Found Deceased CA - Rachel Nguyen, 20, & Joseph Orbeso, 21, Joshua Tree Nat'l Park, 27 July 2017 #1

[Suglo]

I'm not trying to stir a pot or anything, but I noticed the absence of mentioning Gilbert Orbesso, who was out there every single search looking for Rachel as well as Joseph. He was diligent and never gave up.

I have to wonder if the Nguyen family blames Jospeh for taking her out there or for not getting her back safely.

Sadly I think you are correct. Their silence was deafening and this statement pretty much says it all.

 

[Gone Girl]

I'm not trying to stir a pot or anything, but I noticed the absence of mentioning Gilbert Orbesso, who was out there every single search looking for Rachel as well as Joseph. He was diligent and never gave up.

I have to wonder if the Nguyen family blames Jospeh for taking her out there or for not getting her back safely.

That was glaring and the first thing I noticed. So sad

 

[MzOpinion8d]

Sadly I think you are correct. Their silence was deafening and this statement pretty much says it all.

I'm sure they don't want to believe their daughter was voluntarily taking psychedelic drugs and risking her life going hiking in a desert in July.

 

[moonriverfarm]

Are there photos of the area in which they were found?

 

[Elainera]

“I want Joseph to be remembered as a kind, caring and thoughtful person,” :heartbeat:Gilbert Orbeso wrote in an email to Southern California News Group. “The way he was found beside Rachel holding her as they were seeking shade under the brush says everything you need to know about him as a man and as a human being. I am proud to be his father and his kindness will live on in me and those who knew him best."

http://www.ocregister.com/2017/10/1...-joshua-tree-shows-sons-kindness-father-says/

I have a lump in my throat.

I'm glad that Joseph was able to give his father some solace in these tragic circumstances. They both seem to be warmhearted men, good human beings.

 

[Gardener1850]

I can think of lots of legit reasons Rachel's parents may not have spoken to the press. Maybe they don't speak English. Maybe they are too much in shock and grief to form their thoughts and asked her uncle to do it for them. No matter why, though, it doesn't change what happened. This was nothing but a tragic accident. Her parent's speaking or not speaking to the press in their time of grief is not a measure of their love for her. They are victims here too, let's not judge them for lack of media response to their daughter being found dead. JMO.

(Disclaimer: If we find out that JO and RN were murdered and still somehow ended up dying in each other's arms in the park I may change my tune, for now criticizing her family accomplishes nothing-- JMO, MOO, etc.)

 

[Gardener1850]

[h=1]Missing Joshua Tree hikers: Dental records may be 'quickest form' of identifying decomposed bodies[/h]

The bodies were found Sunday within the vicinity of Joshua Tree’s Maze Loop Trail. Its trailhead is about 1.5 miles south of the park’s west entrance and the trail extends east into the desert.
The path is a regularly hiked trail and there are often people there, said Jennie Kish Albrinck, a park spokeswoman.
Search crews found the bodies off the trail in a remote canyon that’s inaccessible by car.
They were found hugging each other and may have used a dried scrub brush as shelter from the sun, officials said.

Although family members have no doubt of the identities of the bodies, the San Bernardino County Sheriff Department must now undertake the grim task of officially identifying the pair.

The badly decomposed bodies were removed Monday afternoon and are now at the coroner's facility in San Bernardino, said department spokeswoman Cynthia Bachman. An autopsy will be necessary, although there’s no estimation on when it will be completed.

“Dental records may be the quickest form of identification at this point,” Bachman said Tuesday morning, adding DNA also will be an important resource.

http://www.desertsun.com/story/news...ies-two-missing-joshua-tree-hikers/771989001/

 

[Seajay]

Are there photos of the area in which they were found?

I would love to see a map of where they were found in conjunction to where the car was parked and the trailhead was. I'm having problems getting a visual on where they were found. All I know is it was 2 miles off the trail from where they started.

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

I'm sure they don't want to believe their daughter was voluntarily taking psychedelic drugs and risking her life going hiking in a desert in July.

do you have a link for this, that Rachel was taking psychedelic drugs? If not, it borders on victim blaming IMO.

 

[Force Ten]

do you have a link for this, that Rachel was taking psychedelic drugs? If not, it borders on victim blaming IMO.

We also don't know just who's belongings these drugs were found in, but they were there. At the very least, one of them was using.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Suglo]

I would love to see a map of where they were found in conjunction to where the car was parked and the trailhead was. I'm having problems getting a visual on where they were found. All I know is it was 2 miles off the trail from where they started.

One of the articles I posted a day or two ago said two miles north in the direction of highway 62. That didn’t clear it up much for me when I looked at a map. Sorry.

 

[obripe]

We also don't know just who's belongings these drugs were found in, but they were there. At the very least, one of them was using.


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As far as I can tell, there's evidence that at least one of them possessed drugs, not that either were on drugs at the time of their death.

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[agilbe]

Makes me wonder, is checking for drugs something that can/will be done at autopsy?

 

[Gardener1850]

Yes, checking for drugs will usually be done in an autopsy as part of determining cause of death. Whether or not we will get to know the results is another question. The media might not report the autopsy specifics. JMO.

 

[agilbe]

Yes, checking for drugs will usually be done in an autopsy as part of determining cause of death. Whether or not we will get to know the results is another question. The media might not report the autopsy specifics. JMO.

