Found Deceased CA - Paul Miller, 51, Canadian, Joshua Tree Natl Park, San Bernardino Co., 13 Jul 2018 #3

[MissMYB]

I for one had really thought he would be found somewhere else. I am so happy for closure for the family and still perplexed as to why he wasn’t found within hours. RIP Paul.

 

[nannymo]

It just goes to show how easy it is to miss someone when you are searching.

So glad his family finally found him.

 

[Detectivediva]

I've been thinking about Paul and wondered if experts yet determined what happened. I didn't see any news so I put in a request to receive Paul's autopsy report. The Coroner's office just let me know that the reports are not yet ready. She promised to let me know when they were. Hopefully the media will also receive a copy and determine it prudent to report COD. If not...I will purchase a copy and post it here (if admin permit me to do so).

 

[SFDukie]

I hadn't checked on the Paul miller search nor this thread since late last year.
Happy and relieved that his body was found! Hope it brought some closure to his wife, family and friends.

I'm disconcerted at some of the criticism of the deceased, and of Neil and his reports. Folks pontificate, when they simply do not know. Family and friends read this forum. Neil seems to have been driven off. Some of the criticism (of a dead man, who cannot answer) strikes me as unwarranted, some unfair, some as frankly incorrect.

The JTNP superintendent said-"The fact that he still had water and food in his backpack indicates that it was a sudden cause of death, because if it was dehydration or something like that he would have drunk the water, he would have eaten the food,"
Family of missing Joshua Tree hiker return to site where remains were found; backpack still had food and water - KESQ

Fit, experienced people do not need to take 10 liters of water, a sleeping bag, jacket, a bivvy sack, firemaking tools and a jacket for a 1.5 mile long, out and back trail. Posting repeatedly that he was unprepared, inexperienced is wrong. Once is bad enough, but to repeat it ad nauseum? Wrong. He was prepared, and he was experienced. He chose a short, reasonable hike.

The JTNP superintendent's assessment is above. For someone to idly post that a dead man "didn't drink enough"?

Wrong.

RIP Paul. Godspeed.

 

[SFDukie]

I've been thinking about Paul and wondered if experts yet determined what happened. I didn't see any news so I put in a request to receive Paul's autopsy report. The Coroner's office just let me know that the reports are not yet ready. She promised to let me know when they were. Hopefully the media will also receive a copy and determine it prudent to report COD. If not...I will purchase a copy and post it here (if admin permit me to do so).

Thanks for this! Many of us have been following, and would like to know if the autopsy report provides further information.

 

[Detectivediva]

Thanks for this! Many of us have been following, and would like to know if the autopsy report provides further information.

I haven't heard anything yet so the report must not be ready. I wonder why it's taking so long TBH. I promise to post once I hear from San Bernardino ME's office.

 

[neesaki]

I haven't heard anything yet so the report must not be ready. I wonder why it's taking so long TBH. I promise to post once I hear from San Bernardino ME's office.

Five months seems a long time. I wonder what the hold up is.

 

[Detectivediva]

Five months seems a long time. I wonder what the hold up is.

The clerk made a point to say that the 'reports' were not yet ready and I only requested the autopsy report so my guess is they are waiting on toxicology.

TBH I think that it's been too long and his death will be ruled undetermined. We will see.

 

[crhedBngr]

Nice to see Paul's thread active again.

 

[Suglo]

What if he had a sudden heart attack or stroke? Would an autopsy be able to determine that when all they have are skeletal remains?

 

[SFDukie]

What if he had a sudden heart attack or stroke? Would an autopsy be able to determine that when all they have are skeletal remains?

No. Possibly if he fell, hit his head or the like, we might have an indication. Emphasis on might. 18 months after death is a long time.

 

[SFDukie]

Five months seems a long time. I wonder what the hold up is.

Normally one would do toxicology studies off of a fluid or a tissue. I have no idea how much tissue was found. Possibly none.
Examiners can perform tox studies on hair, bones etc, but I can't think of anything useful for a case like this. It's not as if anyone thinks he was exposed to a nerve agent, used heroin, etc...
Perhaps someone who knows more about anything useful which hair, nails, or bones would yield in terms of toxicology.

 

[Suglo]

Has anyone here determined how far off trail his remains were found? I would like to see a map with the coordinates of where he was found relative to the parking lot and trail.

