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

[joeconejo]

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?

There is video evidence from the microwave tower security camera the car was driven out there in the morning

 

[joeconejo]

@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.

We'll look into that, thank you.

 

[joeconejo]

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?

Yes that is a definite possibility which is why we continue searching in the area, although after each search is seems less likely since nearly all possible hiking routes have been covered and going through the brush out there is extremely difficult.

 

[Rguycali]

Yes that is a definite possibility which is why we continue searching in the area, although after each search is seems less likely since nearly all possible hiking routes have been covered and going through the brush out there is extremely difficult.

Did he have a phone charger in his car at the time? There was one photo I saw that I could clearly see a charger in his car.

 

[Roxxi3535]

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 know one thing for sure, if i was trying to hide or get rid of a vehicle, this would be the last place i would do it.
If someone was trying to destroy evidence then why would they go through all this dangerous terrain and put their own life at risk while in the process of doing so? Ultimately, choosing a location like this will not eliminate evidence and is a far cry from a good hiding place. A body of water is ideal, and the evidence would be, no more.
Just saying, doesnt seem like a good way to conceal a crime, too sloppy.
However, this doesnt mean that the car wasnt dumped there, just that the act of getting rid of evidence seems unlikely.
If anything, there was intention to create false evidence so as to throw LE off the real trail and completely skew the public's opinion. In this case, it worked.

 

[ScorpioRising]

There is video evidence from the microwave tower security camera the car was driven out there in the morning

Thank you! So if the car wasn't driven back out and was only reported at midnight there should have been people seeing the car between 7ish am and midnight, right? Joe, have you gotten any responses through missing person flyers that anybody has seen at least the car itself that day? Is a missing person flyer with the car picture posted at the trail entrance? I feel like somebody would at least have seen the car up there during a full day and evening. Has the police mentioned any witness info or statements that came in through their phone line to the family?

 

[joeconejo]

Thank you! So if the car wasn't driven back out and was only reported at midnight there should have been people seeing the car between 7ish am and midnight, right? Joe, have you gotten any responses through missing person flyers that anybody has seen at least the car itself that day? Is a missing person flyer with the car picture posted at the trail entrance? I feel like somebody would at least have seen the car up there during a full day and evening. Has the police mentioned any witness info or statements that came in through their phone line to the family?

Yes, someone should have seen it. Not one single person has come forward. You could not have gone up there in the past 2 months and not seen the missing person flyers.
Police have not received any information on their tip line .

 

[Razz]

Following is a timeline Dateline created from reports:

Aug.2018: Early in August MW broke up with long term girlfriend. He also moved from Stepmom's home in Simi Valley to an apartment in Granada Hills. See ? at end of this timeline.

Aug. 9th: picked up paycheck from Dad

Aug 10th (just past midnight) Drove to female friend's home, picked her up and partied.

Aug 10 @4:30am (Fri) MW dropped female friend off at her place

Car cell phone records show MW's car traveling toward Malibu Canyon area.

Aug 10th 5:30 or 6 am : MW posted a snapchat video of the view from the trail.

Aug 10 @ 7:12a.m. Surveillance footage shows Matthew's car driving near the gated area. See ? @ end of timeline.

A few hours later, texts were exchanged w/ the girl he'd been partying with earlier.

Aug 10 @ 11:53a.m.MW calls female friend and she texts back to say she's at work and "What's up?"

Aug 10, 11:53a.m. : MW texts " Like some crazy is going onshit going on.
I just to talk while I have the chance."

12:54pm Female friend texts back "Arw you OK?

44:25 PM.: She texts again "Hey are you Ok?"

No further replies from MW. MW's ex girlfriend was on the same phone account so she looked up records.
His earlier text messages to his female friend was the last activity on Michael's phone before it was turned off or the battery died. His last texts were at 11:53am and her last text was @ 4:25pm. See question

Aug. 11th (Sat.) Just past midnight
In the area where surveillance footage captured MW's car, hikers call police to report hearing a male and female calling for help.

Aug 11th, early morning.: MW's car was discovered (while searching for the the people calling for help) " abandoned on the TopangaTowet Motorway near Rosa's Overlook and above the Backbone Trail and Hondo Canyon areas.

Aug 11, 5a.m. MW's father was personally contacted re his son's car as the car was registered in his Dad's name.

Questions: 1) what precipitated MW's move from his home to an an apt.
2). What precipitated his breakup with his longterm girlfriend?
3) Were other cars videotaped in the gated area after MW's car was seen thru Aug.11?
4) were the hikers who called LE past midnight on videotape? Were they still there when LE arrived? If not, have they come forward to be interviewed?
5) Was MW's phone still on when the female texted at 4:25 PM? Or can you receive a text when the phone is shut off? Do we really know when his phone was off or had shut down to battery drainage?

