Found Deceased VA - Nicole Clardy Mittendorff, 31, Woodbridge, 13 April 2016 - #1

[colette]

I hope LE got some tracking dogs to see if she even got out of her car at that trail or was her car left there by someone else.

 

[windrower]

Any talk about security camera footage, like working backward from the parking lot and along likely routes she would have driven to get to the national park? Trying to track down footage, and then screening the footage, would take a ton of time, but seems Might be a way to determine if she was driving her car that day. The security cams outside our business are on a two week loop, so I hope this angle is looked at asap.

The overall timeline here is a bit unclear, perhaps more info will be forthcoming today.

 

[The OG]

I was near the search area this morning. I work in the area on Monday mornings, so I had a legitimate reason for being there and was not trying to be nosy or hindering the investigation. I saw no police presence and no aircraft. Visibility wasn't super great, as it was hazy. It was a combination of morning fog and smoke from the recent fires that had settled in the hollows. I saw a real sketchy looking bearded guy hitchhiking, but I wouldn't read too much into that. It's a fairly common occurrence in Page county and I believe I've seen him before.

 

[drjones]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nicole-mittendorff-missing_us_5714e019e4b06f35cb6ff8c8

 

[Eileen730]

If someone did the text instead of her, it would probably be someone who knew her. Leaving the car at a place like Old Rag would give the impression, as it is now, that she went hiking there maybe got lost or something happened to her hiking. There's also the scenario of leaving it there herself and leaving from there in another car, it would give plenty of time to get far away. She doesn't seem like a person to do that, but we all know anything's possible.

It takes around 8 hours to get to the top of Old Rag, she made the text around 11am, so wouldn't get there till after noon. You wouldn't be hiking on the mountain when it gets dark so maybe she was just going for a ride, do some hiking. Actually the mountains is where many people go for a drive to get away for a day, we just did that a couple of weekends ago. I wanted to point out, either she's deleted her facebook or they temporarily took it off for now. If she did before she left, that speaks alot.

I would think if u go running or hiking in these areas alone u tell someone where u are going just in case. RIGHT?????
Esp being a paramedic/firefighter and hubby is a trooper or a cop.
something seems off to me.
JMO

 

[Zuri]

I was hoping to read some good news here, but glad the search resumed at 8 am. Hopefully today they will be able to find her.

Last year?, a firefighter went missing in CA while hiking with a friend. It wasn't until he was recovered, did LE put forth all the info. In that case, there was a lot more to the story than was first released. I believe that is also probably the case here. Out of respect for her husband and family, whatever issues there may have been surrounding her disappearance, seem to being held close to the vest. This is just so anguishing for her family and friends. IMO

 

[JanetElaine]

I want to dismiss the idea of pregnancy for now, because it seems odd to be training for a triathlon while pregnant.

I think that it might be somewhat relevant, because if it was not a current pregnancy, she may have had a miscarriage and that could possibly give some insight into her state of mind. I am thinking LE does know this information though, and I don't think they're about to disclose it to the public since it's pretty personal.

 

[mayita]

Any talk about security camera footage, like working backward from the parking lot and along likely routes she would have driven to get to the national park? Trying to track down footage, and then screening the footage, would take a ton of time, but seems Might be a way to determine if she was driving her car that day. The security cams outside our business are on a two week loop, so I hope this angle is looked at asap.

The overall timeline here is a bit unclear, perhaps more info will be forthcoming today.

AFAIK, there is no Cameras in the parking lots. Maybe in the Stores (maybe) and maybe in the Lodge. But SNP is a park, I mean is isolated raw nature.
Getting there from NOVA you cross several rural counties. It is not like in a city, you can drive miles and miles without seeing stores, gas stations or people. Now, if she stopped in a WAWA (there is one we always go on the way back to MD, heading towards 66 East), a gas station like that would have cameras; but some other places like non-chain gas stations or mom and pop businesses? Maybe not.

It is a rural area. Feels like a world away from DC (like an hour and half away).

Also, I just entered the info where her car was found. It was in the middle of the park. So she drives an extra 40 minutes to go to a random trail in the park when she could easily have entered the park through the north entrance and find a trail closer? However if you enter the park thru the North your ezpass will most likely be picked up because of the new fast-lanes.

Going to the center from the park thru Culpeper is kind of strange. Unless she was setup to hike this particular trail, but again it is a long way to go to SNP during the week for a trail. There are plenty trails closer and even if she wanted to go to SNP, the North entrance is way more convenient. (Unless you love to drive).

Sorry if I am rambling. I love the SNP and this disappearance is very unsettling.

 

[Rockfarmer]

Search area may have expanded since yesterday?
"Whiteoak Canyon, Limberlost, Crescent Rocks, Cedar Run, and Cedar Run Link Trail are closed due to an ongoing search."
https://home.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

 

[Rockfarmer]

This map has both Old Rag and Whiteoak areas and the trail names are labeled:

https://home.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/upload/old_rag_combined_2013.pdf

 

[avhuebner]

Yeah, for a run, not sure why she'd go that far... Big Meadows is just off 66 and much closer. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense. But I think the weather was pretty good on Wednesday, maybe she just took a drive...

