao hosted by Baidul
百度安全验证
(Note: "Xinmin Weekly" is a reputable magazine headquartered in Shanghai, Baidu is sort like China's Google, Bijiahao is a blog-styled information sharing platform where 1.9 million publishers share news and contents on daily basis)

This article gives one detail we did not know before: a man claiming to be JRF's friend contacted Jin's daughter Lin, asking about the progress of the case. he was very inquisitive, but Lin did not trust him.

The article also revealed that Jin Fang was running a homestay business in Portugal before returning to China. Emily met Jin when she booked Jin's homestay, Jin offered great help when Emily missed her airplane but could not get a refund from the airline. The two women hen became close friends.... if you like, you can read the whole article on Baidu website.

his LinkedIn has some weird misspellings on it such a "commendation" spelled wrong in one place but not in another and "heavy" spelled wrong in heavy equipment school and no addresses... maybe that is unimportant for an action guy or maybe it is fake?

 

[whitelilac]

I've been following.

I'm thinking that since apparently Fang planned to be in contact with her daughter every second day (iirc), that I'd think she would have advised her daughter that she may be in areas with no reception.
At the least during their conversations, the guy would have warned Fang about that, knowing the areas.

My daughter always warns me when she goes off on long hikes so I won't worry.

I doubt they were traveling in areas with no reception for this length of time. Wasn't it in 29 Palms that she last communicated?

I would not expect there to be a complete dead zone between 29 Palms/Joshua Tree and Julian.

I don't understand why authorities are not more concerned, at least do some investigating after Julian, where his phone pinged, surveillance cameras, radar traps that have cameras (?), gas stations etc. Something is clearly wrong.

 

[sinderella]

his LinkedIn has some weird misspellings on it such a "commendation" spelled wrong in one place but not in another and "heavy" spelled wrong in heavy equipment school and no addresses... maybe that is unimportant for an action guy or maybe it is fake?

I questioned his LinkedIn in too, but did notice he's received several recommendations which seem valid.

 

[acutename]

I agree. Also, unless they had portable (solar) charging bricks with them, all it would take is a dead car battery to effectively disable their ability to travel/communicate. In high temperatures (which, by all accounts, was the case in the areas they were supposedly visiting), car batteries drain quicker than in more moderate and below-freezing temperatures.

I think it would be weird to go camping in the desert without a solar charger IMO. The one thing you have a lot of is sun(!), though if you were out of range of cell communication, even if you got a phone charged, it could be useless. People do try off grid wilderness and survival training but I am not understanding why in this instance FJ would be doing that.

 

[slowpoke]

“Lin [Fang’s daughter] emphasized: “My mom never said she wanted to develop a romantic relationship. Her itinerary back home has been well arranged. She had no intention to stay in the United States for a long time or develop a relationship with the man. We have also noticed that it has caused a lot of rumors, which undoubtedly hurts our family.”(SD News)”

Shenzhen Daily news

(Shenzhen Daily is a local English-language daily on the southern Chinese mainland)

Very interesting statement from her daughter. So, is that why articles say the Sheriff’s Dept say JRF was “hired” to be her tour guide?

 

[Bogbacal2]

I still don’t like LE wording “voluntarily missing”. Clearly something is out of sorts and you would think LE would think so as well.

 

[patternsfinder]

Potentially important to note: In her last known video/cell ping/contact, at 10pm on a Friday, July 21st, the only real reason anyone would be driving that road, esp with a tourist, is to go to The Palms, a cute lil middle of nowhere bar in Wonder Valley. I checked and The Palms had an event/show on Saturday the 22nd, but nothing on the 21st. Someone might still go there for a drink on the 21st, but The Palms close when they want to close, and July was so hot, I don't imagine they were open late on the 21st. The only other "thing"/place to go to via that road is a longer drive to the Mojave Preserve, which makes no sense as his truck was seen 1.5 hours in the other direction (from Wonder Valley, the Preserve would be an extra hour or so) the next day. (There is also a "town" called Amboy maybe an extra 45 mins down that road, but literally nothing there to go to at night. A volcano and one gas station not open at that hour.) The only other possible reason to drive that road at that hour is that he had a friend in Wonder Valley he was taking her to meet. But, again, 10pm on a Friday for that is weird. (July was so hot everyone was exhausted and kind of anti social in the area. The heat literally drained your energy, it was hotter than a usual summer.) She/her phone has no contact post that drive into Wonder Valley. But his truck/phone ping post. I now wonder why he drove to that remote nowhere late on a Friday night. MOO, as a local who knows the area well.

