Mexico Mexico - Jenny Chen, 26, Oaxaca, 11 April 2016 #2

[Lilibet]

Tired of following this case - JR's comments and updates are "Always a week out" I'd be broke on the streets of Mexico looking for my missing wife - especially with no kids in the picture - I wouldn't be able to sit still. I would imagine that it would be pretty easy for "jenny" to be back in china with her family especially since her family is not posting AT ALL in the groups.

Nice to see you again "Cougarbrain." I agree. I'd never have gone home in the first place, and the fact that JR did go home without even going to Oaxaca floors me.

I don't think her family in China can post on FB, but I would expect her brother to be posting on weibo or something like that. There's just no way to know. She certainly could have gone home, but I can't imagine she'd want to.

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

Ok, I am still spending excessive amounts of time thinking about Jenny, so here are some more thoughts I've been kicking around. lol

I was rereading Jenny's weibo entry where she writes about the movie "Wild". She was so excited after seeing the movie. When she got home that night after seeing the movie, she started searching for information on "long distance backpack hiking". She was interested in starting with the Mt. Rainier Wonderland Trail, for practice. Her research found that it would take 12 hours to complete, with 12 hour days of climbing. It excited her to think of being in nature, and temporarily leaving "human civilization". She wrote this on Christmas day, 2014.
http://weibo.com/p/1001603792644416397855?mod=zwenzhang (her writings after the photo is where she talks of Wild. In Chinese, so use google translate if you want to read)

So I think she was, as Lilibet wrote, "losing herself" in Mexico. Maybe she was doing this instead of the Wonderland Trail, as I don't see anything she's written about doing that. She was excited to be cut loose, travel alone, be away from her life in Seattle. We hear she did keep touch with her family, so I think in contrast to what she said about leaving civilization behind, it was more about leaving life in Seattle behind, at least for a while. Maybe...just a thought.

I would like to know when she and JR made the plan that they would meet up in Cancun, and what Jenny's reaction to it was. Was it planned before she left, as part of her itinerary, or did JR make the decision to go when Jenny was already into her trip? Was the idea to meet in Cancun a welcome idea to her? What if it was not her idea, but JR's, and she was not totally keen on the idea, but was going along with it. I feel like maybe she wouldn't have been eager to enjoy Cancun staying in a hotel with JR. Staying in a hotel and sharing Mexico with JR wouldn't have been keeping with the style in which she was wanting to explore Mexico.

I've come to think that something bad did really happen to her on her way to Cancun, though.The fact that she has not been in touch with her family (as far as we know, anyway) is what keeps me from feeling like she ran away on purpose.

RBBM for focus.

Did JR or Jenny mention their planned meeting in Cancun at any point on SM? Or is this something that came from JR -and only JR- after Jenny turned up missing? My apologies in advance if this has already been discussed; it's just that I never questioned this part of the story, but having read your post, I am now wondering if JR and/or Jenny had a reservation, etc. There is probably no way to find out for sure, as basically every single piece of information about this case is coming from JR, but it would be nice to know. No smoking gun by any means, but the idea of staying in a hotel in a major resort like Cancun certainly jibe with what we know about Jenny.

 

[slowpoke]

Jenny Chen (her weibo) quote:
"To me, the most important thing about traveling is learning to face fear. That's way more important than sightseeing or visit museum or knowing other's culture. So I decide to hitch hiking from Oaxaca to Cancun which is half Mexico distance."

Chery Strayed ("Wild") quote:
"I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed. Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me." - Cheryl Strayed, Wild

I think she was fully taking Cheryl Strayed's words to heart, and ignored practical safety practices instead choosing to feel she could either use her charm or wits to get out of any danger. Like Cheryl, she decided she was safe, strong and brave, and would come out of this trip whole and with a renewed sense of self.

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

RBBM for focus.

Did JR or Jenny mention their planned meeting in Cancun at any point on SM? Or is this something that came from JR -and only JR- after Jenny turned up missing? My apologies in advance if this has already been discussed; it's just that I never questioned this part of the story, but having read your post, I am now wondering if JR and/or Jenny had a reservation, etc. There is probably no way to find out for sure, as basically every single piece of information about this case is coming from JR, but it would be nice to know. No smoking gun by any means, but the idea of staying in a hotel in a major resort like Cancun certainly jibe with what we know about Jenny.

