CA CA - Matthew Weaver, 21, Santa Monica Mountains, 10 Aug 2018

[joeconejo]

I am sorry if you find my questions non sensical but there is a reason I ask them. If MW was paying for the car and it was "his" it seems more likely that he wouldn't want it damaged.
That the moment the driving got tough on the trail, he would have reversed himself other than going as far as he did. (Unless he was out of his head).
If he and his Dad have issues and the use of the car held over his head, he may not have cared that he was tearing up the bumpers and the underbelly. Just trying to get a feel for familial relationships.

I don't find your questions nonsensical at all, I'm open to all questions and will answer them to the best of my abilities.
The car was a gift from his father, so it was his without financial obligation or being held over his head- but he likely cared less about it since he didn't need to work for it. Just an assumption on my part to make sense of him driving out to the overlook and thrashing it..

I am really not in a position to determine what the relationship is like with him and his father. I do know they were talking to each other and seemed ordinary to me at the time of his disappearance.

 

[Rguycali]

I don't find your questions nonsensical at all, I'm open to all questions and will answer them to the best of my abilities.
The car was a gift from his father, so it was his without financial obligation or being held over his head- but he likely cared less about it since he didn't need to work for it. Just an assumption on my part to make sense of him driving out to the overlook and thrashing it..

I am really not in a position to determine what the relationship is like with him and his father. I do know they were talking to each other and seemed ordinary to me at the time of his disappearance.

I would add, IF he trashed it. From photos it appears he really liked the car and if it's your only car nobody would certainly trash there own car, especially being in a remote location.

 

[Steph9676]

I would add, IF he trashed it. From photos it appears he really liked the car and if it's your only car nobody would certainly trash there own car, especially being in a remote location.

I just can’t imagine someone purposely driving down that road with the damage occurring and not thinking maybe I should stop or turn around. When I first saw the car and where it was my first thought was no one would do that with the intent to drive out of there.

Even if he was under the influence when your bumper is getting broken off wouldn’t you still somewhat think about not continuing. Also the car was taken all the way to the end. Maybe it was supposed to go further somewhere to hide it but it got stuck or the road ended. Maybe it was planted there along with the Snapchat as a clue to his last destination along with the ominous text to the girl. I really wish I knew if the Snapchat said anything.

 

[jash]

He works for an acquaintance of his fathers. He was being paid cash and has no bank account or credit cards.

This is interesting. Where would he keep his cash? How much was he paid most recently? I'm not sure what type of people he was living with, or hanging out with, but this could have made him a target.

Also with no credit card, he would have to pre-pay at gas stations. Do you know whether his tank was full/nearly full when the vehicle was recovered?

 

[Force Ten]

@joeconejo Was it the front or rear bumper that came off?

 

[poopybilly]

@joeconejo Was it the front or rear bumper that came off?

From pictures on the account it looks to be the front bumper.

 

[poopybilly]

@joeconejo do you know if the Snapchat video is available to view online? Or any surveleince for that matter.

Also was the trunk damaged from the inside or outside? And what wheel was hanging over the edge of the cliff? Thank you.

 

[Force Ten]

From pictures on the account it looks to be the front bumper.

Thanks. I couldn't see either bumper it was in that picture but I located another elsewhere that clearly shows it's the front.

 

[Roxxi3535]

It turns into a criminal investigation once they uncover evidence pointing to a criminal. If you are asking when homicide detectives get involved, usually its by day 10-30. It is almost certain they are pursuing suspicious death angles in this case, IMO

Really? Please enlighten us.
I just havent seen a whole lot of LE involvement. No interaction with the public, no important updates or info released, pretty much nothing to lead me to believe that they are investigating this any further than the fact that he is missing, point, blank, period. What brings you to this conclusion?

 

[_AmieB_]

I’m not be any means trying to be rude but was he into harder drugs like meth or herion? Does he maybe owe someone money? Living in the same area he went missing and we have seen the drug crisis rise.

 

[Niner]

Sorry, I haven't kept up with this thread - but this appeared in the my google alerts this morning - don't know if it's been posted yet.

It's the second article on the page.

California man Matthew Weaver Jr. still missing nearly two months after car found abandoned in Malibu canyons

 

[joeconejo]

This is interesting. Where would he keep his cash? How much was he paid most recently? I'm not sure what type of people he was living with, or hanging out with, but this could have made him a target.

Also with no credit card, he would have to pre-pay at gas stations. Do you know whether his tank was full/nearly full when the vehicle was recovered?

He would have kept his cash on him, he was recently paid $500.
Unsure of the fuel level when vehicle was recovered. I see what you're getting at, the possibility of there being any video footage from a nearby gas station? Unfortunately it is going on 2 months now so probably not going to happen.

