TX TX - Caleb Harris, 21, Texas A&M University student, Corpus Christi, 4 Mar 2024 #2

[marloweclover]

It's hard to believe in a random abduction, for all the reasons stated, imo. He isn't the type for most predators, and he wasn't afaik executing a routine that could have been studied and stalked.

What are the odds that the rare someone who had the size/nerve/skills/inclination to publicly abduct a grown man happened to go down that exact street at the exact right time, etc, etc?

It's easier for me to believe that if someone else was involved, he was alone with that person voluntarily, in a private or at least semi-private environment. Whether the events that might have followed were planned or not, I have no idea.

Solo misadventure is also still on the table for me, although it's hard to imagine him falling into water. The known events of the night don't quite fit that pattern, imo.

 

[carterkatt]

Snipped^

Earlier in the thread, I was wondering about that—whether or not his roommates/long time friends knew.

I was thinking about how the roommates called the police before Caleb’s parents. It made me wonder if they knew Caleb may have had a quick meet up with someone and they were afraid to tell his parents at first, and hoped the police would locate him quickly. When that did not happen, they told his parents.
JMO

This may be a dumb thought...but would his roommates have Caleb's parent's phone numbers???

 

[Sundog]

This may be a dumb thought...but would his roommates have Caleb's parent's phone numbers???

I would think so, they likely had each others emergency contacts.

 

[Cryptic]

College kids have hookups, that’s normal and natural.

Some college kids have "hook ups". Others do not. What is natural behavior for some does not equate to "natural behavior" for all.

 

[aggiekel2005]

This may be a dumb thought...but would his roommates have Caleb's parent's phone numbers???

I think this is highly dependent upon the relationship between the roommates. I don't think I ever had the phone number to my roommates parents in college, but they also were not from my home town or friends I had since childhood either. If something had happened to my roommates, I would have had to work with the university to notify their parents or find them/siblings on social media.

 

[SMK777]

Some college kids have "hook ups". Others do not. What is natural behavior for some does not equate to "natural behavior" for all.

Exactly. There are many young people who recoil at casual, anonymous sex and only want serious relationships.

 

[Cryptic]

Exactly. There are many young people who recoil at casual, anonymous sex and only want serious relationships.

I fell into the temptation to look at the world from my perspective this past week too.

Watching boxing is natural to me. My chosen You Tube sites, social media, friends, and favorite sports bars are abuzz with latest boxing news regarding the many approaching championship matches.

Yet, after talking to few co workers, I just woke up to the reality that most of the world does not watch boxing and has little interest in championship matches. They do not care which boxer got "'dissed". Nor are they discussing which champion may, or may not be, truly injured and is instead attempting to avoid a drug test.

Rather, there could be many people who do not think watching boxing is "natural" and simply choose not to engage in it for reasons they find off putting.

 

[SMK777]

I fell into the temptation to look at the world from my perspective this past week too.

Watching boxing is natural to me. My chosen You Tube sites, social media, friends, and favorite sports bars are abuzz with latest boxing news regarding the many approaching championship matches.

Yet, after talking to few co workers, I just woke up to the reality that most of the world does not watch boxing and has little interest in championship matches, could care less which boxer got "'dissed", and which champion may, or may not be truly injured and is instead attempting to avoid a drug test.

There could be many people out there who do not think watching boxing is "natural" and simply choose not to engage in it.

Absolutely. Good illustration.

 

[carriepdx]

Agreed. 100%

And the fact that this is still unresolved 2+months later, suggests a skilled/experienced perpetrator.

Thus, perhaps, explaining the involvement of the FBI.

 

[10ofRods]

After reading all your posts, I'd propose that "romantic encounter gone wrong" may be added to the list - with the term "hook-up" (as understood by today's college students) at play here.

I also am beginning to think (thanks @MassGuy) that this degree of LE involvement, particularly in the digital domain, might indicate that Caleb kept some anonynity/privacy in his online doings/meet-ups.

I don't know if Snapchat alone would need a lot of LE tech to reveal all the connections, but I'm thinking that maybe other apps could be involved as well.

Wrong person, late night meet-up isn't something that only women encounter. It's an increasingly dangerous world for young men, as well.

And there are stalkers/predators out there, but most college students do not really internalize that, IME.

IMO.

 

[Universecalling]

My mind has been going the “dark web” route for some time.
I still can’t piece it together properly, but all I keep going back to is a hook up he was lured into, and then taken.
I had an unfortunate opportunity to watch real word situations and examples of niche perversions people have and the methods they employ to actualize them. Also, their needs to satisfy those perversions enter a realm of high tech environment and means.
I must admit I sometimes cringe when people jump into human trafficking right away, but this may have an element of it.
I don’t think this case is a part of an organized crime scheme, but rather an abduction to satisfy one person’s unthinkable needs.

