CA CA - Paula Pope, 18, Fresh Pond, 3 Sept. 1972

[burblestein]

When checked on Google maps, going from Fresh Pond to Carson City via Santa Rosa looks like this: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Car...1ad0284c2!2m2!1d-120.5299248!2d38.7601814!3e0

So how likely is that route? Especially when Highway 50 will take her directly to her desired destination.

 

[theshadow45]

When checked on Google maps, going from Fresh Pond to Carson City via Santa Rosa looks like this: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Car...1ad0284c2!2m2!1d-120.5299248!2d38.7601814!3e0

So how likely is that route? Especially when Highway 50 will take her directly to her desired destination.

It wasn't the route to the concert, it was the return trip afterwards where Santa Rosa possibly becomes significant; it was established that Paula made it to the concert and back to the campground. She lived in Sacramento, CA and it's possible that she tried to find another ride there or may have decided not to return home (at least for the time being). If it was the latter, she could have gone anywhere and Santa Rosa is only about 100 miles from Sacramento and 155 miles from Fresh Pond.

 

[burblestein]

So she supposedly overshot home at either Fresh Pond or Sacramento on her return trip and headed off to Santa Rosa for some unknown reason?

 

[sunnynz]

"Paula stormed out of the camper. Her friend April went after her, but came back in to get her coat. It was raining. When she went out again, she couldn't find Paula. No one has seen her since".

And then there's always the chance that this story is not quite what happened and perhaps Paula's husband harmed her and April was covering up out of fear or loyalty. Loyalties change over time, I wonder what she would say if questioned by LE today?

 

[Lavender Moon]

So she supposedly overshot home at either Fresh Pond or Sacramento on her return trip and headed off to Santa Rosa for some unknown reason?

I think it's possible. We do not know what Paula's thoughts were.

 

[theshadow45]

Bumping for Paula, who has been missing for 45 years today.

 

[theshadow45]

Today is Paula's birthday.

 

[Archangel85]

And then there's always the chance that this story is not quite what happened and perhaps Paula's husband harmed her and April was covering up out of fear or loyalty. Loyalties change over time, I wonder what she would say if questioned by LE today?

I was thinking about that as well.

 

[LucyOso]

I was thinking about that as well.

It seems odd. Especially since going camping is an activity in itself. And they had friends with them. I just wonder if the couple she hitchhiked with pick up another person who was similar?

 

[Lavender Moon]

Bumping for Paula

 

[theshadow45]

Paula's updated Charley Project page: http://charleyproject.org/case/paula-ann-pope. Calistoga Jane Doe is now in NamUs: https://www.identifyus.org/en/cases/17490, submitted Paula as a possible match.

 

[Lavender Moon]

Bumping for Paula

 

[Mountain Mama]

Bumping for Paula. Come on Sleuthers, this case has a lot of information, it just needs to be sifted through for accuracy. We can get this solved, I think it is great that there have been this many people posting after nearly 5o years. These cases from the 1970s need to be solved while the friends and family of victims are alive.

 

[Mountain Mama]

If the two pieces of the story are true and Paula left the campground, hitched to the concert and then back to Fresh Pond, I wonder why the media never mentioned whether she allegedly accepted a ride from the motorcycle types.

"She decided to return to the campsite, although her companions wanted her to go to Sacramento with them. They last saw her talking to "motorcycle types."
Paula Ann Pope – The Charley Project

The info is vague. I wonder what the details are.

 

[Mountain Mama]

Has anyone looked at the google map image of the area where the Ice House Reservoir Campground is located? It really looks like it is in an isolated spot deep in the Eldorado National Forest. It seems that when she parted ways with the folks from Sacramento Paula would have been alone, in the woods probably, trying to catch a ride on forest service roads to a remote location quite a few miles away. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Google Maps

 

[Archangel85]

Is there really any evidence that hitchhiked from the camping to the concert and the concert to the camping?

 

[sunnynz]

Is there really any evidence that hitchhiked from the camping to the concert and the concert to the camping?

I personally think the whole story sounds fabricated and it’s most likely she died there with those people.

 

[Archangel85]

I personally think the whole story sounds fabricated and it’s most likely she died there with those people.

I think so too. Doesn't make any sense that she would go all the way to the city and then back to the woods.

 

[Mountain Mama]

If the story was made up from the beginning then what are we to make of the information in the Mountain Democrat article? (available on the following website:
zodiackillersite.com/viewtopic.php?f=99&t=1725)

Why would there be specific names mentioned in the Mountain Democrat article, unless those people were alleging to have traveled with Paula after the concert in NV.

 

[sunnynz]

If the story was made up from the beginning then what are we to make of the information in the Mountain Democrat article? (available on the following website:
zodiackillersite.com/viewtopic.php?f=99&t=1725)

Why would there be specific names mentioned in the Mountain Democrat article, unless those people were alleging to have traveled with Paula after the concert in NV.
View attachment 136354

That’s new news for me. I’ve been going off this summary, which to me sounds like bs: “She and her husband and their friends were camping at the Cripple Creek Campground near Fresh Pond, in El Dorado County. It was Labor Day weekend in 1972. She had an argument with her husband. She wanted to go to a rock concert in Carson City. Steve couldn't go because he was on parole and he couldn't leave the state. Paula stormed out of the camper. Her friend April went after her, but came back in to get her coat. It was raining. When she went out again, she couldn't find Paula. No one has seen her since.”

So your article implies that after she stormed off into the rain, she hitched to the concert and then got a ride back that same night? Confused.