Found Deceased CA - Paul Miller, 51, Canadian missing in Joshua Tree Natl Park, San Bernardino Co., 13 Jul 2018 #2

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atlstnspc said:
Walked up the canyon that runs to the South. I found a lot of Big Horn Sheep bones and one that I can’t identity. I’ll upload the pictures later. The file is to big.
Click to expand...
I can’t seem to be able to upload the pictures, however I identified the bone in question as animal. It looked like a radius bone to my untrained eye, but it is likely a deer bone.
I don’t see how Paul could have gone very far up this canyon. A lot of huge boulders to scramble over and brush blocking much of way makes this a hard hike. It is almost a slot canyon with steep sides and the washes flowing into it are also steep and boulder strewn. It would be impossible to get lost here and there no cross county short cuts to wander off on. This deepens the mystery after having been there, seeing how restricted his direction travel was and how slow his progress would have been.
I’ll search the lower wash below the Oasis next. I’m thinking that with all the rain his boots may have floated down the wash and maybe hung up in some brush.
 
atlstnspc said:
I can’t seem to be able to upload the pictures, however I identified the bone in question as animal. It looked like a radius bone to my untrained eye, but it is likely a deer bone.
I don’t see how Paul could have gone very far up this canyon. A lot of huge boulders to scramble over and brush blocking much of way makes this a hard hike. It is almost a slot canyon with steep sides and the washes flowing into it are also steep and boulder strewn. It would be impossible to get lost here and there no cross county short cuts to wander off on. This deepens the mystery after having been there, seeing how restricted his direction travel was and how slow his progress would have been.
I’ll search the lower wash below the Oasis next. I’m thinking that with all the rain his boots may have floated down the wash and maybe hung up in some brush.
Click to expand...
Thanks for looking. I wish I could do the same. One day, I'll make it to JTNP, and if Paul has not been recovered by then, you can bet I will be on this trail, if for no other reason than to satisfy my visual curiosity.

It sounds as I pictured though, that there really is no legit way for him to have wandered off and gotten lost, that it is a straight out and back hike, for the most part. His own sister covered a lot of terrain off trail as well and found nothing. And reports have stated that the town was visual from the high points.

Even if he did wander off, or walk down the wash you speak of, or even succumb to the elements and his remains were scattered by wildlife, there would have to be some evidence somewhere....especially when the searching began within hours of his going missing.

Strangest missing hiker case!
 
zecats said:
Thanks for looking. I wish I could do the same. One day, I'll make it to JTNP, and if Paul has not been recovered by then, you can bet I will be on this trail, if for no other reason than to satisfy my visual curiosity.

It sounds as I pictured though, that there really is no legit way for him to have wandered off and gotten lost, that it is a straight out and back hike, for the most part. His own sister covered a lot of terrain off trail as well and found nothing. And reports have stated that the town was visual from the high points.

Even if he did wander off, or walk down the wash you speak of, or even succumb to the elements and his remains were scattered by wildlife, there would have to be some evidence somewhere....especially when the searching began within hours of his going missing.

Strangest missing hiker case!
Click to expand...
If you have participated in a search, you know how incredibly difficult it is to see someone outdoors - even if they are wearing bright lime! You can literally step over remains and not see them; too much visual stimulation. However, there are technologies that could be deployed to help, and more coming every day. The following are some articles I've curated that give an update on SAR technologies and techniques used:

Lost Person Locator - Here is an update on how this locator is being updated - we will see more and more advances in the coming months:
https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/f..._Lost-Person-Locator-FactSheet_180103-508.pdf

A great article talking about technologies LE use to recover remains,-(Infrared photography, methane detector, aerial photography, probe, etc.)- how they search, and what they do when the find them:
Recovery of Human Remains

This paper is from 2008 and doesn't talk about all the latest and greatest technology, but covers alot of detail about finding remains, and then determining time of death, etc.
Warning: There is some rather gruesome detail - proceed with caution:
http://www.sarti.us/sarti/files/SearchForHumanRemains.pdf

This article talks about "Bone Detectors", as it relates to buried remains. However, if Paul is between boulders (as I suspect), this would theoretically work as well.
New Technique Finds Buried Bodies Better

This article talks about "situational awareness" for rescuers. Knowing where team members are, what they have mapped, etc. It helps insure no one gets hurt, but also helps make sure ground is thoroughly covered. The article also talks about the incredible advances uses drones:
Technology Improvements Aid in Search and Rescue Operations

There are so many more advances like beacon embedded rescue clothing to track rescuers at all times. As this technology becomes common place, I think we will start seeing sports enthusiasts like cross-country skiers, mountain climbers, hikers, and so forth start purchasing this for safety reasons.

