CA CA - Neal King, 25, Oroville, 26 March 2013

[Knox]

Keep in mind this may have been a legal business he was trying to put together. Thinking about the "collective grower" angle? I know next to nothing about the legalities of medical marijuana, just putting this out there for discussion.

http://canorml.org/prop/collectivetips.html

http://www.canorml.org/medical-marijuana/patients-guide-to-california-law

 

[LWoods]

Oh, I agree, Knox. I just meant from the standpoint of outsider judgment, etc.

 

[m_brown]

Probably a safe assumption, so sorry for Neal's family. This doesn't sound good.

I've been wanting to pipe in with the perspective of a local - Berry Creek is very rural and like many of the small towns east of Chico and Oroville - marijuana grows are very very common. You can hop on Google-earth and it won't take you but a few seconds to find a house in the country with neat little rows in the backyard (you will likely see a fence around it too).

In fact, when they first released the relative location of where Neal was last known to be (4000 block of Hildale) the first thing I did was go on and look around and immediately noticed 4001 Hildale with a small grow in the fenced backyard. The property at 4001 is owned by construction company from Minnesota (most likely a rental?). IMO - He was possibly setting up some sort of deal or partnership with the people living/growing there. If he agreed to travel out to the boonies of Berry Creek/Feather Falls with strangers involved with that kind of stuff - makes me sick to my stomach.

It also makes much more sense now as to why GF didn't report him missing for a few days - either she was expecting him to be gone a day or two (this is probably common when people travel to go start the gardens for summer grows) or she was worried about getting him in trouble with LE.

However - multiple articles have stated that she saw his car still at 4001 before she reported him missing. That location in Oroville is approx. 30 mins from Chico so it wasn't just a casual sighting of his car by chance - IMO she went to check on his whereabouts.

of course - no expert. But I have had so many questions about this - and still do.

 

[Wolf Dreamer]

welcome m_brown and thank you very much for your perspective!

 

[cluciano63]

If the people he visited did harm him, it seems like they would have used his car key and driven the car elsewhere and abandoned it. Unless for some reason they could not find the key, but that does not seem likely. It seems really stupid if they harmed him, and then just left his car there like a big red flag.

 

[southsleuth]

Kind of weird from my old-age perspective, that someone would vanish/get killed over some weed. But, I will have to add that my boss's Grandson was murdered here a couple of years ago. Actually, it wasn't the weed that was responsible but the murderer was a schizophrenic who went nuts. Sometimes, your friend isn't your friend. Does that make sense?

 

[Knox]

I've been wanting to pipe in with the perspective of a local - Berry Creek is very rural and like many of the small towns east of Chico and Oroville - marijuana grows are very very common. You can hop on Google-earth and it won't take you but a few seconds to find a house in the country with neat little rows in the backyard (you will likely see a fence around it too).

In fact, when they first released the relative location of where Neal was last known to be (4000 block of Hildale) the first thing I did was go on and look around and immediately noticed 4001 Hildale with a small grow in the fenced backyard. The property at 4001 is owned by construction company from Minnesota (most likely a rental?). IMO - He was possibly setting up some sort of deal or partnership with the people living/growing there. If he agreed to travel out to the boonies of Berry Creek/Feather Falls with strangers involved with that kind of stuff - makes me sick to my stomach.

It also makes much more sense now as to why GF didn't report him missing for a few days - either she was expecting him to be gone a day or two (this is probably common when people travel to go start the gardens for summer grows) or she was worried about getting him in trouble with LE.

However - multiple articles have stated that she saw his car still at 4001 before she reported him missing. That location in Oroville is approx. 30 mins from Chico so it wasn't just a casual sighting of his car by chance - IMO she went to check on his whereabouts.

of course - no expert. But I have had so many questions about this - and still do.

Welcome, love it when a local come to join us :seeya:

Are the grow operations you state are visible on Google, legal? Easy pickins for the DEA if not.

BBM-Are they known to be dangerous? What benefit would there be to meeting with someone (potential client), taking them out to your grow area, doing away with them, yet leaving their car parked near their house? Surely Neal would not have brought a large amount of cash with him, had he not known the people? Plus his girlfriend likely knew who he was meeting with and could point the finger at them. Attracting a bunch of attention from LE, when a missing person is last known to be meeting with you, does not make much sense to me. Thought drug dealers were smarter than that.