And I hope to everything in this Universe that I’m dead wrong.

 

[SMK777]

And I hope to everything in this Universe that I’m dead wrong.

Same here. What’s most disturbing here is that in 11 weeks all of these high caliber law enforcement organizations have not been able to pinpoint where he went, with whom, and why he was unable to return.

 

[Rosiebones]

I am still hung up on why a good looking, personable young man like CH from a stable, loving family would move into the dark and dangerous world of hook ups. I find it hard to believe that if he was doing this ( this not being the first time), that his room mates have no suspicion that it was going on. I think that the complete silence on the part of the family, friends and room mates is to protect him and them from the judgements of friends, and church family. That is why I so much hope and pray this is a voluntary disappearance. MOO MOO MOO

 

[Protože]

I am still hung up on why a good looking, personable young man like CH from a stable, loving family would move into the dark and dangerous world of hook ups. I find it hard to believe that if he was doing this ( this not being the first time), that his room mates have no suspicion that it was going on. I think that the complete silence on the part of the family, friends and room mates is to protect him and them from the judgements of friends, and church family. That is why I so much hope and pray this is a voluntary disappearance. MOO MOO MOO

Religious repression and fear from being anything other than traditional and judged accordingly? MOO.

 

[OrangeCash]

I am still hung up on why a good looking, personable young man like CH from a stable, loving family would move into the dark and dangerous world of hook ups. I find it hard to believe that if he was doing this ( this not being the first time), that his room mates have no suspicion that it was going on. I think that the complete silence on the part of the family, friends and room mates is to protect him and them from the judgements of friends, and church family. That is why I so much hope and pray this is a voluntary disappearance. MOO MOO MOO

Because it's thrilling, non-judgemental, no strings, accessible, fun, exciting, taboo. There's a ton of reasons someone would do it. I don't think it's any more likely for someone not from a stable home background to do it, or any less likely from a stable one. MOO

I agree on the silence, it's likely roommates have been asked not to speak on social media etc out of respect and privacy
MOO

 

[TIGER0822]

in error

 

[Hansen]

After reading all your posts, I'd propose that "romantic encounter gone wrong" may be added to the list - with the term "hook-up" (as understood by today's college students) at play here.

I also am beginning to think (thanks @MassGuy) that this degree of LE involvement, particularly in the digital domain, might indicate that Caleb kept some anonynity/privacy in his online doings/meet-ups.

I don't know if Snapchat alone would need a lot of LE tech to reveal all the connections, but I'm thinking that maybe other apps could be involved as well.

Wrong person, late night meet-up isn't something that only women encounter. It's an increasingly dangerous world for young men, as well.

And there are stalkers/predators out there, but most college students do not really internalize that, IME.

IMO.

To your point, the FBI, US Marshals, Secret Service and Texas Rangers are all involved because of their various resources some of which are digital forensics.

 

[Cryptic]

What’s most disturbing here is that in 11 weeks all of these high caliber law enforcement organizations have not been able to pinpoint where he went, with whom, and why he was unable to return.

I agree, it is disturbing, but it might not be surprising. At the end of the day, technology has gotten cheap and very accessible.

For example, with a few mouse clicks, anyone can get access to encryption technology that was once the accessible to governments only. The encryption is so good that it takes national level resources to break (I suspect that the decryption batting average of national level LE using brute computing and computer driven linguistical analysis is top secret).

Going on to internet encounters.....

This arrest was linked to a "swatting" ring where national level resources were assigned to track them down.

And.... it still took 9 months despite a high volume of swatting calls to use as tracing opportunities. As with home available encryption, home available anonymizers have gotten better and better- even when national level resources are involved.

https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/fiel...s-targeting-synagogues-and-other-institutions

 

[SMK777]

I agree, it is disturbing, but it might not be surprising. At the end of the day, technology has gotten cheap and very accessible.

For example, with a few mouse clicks, anyone can get access to encryption technology that was once the accessible to governments only. The encryption is so good that it takes national level resources to break (I suspect that the decryption batting average of national level LE using brute computing and computer driven linguistical analysis is top secret).

Going on to internet encounters.....

This arrest was linked to a "swatting" ring where national level resources were assigned to track them down.

And.... it still took 9 months despite a high volume of swatting calls to use as tracing opportunities. As with home available encryption, home available anonymizers have gotten better and better- even when national level resources are involved.

https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/fiel...s-targeting-synagogues-and-other-institutions

You’re right. It’s frightening how criminals can use technology these days, and baffle law enforcement agencies.

 

[Muddy K]

Same here. What’s most disturbing here is that in 11 weeks all of these high caliber law enforcement organizations have not been able to pinpoint where he went, with whom, and why he was unable to return.

Exactly.