Sorry to quote my own post; won't let me edit. The last sentence should have read, "...like Cancun certainly *does not* jibe with what ...."

 

[Sjm_qc]

Interesting. Is there anything in particular that causes you to wonder about drugs? I understand you're just wondering and not accusing.

My thought when I listed that possibility wasn't so much about the drugs themselves but more the excitement of taking a risk smuggling and perhaps making easy money. Who's going to suspect a quirky little Chinese gal? But this is not at the top of my list. Escape and revenge are more likely to me at this point...subject to change, of course.

I may have asked before, or it may have been already discussed. If so, please accept my apologies in advance (WS is being a bit odd today & I'm having trouble searching):

Is it known whether Jenny was taking any prescription drugs (mental health?), &/or antimalarial medication? I ask, because starting, or stopping the former (possibly abruptly), &/or taking them in combination with the latter, *could* contribute to causing out-of-character behaviour or downright unsafe behaviour. Ditto possible odd interactions of "recreational" drugs with the aforementioned. NB This is JMO & speculation.

Nice to see you again "Cougarbrain." I agree. I'd never have gone home in the first place, and the fact that JR did go home without even going to Oaxaca floors me.

I don't think her family in China can post on FB, but I would expect her brother to be posting on weibo or something like that. There's just no way to know. She certainly could have gone home, but I can't imagine she'd want to.

SO would I, unless he/her family have information that we (& possibly JR) don't have. *If* posting on FB were the problem, it seems to me it would be perfectly possible for brother to correspond with JR by email, who could then share if necessary.

The apparent lack of communication/involvement of Jenny's family in JR's quest has bothered me for a long time.

 

[Sjm_qc]

Sorry to quote my own post; won't let me edit. The last sentence should have read, "...like Cancun certainly *does not* jibe with what ...."

Or meeting up with hubby & staying in a Cancun resort could have been a nice "reward" or interlude after her shoestring-budget backpacking trip. I recall many (many!) years ago booking into a VERY fancy hotel resort for a couple of nights R&R in the middle of a several months long backpacking trip around Asia.

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

It's easy to disappear in Mexico.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've heard fake IDs are cheap and easy to get there. Maybe she wanted to start over with a clean slate, like FLEK.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[slowpoke]

Sorry to quote my own post; won't let me edit. The last sentence should have read, "...like Cancun certainly *does not* jibe with what ...."

inmyhumbleopinion:
I don't know what they have or have not posted on their personal FB, but I don't think we've ever learned any detailed information regarding their plans for their stay in Cancun, like which hotel or any of the other questions I posed.

All we know is what we've read in printed articles, which is that "the two agreed to meet up at the Cancun airport on April 15". Or that he "waited and waited and waited for days at the Cancun hotel where they were supposed to meet". So which was the meeting place. Airport or hotel? I think the airport may be the correct meeting place, as the radio show interview with the attorney EM said "que debido a que Jenny Chen no llegó al aeropuerto..." (because Jenny didn't arrive at the airport).

Or meeting up with hubby & staying in a Cancun resort could have been a nice "reward" or interlude after her shoestring-budget backpacking trip. I recall many (many!) years ago booking into a VERY fancy hotel resort for a couple of nights R&R in the middle of a several months long backpacking trip around Asia.

Sjm_qc:
That is certainly a possibility, too. Maybe Cancun was supposed to be the end of her journey a la Cheryl Strayed. Instead of the Pacific Crest Trail she traveled the length of Mexico, from Tijuana to Cancun, and JR was supposed to take home her backpacking supplies with him when he returned to Seattle from Cancun, then she would continue on in a more conventional manner of travel for Cuba and NY.

 

[Claudius]

inmyhumbleopinion:
I don't know what they have or have not posted on their personal FB, but I don't think we've ever learned any detailed information regarding their plans for their stay in Cancun, like which hotel or any of the other questions I posed.

