Found Deceased NC - Stephanie Mayorga, 27, & Paige Escalera, 25, Wilmington, 15 Apr 2020

[cujenn81]

With all the south comments, I can’t help but wonder if they were run off the road? Maybe someone in the mart saw them acting like more than friends, made them feel uncomfortable, followed them and ran them off the road? MOO obviously but being a fellow gay person, I know how people can look at you. Can’t imagine being gay in the south.

I’ve been folllowing this case closely and I’m very sorry for the families and friends that lost these two beautiful, young women. Hopefully we (mostly the family, but also the public) will get some answers soon.

The likelihood that these girls were run off the road and killed because of their sexuality is extremely farfetched.

In Wilmington, NC or elsewhere.

IMO

 

[indicolite22]

According to a 911 call from that night, a truck driver around 11:50 p.m. saw a car in his rear view mirror traveling at a high rate of speed on Independence Boulevard. The car then ran the stop sign at River Road, possibly hit a wall, and disappeared into the woody wetlands.

Image source: Google Maps

 

[madfrank]

The likelihood that these girls were run off the road and killed because of their sexuality is extremely farfetched.

In Wilmington, NC or elsewhere.

IMO

Agreed. The chance infintesimal.

 

[indicolite22]

Agreed. What does sound far fetched is that a caller calls in the accident, responders show, but cannot find anything and weeks later, two girls are dead, in same spot where they were told they wrecked initially. Now that sounds far fetched in the sense they were not found in the beginning and major details were missed. It sounds almost unheard of.

I don't think it's that unusual. In some cases victims were found years later within the area that had been searched already. In this case the car was partially submerged.

 

[Holl]

I don't think it's that unusual. In some cases victims were found years later within the area that had been searched already. In this case the car was partially submerged.

Understandable. I just do not see how they miss a 2000 lb. large piece of metal, especially if they would have returned in the morning hours and really searched. It is not like they are only searching for a purse or a backpack or the body itself. This is a massive amount of metal and size to not easily miss, no matter how far into deep vegetation it was. I am surprised and was discouraged that no fluids leaked to let off any fumes or smells or that the rear tail lights did not stay on.

And partially submerged? Wow. I did not hear or see that. I did not see those pictures with water. How much water were they submerged in, if you know? TIA

 

[Dre]

At @Holl thank you I very much agree that with hate crimes on the rise, its not incredibly far fetched. for those of us that have experienced hate from strangers, its understandable someone would come up with that theory and have it be perfectly validated.

 

[Holl]

At @Holl thank you I very much agree that with hate crimes on the rise, its not incredibly far fetched. for those of us that have experienced hate from strangers, its understandable someone would come up with that theory and have it be perfectly validated.

Yes, and it is absolutely sickening with all that goes on. In this day and age,
nothing seems too far fetched anymore, sad to say. Just my opinion but people are beyond cruel and sick.

 

[lonetraveler]

Understandable. I just do not see how they miss a 2000 lb. large piece of metal, especially if they would have returned in the morning hours and really searched. It is not like they are only searching for a purse or a backpack or the body itself. This is a massive amount of metal and size to not easily miss, no matter how far into deep vegetation it was. I am surprised and was discouraged that no fluids leaked to let off any fumes or smells or that the rear tail lights did not stay on.

And partially submerged? Wow. I did not hear or see that. I did not see those pictures with water. How much water were they submerged in, if you know? TIA

It was actually just in marsh area.

 

[Carrie Ann]

I am wondering why the police didn't go back out In the daylight. I feel that the man who called it was detailed about what he saw. Then the missing person reports just a few days later. I maybe different from others but it would have crossed my mind.

 

[Steph8angels]

Community creates memorial where missing woman's car was found - WWAY TV

Several people set up a memorial for Stephanie Mayorga and Paige Escalera near where police believe that car crashed into the woods. They also tied ribbons around some of the trees where they believe the car broke through.

Police say the car was registered to Escalera. Although there’s no confirmation the bodies belong to the two women, the search for them has grown very close to a lot of peoples’ hearts.