 

[Detectivediva]

Has anyone here determined how far off trail his remains were found? I would like to see a map with the coordinates of where he was found relative to the parking lot and trail.

I completely agree and I think this would make the story clearer. Who is good at this? Maybe we can tag someone. I'm quite surprised it hasn't been done. Seems like it is in pretty much every other case.

 

[FrostOwl]

Normally one would do toxicology studies off of a fluid or a tissue. I have no idea how much tissue was found. Possibly none.
Examiners can perform tox studies on hair, bones etc, but I can't think of anything useful for a case like this. It's not as if anyone thinks he was exposed to a nerve agent, used heroin, etc...
Perhaps someone who knows more about anything useful which hair, nails, or bones would yield in terms of toxicology.

Do we know if it was only skeletal remains that were found, or if there were parts of the body that had been mummified from the dry heat?

 

[neesaki]

I hadn't checked on the Paul miller search nor this thread since late last year.
Happy and relieved that his body was found! Hope it brought some closure to his wife, family and friends.

I'm disconcerted at some of the criticism of the deceased, and of Neil and his reports. Folks pontificate, when they simply do not know. Family and friends read this forum. Neil seems to have been driven off. Some of the criticism (of a dead man, who cannot answer) strikes me as unwarranted, some unfair, some as frankly incorrect.

The JTNP superintendent said-"The fact that he still had water and food in his backpack indicates that it was a sudden cause of death, because if it was dehydration or something like that he would have drunk the water, he would have eaten the food,"
Family of missing Joshua Tree hiker return to site where remains were found; backpack still had food and water - KESQ

Fit, experienced people do not need to take 10 liters of water, a sleeping bag, jacket, a bivvy sack, firemaking tools and a jacket for a 1.5 mile long, out and back trail. Posting repeatedly that he was unprepared, inexperienced is wrong. Once is bad enough, but to repeat it ad nauseum? Wrong. He was prepared, and he was experienced. He chose a short, reasonable hike.

The JTNP superintendent's assessment is above. For someone to idly post that a dead man "didn't drink enough"?

Wrong.

RIP Paul. Godspeed.

This is the first I heard that he still had water. And he was found in a “difficult to reach area”, which makes it seem even more mysterious.

 

[musicaljoke]

This is the first I heard that he still had water. And he was found in a “difficult to reach area”, which makes it seem even more mysterious.

A family member works with me, so feel free to consider this gossip, but as I mentioned earlier in the thread, evidence showed that Paul was probably taking pictures at the edge of a precipice when the edge broke off beneath him. They could see that the sandy rock where he had been standing had fallen away. They could also see that Paul had dragged himself below the outcrop, to try to get into some shade where he died. Because of his injuries, it's very likely that he was unable to respond to searchers who couldn't see him because he was hidden beneath the lookout where he had been standing.

And yes, he still had food and water with him.

 

[Leney]

This is the first I heard that he still had water. And he was found in a “difficult to reach area”, which makes it seem even more mysterious.

There was nothing mysterious to those that found PM.
Searches were within close proximity to the remains during the initial search as well as subsequent searches.

Snip

"JOSAR members were also close to the spot early in the search for Miller, she said.

“It’s so hard to see around every rock,” Robinson said."

Canadian hiker's family awaits identification of remains found in Joshua Tree National Park

 

[neesaki]

There was nothing mysterious to those that found PM.
Searches were within close proximity to the remains during the initial search as well as subsequent searches.

Snip

"JOSAR members were also close to the spot early in the search for Miller, she said.

“It’s so hard to see around every rock,” Robinson said."

Canadian hiker's family awaits identification of remains found in Joshua Tree National Park

I didn't say it was mysterious to those that found him. What I personally find mysterious is that PM went off trail into a hard to reach area. I frequently question things , that's just how my mind works.

 

[Leney]

I didn't say it was mysterious to those that found him. What I personally find mysterious is that PM went off trail into a hard to reach area. I frequently question things , that's just how my mind works.

The remains were not in a hard to reach area.
Much more in the article below.

Snip

""It was in a wide place in the canyon hidden behind a rock, so it's very difficult to see where he was," said Joshua Tree National Park superintendent David Smith, who brought the family back to the spot Tuesday.

Snip

""The remains were found in a slightly shaded area that we assume he sought shelter there from the sun while he was hiking," said Ainsley Otten, a family friend of the Millers."

Family of missing Joshua Tree hiker return to site where remains were found; backpack still had food and water - KESQ