All we know is what we've read in printed articles, which is that "the two agreed to meet up at the Cancun airport on April 15". Or that he "waited and waited and waited for days at the Cancun hotel where they were supposed to meet". So which was the meeting place. Airport or hotel? I think the airport may be the correct meeting place, as the radio show interview with the attorney EM said "que debido a que Jenny Chen no llegó al aeropuerto..." (because Jenny didn't arrive at the airport).


Sjm_qc:
That is certainly a possibility, too. Maybe Cancun was supposed to be the end of her journey a la Cheryl Strayed. Instead of the Pacific Crest Trail she traveled the length of Mexico, from Tijuana to Cancun, and JR was supposed to take home her backpacking supplies with him when he returned to Seattle from Cancun, then she would continue on in a more conventional manner of travel for Cuba and NY.

It's strange how few details we know after all this time. As far as I know, he hasn't revealed where they were planning to stay from Apr. 15-20. She did reserve a couch surfing home from Apr 20-23, but I don't know if JR was planning to stay with her or not. Apparently she never confirmed this reservation. Her flight to Cuba was supposed to be on the 23rd.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=889708507818065&set=g.604597256381989&type=1&theater

 

[GigTu]

She was purposefully tempting fate. Maybe she felt invincible, or overestimated her negotiation powers for all settings.

Jenny Chen (her weibo) quote:
"To me, the most important thing about traveling is learning to face fear. That's way more important than sightseeing or visit museum or knowing other's culture. So I decide to hitch hiking from Oaxaca to Cancun which is half Mexico distance."

Chery Strayed ("Wild") quote:
"I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed. Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me." - Cheryl Strayed, Wild

I think she was fully taking Cheryl Strayed's words to heart, and ignored practical safety practices instead choosing to feel she could either use her charm or wits to get out of any danger. Like Cheryl, she decided she was safe, strong and brave, and would come out of this trip whole and with a renewed sense of self.

We are having the same brainwave moment. [emoji14]

 

[rosesfromangels]

Interesting. Is there anything in particular that causes you to wonder about drugs? I understand you're just wondering and not accusing.

My thought when I listed that possibility wasn't so much about the drugs themselves but more the excitement of taking a risk smuggling and perhaps making easy money. Who's going to suspect a quirky little Chinese gal? But this is not at the top of my list. Escape and revenge are more likely to me at this point...subject to change, of course.

Again, I am not accusing the victim of any misdeeds; just looking under every rock for any possibility or involvement of any type.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2015-12/29/content_22849264.htm

 

[Lilibet]

Jenny Chen (her weibo) quote:
"To me, the most important thing about traveling is learning to face fear. That's way more important than sightseeing or visit museum or knowing other's culture. So I decide to hitch hiking from Oaxaca to Cancun which is half Mexico distance."

Chery Strayed ("Wild") quote:
"I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed. Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me." - Cheryl Strayed, Wild

I think she was fully taking Cheryl Strayed's words to heart, and ignored practical safety practices instead choosing to feel she could either use her charm or wits to get out of any danger. Like Cheryl, she decided she was safe, strong and brave, and would come out of this trip whole and with a renewed sense of self.

BBM

Those two quotes side by side plus knowing how Jenny felt about "Wild"...the trip make perfect sense! Nothing convoluted about her reason for this trip...just an obsession to do what Cheryl Strayed did. Brilliantly simple, slowpoke!

And no wonder she could not be deterred by JR (I believe he said he tried), and didn't give him her phone number. No wonder she was so casual about almost being raped. Conquering fear was all the reason she needed.

If Jenny did struggle with some type of mental illness like bipolar disorder, it could certainly be entangled with her willingness to take risks, but it seems possible that "Wild" was the catalyst for the trip and all that followed.

I think she would have completed her odyssey though, if she could. Sadly, she didn't.

 

[tarabull]

It's easy to disappear in Mexico.

:yeahthat:

:nerves:

:scared:

'Mexico is one big cemetery': The search for the secret graves of 'the disappeared'
September 29, 2016

Snipped...