Thank you. I wasn't sure it would even still be possible because of how long they were missing.

 

[Gardener1850]

Thank you. I wasn't sure it would even still be possible because of how long they were missing.

They can still detect drug use in the bones but it may be harder to determine if the drugs caused or contributed to their death. See as an example of this-- the Chase Massner Case. Chase was missing since 2014 and only found this year buried under the back porch of his buddie's former home. Chase's autopsy found evidence of drug use but they could not determine cause of death: http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...hase-Massner-26-Kennesaw-27-March-2014/page18

 

[agilbe]

Thank you Gardener1850. Really just curiosity on my part. Bottom line two young people are gone. Such a tragedy.

 

[Force Ten]

Gilbert Orbeso

Finding Joseph and Rachel. Coming Home!

It was Wednesday afternoon around 12:30pm, July 26, 2017. I turned around sitting on the dining room chair and said "see you later, love you". Joseph was pulling a wheeled luggage case smiling wearing his sun glasses. My wife and I peaked through the blinds watching him load his things in Rachel's car. We didn't see Rachel much or haven't even met her. I wish we had. Because that was the last time we seen Joseph alive. Smiling with his sun glasses on. I kick myself in the butt because we usually give him a hug when he leaves but he was in a hurry to beat traffic two hours into Joshua Tree.

Usually I text Joseph "ok?" or "good?" when he's somewhere or we're checking on him. It wasn't until late Thursday July 27, I texted "good?" I didn't receive a response figured it was a very late text. That very same late evening my phone had locked up with no way of unlocking it. Until today it remains unlocked. So I went to work the next day, Friday July 28 without a phone most of the day while my wife was trying to contact me about Joseph and Rachel were missing. I immediately went to att and they were unable to access my locked phone so I had to buy a new one.
We finally arrived in Joshua Tree 10pm. It was almost 11pm by luck spoke to two Rangers in Indian cove station who had just came from the search for Joseph and Rachel. We found a hotel in 29 palms and began our search with JOSAR Saturday July 29. My wife, daughter and myself searched twelve days straight until JOSAR asked me to rest for my family.

That first week the weather was 110-114 in Joshua Tree. It was either Aug. 1 or 2, we did search and hiked through the North Trails into boulders and ridges when we can. We were towards the vicinity where joseph and Rachel were found. I wish we pushed our search and stayed in the North East sections! Fast forward.

Sunday, October 15 we were standing on the mountain just above the dry waterfall. The same wash Joseph and Rachel were found approximately over hundred feet away up stream. We were waiting for the Park Ranger and a JOSAR team to hike in and the dispatched helicopter from the sheriff's department.

While waiting I had time to just look at my surroundings. The mountains and peaks blends together. You may never know if a trail or a wash runs in it or thru it! It is easy to get lost. Our last hike Saturday, September 30, I got separated for approximately thirty minutes. It was one of the scariest feeling! I just can't stop thinking how Joseph and Rachel were feeling in their last hour, minutes and even seconds. I can't begin to feel how desperate and painful they were. I was desperate when I got separated and searching these last three months. But not in pain when one is out of water. Joseph and Rachel had belongings not far from them. We bought bananas and beef jerky for him at his request. He had the package of the beef jerky next him. But not enough water for both, especially in the treacherous environment and heat. I wish I was there to comfort them and easy any pain.
Joseph, our son, would never leave you. As he did with Rachel. Even if it meant his own life!

Our families thank you for your continued prayers, support and understanding.
Orbeso Family

 

[ecomango]

Sounds like they may have gotten very fatigued, disoriented, panicked and must have climbed above the main washes in hopes of gaining some sight distance or reception and did not have enough energy to continue on together. Below is JOSAR's latest response with tips. JOSAR said they were in an area where it was probably easiest to walk out or find a trail/road, but yet it took almost 3 months to find them, very sad and also shows you how within a short distance the horizon can be obscured by Joshua Tree's canyon topography especially when you're unfamiliar with the terrain, you're lost, and/or don't have a map/compass.

Joshua Tree Search & RescueJoshua Tree National Park is over 800,000 acres. They were in an area that was, probably, the easiest to walk out or find a trail/road. We are still unsure what happened. In general it is surprisingly easy to get lost. You can take a short hike and lose sight of the road, and, if you didn't pay attention to what the landmarks look like, in the opposite direction, you could start wandering. People even get lost a short distance from a trail. It is important to keep track of your direction of travel, look back often and note landmarks for your return. Keeping track of where the sun is (left/ right shoulder, etc.) helps with direction. And, leave a note in the windshield of where/when you are going. Also let someone at home know and then call in and out. DO NOT ASSUME finding your way back is assured.

https://www.facebook.com/josarorg/

 

[Satchie]

In the facebook post by Gilbert Orbeso linked by Force Ten above, it sounds like they were found just past the end of a wash that had been searched July 30th. From his description, they appear to have walked to the end of a wash, and instead of turning around when it petered out, kept going, perhaps then becoming discouraged by the terrain/lack of a trail.

I tend to think one characteristic of how people get lost, and stay lost, is they keep going 'forward' (which might be in circles) instead of doubling back when they realize they may be lost. It's far better to go back the way you came than continue to forge ahead on the wrong route, but it's not instinctive.