And of course, robots! Robots will become mainstream in SAR as disaster response in the very near future for stuff like:
  1. Mapping and maneuvering of disaster areas after natural calamities, terror attacks, accidents, explosions, etc.
  2. Robots are also providing assistance to firefighters worldwide
  3. Bomb squads are using AI to aid in defusal and disposal missions
  4. AI is being developed to detect signs of life, such as heart beats and breathing, of victims trapped in the aftermath of natural disasters
  5. Drones are being used to distribute water, food, medicines and other supplies
Source:11 Robotic Applications for Search and Rescue | HuffPost

And finally, a fascinating read about the 1600+ people missing from our public lands. Worth the read:
How 1,600 People Disappeared on Our Public Lands
 
Last edited:
rosesfromangels said:
If you have participated in a search, you know how incredibly difficult it is to see someone outdoors - even if they are wearing bright lime! You can literally step over remains and not see them; too much visual stimulation. However, there are technologies that could be deployed to help, and more coming every day. The following are some articles I've curated that give an update on SAR technologies and techniques used:

Lost Person Locator - Here is an update on how this locator is being updated - we will see more and more advances in the coming months:
https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/f..._Lost-Person-Locator-FactSheet_180103-508.pdf

A great article talking about technologies LE use to recover remains,-(Infrared photography, methane detector, aerial photography, probe, etc.)- how they search, and what they do when the find them:
Recovery of Human Remains

This paper is from 2008 and doesn't talk about all the latest and greatest technology, but covers alot of detail about finding remains, and then determining time of death, etc.
Warning: There is some rather gruesome detail - proceed with caution:
http://www.sarti.us/sarti/files/SearchForHumanRemains.pdf

This article talks about "Bone Detectors", as it relates to buried remains. However, if Paul is between boulders (as I suspect), this would theoretically work as well.
New Technique Finds Buried Bodies Better

This article talks about "situational awareness" for rescuers. Knowing where team members are, what they have mapped, etc. It helps insure no one gets hurt, but also helps make sure ground is thoroughly covered. The article also talks about the incredible advances uses drones:
Technology Improvements Aid in Search and Rescue Operations

There are so many more advances like beacon embedded rescue clothing to tract rescuers at all times. As this technology becomes common place, I think we will start seeing sports enthusiasts like cross-country skiers, mountain climbers, hikers, and so forth start purchasing this for safety reasons.

And of course, robots! Robots will become mainstream in SAR as disaster response in the very near future for stuff like:
  1. Mapping and maneuvering of disaster areas after natural calamities, terror attacks, accidents, explosions, etc.
  2. Robots are also providing assistance to firefighters worldwide
  3. Bomb squads are using AI to aid in defusal and disposal missions
  4. AI is being developed to detect signs of life, such as heart beats and breathing, of victims trapped in the aftermath of natural disasters
  5. Drones are being used to distribute water, food, medicines and other supplies
Source:11 Robotic Applications for Search and Rescue | HuffPost

And finally, a fascinating read about the 1600+ people missing from our public lands. Worth the read:
How 1,600 People Disappeared on Our Public Lands
Click to expand...
Wow! All so interesting. And futuristic... Currently so. Thanks for info.

And 1600 people (+). Mind boggling.
 
Reminder that you can hike this trail virtually from google maps. A group of 3 hikers used a GoPro camera to track the entire hike. If you click the below link and hover your mouse over the bottom left hand corner box (with a little yellow man avatar in it), you can follow along with the blue dots along the trail. These photos give a 360 degree view so you can drag the pictures to see in each direction. The photos are of the trail in Dec. 2016.

You can also click the link and just double click on the trail to move forward, but sometimes you will miss photos or get twisted around doing this, so I recommend following the blue dots as described above.

Google Maps
 
Wow. Thanks everyone for all the updates and for people even searching out there like Atlstnspc.

