Found Deceased CA - Paul Miller, 51, Canadian missing in Joshua Tree National Park, San Bernardino Co., 13 Jul 2018

[tarabull]

Incase Paul's family is reading here...

Just incase Paul isn't even in the park...

NamUs is a national information clearinghouse and resource center for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person cases across the United States. Funded and administered by the National Institute of Justice and managed through a cooperative agreement with the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas, all NamUs resources are provided at no cost to law enforcement, medical examiners, coroners, allied forensic professionals, and family members of missing persons.

 

[RickshawFan]

He was also described as a fairly experienced hiker. Why focus on his weight when his fitness as a hiker is what's relevant?

Also won't even ask why the word sloppy was used when what you meant (apparently) was overweight.

Often missing hikers are described as "experienced". They are not, generally. The fact that Paul went hiking on that denuded trail in those conditions despite the warnings at the trailhead not to attempt it, well....what can I say... that's not an experienced hiker.

I could go on and on... not taking his ID with him; wearing a T-shirt in the blazing sun; shorts, in that blazing sun: wearing black; likely not having enough water for the trip; possibly not having electrolytes/salt; no proper large brimmed hat (?); whistle?; compass either on phone (which he didn't take) or manual....

His exposed skin would have been destroyed by sunburn even with sunscreen in those conditions.

And yes, he does seem to be disproportionately heavy, unless he was undergoing serious bodybuilding.

Could the disproportion be from diabetes? If so, did he have insulin or was he preferring to be in denial?

Another condition that would cause him to be on the heavy side?

Did he have an allergy and no epipen?

So many possibilities.....

 

[AllGrace]

Often missing hikers are described as "experienced". They are not, generally. The fact that Paul went hiking on that denuded trail in those conditions despite the warnings at the trailhead not to attempt it, well....what can I say... that's not an experienced hiker.

I could go on and on... not taking his ID with him; wearing a T-shirt in the blazing sun; shorts, in that blazing sun: wearing black; likely not having enough water for the trip; possibly not having electrolytes/salt; no proper large brimmed hat (?); whistle?; compass either on phone (which he didn't take) or manual....

His exposed skin would have been destroyed by sunburn even with sunscreen in those conditions.

And yes, he does seem to be disproportionately heavy, unless he was undergoing serious bodybuilding.

Could the disproportion be from diabetes? If so, did he have insulin or was he preferring to be in denial?

Another condition that would cause him to be on the heavy side?

Did he have an allergy and no epipen?

So many possibilities.....

Thank you for being willing to state these obvious things. If he got lost or injured - well, he had acted foolishly going on this "hike". If he ran off - I guess that is foolish too. Are LE or any groups still looking for him? If he met foul play, I guess one could argue it was foolish to go on the hike....but I don't like to victim blame and no matter what it is never a victims fault (although we can try to use the brains given to us). I still wouldn't be shocked if something came out about his wife. (MOO)

 

[rosesfromangels]

I could go on and on... not taking his ID with him; wearing a T-shirt in the blazing sun; shorts, in that blazing sun: wearing black; likely not having enough water for the trip; possibly not having electrolytes/salt; no proper large brimmed hat (?); whistle?; compass either on phone (which he didn't take) or manual....

Respectfully snipped for focus. This keeps me firmly planted on the fence still. Either he is in there and we haven't found him because he has slipped between two rocks, or this is an insurance ruse. I'm now adjusting my % to 40% still in JT not found, and 60% something else.

 

[Satchie]

Respectfully snipped for focus. This keeps me firmly planted on the fence still. Either he is in there and we haven't found him because he has slipped between two rocks, or this is an insurance ruse. I'm now adjusting my % to 40% still in JT not found, and 60% something else.

Is this some sort of betting pool, that you're offering odds for?

 

[rosesfromangels]

Is this some sort of betting pool, that you're offering odds for?

Merely reinforcing I remain quite conflicted as to what has really happened to Paul. It seems very straightforward; lost yet to be found.
Yet I keep thinking about his wife leaving so quickly, and o find that very odd.

 

[Lilibet]

Merely reinforcing I remain quite conflicted as to what has really happened to Paul. It seems very straightforward; lost yet to be found.
Yet I keep thinking about his wife leaving so quickly, and o find that very odd.