 

[marycarney]

]Kind of weird from my old-age perspective, that someone would vanish/get killed over some weed.[/B] But, I will have to add that my boss's Grandson was murdered here a couple of years ago. Actually, it wasn't the weed that was responsible but the murderer was a schizophrenic who went nuts. Sometimes, your friend isn't your friend. Does that make sense?

BBM: People get killed over weed all the time- watch the next marathon of The First 48. It's horrifying what kind of trivial crap people will kill over.........

 

[Cuoco7]

I had mentioned earlier upline about the area being notorious for this because we have family and i attended college up there. I happened to be sitting here with my husband so i asked if he was familiar with berry creek. I didn't mention anything but he jumped right on it saying that berry creek area is a smaller tight knit community known for their growing. Just another perspective from someone that doesn't know the story perspective. If that makes sense.

 

[Knox]

Butte County investigators say King was last seen at 4001 Hildale Avenue in Oroville.

Neighbors said they call it "the pot house" because the overwhelming scent of marijuana permeates the area during the grow season.

King was also trying to purchase 12 acres of land with a Las Vegas man.

King's mother is working with detectives on new leads. She said they are making progress.

http://www.krcrtv.com/news/local/Mi...eal/-/14322302/19703442/-/q06s9m/-/index.html

 

[Knox]

So maybe Neal left with the guy from Vegas? That would make sense, as the people at the house where his car was left would have no knowledge of where he was or what happened to him.

 

[Kavya01]

So maybe Neal left with the guy from Vegas? That would make sense, as the people at the house where his car was left would have no knowledge of where he was or what happened to him.

A good possibility in my book as well, Knox! :tyou:

 

[mamacita]

So maybe Neal left with the guy from Vegas? That would make sense, as the people at the house where his car was left would have no knowledge of where he was or what happened to him.

could also explain why the GF waited to call LE... maybe they were planning to take care of a bunch of details over the course of a few days. im holding out hope that LE has some good info & are working on a POI.

 

[Grower]

Pot farms are scattered throughout central and northern California. The State says you can get a medical card and grow up to 99 plants sometimes, depending on the doctor. People will pay you up to a thousand dollars to get your own card thus increasing the yields. If the Feds want to, they will bust you. Swat team machetes, the whole bit. The Feds trump the States law.There is a ton of money involved and has become very dangerous.

By the way ... I am not that kind of grower lol.

 

[m_brown]

Welcome, love it when a local come to join us :seeya:

Are the grow operations you state are visible on Google, legal? Easy pickins for the DEA if not.

BBM-Are they known to be dangerous? What benefit would there be to meeting with someone (potential client), taking them out to your grow area, doing away with them, yet leaving their car parked near their house? Surely Neal would not have brought a large amount of cash with him, had he not known the people? Plus his girlfriend likely knew who he was meeting with and could point the finger at them. Attracting a bunch of attention from LE, when a missing person is last known to be meeting with you, does not make much sense to me. Thought drug dealers were smarter than that.

Yes, most are legal. They are just so prolific there is no way to really enforce Fed. laws.

His car being at 4001 is certainly mind boggling. It really gives credit to the idea that a third party must be involved and possibly the people at 4001 had nothing to do with his disappearance. The "man from vegas" from the KRCR article sounds like hearsay to me but certainly they must be looking at his computer activity prior to his disappearance?

 

[Knox]

Pot farms are scattered throughout central and northern California. The State says you can get a medical card and grow up to 99 plants sometimes, depending on the doctor. People will pay you up to a thousand dollars to get your own card thus increasing the yields. If the Feds want to, they will bust you. Swat team machetes, the whole bit. The Feds trump the States law.There is a ton of money involved and has become very dangerous.

By the way ... I am not that kind of grower lol.

Good, because I kind of wondered about that

:floorlaugh:

We have a County ordinance which allows brick and mortar dispensaries, but the BOS consistently rejects the applications. It seems the interpretation of the law is very contentious among the various agencies (Fed, State & Local LE).