One thing I had not seen before now was this other WS link how there have been missing remains showing up recently in the state park area. Who would have thunk some people seemed to use it as a dumping ground for bodies. I knew quite a few get lost out there but I didnt know it appears murderers also dumped people there.

This link may have been shared before.

Identified! - CA - Part Buried Remains Joshua Tree National Park, June 2018 *Henry Stange* *ARRESTS*
 
rosesfromangels said:
If you have participated in a search, you know how incredibly difficult it is to see someone outdoors - even if they are wearing bright lime! You can literally step over remains and not see them; too much visual stimulation. However, there are technologies that could be deployed to help, and more coming every day. The following are some articles I've curated that give an update on SAR technologies and techniques used:

Lost Person Locator - Here is an update on how this locator is being updated - we will see more and more advances in the coming months:
https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/f..._Lost-Person-Locator-FactSheet_180103-508.pdf

A great article talking about technologies LE use to recover remains,-(Infrared photography, methane detector, aerial photography, probe, etc.)- how they search, and what they do when the find them:
Recovery of Human Remains

This paper is from 2008 and doesn't talk about all the latest and greatest technology, but covers alot of detail about finding remains, and then determining time of death, etc.
Warning: There is some rather gruesome detail - proceed with caution:
http://www.sarti.us/sarti/files/SearchForHumanRemains.pdf

This article talks about "Bone Detectors", as it relates to buried remains. However, if Paul is between boulders (as I suspect), this would theoretically work as well.
New Technique Finds Buried Bodies Better

This article talks about "situational awareness" for rescuers. Knowing where team members are, what they have mapped, etc. It helps insure no one gets hurt, but also helps make sure ground is thoroughly covered. The article also talks about the incredible advances uses drones:
Technology Improvements Aid in Search and Rescue Operations

There are so many more advances like beacon embedded rescue clothing to track rescuers at all times. As this technology becomes common place, I think we will start seeing sports enthusiasts like cross-country skiers, mountain climbers, hikers, and so forth start purchasing this for safety reasons.

And of course, robots! Robots will become mainstream in SAR as disaster response in the very near future for stuff like:
  1. Mapping and maneuvering of disaster areas after natural calamities, terror attacks, accidents, explosions, etc.
  2. Robots are also providing assistance to firefighters worldwide
  3. Bomb squads are using AI to aid in defusal and disposal missions
  4. AI is being developed to detect signs of life, such as heart beats and breathing, of victims trapped in the aftermath of natural disasters
  5. Drones are being used to distribute water, food, medicines and other supplies
Source:11 Robotic Applications for Search and Rescue | HuffPost

And finally, a fascinating read about the 1600+ people missing from our public lands. Worth the read:
How 1,600 People Disappeared on Our Public Lands
Click to expand...

This is some very helpful information. Thanks for sharing it.

And its so true how you can literally be right next to something hidden and not see it when looking.

I dont go hunting very much anymore but when I went pheasant hunting years ago that was the first time I experienced how you cannot see things literally at your feet.

We would be walking looking for pheasants which are rather large birds and they would flush out and fly literally from our feet area. It was incredible how we did not see them on the ground even though we were carefully looking for them.

That was the day I realized how difficult it is to find anything you are looking for in the wild.

We have heard about people searching for bodies and time and time again the person's body is found in an area that was already searched. Its difficult to find things. I think a lot of it has to do with the colors of things has a tendency to change to match the surrounding area over time.
 
Hatfield said:
Wow. Thanks everyone for all the updates and for people even searching out there like Atlstnspc.

One thing I had not seen before now was this other WS link how there have been missing remains showing up recently in the state park area. Who would have thunk some people seemed to use it as a dumping ground for bodies. I knew quite a few get lost out there but I didnt know it appears murderers also dumped people there.

This link may have been shared before.