I assume their kids (if any) are adults. I can sort of picture them pressuring her “Mom, just come home. There’s nothing you can do. Let the experts search.” They wouldn’t be able to take much time off work to spend time there with her, so she’d be there alone. I’m not sure I’d succumb to pressure that quickly, but we don’t know the financial situation, etc. and kids can be pushy and think they know best. She may also have been advised by the professionals to go home. But it did seem quick IMO.

 

[tarabull]

Just reviewing...

Wife holds onto hope after hiker goes missing

Snipped...
“In your heart of hearts, what do you think happened?” DiGiulio asked.

“I have no idea,” Miller responded. “My husband is a very strong hiker, so unless he hit his head or somehow got hurt, he would have made it back in time for us to catch our flight home and everything would be great.

“They’ve been searching for him for quite some time, so I’m not disregarding maybe he made it out of the park and I don’t know where he is now. I don’t know.”

After five days with no sign besides her husband’s rental car at the Fortynine Palms trailhead, the search was scaled back and Stephanie Miller returned to Canada to be with her children, who are 19 and 21.

...“Until you give me proof that something else has happened to him, I have to believe that he’s still out there, who knows where.”

 

[rosesfromangels]

Just reviewing...
Snipped...
“In your heart of hearts, what do you think happened?” DiGiulio asked.
“I have no idea,”

I’m not disregarding maybe he made it out of the park and I don’t know where he is now. I don’t know.”

After five days... Stephanie Miller returned to Canada..."
/QUOTE]
Additional snipping by Roses for Focus and BBM.

These comments make the old hinky alarm go off even louder. I'm going to say what is going through my mind which is OPINION only.

"I have no idea" - What does that mean? Of course she has an idea. She knows her husband went hiking and is missing. Therefore, she should have an idea that he is in the park yet to be found!

I’m not disregarding maybe he made it out of the park and I don’t know where he is now. I don’t know.” - Sounds to me like she knows alot more than she is telling. Why would she even consider that he might have left the park? Sounds very sketchy to me.

After five days... Stephanie Miller returned to Canada..." - This is way too soon.
I would like this woman to volunteer to take a polygraph. Something else is going on here.

I could be SO wrong, and have been before. This is amateur speculation and opinion, but this isn't adding up for me. If I end up being wrong I will admit it and apologize for ever thinking these thoughts. However, I can't shake this feeling that there is deception here.
*Amateur opinion and speculation only*

 

[frisson]

I felt weird when I read those comments from the wife. I tend to agree with tara and roses here.....odd

 

[rosesfromangels]

Snipped...
“In your heart of hearts, what do you think happened?” DiGiulio asked.
“I have no idea,”

I’m not disregarding maybe he made it out of the park and I don’t know where he is now. I don’t know.”

After five days... Stephanie Miller returned to Canada..."
/QUOTE]
Additional snipping by Roses for Focus and BBM.

These comments make the old hinky alarm go off even louder. I'm going to say what is going through my mind which is OPINION only.

"I have no idea" - What does that mean? Of course she has an idea. She knows her husband went hiking and is missing. Therefore, she should have an idea that he is in the park yet to be found!

I’m not disregarding maybe he made it out of the park and I don’t know where he is now. I don’t know.” - Sounds to me like she knows alot more than she is telling. Why would she even consider that he might have left the park? Sounds very sketchy to me.

After five days... Stephanie Miller returned to Canada..." - This is way too soon.
I would like this woman to volunteer to take a polygraph. Something else is going on here.

I could be SO wrong, and have been before. This is amateur speculation and opinion, but this isn't adding up for me. If I end up being wrong I will admit it and apologize for ever thinking these thoughts. However, I can't shake this feeling that there is deception here.
*Amateur opinion and speculation only*

 

[ispy4u]

Missing Guelph man's family urges search to continue

Interesting that in this article they talk about time constraints pressuring them on the morning of their last day and the family is pressuring local law enforcement to consider foul play.

 

[rosesfromangels]

Missing Guelph man's family urges search to continue

Interesting that in this article they talk about time constraints pressuring them on the morning of their last day and the family is pressuring local law enforcement to consider foul play.

