Found Deceased CA - Philip Kreycik, 37, Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, 10 Jul 2021

[Beekarina]

I didn't even think of a spare tablet. They have come down so far in price, that would be an option too. And open Wi-Fi is so prevalent, IF he needed to use it for any reason (for the sake of exploring this as a possibility), he wouldn't need to do so at his house or the park.

I left an abusive relationship once, so I have some experience in having backups. It wasn't very difficult when I did it, so I assume the options are probably better now. You just need to be careful not to "contaminate" your phones, etc. But again, if a person just wanted to get away for a short time, needed some head space, they wouldn't need to do anything elaborate. They would just need some protection from the elements, something to filter water (a Sawyer Mini runs around $20, so that wouldn't be noticed) and say some lightweight food (which people who are into the outdoors probably have/keep on hand anyway, so purchasing that/consuming/accounting for it, wouldn't be easy to track.)

 

[Beekarina]

I didn't know that, I've been thinking they're flip phones all this time lol

So, theoretically, if one uses cash to buy prepaid cards, a smartphone burner, sets up new emails accounts for CashApp, Chime, etc, none of the activity necessary to plan a fully-fledged escape can be tracked, as far as a digital footprint goes? Do I have that right?

I wouldn't want to say it cannot be traced, but I think if a person is smart about it, you could keep it pretty "clean". Of course, this is all just speculation. I'm just personally leaning more towards a voluntary disappearance if PK is not deceased and not yet found in the park, since I cannot think of a motivation for anyone to want to harm him. Going missing seems more statistically likely/logical to me, even though this is all pretty darn weird.

 

[dtowndetective411]

And also, wasn't he going to finish his run at 12:35ish? (texted his wife that?)

I think this confused a lot of people but ETA usually refers to “estimated time of arrival”. When I am asked my ETA or tell someone my ETA it is when I will arrive somewhere. I believe he meant that he will arrive in Stockton to pick her up at 12:35.

 

[hooziewhutz]

Re: phone in car + quick to call in a missing person

I haven't seen it mentioned, but I could be wrong, do we know if the phone was off (intentionally, not dead) when they found it in the car? Could it be an indicator of concern from his wife et al?

 

[dtowndetective411]

And also, wasn't he going to finish his run at 12:35ish? (texted his wife that?)

I think this confused a lot of people but ETA usually refers to “estimated time of arrival”. When I am asked my ETA or tell someone my ETA it is when I will arrive somewhere. I believe he meant that he will arrive in Stockton to pick her up at 12:35.

12:35 eta Stockton, so imo the run would need to be completed by about 11:30am- 11:45am. PK texts to friend on 7/9/21 implies PK was requested by family to be in Stockton between 12pm and 12:30pm, so if PK was trying to get some sort of fast run before Daddy duty, I just don't see why PK left cellphone in car, as PK had been using cellphone for texts and call to wife since morning of run and just before start of run and his only way to communicate with family that morning.

Personally, this doesn’t throw me off as strange. If he had been totally communicative to his wife, through a call (after her “when are you leaving” text) and another update about his ETA (per his text sent presumably from the Moller staging area at 10:46) — per CT’s AMA — then, to me, it makes very much sense to go out on a run and leave phone in car.

When I have a task or hobby that will take an hour, I would absolutely text my fiancé (or my next stop of the day) to say “I’ll be there at X time” and feel comfortable leaving my phone for an hour.

Especially since the 12:35pm ETA to Stockton matches up with the plan he had texted CT in their 7/9 planning conversation about needing to be in Stockon around noon (paraphrasing) — this shows me that the timeline of arrival to get his wife was probably discussed with her at length the day beforehand. So, to me, a simple text telling her he’d be there at 12:35 (after already calling her the same morning to discuss) would be enough to leave the phone and not worry about it.

And it makes even more sense for runners who won’t be checking their phone while running, and enjoy running as a way to disconnect briefly, get some endorphins, enjoy alone time, etc. Why bring that into your short & fast run, if you don’t expect there to be anyone who needs you within that hour, since you’ve already communicated your plans? MOO

 

[dtowndetective411]

I can see not wanting to run with a phone, but going into any kind of wooded area by myself, especially if people were expecting me soon after, I'd take it with me.

The only part of this that raises my eyebrows is if he felt he would be in danger going alone without a phone, because of the heat index. I do not believe he would have thought that running in the woods without a phone was dangerous because he was so trained at this and does it so often. The other thing is if he needed it for a map because he isn’t very familiar with the location. But personally, him not taking his phone with him isn’t a tipping point for me that this was voluntary. It is just a very sad and disappointing reminder that phones are important for our safety when alone, because with a phone he could have called for him or been tracked and saved, that’s how I see it.