...Mexico’s decade-long, military-led crackdown on drug cartels has swelled the multitudes of desaparecidos — the “disappeared” who vanish without a trace. Their ranks include many with no known link to criminal gangs — kidnapped for ransom, robbery or revenge, or caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

...“We are not trying to bring anyone to justice for what happened — that is the purview of the authorities and the judicial system,” says Bustamante. “We just want to find our sons and daughters.”

Though their aims are finely focused, the searchers’ efforts have inevitably cast a harsh light on the pervasive culture of lawlessness that has long bedeviled Mexico’s criminal justice system.

...Nationwide, Mexican officials acknowledge about 28,000 “disappeared,” with some cases dating to the 1970s, though activists say that number also is probably an underestimate.

...Authorities here have not commented publicly on the dig, beyond confirming that some human remains have turned up. The volunteers do the searching, but it is the responsibility of an on-site police forensic team to analyze evidence and remove it for DNA testing.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-fg-mexico-missing-20160929-snap-story.html

 

[DexterMorgan]

BBM

Those two quotes side by side plus knowing how Jenny felt about "Wild"...the trip make perfect sense! Nothing convoluted about her reason for this trip...just an obsession to do what Cheryl Strayed did. Brilliantly simple, slowpoke!

And no wonder she could not be deterred by JR (I believe he said he tried), and didn't give him her phone number. No wonder she was so casual about almost being raped. Conquering fear was all the reason she needed.

If Jenny did struggle with some type of mental illness like bipolar disorder, it could certainly be entangled with her willingness to take risks, but it seems possible that "Wild" was the catalyst for the trip and all that followed.

I think she would have completed her odyssey though, if she could. Sadly, she didn't.

Oh oh. You guys are on to something with this.

Now if JR needs a salacious headline and story to get the national media involved; Then he may want to say that Wild caused his wife to go missing in Mexico and lawsuits will soon be handed down to Cheryl and the producers.

Jmo.

Now of course it would probably get thrown out of court. But at least he will get Jennys case some real good media coverage.

Idk. But Tmz and other celebrity sites plus shows like Nancy Grace or Gma will eat it up.

And some lawyer would probably represent him for free due to the salacious blaming and story alone.

 

[Sjm_qc]

Oh oh. You guys are on to something with this.

Now if JR needs a salacious headline and story to get the national media involved; Then he may want to say that Wild caused his wife to go missing in Mexico and lawsuits will soon be handed down to Cheryl and the producers.

Jmo.

Now of course it would probably get thrown out of court. But at least he will get Jennys case some real good media coverage.

Idk. But Tmz and other celebrity sites plus shows like Nancy Grace or Gma will eat it up.

And some lawyer would probably represent him for free due to the salacious blaming and story alone.

But: they haven't so far. No MSM seem to have picked this up, or be interested. Why?

Is it because - speculation only:

- they've been contacted, done some fact/background checking & the story doesn't add-up, or can't be verified?

- the fact/background checking told an entirely different story?

- No-one bothered reading the latest convoluted & unhelpful press release? (Aside: one has about 5 seconds to "grab" the attention of the initial reader with a press release. That one doesn't even come close to it . ).

Change of subject: there's a (controversial, very) fairly well-known PI out of Texas (I think?) who has allegedly had some success with tracing MPs in Mexico, but I can't for the life of me remember his name. Does that ring any bells for anyone? If I could remember his name, I MIGHT suggest it to JR...

 

[Sjm_qc]

It's strange how few details we know after all this time. As far as I know, he hasn't revealed where they were planning to stay from Apr. 15-20. She did reserve a couch surfing home from Apr 20-23, but I don't know if JR was planning to stay with her or not. Apparently she never confirmed this reservation. Her flight to Cuba was supposed to be on the 23rd.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=889708507818065&set=g.604597256381989&type=1&theater

Thank you for that link. What stands out to me (once again ), is J ignoring questions about contact with/contacting her family.

 

[Lilibet]

But: they haven't so far. No MSM seem to have picked this up, or be interested. Why?

Is it because - speculation only:

- they've been contacted, done some fact/background checking & the story doesn't add-up, or can't be verified?