 

[The OG]

The is a park in the national forest. There are probably no cameras at the parking lot and there are certainly no stores. There are, however, cameras wherever her vehicle entered the park. The entrances have controlled access points as has been said already. Her most likely entrance, if she drove, would have been Luray, possibly Front Royal. I doubt she would entered the park from the south.

 

[mayita]

The is a park in the national forest. There are probably no cameras at the parking lot and there are certainly no stores. There are, however, cameras wherever her vehicle entered the park. The entrances have controlled access points as has been said already. Her most likely entrance, if she drove, would have been Luray, possibly Front Royal. I doubt she would entered the park from the south.

There is an entry in the middle of the park as well. They probably do have cameras at the entrances.

The park has 2-3 stores where you can buy food, wood and basic necessities. It also has a lodge with a restaurant and a visitors center.

 

[JnRyan]

I believe her vehicle was found inside the park in one of the parking areas at the beginning of a trail.
We have an annual pass and even with the pass, the rangers still talk to you (you have to stop, show them the pass and your ID and they will give you a map if you need one). Either way you still get to talk to the rangers, it is not like an ezpass; it is a physical card that you post on your rear view mirror.

I knew you had to stop at the gates if you drive in. What I wondering was whether there were places just outside the park where you could park your car and walk onto the trail. But it is a moot point if her car was found inside the park. If that is the case, there is a ranger or rangers that saw her in the car and not someone else.

 

[winterrose]

If she went on any of those trails it would make more sense than being on Old Rag. As others have said it's so rural, maybe she stopped at a gift shop along the way, but for store cameras they would be checking Front Royal or Warrenton. I can't see where the car wouldn't be processed, that would tell alot if this isn't a case of being lost or hurt on a trail or off one. They're really keeping this investigation close to the vest. Her park entrance pass would tell when she got it, good for a week, unless she has an annual pass. I assume someone's already given this, but I haven't looked back.

https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/upload/whiteoak_canyon_area.pdf

 

[lucilleie]

Dunno. My partner and I don't need to communicate in order to have dinner, because we literally have the same dinner every single night due to dietary routines.

ETA:

I know people always jump to the husband, and not without good reason because of woeful statistics on partner violence, but I remember with poor murdered Stephenie Scott in Leeton NSW, people thought it was weird her fiance didn't raise the alarm sooner (she was last heard from on 1pm Sunday; she failed to meet him for dinner on that evening; he didn't report her missing until 3pm Monday), but it wasn't him who killed her, it was someone who worked at her workplace.

When you use this example, please notice that the husband reported her missing almost 24 hours later, after his last contact with her. In THIS case with Nicole, her father started looking for her, NOT the husband. And there has been constant references to the "last contact" from Nicole being with her father, TWO days prior to her husband getting involved. There has been NO reference at all to ANY communication the husband had with his wife AT ALL. None. If you read the wedding website, posted and written by the couple, it states that she was very hesitant to become involved with him. He is older by several years, I believe, and her initial concerns, may prove to be a woman's intuition. I am also VERY concerned about the details slowly coming forth in this case. I am local and have been detailing this since the moment it hit FB. thank you for your time all here!

 

[durunner]

I can't speak for her, but I love to explore when trail running. I have plenty of great trails to run on, yet I often travel to new places. Some times I even do so during the week, if I don't have to work. After all, popular places are less crowded then. I could've run a number of local places on Saturday, however I drove 2 hours each way on Saturday, just to run 2 hours on trails that I've never been on and were pretty awesome. Most people I know would love to do this, but don't because they are busy with family commitments and such. If the husband was working anyway, maybe she could leave for a few hours.

I usually notify someone where I'm going, but every now and then I forget. If I know I'm going somewhere really remote, I'll carry my cell, but there are many times I don't run without it at all. I almost always run alone too, although I'm a guy so I feel a little safer.

 

[lucilleie]

Ironically... there is internet evidence of her signing up for a baby registry? Indicating she might have been pregnant. Although on SM that speculation was very quickly shut down. That she was NOT pregnant. It could be that there was a pregnancy? That would be cause for emotional discord if a pregnancy was lost, intentionally or not. And especially if the couple was not in agreement about starting a family. I am wondering if she was not visiting her father for some solace? And that is why he was the last contact and the first to be publicly concerned.
It is ALL very upsetting. And as each hour and day ticks by, the likelihood of her being found alive, fades.

 

[mayita]

I knew you had to stop at the gates if you drive in. What I wondering was whether there were places just outside the park where you could park your car and walk onto the trail. But it is a moot point if her car was found inside the park. If that is the case, there is a ranger or rangers that saw her in the car and not someone else.

Leaving the car outside and entering on foot is very unlikely. The Skyline Drive is 105 miles long. It is unheard from people to leave the car out and walk to a trail.

I downloaded a map and the closest entrance to that trail is Thornton Gap (10 miles away from where her car was found, approx. 2 hours from Woodbridge). If she entered the park thru Front Royal it would be also around 2 hours drive, because the skyline has a speed limit of 35 (and you go up and down from mountains and sometimes there is fog.)

 

[lucilleie]

Is it possible since they are a law enforcement family that they did report her to the police but did not make it public?

Yes, I believe this is possible. I believe that the father couldn't stand the idea that NO information was out. That it may have appeared to him that "nothing" was being done, so he decided to do something about it.