TX TX - Caleb Harris, 21, Texas A&M University student, Corpus Christi, 4 Mar 2024 #3

[SMK777]

People make mistakes. I mentioned upthread about a man in my city who fell down a manhole during the night that was left uncovered at the end of the work day. It was later covered without the workers realizing someone fell down it.

I can't shake that scenario from my head in this case too.

jmo

That’s the thing: Human error can be a factor.

 

[oakparkmall]

And that just kind of shook up the sewage system.

How does the stormwater 'shake up' the sewage system when they are unrelated? Given that the city had to overhaul both systems in 2020 due to a lawsuit by the EPA.
about our system
epa.gov

 

[JackieBrown]

How does the stormwater 'shake up' the sewage system when they are unrelated? Given that the city had to overhaul both systems in 2020 due to a lawsuit by the EPA.
about our system
epa.gov

Yeah, it doesn’t make a lot of sense, does it? Maybe there’s something else we don’t know about how they can affect one another even if they are not connected? Water tables or something? Maybe he misspoke? It’s clear as mud to me.

 

[bluevioletfour]

RSBM
I doubt he decided to do some spur-of-the-moment urbex without shoes, though. MOO
BTW, source for him being last seen barefoot:

In my opinion, I think it was an accident. But... I do find it hard to believe he didn't have any shoes or flip flops on IF he fell into an open manhole that was in the plowed corn field. The corn stubble would haave been so difficult to walk on barefoot (IMO).

 

[mlhenn]

Does this waste water lift station have a monitoring system such as alarms that go off if there’s a potential issue?

 

[Warwick1991]

All sewer systems can have lift stations - storm water (storm sewer) or wastewater (sanitary sewer). They are separate in many municipalities, except for some systems that are mainly in older cities. In older cities, there are combined systems that carry both storm water and wastewater/sewage. Rain can influence all types. Rain can overwhelm some storm water systems with too much water, and sewage treatment plants for wastewater can be overwhelmed by too much water and flooding. Combined systems are vulnerable to flooding and overflows of wastewater/sewage, causing substantial pollution. From the articles linked earlier in the thread, I think the human remains were in Corpus Christi's separate wastewater/sanitary sewer system, not the storm water system.

Lagoons in sewage treatment plants can be flooded, and some rain can drain into wastewater systems. So it is possible that that an increased flow could move human remains. If manholes were routinely left open, water could enter the system. But there would be no reason to leave those manholes open.

I think an accidental fall into an open manhole is unlikely - the smell emanating from a wastewater system - human waste and gases -would be strong enough to make most people avoid it, especially on foot. Was the open manhole discussed earlier a storm water manhole or a wastewater/sewage manhole? It sounds bizarre to leave a wastewater system manhole open - the smell would be overwhelming. It seems to me that a human body entering a wastewater/sewage system would be very unusual, unless this was something deliberate. Just my opinion...

 

[abanddb123]

Being barefoot is not a big deal. I don't understand why that is such a big deal. A lot of people go barefoot. Anyway, I think a body could go through pipes if it was decomposed enough. Back to him having no shoes on, to me, maybe it means he wasn't planning on being outside the apartment very long. Or maybe he didn't like wearing shoes. I do hope the family gets closure.

 

[acutename]

I think it may have to do with the issue of foul play. Unlike Riley Strain, when he was found two weeks after going missing, all evidence pointed to misadventure. The identification was made quickly because there was no need to suppress evidence that may have been crucial to a criminal investigation. The autopsy results came in later and supported the conclusion of death by drowning via misadventure.

In this case, there has been an ongoing commentary that Caleb is the victim of foul play, not because there is any actual evidence pointing that way, but a series of circumstances that provided a mystery surrounding his absence which his parents choose to believe. If LE believe there is a possibility of foul play versus misadventure I suspect they want to hold all cards close to their vest because they can't guarantee that the family members will keep quiet about his death and compromise an investigation.

Riley was wearing most of the clothing he disappeared in.... easy ID.

 

[abanddb123]

I have tried over and over to pull a link here for how big manholes can be . I apologize, I can't get it. I googled for the area and it stated manholes can be between 3 to 6 feet in diameter. He very well could of fell into one. Sorry about having no link.