 

[acutename]

Potentially important to note: In her last known video/cell ping/contact, at 10pm on a Friday, July 21st, the only real reason anyone would be driving that road, esp with a tourist, is to go to The Palms, a cute lil middle of nowhere bar in Wonder Valley. I checked and The Palms had an event/show on Saturday the 22nd, but nothing on the 21st. Someone might still go there for a drink on the 21st, but The Palms close when they want to close, and July was so hot, I don't imagine they were open late on the 21st. The only other "thing"/place to go to via that road is a longer drive to the Mojave Preserve, which makes no sense as his truck was seen 1.5 hours in the other direction (from Wonder Valley, the Preserve would be an extra hour or so) the next day. (There is also a "town" called Amboy maybe an extra 45 mins down that road, but literally nothing there to go to at night. A volcano and one gas station not open at that hour.) The only other possible reason to drive that road at that hour is that he had a friend in Wonder Valley he was taking her to meet. But, again, 10pm on a Friday for that is weird. (July was so hot everyone was exhausted and kind of anti social in the area. The heat literally drained your energy, it was hotter than a usual summer.) She/her phone has no contact post that drive into Wonder Valley. But his truck/phone ping post. I now wonder why he drove to that remote nowhere late on a Friday night. MOO, as a local who knows the area well.

would anyone choose to drive at night becuse it would be cooler? Sleep during the heat of the day and drive at night? I still think it is odd that there are no reservations anywhere... were they just camping outside at free places? Paying for gas or supplies with cash?

 

[patternsfinder]

No. 29 Palms/Wonder Valley has a hotter temperature than, say, Morongo Valley, where JRF lived. Also hotter than Joshua Tree and Yucca Valley, which are between Morongo and where they drove. There's no reason to drive to Wonder Valley late at night when it's hot, unless going to The Palms, or maybe a friend's house. Although, as I type, I realize that if he kept driving straight on that road it does go to the Marine Base. But I don't think that is where they were headed as there is no reason to assume so. The part of the road, and the direction they are going, they have driven past all other bars or restaurants someone might go to in 29 Palms, if that was cause for them to head east like that. (Oh, just reread and saw the post I meant to quote asking about driving at night, maybe for car AC. I guess possible. But to drive all the way to where they were on a Friday at 10pm makes no sense. And, again, it would be driving into hotter night temps/day temps than the National Park or JT)

 

[Herat]

Potentially important to note: In her last known video/cell ping/contact, at 10pm on a Friday, July 21st, the only real reason anyone would be driving that road, esp with a tourist, is to go to The Palms, a cute lil middle of nowhere bar in Wonder Valley. I checked and The Palms had an event/show on Saturday the 22nd, but nothing on the 21st. Someone might still go there for a drink on the 21st, but The Palms close when they want to close, and July was so hot, I don't imagine they were open late on the 21st. The only other "thing"/place to go to via that road is a longer drive to the Mojave Preserve, which makes no sense as his truck was seen 1.5 hours in the other direction (from Wonder Valley, the Preserve would be an extra hour or so) the next day. (There is also a "town" called Amboy maybe an extra 45 mins down that road, but literally nothing there to go to at night. A volcano and one gas station not open at that hour.) The only other possible reason to drive that road at that hour is that he had a friend in Wonder Valley he was taking her to meet. But, again, 10pm on a Friday for that is weird. (July was so hot everyone was exhausted and kind of anti social in the area. The heat literally drained your energy, it was hotter than a usual summer.) She/her phone has no contact post that drive into Wonder Valley. But his truck/phone ping post. I now wonder why he drove to that remote nowhere late on a Friday night. MOO, as a local who knows the area well.

Amboy is a place on Route 66 that was important for a now-closed railroad station. If they decided to drive on tourist-famous Route 66, they might have passed it.

Amboy is also known for having a 250 foot-tall volcanic crater nearby. It looks deceptively close-by and there is a 4.1 mile "hike" to it from the parking lot on the road to the crater rim and into the crater. It starts out as a dirt trail but the crater part but the crater is basically a huge field of jagged chunks of black lava of variable sizes. The trail requires climbing over these black rocks and it is easy to get lost. The black lava blocks absorb and radiate heat and it makes an exhausting difficult and dangerous trail in the heat. Two small shade covers are present, but no other shade is present. Hikers recommend taking at least Multiple fatalities have been recorded, usually ascribed to heat exhaustion. The hike might be do-able in December but truly mad to attempt it in a July-August heat wave.

I initially discarded the thought they went there because as a local, he should have known better. And, if they went, the vehicle should have been easily found in the parking lot, just as the vehicles of the fatalities have been.

Remains of long-missing woman found near Amboy Crater - Route 66 News

The remains of a woman were found last week near Amboy Crater near Amboy, California, after she and her husband went missing 10 months ago. Susan Schmierer and her husband, William, of Williamsburg, Virginia, went missing after a visit to Amboy Crater during a cross-country trip to see a...

www.route66news.com

The comments on the All Trails Trail route are interesting.

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/amboy-crater#:~:text=Head%20out%20on%20this%204.1,encounter%20other%20people%20while%20exploring.

 

[patternsfinder]

It was almost a new moon on the 21st and dark dark dark. You can't see anything at night and rattlesnakes are out. No way they hiked the Amboy Crater in the middle of the night, in the middle of an historic heatwave, before he drove in the complete opposite direction to Thermal the next day. I think what happened in Wonder Valley is key to all of this. (Apologies for hijacking the thread. Just that once I saw her final video, I realized it made absolutely no sense where they were driving at that time. I've tried to guess where her other photos were taken, but aside from the airport one, they're vague. However that newly released video is very very telling and gives us an exact time and place to go off of. And it makes no logical sense.)

 

[vls12345]

I really appreciate all the locals here posting some details about the roads, the environment, the weather, the local "scene" in general, etc.

Thank you.

I hope they are both found and are safe. Or if not, that what happened to them was an unforeseen accident. I do hope there is no crime but I'm sadly leaning in that direction. Imo.