The search for Mayorga and Escalera captured the hearts of people all around the community, whether they knew the women or not.

We would go out on foot searching all areas of Wilmington around where they went missing,’ McCall said. “And because of that, we just followed the case so closely. It’s a beautiful memory for two beautiful girls.”

“Just trying to come out here to keep their lives going,” Cruz said. “They might not be here in person, but they’re here spiritually.”

With so many unanswered questions people wanted to find a way to honor the two young women and their families.

“It’s love. It’s an act of love and kindness from the community,” McCall said.


More @ link
Still awaiting POSITIVE ID's of these two beautiful ladies.

 

[Spartygirl]

I don't think it's that unusual. In some cases victims were found years later within the area that had been searched already. In this case the car was partially submerged.

Submerged ?? I have not heard or read that.
Was there a pond or a lake back in the wooded area they were found ??

 

[carbuff]

Submerged ?? I have not heard or read that.
Was there a pond or a lake back in the wooded area they were found ??

It sounds like car kind of sank into a marshy area. Though only one article said that so it might be a mistake.

 

[Windsorite]

The likelihood that these girls were run off the road and killed because of their sexuality is extremely farfetched.

In Wilmington, NC or elsewhere.

IMO

It’s not far fetched at all, if you read enough cases here, pretty much anything is a possibility.

 

[Holl]

<modsnip> ... a few years ago there was a horrible NY State limo crash in Schoharie, NY. It involved a stretch Ford Excursion limo that had been put out of commission by the NY Dept. of Transportation. But it was still illegally operated. Long story short, it hired out and was carrying 17 birthday party passengers and the driver. It had faulty breaks but nobody except the owners knew that. The driver lost them and barreled down the road, witnesses and media reported 55 to 60 miles per hour, through a stop sign and across a 4 way intersection into a ravine, unfortunately killing all in limo and two men standing in a nearby store's parking lot. The limo ended up in a ravine and crashed into smaller trees and what I guess you could call " scrub brush". Not nearly a large enough tree that the girls hit in the pictures I have looked at. With that being said, the entire limo's front end was destroyed with the engine coming well into the driver seat and beyond, tire ripped off, and completely mangled. As you can all imagine, the jaws of life were needed. No seatbelts except the driver was used while riding. With them most still would have been tragically killed.

My curiosity and inner detective wants to know if such tools were used on these girls. Were the jaws of life brought in ? Was seatbelts on? Was car battery dead or all the windows blown out from the force of hitting such an object? If airborne possibly and even a rate of speed of 60, I would have liked to see pics of the front of the car as it appears the front end is damaged but if impacting with a tree of that size, would not the car be more demolished? This limo's front end was very destroyed and it was a huge vehicle. I live a few hours near the scene involving that and have went to pay respect when headed to Albany, NY . It was and still is horrible to very day. Of course the area is different compared to River Rd and Independence Blvd and NC all together but pretty much same thing. Except smaller trees/saplings and a small gully in the limo accident. Sorry to ramble. The law of force is a strange thing I know. I just still cannot wrap my head around a few things with this case as the rest of us. Have a good weekend everyone

Edit: clarification on areas of both accidents

 

[evilwise]

What a shame. Those girls seem like they were probably a lot of fun.

As far as the details of the accident, most state departments of transportation conduct very thorough investigation of each and every fatal accident. I'm sure that extensive details regarding the position and condition of the vehicle will be forthcoming in the future.

I am surprised that it took so long for this accident to be found considering it was reported immediately via a 911 call. It is a very real possibility that one or both of them survived for an extended period of time, but let's hope their cries would have been heard had that been the case. It appears that a person standing at the scene of the accident report and tossing hand fulls of pebbles could have located the car.