Yes, not taking the phone could mean something more sinister. But given there is no evidence in his personality, friends’ and family’s testimonies, etc to suggest he had anything deceitful planned, I am looking at not taking the phone as a pretty normal thing to do.

IF he had been unreachable all day or wasn’t communicating with his wife about his plans, that would be different for me and change my take. But with all the factors lining up to him having a solid plan that he had communicated, him likely feeling confident in his running abilities in this park, his knowing his wife & kids were safe in Stockton with her parents (assurance that they wouldn’t need him during his run), and his assumption that he’d be back with his phone within the hour — it feels normal to leave his phone behind for the run.

 

[dtowndetective411]

I don’t know if those trails have car-access next to the running parts but somehow him leaving in a car (whether voluntarily or under distress) seems plausible to me at this point. Can anyone familiar with the area clarify whether he could have hopped into a car while on the trail, or if he would have to be more towards a main road to get in a car?

WHAT IF he had ran into a buddy, hopped into his car for whatever reason, and the friend was meant to drive him back to his own car but they got into an accident? Without ID would they identify him?

With any type of hypothesis like this, where he could have been injured away from the park….Could he be in a hospital somewhere? (hopefully they’ve checked all the John Doe records?)

Car theory works for me only because of lost scent, inability to find him….Either getting in a car for a planned escape, or with someone who caused him harm (either abduction or someone he trusted who turned on him). Or with a friend where their day just got really derailed by something like an accident. I really am grasping at straws. None of it makes sense.

 

[not that girl]

Yes, not taking the phone could mean something more sinister. But given there is no evidence in his personality, friends’ and family’s testimonies, etc to suggest he had anything deceitful planned, I am looking at not taking the phone as a pretty normal thing to do.

Do we know what the cell coverage is even like there? I spend lots of time around other regional parks in the greater Bay Area and coverage is spotty - depends on network, where you are standing, if the wind is blowing. I get coverage from the exact same spot that my friend does not, for example. So not bringing the phone (while it seems unwise after the fact) might just be because there was no coverage anyway so he knew it wouldn’t be useful.

 

[everybodhi]

I wouldn't want to say it cannot be traced, but I think if a person is smart about it, you could keep it pretty "clean". Of course, this is all just speculation. I'm just personally leaning more towards a voluntary disappearance if PK is not deceased and not yet found in the park, since I cannot think of a motivation for anyone to want to harm him. Going missing seems more statistically likely/logical to me, even though this is all pretty darn weird.

I can't remember the case but I recently listened to a true crime podcast where a perp used a burner, you can pay cash and use a fake name when you purchase but LE can trace it through the company to the place, date, and time it was sold, then they look at the store's cam footage to try to identify the buyer.
In the case I recently heard, the burner was bought 6 months before it was ever used so the cam data at the store had been deleted, resulting in a dead end for the detectives.

Edited to add; I have a hard time believing this particular guy was up to anything nefarious but I've been wrong about people before, even people I actually know.

 

[Beekarina]

Good question. But where would the bike have come from? Wouldn't his wife notice, after he went missing, that his bike was missing also? Wouldn't traffic cam footage have caught his car with the bike mounted on it? On a Prius, the only thing you can do is put the bike on top or attack it to the trunk door, as the bike racks go. I don't think that if you wanted to, that you could conceal an adult man's bike inside the trunk of a Prius, even with the backseats down. I can do that in my Honda Civic, but the Civic is seemingly larger front to back, and I'm small and have what amounts to a kid's bike.

I was curious as I also drive a Honda. Quick search confirms it is pretty simple. Can you fit a bike in a Prius?.

 

[everybodhi]

I was curious as I also drive a Honda. Quick search confirms it is pretty simple. Can you fit a bike in a Prius?.

I've put my bike in a prius many times, it's quick and easy.

 

[Beekarina]

I don’t know if those trails have car-access next to the running parts but somehow him leaving in a car (whether voluntarily or under distress) seems plausible to me at this point. Can anyone familiar with the area clarify whether he could have hopped into a car while on the trail, or if he would have to be more towards a main road to get in a car?

WHAT IF he had ran into a buddy, hopped into his car for whatever reason, and the friend was meant to drive him back to his own car but they got into an accident? Without ID would they identify him?

With any type of hypothesis like this, where he could have been injured away from the park….Could he be in a hospital somewhere? (hopefully they’ve checked all the John Doe records?)

Car theory works for me only because of lost scent, inability to find him….Either getting in a car for a planned escape, or with someone who caused him harm (either abduction or someone he trusted who turned on him). Or with a friend where their day just got really derailed by something like an accident. I really am grasping at straws. None of it makes sense.

