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

[Muddy K]

At the beginning I honestly thought he was murdered, considering the rumors of a hookup. But it's clear the police used all their resources and more for the digital investigation and it didn't reveal anything. If it was murder, the murderer would have to be very knowledgeable about digital footprints.

Or the murderer had no need of digital footprints at all because that's not why/how the encounter transpired. JMO.

Don't get me wrong. I don't  need or  want to believe that Caleb Harris was murdered. I'm not invested in that being the only outcome. But it absolutely strains credulity to have to accept the alternative because it is just so astronomically unlikely, IMO.

When I was a kid, a boy down the road from my rural home was pulled into a metal shredder in his family's professional junkyard. It was a freak accident that reverberated for years in our small town. A year or so later, another young boy was killed when playing under a two-lane bridge that crossed a thin creek. He wasn't found for some time because it took however long for LE to determine that he had been smothered beneath by a cascade of wet, muddy dirt that had been dislodged by a large truck that had exceeded weight limits. That was another freak accident that lingered, for sure.

So I do understand and accept that freak accidents happen, and some of them have no witnesses at all, yet can be fully solved, in time, with reverse engineering. What I really cannot fathom here are the odds of the following:

Caleb and his phone accidentally fell into that crop field manhole,
and he was injured in the fall to the extent that he could not cry out or dial out,
and he remained inert in that manhole until decomposition made it possible for his remains to drift (weeks?, months?),
and that field had been searched,
and he and his phone and that manhole were missed again and again until April 18th, when LE responded to the report of the open manhole,
and no evidence of him or his phone were then found there,
and he ended up passing through narrow pipes into a well some distance away but then couldn't pass beyond it into outgoing pipes and instead remained there, suspended in liquid, eventually hanging up on the pump and triggering the alarm which prompted discovery.

Are the odds of all of that really lower than that of an opportunistic predator noticing a barefoot young man apparently loitering near a foggy bridge at 3:00 in the morning? IMO, they're not.

 

[SMK777]

Or the murderer had no need of digital footprints at all because that's not why/how the encounter transpired. JMO.

Don't get me wrong. I don't  need or  want to believe that Caleb Harris was murdered. I'm not invested in that being the only outcome. But it absolutely strains credulity to have to accept the alternative because it is just so astronomically unlikely, IMO.

When I was a kid, a boy down the road from my rural home was pulled into a metal shredder in his family's professional junkyard. It was a freak accident that reverberated for years in our small town. A year or so later, another young boy was killed when playing under a two-lane bridge that crossed a thin creek. He wasn't found for some time because it took however long for LE to determine that he had been smothered beneath by a cascade of wet, muddy dirt that had been dislodged by a large truck that had exceeded weight limits. That was another freak accident that lingered, for sure.

So I do understand and accept that freak accidents happen, and some of them have no witnesses at all, yet can be fully solved, in time, with reverse engineering. What I really cannot fathom here are the odds of the following:

Caleb and his phone accidentally fell into that crop field manhole,
and he was injured in the fall to the extent that he could not cry out or dial out,
and he remained inert in that manhole until decomposition made it possible for his remains to drift (weeks?, months?),
and that field had been searched,
and he and his phone and that manhole were missed again and again until April 18th, when LE responded to the report of the open manhole,
and no evidence of him or his phone were then found there,
and he ended up passing through narrow pipes into a well some distance away but then couldn't pass beyond it into outgoing pipes and instead remained there, suspended in liquid, eventually hanging up on the pump and triggering the alarm which prompted discovery.

Are the odds of all of that really lower than that of an opportunistic predator noticing a barefoot young man apparently loitering near a foggy bridge at 3:00 in the morning? IMO, they're not.

Definitely food for thought.
So an opportunistic predator who happens upon him is an alternative to the online hookup scenario, and would not involve online communication.
The question is, if this occurred, how would it ever be found out and proven definitively?

 

[no greed]

It’s interesting (frustrating?) that with all the coverage Caleb’s disappearance has received, no one seems to have actually gone to the field, walked around, looked at the manhole cover. I mean, obviously I would expect (hope!) it’s been repaired now, but even just seeing the area and repaired cover, it would make the situation so much easier to imagine. It’s right off the road and doesn’t seem fenced in. I recognise it’s private property, but there are YouTubers sniffing around all sorts of places. Just sort of thinking aloud really, MOO.