 

[joeconejo]

I’m not be any means trying to be rude but was he into harder drugs like meth or herion? Does he maybe owe someone money? Living in the same area he went missing and we have seen the drug crisis rise.

As far as we know he was not doing meth or heroin.
Owing someone money has been discussed as a possibility but we have no evidence of that.

 

[joeconejo]

@joeconejo do you know if the Snapchat video is available to view online? Or any surveleince for that matter.

Also was the trunk damaged from the inside or outside? And what wheel was hanging over the edge of the cliff? Thank you.

Snapchat video is not available online. We do not have access to any surveillance video.

Trunk was damaged but likely from the drive in and tow out. Right front wheel was hanging over.

 

[mks762]

Is it possible someone was trying to drive the car over a ledge but got stuck and left the car where it was? Trying to get rid of evidence?

 

[Razz]

In reviewing the texts, could it be:
"Crazy *advertiser censored* going on" meant: "my car wheel is hanging off the cliff and I'm
stuck" and "Not much time to talk before" meaning, "my phone battery is about to die".......

Could it be he was really up a creek. No car and no phone. What would he do?

Would he have attempted to walk down "the mountain and through the shrub" as the crow flies to the closest gas station?

Being thin, tired and no sleep, and probably very dehydrated, maybe he started his walk down the mountain side to a place where he could have received help, only to succumb to the dry, hot and inhospitable terrain?

 

[ScorpioRising]

In reviewing the texts, could it be:
"Crazy **** going on" meant: "my car wheel is hanging off the cliff and I'm
stuck" and "Not much time to talk before" meaning, "my phone battery is about to die".......

Could it be he was really up a creek. No car and no phone. What would he do?

Would he have attempted to walk down "the mountain and through the shrub" as the crow flies to the closest gas station?

Being thin, tired and no sleep, and probably very dehydrated, maybe he started his walk down the mountain side to a place where he could have received help, only to succumb to the dry, hot and inhospitable terrain?

I thought about that too...or if the platform was slippery from fog he maybe tried to push the car back and fell off? If his phone battery was about done it could have meant that...however the reason why this doesn't make sense is that there was no phone activity between 11:30 when he tried to call his female friend and when he texted her a reply again at 11:52ish. If I fell into the brush or tried to walk back and my phone was about to die...and the last person I was with (not sure I would have called her anyways) wouldn't pick up...then I use the last remaining battery power to either text her I fell off the platform at XYZ please send help or I call 911. The 20 minute radio silence between him trying to call the female friend and her texting him back and his reply to her...that's what is bothering me. Also if some bad fortune/luck accident happened would he really have called her?

 

[ScorpioRising]

Is it possible someone was trying to drive the car over a ledge but got stuck and left the car where it was? Trying to get rid of evidence?

I agree with you and am leaning towards this explanation. It seems more likely to me that someone other than MW drove the car up there in high speed not caring about trashing it but rather getting rid of it. If whatever happened to him happened at around 12 noon, then why was the car only called in to 911 12 hours later at midnight? There are so many people hiking there every day, nobody has called in to at least say they saw the car up there during the day after they heard about the missing young man? That seems fishy to me. The question is was the car really up there between 12 noon and 12 midnight or was it driven up there during the evening/ night right before midnight?

 

[ScorpioRising]

@joeconejo I don't know much about cell phone forensics and obviously for most stuff you would have to have his phone in hand, but maybe you could ask these guys here Mobile & Computer Forensics in Los Angeles | DataChasers, Inc whether there is any way to find out for a missing person when the phone battery ran out or what the phone battery status was while the last message was sent? Maybe they can give you some information that is helpful in any way.

 

[Razz]

I thought about that too...or if the platform was slippery from fog he maybe tried to push the car back and fell off? If his phone battery was about done it could have meant that...however the reason why this doesn't make sense is that there was no phone activity between 11:30 when he tried to call his female friend and when he texted her a reply again at 11:52ish. If I fell into the brush or tried to walk back and my phone was about to die...and the last person I was with (not sure I would have called her anyways) wouldn't pick up...then I use the last remaining battery power to either text her I fell off the platform at XYZ please send help or I call 911. The 20 minute radio silence between him trying to call the female friend and her texting him back and his reply to her...that's what is bothering me. Also if some bad fortune/luck accident happened would he really have called her?

Maybe she was easier to get in touch with because he had called her previously. And I'm not sure I'd call Dad if the car was on a hiking trail where it shouldn't be
with one wheel over the side. I'd call someone who could get me help but wouldn't blab it to Mom or Dad.

I wonder when the tire was over the edge (,and after he tried calling his friend) if he checked his trunk to see if there was some tool he could use to get it out.

After his phone died, (if it died) then he may have given up hope in getting the car out or getting help. At that point he may have walked down the path 100 yards, stood up on a high point to determine the quickest way (as the crow flies) to get help. This would have occurred late morning/early afternoon.