I have been looking at NAMUS for unidentified and there has not been anyone entered to date who matches PK anywhere in the US. It is *possible*, but I think if someone has an accident, like you suggested, and is alive and no ID, no memory, in a coma, that kind of thing it would also make the news.

 

[MichelleAntonia]

I don’t know if those trails have car-access next to the running parts but somehow him leaving in a car (whether voluntarily or under distress) seems plausible to me at this point. Can anyone familiar with the area clarify whether he could have hopped into a car while on the trail, or if he would have to be more towards a main road to get in a car?

WHAT IF he had ran into a buddy, hopped into his car for whatever reason, and the friend was meant to drive him back to his own car but they got into an accident? Without ID would they identify him?

With any type of hypothesis like this, where he could have been injured away from the park….Could he be in a hospital somewhere? (hopefully they’ve checked all the John Doe records?)

Car theory works for me only because of lost scent, inability to find him….Either getting in a car for a planned escape, or with someone who caused him harm (either abduction or someone he trusted who turned on him). Or with a friend where their day just got really derailed by something like an accident. I really am grasping at straws. None of it makes sense.

To my recollection having been there, there is no car access aside from the Lot on Miller Ranch. The trailhead leads down to little fire trails that then spit you out on different points on the main trail, which I think is a large loop. No way that someone can just drive up on while you’re jogging and offer you a ride or take you. If he got into someone’s car, dollars to donuts he’d have to have backtracked to the lot from which he came and done it there.

 

[Beekarina]

I can't remember the case but I recently listened to a true crime podcast where a perp used a burner, you can pay cash and use a fake name when you purchase but LE can trace it through the company to the place, date, and time it was sold, then they look at the store's cam footage to try to identify the buyer.
In the case I recently heard, the burner was bought 6 months before it was ever used so the cam data at the store had been deleted, resulting in a dead end for the detectives.

Edited to add; I have a hard time believing this particular guy was up to anything nefarious but I've been wrong about people before, even people I actually know.

I don't get that vibe either, but he is obviously highly intelligent.

Let's put it this way. If I wanted a burner phone and didn't want anyone to know? Like really did not want anyone to know? I would offer some random person $ to go to a dollar store or similar and grab one and a low value starter card for me. Repeat as necessary.

 

[MichelleAntonia]

I've put my bike in a prius many times, it's quick and easy.

Surprising, but that does open up a door of possibility…

 

[Beekarina]

I also tend to think IF PK is gone missing voluntarily, he is out in nature someplace. So he might not even have a burner phone or any of the stuff we are musing about.

 

[distracted]

That's not a bad theory, but wouldn't there be digital evidence of him setting meetings up with people from Craigslist, buying prepaid cards? Don't CashApp and Chime require a smartphone to access? A burner wouldn't work in that case, and simple internet access that a library would offer wouldn't allow you to use those funds either.

It's my understanding he didn't have a smartphone. His wife has an iPhone but he doesn't. But you can do all of those things with a PayPal account on your laptop or desktop.

That said, lots of people have two phones.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

To my recollection having been there, there is no car access aside from the Lot on Miller Ranch. The trailhead leads down to little fire trails that then spit you out on different points on the main trail, which I think is a large loop. No way that someone can just drive up on while you’re jogging and offer you a ride or take you. If he got into someone’s car, dollars to donuts he’d have to have backtracked to the lot from which he came and done it there.

Thank you. Re your last sentence, this brings to my mind an image of PK starting out from his car toward the trailhead, but before he gets there someone calls out to him from the parking area, and he turns around to deal with them -- maybe they are hostile, maybe they appear to be asking for his help, whatever. And once he gets back to the parking area, he ends up leaving (voluntarily or otherwise) in the other person's vehicle.

This would fit, I think, with the dogs having only caught his scent at or before the beginning of the trail.

MOO

 

[everybodhi]

I don't get that vibe either, but he is obviously highly intelligent.

Let's put it this way. If I wanted a burner phone and didn't want anyone to know? Like really did not want anyone to know? I would offer some random person $ to go to a dollar store or similar and grab one and a low value starter card for me. Repeat as necessary.

I would have them buy 4-5, throw one away and start over periodically, and do it six months in advance of my nefarious plans.
It's amazing what you can learn from true crime forums but my life isn't exciting enough to need a burner to hide anything.

 

[Beekarina]

I would have them buy 4-5, throw one away and start over periodically, and do it six months in advance of my nefarious plans.
It's amazing what you can learn from true crime forums but my life isn't exciting enough to need a burner to hide anything.

Mine isn't either! Not now, anyway. I just know how it can be done.

And since you mentioned doing it 6 months in advance, that is a great point. A person with a plan, especially if they travelled for work, or if they regularly left the house and had time to themself, they could easily stash things necessary to get some space. 6 months would be a lot of time. You could cache supplies all over the place.