I recently stopped by the area on Sunday the 25th of August. I posted some of my thoughts on Wednesday the 28th of August at about 9:30 AM. My visit left me probably more perplexed than I was before.

 

[SimplyCass]

So I do understand and accept that freak accidents happen, and some of them have no witnesses at all, yet can be fully solved, in time, with reverse engineering. What I really cannot fathom here are the odds of the following:

Caleb and his phone accidentally fell into that crop field manhole,
and he was injured in the fall to the extent that he could not cry out or dial out,
and he remained inert in that manhole until decomposition made it possible for his remains to drift (weeks?, months?),
and that field had been searched,
and he and his phone and that manhole were missed again and again until April 18th, when LE responded to the report of the open manhole,
and no evidence of him or his phone were then found there,
and he ended up passing through narrow pipes into a well some distance away but then couldn't pass beyond it into outgoing pipes and instead remained there, suspended in liquid, eventually hanging up on the pump and triggering the alarm which prompted discovery.

Are the odds of all of that really lower than that of an opportunistic predator noticing a barefoot young man apparently loitering near a foggy bridge at 3:00 in the morning? IMO, they're not.

(Snipped) We don't even have idea of how, where, or even when Caleb met his end. That's where I was thinking out loud, like, either scenario is really quite full of giant holes that you can drive a truck through.

An accident lines up with some things but not all. If there's one thing I'm more sure of, if there is a third party involved, a secret meet-up is at least part of the scenario. I really cannot imagine a scenario where a random predator attacks a victim and their phone is off. People are glued to their phones. Caleb had just ordered food on his phone and had just sent a Snap at night to someone. I can't imagine any scenario where his phone would be off - which is why I think falling accidentally into water makes more sense.

The recent Coffindaffer interview with Caleb’s Dad is on her own X and YouTube channels (and thus can’t be posted here).

Usually WS does allow interviews when it's the family of the missing/deceased person. PM a mod/admin, and they will post if it's allowed or not.

 

[moonrise]

I keep wondering if the apartment door was left open/ajar a bit.

Hypothetical:

Let's say Caleb had taken the dog out to potty. He may not have wanted to bother taking his apartment key for such a quick thing, so he could've left the door cracked a bit. The dog may have taken off running for some reason. Caleb might've ran after the dog and, in the fog and darkness, accidentally fell into the manhole. The dog could've made its way back to the apartment, and pushed or pawed the cracked door open enough to get inside.

And some doors are heavy enough to close and latch themselves, so even if the door wasn't found ajar, maybe it was heavy enough to latch itself after the dog let itself back in.

Could it be something this simple?

 

[Muddy K]

I keep wondering if the apartment door was left open/ajar a bit.

Hypothetical:

Let's say Caleb had taken the dog out to potty. He may not have wanted to bother taking his apartment key for such a quick thing, so he could've left the door cracked a bit. The dog may have taken off running for some reason. Caleb might've ran after the dog and, in the fog and darkness, accidentally fell into the manhole. The dog could've made its way back to the apartment, and pushed or pawed the cracked door open enough to get inside.

And some doors are heavy enough to close and latch themselves, so even if the door wasn't found ajar, maybe it was heavy enough to latch itself after the dog let itself back in.

Could it be something this simple?

Every scenario is worth consideration at this point, IMO. Since Jenny the dog was new to Caleb and his roommates as of that very night, I do have doubts that she could have found her way back to a place that was also brand new to her.

I wonder if the roommates kept her.

 

[Muddy K]

(Snipped) We don't even have idea of how, where, or even when Caleb met his end. That's where I was thinking out loud, like, either scenario is really quite full of giant holes that you can drive a truck through.

An accident lines up with some things but not all. If there's one thing I'm more sure of, if there is a third party involved, a secret meet-up is at least part of the scenario. I really cannot imagine a scenario where a random predator attacks a victim and their phone is off. People are glued to their phones. Caleb had just ordered food on his phone and had just sent a Snap at night to someone. I can't imagine any scenario where his phone would be off - which is why I think falling accidentally into water makes more sense.