I think deception or foul play is a distinct possibility and should be pursued. The investigation should start by asking the wife to voluntarily take a poly. It will save alot of time and rule out that possibility. All amateur opinion and speculation.

 

[frisson]

Missing Guelph man's family urges search to continue

Interesting that in this article they talk about time constraints pressuring them on the morning of their last day and the family is pressuring local law enforcement to consider foul play.

Thanks for the article.

From the article , "Stephanie Miller was going to accompany her husband on the morning hike, but with time constraints pressuring them on the morning of their last day, she decided to stay home and pack."

Didn't they know about time constraints /flight times/ checkout times prior to the plans for a hike and choosing the time as later rather than earlier? Am I missing something?

Plus it is hotter at 9. What time is sunrise there? When I used to walk for exercise (not hike) I'd go as early as possible to avoid the heat here.

ODD we are missing something

 

[frisson]

This is either one of the saddest anniversaries ever... or something is hink. I just dont know, but things seem off somehow. One detail being off would not get my attention, but there seem to be several. The tiny things add up sometimes. I could be wrong.
The time he went
What he wore
Cell in the car
Searchers see no tracks
Dogs get no scent
3 miles one way to the Oasis and searchers cannot find him
I'm sure there's more, but I cant think of it

 

[eucalyptuz]

After 5 days, I guess the wife had to assess her priorities:
a)If her husband was still out, lost in the desert (or was the victim of a random serial killer), then he was surely deceased.
If he was not still out there he had either:
b) committed a concealed suicide or
c) intentionally disappeared

So dead/defected husband, mounting expenses, foreign coutry
vs
Being with children and having the support of friends and family, keeping expenses down and accepting the inevitable conclusions of a), b) or c).

I think an insurance fraud/internet charity trickster would keep up appearances of prolonged searching just to milk media attention and LE efforts...and I'm just not feeling it in this case.

 

[zecats]

This is either one of the saddest anniversaries ever... or something is hink. I just dont know, but things seem off somehow. One detail being off would not get my attention, but there seem to be several. The tiny things add up sometimes. I could be wrong.
The time he went
What he wore
Cell in the car
Searchers see no tracks
Dogs get no scent
3 miles one way to the Oasis and searchers cannot find him
I'm sure there's more, but I cant think of it

Actually it’s approx 3 miles round trip. Even less of an area to search.
Fortynine Palms Oasis in Joshua Tree National Park

 

[Lilibet]

Actually it’s approx 3 miles round trip. Even less of an area to search.
Fortynine Palms Oasis in Joshua Tree National Park

That short distance makes it even more of a mystery. It’s hard to imagine what could have happened. And yet, hikers go missing all the time, and are never found.

 

[zecats]

That short distance makes it even more of a mystery. It’s hard to imagine what could have happened. And yet, hikers go missing all the time, and are never found.

I’ve read of cases where hikers who have not been found have hiked off alone somewhere without leaving an itinery. Some also are lost because they are assumed to have fallen in an area so remote that it’s not possible to locate them. Some are not known to even be missing for a period of time. This case is none of these scenarios. It’s known where he was hiking. It’s not that remote where he could have fallen and not be found. He was reported missing almost immediately. Most peculiarly bizarre. Jmo

 

[ElementalLaura]

Missing Guelph man's family urges search to continue

Interesting that in this article they talk about time constraints pressuring them on the morning of their last day and the family is pressuring local law enforcement to consider foul play.

The foul play speculation has the same issue the ‘got lost’ theory: Where is Paul?

If he were killed or incapacitated by criminals, where is his body?

If they abducted him, what was their motive?
Is he being sex trafficked?
Was he sold into slavery?
He wasn’t carjacked, and AFAWK, there have been no ransom demands.
There’s no indication he was privy to national security information (but then again, would there be?).
This seems extreme if someone simply wanted to steal his camera, and one would think there would be more target rich environments.

MOO: if foul play is speculated, Paul wouldn’t seem the most likely victim for a random crime of opportunity. I hope LE is confirming the timeline before he is reported to have set off on his hike. As ispy4u said, this is interesting.