 

[acutename]

People make mistakes. I mentioned upthread about a man in my city who fell down a manhole during the night that was left uncovered at the end of the work day. It was later covered without the workers realizing someone fell down it.

I can't shake that scenario from my head in this case too.

jmo

remembering the Danemora prison escape.... they went through the city sewer on purpose

New York Prison Escape: How It Happened, and How It ...​

NBC News
https://www.nbcnews.com › storyline › new-york-priso...





Jun 29, 2015 — ... their way through the innards of the prison and climb out a manhole about a block away. 2 prisoners escape from NY maximum security prison.
emembering the Danemora prison escape.... they went throigh the city sewer on purpose

 

[slowpoke]

Does this waste water lift station have a monitoring system such as alarms that go off if there’s a potential issue?

It seems so:

Under 4.3 Lift Station Outage Response Plan (LSORP)


====
This is a whole manual of procedures and protocols, if anyone wants to “get in the weeds.”
Capacity, Management, Operation and Maintenance (CMOM) Plan

 

[Angelcat13]

In my opinion, I think it was an accident. But... I do find it hard to believe he didn't have any shoes or flip flops on IF he fell into an open manhole that was in the plowed corn field. The corn stubble would haave been so difficult to walk on barefoot (IMO).

Sorry…I didn’t realize it was a cornfield. And yes, walking barefoot on dried-out cornstalk stubs would likely be painful enough to deter a barefoot person.

 

[Diavola]

It kinda feels weird to speculate in case it turns out it isn't Caleb, like it turned out with the phone.

 

[Inthedetails]

It kinda feels weird to speculate in case it turns out it isn't Caleb, like it turned out with the phone.

I hear ya, but speculate is what we do on this discussion board. If it's the wrong direction, we can recalibrate.

It's not unreasonable to think it' s likely to be him, and if it's not him, there still is the question of how the body got where it was.

jmo

 

[SMK777]

It kinda feels weird to speculate in case it turns out it isn't Caleb, like it turned out with the phone.

Yeah, I wish the remains would be IDed so we’d at least know if we should be applying all these questions to Caleb.

The fact that law enforcement immediately called the family and had them come would make it seem likely that it is in fact him — owing to the location matching where he vanished.

I hope it’s not too much longer because they deserve closure.

 

[Rosiebones]

Yeah, I wish the remains would be IDed so we’d at least know if we should be applying all these questions to Caleb.

The fact that law enforcement immediately called the family and had them come would make it seem likely that it is in fact him — owing to the location matching where he vanished.

I hope it’s not too much longer because they deserve closure.

LE may have found a piece of clothing or better yet, his phone in the pocket of a piece of clothing.

 

[SMK777]

LE may have found a piece of clothing or better yet, his phone in the pocket of a piece of clothing.

That would be a great help, certainly.

 

[IDK]

Is there any significance that robbery/ homicide detectives are working the case? Not suggesting anything, just curious. Maybe it’s SOP for any unidentified remains.

Scroll down, update 6/26/24:

CCPD Blotter

Corpus Christi Police Daily Blotter

ccpdblotter.wordpress.com

 

[JackieBrown]

Is there any significance the robbery/ homicide detectives are working the case? Not suggesting anything, just curious.

Scroll down:

CCPD Blotter

Corpus Christi Police Daily Blotter

ccpdblotter.wordpress.com

This may be helpful info or may not, you decide.

The detective who spoke about Vandy Jane Doe in this episode of The Fall Line podcast said this:

“Every death investigation should be approached as a homicide. The reason for this is sometimes the manner of death is not obvious or the scene could be staged to appear as something else, such as an accident or suicide. In some cases, even a natural death rather than a homicide. If the scene is not properly investigated and it is later determined that the death was a homicide, potential evidence could be lost and that could mean the difference between solving the case or the case going cold.”

Podcast episode reference here
Timestamp for this quote est: 15:04

 

[SMK777]

Is there any significance that robbery/ homicide detectives are working the case? Not suggesting anything, just curious. Maybe it’s SOP for any unidentified remains.

Scroll down, update 6/26/24:

CCPD Blotter

Corpus Christi Police Daily Blotter

ccpdblotter.wordpress.com

Either as you say it’s standard procedure —or because there’s a possibility that it’s Caleb, and agencies such as FBI and U.S. MARSHALS had suspected foul play, so they are continuing to investigate that angle.