(Also snipped)

Completely agree we can drive a big rig through the holes in this case.

Caleb may not have turned his phone off, but an attacker very well could have and also taken it with. Recall the odd and largely dismissed 3:12 a.m. "final" ping, for example.

 

[IDK]

“A group of retired law enforcement agents are taking a closer look at the death of a college student from New Braunfels.”


“Peña is leading a group of about 10 retired law enforcement agents and psychologists helping Harris's family find answers. They are working pro bono and meet weekly, Peña says.
“People want to know, 'How did Caleb die?'" said Peña. "How did he wind up in that treatment facility there?”
Tips have been pouring into Peña's nonprofit, Project Absentis.
Some online chat groups have speculated Harris may have been speaking with someone the morning he went missing and was making plans to meet up. Peña is aware of the rumors.
“We have examined a number of tips related to that," he said. "I have been given a number of people to talk to by an individual—as a matter of fact, today. I would say at this point they are decent leads. Not fully credible, but we are still vetting this and are hopeful that we get some answers soon.””

Family believes someone may be responsible for death of Caleb Harris

Loved ones are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of someone responsible for the college student’s death.

www.kiiitv.com

 

[SMK777]

“A group of retired law enforcement agents are taking a closer look at the death of a college student from New Braunfels.”


“Peña is leading a group of about 10 retired law enforcement agents and psychologists helping Harris's family find answers. They are working pro bono and meet weekly, Peña says.
“People want to know, 'How did Caleb die?'" said Peña. "How did he wind up in that treatment facility there?”
Tips have been pouring into Peña's nonprofit, Project Absentis.
Some online chat groups have speculated Harris may have been speaking with someone the morning he went missing and was making plans to meet up. Peña is aware of the rumors.
“We have examined a number of tips related to that," he said. "I have been given a number of people to talk to by an individual—as a matter of fact, today. I would say at this point they are decent leads. Not fully credible, but we are still vetting this and are hopeful that we get some answers soon.””

Family believes someone may be responsible for death of Caleb Harris

Loved ones are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of someone responsible for the college student’s death.

www.kiiitv.com

Well, it’s good to hear that all angles are being explored, then. Definitely.

 

[Fireflye]

“ a new tip this week could point to a person meeting With Caleb the morning he went missing. . .

 

[Leopard]

Even if Caleb was speaking with someone, it doesn't mean that his death couldn't have been accidental. It would be interesting to know if he met up with someone that morning or if he never made it to his destination. Glad that there's someone new looking into it either way.

 

[x_files]

I keep wondering if the apartment door was left open/ajar a bit.

Hypothetical:

Let's say Caleb had taken the dog out to potty. He may not have wanted to bother taking his apartment key for such a quick thing, so he could've left the door cracked a bit. The dog may have taken off running for some reason. Caleb might've ran after the dog and, in the fog and darkness, accidentally fell into the manhole. The dog could've made its way back to the apartment, and pushed or pawed the cracked door open enough to get inside.

And some doors are heavy enough to close and latch themselves, so even if the door wasn't found ajar, maybe it was heavy enough to latch itself after the dog let itself back in.

Could it be something this simple?

yes, if the manhole was big enough for him to fall into.

 

[SMK777]

yes, if the manhole was big enough for him to fall into.

Plus, as the dog was fairly new, would she really have been able to make her way home alone?

 

[geojeffrey]

Plus, as the dog was fairly new, would she really have been able to make her way home alone?

Agreed!!! The new dog arrived that day.....

 

[x_files]

Plus, as the dog was fairly new, would she really have been able to make her way home alone?

It depends on how far away the dog ran...maybe he went around the house and didn't see her. I still think he met someone and there was foul play.

 

[rogue ant]

yes, if the manhole was big enough for him to fall into.

By definition, a manhole has to be big enough for a man to fit?

 

[Rosiebones]

The manhole was 25 inches in diameter which is wide enough for a man to fit through. But, the question for me, is can a man fall into that hole, or step into it? If he stepped into it with one leg then how does the other leg have to be positioned so he falls to the bottom? And, how do his arms have to be positioned so they don't block his fall to the bottom? I have a great deal of doubt that his body could be aligned so he stepped into the hole and fell to the bottom.