Forgive me for bumping my own timeline but it might help a bit with those having questions, including my own.

 

[OnYourLeft]

I was waiting for a reply hopefully from someone that is familiar with the caves and could show us where they are, either in person or on a map. We are more than willing and able to investigate any leads at this point.

Terribly sorry it has taken so long! This is a hike that my family has done for years.

Topanga Viewridge trail -- rocks and caves exploration

Also, I would have this cave system searched as well:

Corral Canyon Cave Closed by State Parks

As it is well known and has been closed since May, 2018.

I will try to post more - especially on the backbone trail - where Matthew’s car was found.

 

[ScorpioRising]

Forgive me for bumping my own timeline but it might help a bit with those having questions, including my own.

Helpful...I was looking for that yesterday. Could you add the time of his phone call to his friend was 11:30am according to the NBC Dateline interview

“He called her around 11:30 a.m., but she texted him to say she was at work and ask him what was up,” Brooke told Dateline. Brooke says Matthew texted her back a jumbled message, and the female friend then asked if he was OK.

 

[Rguycali]

Yes, someone should have seen it. Not one single person has come forward. You could not have gone up there in the past 2 months and not seen the missing person flyers.
Police have not received any information on their tip line .

Being that it was in the high 90's that day, which I check through weather history, I don't think many people would of been up there especially on a weekday. High 90's in Topanga alone is hot. It reminds me of that hot weekend in July where the valley got up to 115. I drove down Topanga to get out of the heat. I believe it was 86 at I trail I got to. My point is, NOBODY else was there and this was a weekend.

 

[Alethea]

Yes, someone should have seen it. Not one single person has come forward. You could not have gone up there in the past 2 months and not seen the missing person flyers.
Police have not received any information on their tip line .

That's what I think is the weirdest thing about it. Even if it was hot, people have routines. This seems to be a regular walking area for people in the neighborhood. I know other locals have confirmed this isn't a challenging hike as in mountain climbing, but it seems to be a good few mile walk for people who want to get some exercise. How did not one person see an abandoned car at the edge of the cliff and think that's odd, I should call 311 or whatever the non-emergency LE number is down there.

 

[L7335]

I think someone mentioned a while back in this thread about the caves in the area? I’m wondering if these caves have been considered more as a focus in any searches? I have heard about these caves and that people might be living in them and now after seeing the armed man disappear into the wilderness I would think it might be a good idea to investigate.

"The Caves": ScorpioRising did a post with a link (with pics!) before I got to it that explains pretty much what I know. The only "caves" I've seen are more like hollows in the sandstone. I recall there are a couple right next to what I'll call the ridge trail that runs from the Rosas Lookout down to the Calabasas Peak Motorway but it's inconceivable to me that someone would have searched that trail and NOT looked into the hollows, (aka caves).

 

[L7335]

The backbone trail is very long and travels through this whole area. From what I heard I think there are more caves but deeper in the wilderness. I have a friend that knows the trails better than I do. I’m going to ask him tonight if he knows of any other caves in the area.

Could very well be -- I've never gone off the trail more than a few feet. I know I sound like a broken record but IMHO a person would have to really want to explore if they'd be willing to subject themselves to the torture of being poked and scratched a billion times to bushwhack into the deep brush.

 

[L7335]

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?

That's been my suspicion from the start. Or maybe some people went to the overlook and find the car abandoned. And because they're jerks they decide - hey - let's try to push this car over the edge of the slope. Would the car have been left unlocked? Did they open it? Release the parking brake if it was on? The hypotheses could go on forever.

 

[Roxxi3535]

Another article...
After Two Months, Family Keeps Hopes For Missing Man Alive – 99.1 KBUU is RadioMalibu.Net

 

[Roxxi3535]

That's been my suspicion from the start. Or maybe some people went to the overlook and find the car abandoned. And because they're jerks they decide - hey - let's try to push this car over the edge of the slope. Would the car have been left unlocked? Did they open it? Release the parking brake if it was on? The hypotheses could go on forever.

You are RIGHT! The speculations are endless.

 

[Razz]

Helpful...I was looking for that yesterday. Could you add the time of his phone call to his friend was 11:30am according to the NBC Dateline interview

If you look again, it is there already.

 

[Razz]

I don't know how 911 works but I would think a number of the caller would be displayed to the dispatcher
and hopefully retained should there be questions later or they get disconnected. Maybe that's been attempted already? I'd really like to see the hikers interviewed that heard the cries for help.

 

[passepartout]

I know one thing for sure, if i was trying to hide or get rid of a vehicle, this would be the last place i would do it.

Good point.

And to use a real-life example in the same area: Elaine Park's car was left parked on PCH across from the 76 station at Corral Canyon and was not discovered until five days after she was reported missing.