 

[Knox]

Yes, most are legal. They are just so prolific there is no way to really enforce Fed. laws.

His car being at 4001 is certainly mind boggling. It really gives credit to the idea that a third party must be involved and possibly the people at 4001 had nothing to do with his disappearance. The "man from vegas" from the KRCR article sounds like hearsay to me but certainly they must be looking at his computer activity prior to his disappearance?

We have some updated information regarding Neal's case. His last known location is believed to be the Berry Creek or Feather Falls area of California.

Previously, we only knew that around 11am the day of the 26th of March he was at 4001 Hildale Avenue discussing a piece of property he was selling. This is where he left his car, which has since been taken away.

https://www.facebook.com/MissingNealKing

From the missing facebook page. This say Neal was selling a piece of property. The other article made it sound like he was buying property with the guy from Vegas.

 

[Knox]

Snips-

Loved ones last heard from him on March 26. According to the Chico Police Department media log, King phoned his live-in girlfriend that morning and told her that he was on his way to a “business meeting” at a friend’s house on the 4000 block of Hildale Avenue in Oroville. Honea would not disclose whose home it was, or who else may have been there.

King’s girlfriend did not hear from him for three days after he went to Oroville, according to the incident report. She said she tried calling him, but to no avail, and eventually drove to the Oroville friend’s rural home, where she saw King’s black 2002 Ford Explorer parked.

However, the missing man’s friend reportedly told her that King had never arrived at the house. The girlfriend found that King had no activity on his cell phone or his credit cards during those three preceding days, and reported him missing to Chico police. His vehicle was still parked at the location when police arrived, and was eventually towed.

Honea said there are no suspects or persons of interest they can name at this point. “We do have a number of people we’ve interviewed who we hope will be able to shed light on what happened,” he said.

A new media release may be issued in the next few days based on a number of leads they are following up on, Honea said.

http://www.newsreview.com/chico/vanished-from-oroville/content?oid=9547944

 

[Cagle]

Snips-

Loved ones last heard from him on March 26. According to the Chico Police Department media log, King phoned his live-in girlfriend that morning and told her that he was on his way to a “business meeting” at a friend’s house on the 4000 block of Hildale Avenue in Oroville. Honea would not disclose whose home it was, or who else may have been there.

King’s girlfriend did not hear from him for three days after he went to Oroville, according to the incident report. She said she tried calling him, but to no avail, and eventually drove to the Oroville friend’s rural home, where she saw King’s black 2002 Ford Explorer parked.

However, the missing man’s friend reportedly told her that King had never arrived at the house. The girlfriend found that King had no activity on his cell phone or his credit cards during those three preceding days, and reported him missing to Chico police. His vehicle was still parked at the location when police arrived, and was eventually towed.

Honea said there are no suspects or persons of interest they can name at this point. “We do have a number of people we’ve interviewed who we hope will be able to shed light on what happened,” he said.

A new media release may be issued in the next few days based on a number of leads they are following up on, Honea said.

http://www.newsreview.com/chico/vanished-from-oroville/content?oid=9547944

If the people at that house were his "friends", they would know what he drove and be curious why his car was there but he wasn't. Even if they weren't really a "friend", I'd be curious about a vehicle parked in front of my house (ESPECIALLY FOR DAYS) that wasn't mine or someone in my family's.

 

[WhitneyLea]

Hmmm, strange case. The news articles say the business meeting was a transaction involving marijuana, but the facebook page set up by his brother says it was a deal involving property. Wonder which it is? I guess it could sort of be both, if they're talking about property that's used for a grow operation. Or if there was a transaction involving marijuana, and also an unrelated discussion about buying/selling property. Still strange though.

The car is also confusing me ... I was sort of thinking that maybe he met some people at the house on Hildale, then drove off with another person in another car to go look at the property he was buying/selling, then something happened from there and he never made it back to his car. But now the friend is claiming he never arrived at the Hildale house, even though the car was outside?? That makes no sense to me. For that to be true, someone else would have to have driven Neal's car there. Otherwise the friend is lying or mistaken ... and again, why would he lie about that when the car is so obviously outside?? Unless there's some other possibility I'm not considering ... just trying to think this through ...