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

[TDoc72]

According to the police chief, the manhole was drained 4/18/24 right after it was initially reported to be uncovered. They first used the camera to look for any signs of Caleb at that time and then used it again after the discovery at the lift station.

I’m thinking that they checked there and didn’t see Caleb or anything that lead to them needing to check further along all the way to the lift station. He was probably between the two for awhile before making it to the end when his body became smaller through the decomp process. I of course feel for Caleb and his loved ones, but also for whover found him. I can only imagine how gruesome it was.

 

[JenniferTx]

Does anyone remember reading where LE had cleared both roommates? I swear I read that somewhere but now going back I can’t find it.

 

[SMK777]

Does anyone remember reading where LE had cleared both roommates? I swear I read that somewhere but now going back I can’t find it.

I don’t have an exact link at the moment, but it’s been repeatedly stated by law enforcement for months that the roommates were cleared (along with the UberEats driver, family, and friends).

 

[SMK777]

So in fact the final autopsy report is known to police and family, but wasn’t given to media for the public. And cause of death is likely to remain undetermined…


This celebration of life service will allow family and friends to honor Caleb's life. Its also a time for them to say their final goodbyes.

This service comes less than a week after a forensic team identified Caleb’s remains. His body was found last month in a waste water well close to where he lived in Corpus Christi, concluding a search for the college student who disappeared back in March.

Since then, a final autopsy report has been issued by the Nueces County Medical Examiner.

And we are working to obtain that report, which should shed some light on a possible cause and manner of death.

But police suspect that’s likely going to remain undetermined because the body was so decomposed.

Detectives have also not said how Caleb ended up in the well. For now, the case remains active.

Celebration of life to be held in New Braunfels for Caleb Harris

His remains were identified just last week after a months-long search in Corpus Christi, where he attended college.

www.kens5.com

 

[Muddy K]

Detectives have also not said how Caleb ended up in the well. For now, the case remains active.

And I think it should remain active. Ever since the remains were discovered in the lift station, when it seemed all but certain that they would be identified as Caleb's, I had been trying to understand how he could have ended up in that tank, and I could envision a couple of scenarios.

For me, and JMO, after the positive ID and discussion by LE of the open manhole in the crop field, the mystery has only intensified. What happened to Caleb?

Complete accident? Backing up to take a photo in a scrubby field around 3:00 a.m. or some such thing, and, whoosh, the ground beneath just isn't there.

Misadventure? Voluntarily deciding to go urban spelunking around 3:00 a.m., or some such thing, in an open manhole and, whoosh, some kind of fatal miscalculation occurs.

Foul play? Engaging in a meet-up around 3:00 a.m., or some such thing, and, whoosh, consent turns to attack and a body needs to be dumped.

Not one of these scenarios is more likely than the others, IMO. What they all have in common are the freakishly high odds that any one of them could and did occur.

Are there any other possible scenarios I've overlooked?

 

[SMK777]

And I think it should remain active. Ever since the remains were discovered in the lift station, when it seemed all but certain that they would be identified as Caleb's, I had been trying to understand how he could have ended up in that tank, and I could envision a couple of scenarios.

For me, and JMO, after the positive ID and discussion by LE of the open manhole in the crop field, the mystery has only intensified. What happened to Caleb?

Complete accident? Backing up to take a photo in a scrubby field around 3:00 a.m. or some such thing, and, whoosh, the ground beneath just isn't there.

Misadventure? Voluntarily deciding to go urban spelunking around 3:00 a.m., or some such thing, in an open manhole and, whoosh, some kind of fatal miscalculation occurs.

Foul play? Engaging in a meet-up around 3:00 a.m., or some such thing, and, whoosh, consent turns to attack and a body needs to be dumped.

Not one of these scenarios is more likely than the others, IMO. What they all have in common are the freakishly high odds that any one of them could and did occur.

Are there any other possible scenarios I've overlooked?

I don’t think you’ve overlooked any. I assume LE is still investigating these various aspects. I’m surprised that family and police have received the final autopsy report from the ME office but that it doesn’t seem to be public information.

Also that they state that cause of death will likely remain undetermined.

 

[SMK777]

Just adding to my post above, that in light of these facts we may possibly never know exactly what happened to Caleb, unfortunately.

 

[SMK777]

And I think it should remain active

SBM for focus

Another possibility which has happened in quite a few true crime cases, is that IF by chance this was in fact a case of foul play, someone may come forward with information.

Someone who for whatever reason was unwilling to speak until now.

 

[vls12345]

Were tracker dogs used in the early days of the search for Caleb? If so, I wonder if any had a clear smell that led them to the vicinity of the manhole?

 

[SMK777]

Were tracker dogs used in the early days of the search for Caleb? If so, I wonder if any had a clear smell that led them to the vicinity of the manhole?