- the fact/background checking told an entirely different story?

- No-one bothered reading the latest convoluted & unhelpful press release? (Aside: one has about 5 seconds to "grab" the attention of the initial reader with a press release. That one doesn't even come close to it . ).

Change of subject: there's a (controversial, very) fairly well-known PI out of Texas (I think?) who has allegedly had some success with tracing MPs in Mexico, but I can't for the life of me remember his name. Does that ring any bells for anyone? If I could remember his name, I MIGHT suggest it to JR...

Your speculation regarding MSM could be right. I think JR's convoluted communication style and Mexican LE probably make fact-checking impossible and way too time consuming. It's also hard for a story to get traction when the missing person has deliberately put herself in danger. This was clear from the comments on the early stories. I rewrote his press release for him upthread after griping about it, but since he apparently doesn't make use of WS, he missed seeing it. And I'm not nice enough to send it to him, since he tends to refuse help IMO.

Are you thinking about Klein Investigations in TX? He took on the DeOrr Kunz case (hired by the family with contributor's money and has publicly named the parents as the perps after investigating). I believe he has traced MP's in Mexico and is controversial.

https://www.facebook.com/KleinInvestigations/posts?ref=page_internal

 

[Lilibet]

Oh oh. You guys are on to something with this.

Now if JR needs a salacious headline and story to get the national media involved; Then he may want to say that Wild caused his wife to go missing in Mexico and lawsuits will soon be handed down to Cheryl and the producers.

Jmo.

Now of course it would probably get thrown out of court. But at least he will get Jennys case some real good media coverage.

Idk. But Tmz and other celebrity sites plus shows like Nancy Grace or Gma will eat it up.

And some lawyer would probably represent him for free due to the salacious blaming and story alone.

Even without a lawsuit motive, if JR had used Jenny's fascination with "Wild" the story would have gotten lots of attention. When Johnathan Croom disappeared in the Oregon woods a few years ago, the possibility that he was trying to live off the land like McCandless did in Alaska ("Into the Wild") got the story lots of attention. Sadly, he committed suicide.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/26/johnathan-croom-missing-into-the-wild_n_3815018.html

ETA: Of course, it's possible JR didn't know about Jenny and her interest in "Wild."

 

[Sjm_qc]

Thank you Lilibet, that's exactly who I was thinking of!

And your version of the press release was excellent .

 

[slowpoke]

Respectfully snipped by me:

Thanks for posting more information about Jenny's fascination with the movie "Wild." When we discussed it in June, I couldn't and still can't access the weibo link on my iPad. I think you meant she calculated she could hike the Wonderland trail in 12 days of 12 hours hiking. It's a difficult trail, and I can't imagine anyone thinking that hiking for 12 hours each day is reasonable. She seemed to have an inflated view of her stamina, which seems manic to me, as we've discussed before.

Here's what she'd written, as translated by google translate (hope mods will allow). I thought 12 hours each day sounded like too much, but then I don't know anything about backpacking, lol. Thanks for confirming that that seems extreme. It's so sad to read things like this she wrote, where you wish you could reach out to her and persuade her to have a more realistic view of adventures. To start smaller, join a group, learn to do it safely. Sigh.....

"After lunch, have been at 5 pm. Go to the old movie theater to see the movie called wild. I love this movie, about a woman, she began walking from Mexico climbing, has been climbing north, after California, Washington (the seat of Seattle), Canada. From Mexico to Canada, Wow! . . . . This mountain road is called the pacific crest trail. I am excited to see after, ignited the fire of hope in my heart, because I also want to do such a thing. Go home at night and start searching for computers, if you start training for long distance backpack hiking. May start with this trail began to practice, called mt.rainier wonderlan trail. MT Ranier is a huge mountain, the national park, every year someone died in the inside, because lost. Wonderland trail is around the mountain circle. 12 hours a day to climb, use 12 days to complete, into the nature, temporarily leave the human civilization. Think about all excited ~ ~ ~ ~

This is the day of Christmas, very quiet."

http://weibo.com/p/1001603792644416397855?mod=zwenzhang