I believe he was placed. MOO MOO MOO

 

[brittanyoshell]

The manhole was 25 inches in diameter which is wide enough for a man to fit through. But, the question for me, is can a man fall into that hole, or step into it? If he stepped into it with one leg then how does the other leg have to be positioned so he falls to the bottom? And, how do his arms have to be positioned so they don't block his fall to the bottom? I have a great deal of doubt that his body could be aligned so he stepped into the hole and fell to the bottom.

I believe he was placed. MOO MOO MOO

he doesnt need to be positioned perfectly in order to fall in. When youre walking and you step in a hole the rest of your body is falling with it, thats the nature of gravity. I do think he could have broken the other leg or ankle on the way down if it did catch on the side of the hole.

 

[SMK777]

he doesnt need to be positioned perfectly in order to fall in. When youre walking and you step in a hole the rest of your body is falling with it, thats the nature of gravity.

Snipped for focus
Absolutely: watching YouTube videos of people accidentally stepping into an uncovered manhole shows this again and again. One foot in, loss of balance, and you go down into it.

 

[Muddy K]

Snipped for focus
Absolutely: watching YouTube videos of people accidentally stepping into an uncovered manhole shows this again and again. One foot in, loss of balance, and you go down into it.

Yes. But the issue, IMO, isn't the initial accidental fall into an open manhole, it's navigating a hard right angle into the much narrower lateral pipe at the bottom of the manhole.

For Caleb to have drifted into the lift station wet well some considerable distance away, his body had to decompose sufficiently enough to be washed through that lateral pipe. I have visited this question in earlier posts, but months later, I'm still not able to accept that this is actually what happened, for the following reasons:

(And for this review of hypotheticals, let's just assume that, in the middle of a March night, Caleb experienced a completely unprotected accidental fall into an open manhole in the crop field across Ennis Joplin Road from his apartment at The Cottages.)

If he falls in head first, maybe he's rendered unconscious or even breaks his neck. Either one explains why nothing is heard from the manhole in the next couple of days as volunteers, LE and police cadets are walking grid searches.

If he falls in feet first, I think it's more likely than not that he survives for a while. This makes it difficult to understand why nothing is heard from the manhole in the next couple of days as searchers are out in full force. To this day, we still don't know what happened to Caleb's phone, but if it was with him in the manhole, he wasn't able to use it to call 911.

Dead or alive, I think we have to accept that Caleb's body would be far too big to drift into a 10 or 15-inch lateral pipe, so we can assume it stayed there at the bottom of the manhole for weeks, decaying. I think I can believe that the location of that manhole was remote enough that smells rising from it may have been missed, but that field was searched and that field was used. After all, on April 17th, a woman noticed the uncovered manhole and contacted LE.

As we know, LE investigates that manhole on April 18th. They find nothing. They don't find Caleb and they don't find his phone. Further, they drain the manhole and find nothing, seemingly not one trace of evidence of human remains.

A little more than six weeks passed in the interval from the night Caleb vanished to the day the manhole was searched by LE. To accept that the manhole is how and where Caleb died, we have to accept that his body decayed so much between March 4th and April 18th that it and its clothing could wash into the narrow lateral pipe, navigating a hard right angle, and then be swept all the way to the Perry Place lift station, into the wet well, to finally be discovered, another six-plus weeks later, as a still partially intact skeleton.

LE drained the incoming lateral pipe and also drained the lift station well in the days after Caleb's remains were discovered. As far as I know, they didn't find his phone.

For me to accept the above hypotheticals, I'd need to see the final, complete autopsy and schematics of that manhole, the lateral pipes connected to it, and a detailed map of water sources carried to the lift station, as well as schematics of the lift station itself. Without that information, and without knowing the whereabouts of Caleb's phone, I still find it more probable that he was killed by a bad actor and either dumped directly into the lift station through its outer access panel or dumped in a body of water that drains to it. JMO.

Not a week has gone by that I don't think about this sad, sad case.