 

[BeckyF]

<modsnip> ... a few years ago there was a horrible NY State limo crash in Schoharie, NY. It involved a stretch Ford Excursion limo that had been put out of commission by the NY Dept. of Transportation. But it was still illegally operated. Long story short, it hired out and was carrying 17 birthday party passengers and the driver. It had faulty breaks but nobody except the owners knew that. The driver lost them and barreled down the road, witnesses and media reported 55 to 60 miles per hour, through a stop sign and across a 4 way intersection into a ravine, unfortunately killing all in limo and two men standing in a nearby store's parking lot. The limo ended up in a ravine and crashed into smaller trees and what I guess you could call " scrub brush". Not nearly a large enough tree that the girls hit in the pictures I have looked at. With that being said, the entire limo's front end was destroyed with the engine coming well into the driver seat and beyond, tire ripped off, and completely mangled. As you can all imagine, the jaws of life were needed. No seatbelts except the driver was used while riding. With them most still would have been tragically killed.

My curiosity and inner detective wants to know if such tools were used on these girls. Were the jaws of life brought in ? Was seatbelts on? Was car battery dead or all the windows blown out from the force of hitting such an object? If airborne possibly and even a rate of speed of 60, I would have liked to see pics of the front of the car as it appears the front end is damaged but if impacting with a tree of that size, would not the car be more demolished? This limo's front end was very destroyed and it was a huge vehicle. I live a few hours near the scene involving that and have went to pay respect when headed to Albany, NY . It was and still is horrible to very day. Of course the area is different compared to River Rd and Independence Blvd and NC all together but pretty much same thing. Except smaller trees/saplings and a small gully in the limo accident. Sorry to ramble. The law of force is a strange thing I know. I just still cannot wrap my head around a few things with this case as the rest of us. Have a good weekend everyone

Edit: clarification on areas of both accidents

I remember that accident. It was horrible. Some of the dead were all from the same family.

 

[Scoutce]

Understandable. I just do not see how they miss a 2000 lb. large piece of metal, especially if they would have returned in the morning hours and really searched. It is not like they are only searching for a purse or a backpack or the body itself. This is a massive amount of metal and size to not easily miss, no matter how far into deep vegetation it was. I am surprised and was discouraged that no fluids leaked to let off any fumes or smells or that the rear tail lights did not stay on.

And partially submerged? Wow. I did not hear or see that. I did not see those pictures with water. How much water were they submerged in, if you know? TIA

Actually. It can happen. Over twenty years ago my mother went off the road in a bad curve. Her vehicle went partially into the bayou. She had a dog with her with a metal leash. She banged the leash against the car door too weak to say help. The car was not visible from the road. Across the road a man was sitting on his porch eating a burger on a quiet night. He heard the clanging and investigated saving my mother’s life though she had life long injuries. It can happen. My mother wasn’t drinking just lost control in the curve. (The large dog survived and lived to the age of 18).

 

[indicolite22]

Paige Escalera and Stephanie Mayorga Crime Scene Video:

 

[CluelessWonder]

That video is enlightening. How terrible. If I am seeing things correctly, there is a thick yellow line that seems to lead into a private business lot. If I were driving at night, I would follow that line across the intersection thinking I was still on the main drag. At a normal speed, I would see that I had missed my turn, and I would stop the car to turn around. But, at the speed they were driving, they may have panicked at the site of a narrowing road and buildings. I can imagine them swerving to the left in an effort to make the turn. But there was no way they were going to make it. And, if they had not tried, I think they would have collided with that building. When I was much younger, I was out driving one night because I was bored. We had a lot of lakes in the area, and I didn't know the roads well since it was my college town. I was cooking along at 70 when I realized there was a sign that said "road ends in water." I wish they had been more careful. I'm so sad for them and their families. They seemed to be in love. I guess I am thankful that it was not heroin that caused them to die. When I first heard about their car, I didn't realize there was a crash. I thought they had gone to buy drugs and then overdosed in the car. That happens A LOT these days. So glad they didn't die from drugs. But they're still gone, and that's something that will be difficult for their families for a long time.

 

[fred&edna]

Maybe it was totally pitch black at at that intersection at midnight, but I'm curious how much light (if any) there would have been - particularly from marina area or other (light poles, decorative lighting, nearby houses/apt complex, etc) ? Any dim light possible at all? The aerial shots from google earth are pre-development so I'm just curious if locals might have more precise info/photos. TIA!