Identified! - CA - Part Buried Remains Joshua Tree National Park, June 2018 *Henry Stange* *ARRESTS*
Click to expand...
RBBM
I remember reading about this somewhere on this thread, back in the early days. I reckon the murderers assume their victims will not be found in these remote locations. After all, there are people who've simply gone missing who haven't been found. Eerie to think about.
 
rosesfromangels said:
If you have participated in a search, you know how incredibly difficult it is to see someone outdoors - even if they are wearing bright lime! You can literally step over remains and not see them; too much visual stimulation. However, there are technologies that could be deployed to help, and more coming every day. The following are some articles I've curated that give an update on SAR technologies and techniques used:

Lost Person Locator - Here is an update on how this locator is being updated - we will see more and more advances in the coming months:
https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/f..._Lost-Person-Locator-FactSheet_180103-508.pdf

A great article talking about technologies LE use to recover remains,-(Infrared photography, methane detector, aerial photography, probe, etc.)- how they search, and what they do when the find them:
Recovery of Human Remains

This paper is from 2008 and doesn't talk about all the latest and greatest technology, but covers alot of detail about finding remains, and then determining time of death, etc.
Warning: There is some rather gruesome detail - proceed with caution:
http://www.sarti.us/sarti/files/SearchForHumanRemains.pdf

This article talks about "Bone Detectors", as it relates to buried remains. However, if Paul is between boulders (as I suspect), this would theoretically work as well.
New Technique Finds Buried Bodies Better

This article talks about "situational awareness" for rescuers. Knowing where team members are, what they have mapped, etc. It helps insure no one gets hurt, but also helps make sure ground is thoroughly covered. The article also talks about the incredible advances uses drones:
Technology Improvements Aid in Search and Rescue Operations

There are so many more advances like beacon embedded rescue clothing to track rescuers at all times. As this technology becomes common place, I think we will start seeing sports enthusiasts like cross-country skiers, mountain climbers, hikers, and so forth start purchasing this for safety reasons.

And of course, robots! Robots will become mainstream in SAR as disaster response in the very near future for stuff like:
  1. Mapping and maneuvering of disaster areas after natural calamities, terror attacks, accidents, explosions, etc.
  2. Robots are also providing assistance to firefighters worldwide
  3. Bomb squads are using AI to aid in defusal and disposal missions
  4. AI is being developed to detect signs of life, such as heart beats and breathing, of victims trapped in the aftermath of natural disasters
  5. Drones are being used to distribute water, food, medicines and other supplies
Source:11 Robotic Applications for Search and Rescue | HuffPost

And finally, a fascinating read about the 1600+ people missing from our public lands. Worth the read:
How 1,600 People Disappeared on Our Public Lands
Click to expand...
wow. Good resources in here. Thanks!
 
Hraefn said:
Reminder that you can hike this trail virtually from google maps. A group of 3 hikers used a GoPro camera to track the entire hike. If you click the below link and hover your mouse over the bottom left hand corner box (with a little yellow man avatar in it), you can follow along with the blue dots along the trail. These photos give a 360 degree view so you can drag the pictures to see in each direction. The photos are of the trail in Dec. 2016.

You can also click the link and just double click on the trail to move forward, but sometimes you will miss photos or get twisted around doing this, so I recommend following the blue dots as described above.

Google Maps
Click to expand...
that's impressive. thanks for linking-and the instructions!
 
AzPistonsGirl said:
I agree that if Paul is out there, someone will come across his body or bones. JTP is a very heavily used trail/park so I'd expect it to be sooner rather than later.
Click to expand...

While it is true that JTNP is a very heavily used and visited park, it is also a place where people should be (and for the most part, are) extremely cautious about venturing off trail. It is a huge park and most of the human activity is south of where Paul went missing, closer to the main park road.

I wish that there were some rock formations in the area as climbers frequently go off trail to hit a popular crag, but this is not an area like that. I do hope some more searches are planned for March/April when the hiking conditions are favorable for SAR operations.
 
j_in_c said:
While it is true that JTNP is a very heavily used and visited park, it is also a place where people should be (and for the most part, are) extremely cautious about venturing off trail. It is a huge park and most of the human activity is south of where Paul went missing, closer to the main park road.

I wish that there were some rock formations in the area as climbers frequently go off trail to hit a popular crag, but this is not an area like that. I do hope some more searches are planned for March/April when the hiking conditions are favorable for SAR operations.
Click to expand...
There are no rock formations? I thought there were a lot there ,which is why some posters think he fell in between rocks / boulders. Also have seen some in photos. Maybe I’m just misunderstanding what is meant by the term ‘rock formations’.
 
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