I believe dogs were used, but can’t find a link. If anyone has one, please post it. I remember something about them thinking he must have gotten into a car, but falling into a manhole would also make the trail vanish…

 

[Sundog]

Were tracker dogs used in the early days of the search for Caleb? If so, I wonder if any had a clear smell that led them to the vicinity of the manhole?

Jennifer Coffindaffer on NewsNation interviewed Caleb's father, Randy Harris, along with their family representative, and they said that a local prison warden provided blood hounds to track Caleb, but it took awhile before this happened, and so wasn't that useful. They did say that the blood hounds searched in the area under the bridge due to Caleb's photo of the bridge that he took that night and sent to a friend using social media, but nothing was hit on by the dogs. A link to this interview was posted early on here on this thread.

 

[IDK]

Caleb’s Dad, Randy, mentioned it in one of the interviews, possibly the Pascal show. Either that or Coffindaffer since those are the only two I listened to.

 

[IDK]

Were tracker dogs used in the early days of the search for Caleb? If so, I wonder if any had a clear smell that led them to the vicinity of the manhole?

OK— found something from the interview on the Pascal show with Randy and his friend Tony. Around 42:32 it is mentioned that there were “different types of dogs, cadaver and bloodhound. None have been able to pick up anything” They used personal items from the apartment and also from Caleb’s truck as scent items.
They didn’t mention the time frame of when the dog searches were done.

 

[Muddy K]

OK— found something from the interview on the Pascal show with Randy and his friend Tony. Around 42:32 it is mentioned that there were “different types of dogs, cadaver and bloodhound. None have been able to pick up anything” They used personal items from the apartment and also from Caleb’s truck as scent items.
They didn’t mention the time frame of when the dog searches were done.

If in fact Caleb went out wandering in that crop field that night, and if in fact he was barefoot, it seems likely to me that tracker dogs could have picked up his scent. But we don't know when dogs were used, if they were used the next day or if they were used in that field.

The so many "ifs" in this case. Ack.

I wrote about possible scenarios just a little bit back upthread, but I left one out, and that is whether Caleb was found in the lift station tank because that is where he initially entered the waster water system. While also freakishly bizarre, and with its own obstacles to stymie reason, IMO it's no less improbable than the other three scenarios I mentioned. All of them seem nearly impossible to believe, but apparently one of them actually happened.

To never know which means to never learn how Caleb's tragic death might have been prevented. I think for me, that's why I'm finding it so hard to move on. The final mystery is just too gripping.

 

[SMK777]

To never know which means to never learn how Caleb's tragic death might have been prevented. I think for me, that's why I'm finding it so hard to move on. The final mystery is just too gripping.

SBM
I understand that feeling, definitely.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

I thought I read it was 15 feet deep, not 15 inches?

Even so, imo, 25 inches is quite narrow for someone of his height and weight, particularly when a living person was thought to have fallen through that opening. moo

 

[Centaurus]

Even so, imo, 25 inches is quite narrow for someone of his height and weight, particularly when a living person was thought to have fallen through that opening. moo

But for all intents and purposes, a manhole is designed for human access into the system - it has to be big enough for a man to fit through it.

 

[kuromiiiilove]

Do we know if the pipe was a 25” diameter, or a 25” circumference? That would make all the difference. I’m a woman, 5’10” 155 pounds. I assume Caleb was around my size, if not smaller. I just measured - at my widest point, I’m 19.5 inches across. If it’s a 25” diameter, I could get in - but it could be tight enough I could get stuck, say, if I tried to put my arms above my head.

Edit: let’s say it is a 25” diameter. Using the C=2(pi)d, that would be a 78” circumference - room for me to fit pretty comfortably. So maybe getting stuck isn’t a possibility? I don’t know… MOO OMO

 

[kuromiiiilove]

Do we know if the pipe was a 25” diameter, or a 25” circumference? That would make all the difference. I’m a woman, 5’10” 155 pounds. I assume Caleb was around my size, if not smaller. I just measured - at my widest point, I’m 19.5 inches across. If it’s a 25” diameter, I could get it - but it could be tight enough I could get stuck, say, if I tried to put my arms above my head.

Edit: let’s say it is a 25” diameter. Using the C=2(pi)d, that would be a 78” circumference - room for me to fit pretty comfortably. So maybe getting stuck isn’t a possibility? I don’t know… MOO OMO

Replying to myself here - I see I Caleb’s missing persons flyer that he is 5’11 and 130 pounds. So even slimmer than I thought. If the pipe did have a circumference of 78”, the only thing that could possibility get him stuck is 1) wide shoulders or 2) attempting to crouch/bend.

 

[acutename]

I imagine it’s going to be difficult to determine exactly when and how he died. And how he came to have this accident, if in fact they are able to rule out foul play.

still weird. unless there was impact and subsequent drowning, do not understand the death really.