Forgotten? Not by me. Like I said, I wished I'd had the ability to do something back then, when it might have mattered. Anyway, from what I remember, at the time I interviewed her, Jennifer's mother really thought the Cowboy Fred thing seemed strong. There was never a suspicion about Tro communicated to me (something in me remembers her saying that maybe they were having problems???, but I can't be sure about that. they were in their 20s, in a relationship, there are always problems). I saw that about his suicide; what a tragic turn of events. Nor were suspicions cast about the roommates. She always spoke of them as if they were this happy little bunch of kids, so I don't remember any suspicions there. Keep in mind, I am a year or two older than Jade, so at the time I would've admired her attitude about this band of neo-hippies.
With a bit more life under my belt, I realize that all may not have been wine and roses.
Regarding my theories:
The Cowboy Fred thing was always a list-topper, although, that doesn't jive with this whole farm thing. What was he just waiting for her to leave the house to walk to the farm?
A hit-and-run seemed quite plausible, especially in this area of misfits, ne'er-do-wells, and such.
A random abduction? Maybe, but that implies some sense of coincidence.
Looking back now however, I do think the note/farm thing is suspicious, only because from my article, the roommate told her mom that she hadn't been back for five days. That means she was expected to be back before then, which blows out the whole "going to live/work on a farm for months, won't see anyone anymore" idea. Within this context, Cowboy Fred starts to sound like a very convenient, creepy, scary scapegoat who may not have done what people think.
This Mingo dude that Mystic Jynx found seems like a shady character, huh? If that's the same one, maybe there's something to it. Those roommates need to be found. They need to come out and speak.
Other than that, I don't have any other theories. I will try to head over to the local library to view the articles we wrote on this side. I'm not sure how much coverage there was in that area at the time. That whole area annoys me now. LOL
and an interactive map (see photo below) of where the women disappeared. So-Cal Advocates For The Missing and their partners urge community members to share these images and this story in hopes that clues to the whereabouts of the women might emerge.
