Found Deceased VA - Nicole Clardy Mittendorff, 31, Woodbridge, 13 April 2016 - #2

[Mollyandme]

Hello everyone, I am one of the new people who signed up to follow this case. I hope that they find her safe and sound, but until then, I am putting together my own little dossier of events to try to piece together what has happened. So far, from what I've seen, it does not look good. My gut is telling me that something really really wrong is going on, but I am sticking to the facts as they come in.

Usually when a missing person is reported, the police will ask if the individual deals with physical or mental disorders, right? She was close to her parents and they would have provided that information to police, who would have mentioned it in the report or to the public by now. They haven't, which makes it less likely (to me) that she wandered off to kill herself. I have no reason to believe that she is depressed or suicidal, until evidence suggests so.

Actually, if LE has a good reason to believe she is depressed or suicidal, they most likely would not have mentioned it to the public bc the information they have supporting that could be highly sensitive and personal and it is really not the publics right to know that information.

 

[Just K]

I really hope they have had a good friend check her closet and locker to see if any of her workout gear is missing.

 

[Mollyandme]

Police also withhold evidence to determine whether the suspects they catch are guilty. Just saying.

Very true. I think they have to be working with two parallel theories. If they don't, they could lose or miss evidence that would be crucial if this does turn out to be a criminal act. I hope they don't have tunnel vision, and are exploring all possibilities.

 

[grsz11]

Actually, if LE has a good reason to believe she is depressed or suicidal, they most likely would not have mentioned it to the public bc the information they have supporting that could be highly sensitive and personal and it is really not the publics right to know that information.

Quoting for emphasis.

 

[audge86]

question, how does the family (dad, sister) know that she downloaded "files" to her phone?

My husband and i have a joint account (Nicole shares with her dad). I can see how much data is used each day by looking at the bill. It may have been a high enough amount of data to know it was a download vs browsing the internet or something. Or he may have called the provider and they gave more detailed information about it but initially wouldn't share what was downloaded (they have now, thankfully)

 

[audge86]

Or when she was last known to have been seen and where. Wednesday? Thursday? Nor do we know what she was wearing when she was last seen. Regardless of what LE holds back they usually give out what the person was last known to be wearing. That info would help if you wanted to hear from other hikers. That might mean LE has not identified anyone who saw her on Wed or Thur or what her whereabouts were during the week just before or after the last text to her father.

We last know she was seen at work on Monday. A 24 hour shift would mean she was was seen Tuesday morning. We don't know anything beyond that, no idea if LE knows more. If they do, they aren't sharing

 

[LivingJuicy]

I keep refreshing, waiting, hoping for a major development. Each day makes me more concerned and fearful of a tragic ending. I would LOVE if someone that knows Nicole, would sign up here and join the conversation. If anything, to help clear up rumors, etc.

 

[Meemaw12]

http://www.fox5dc.com/news/125477902-story

Mittendorff shared a home with her husband, who is a Virginia State Police sergeant. He attended Monday night's prayer service along with his wife's family.

Neighbors said she was a friendly face in a neighborhood where people don’t often talk to each other. They said they are desperate for her to be found.

"It's very shocking," said Maria Sanchez, one of Mittendorff's neighbors. "She strikes me as a really good person. I'd go out where she would be with her dogs. We would talk, I'd ask her how she was doing, I never got a negative reaction from her."

Another neighbor described Mittendorff and her husband as very nice people, and that she doesn’t seem like the kind of person that would just take off.

"The stress of that job are really, really difficult, and sometimes she likes to get away and to run and challenge herself to get away from that stress," said Gabriel Smith, a friend of Mittendorff at church. "We're hoping that she is just there somewhere needing our help now, and that's what we feel -- the only thing we can feel. There was no indication that we know that Nicole was sad or needed to get away."

ME: sounds like neighbors believe she was living with her husband or the question of when they last saw her wasn't asked.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...cd4002-062f-11e6-b283-e79d81c63c1b_story.html

Virginia State Police said Steve Mittendorff reported her missing on Friday.



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[Jon]

The latest Facebook post from the VSP:

Search Efforts to Continue Thursday for Missing Woodbridge, Va. Woman

FAIRFAX, Va. - As the fifth day of searching comes to a conclusion, the Virginia State Police expresses its appreciation to the dozens of tips and leads called and emailed in to investigators. Since the weekend, state police have fielded more than 100 tips from the public concerning the disappearance of Nicole K. Mittendorff, 31, of Woodbridge, Va.

State police investigators are still in the process of establishing a timeline of Nicole’s movements from the last time she was in contact with family April 13, 2016, through Saturday evening (April 16, 2016) when her 2009 Mini Cooper was located at the Shenandoah National Park in Madison County. Physical and digital evidence collected during the process of this case have been critical in focusing and conducting the search operations within the park. The evidence also still suggests nothing suspicious about her disappearance.

Wednesday’s search efforts by land and air will conclude at sundown and resume Thursday (April 21) at daybreak. On Tuesday approximately 80 personnel from the National Park Service, Virginia State Police and volunteer search and rescue groups concentrated efforts in the Hawksbill and Crescent Rocks area. Dog Teams from K9 Alert, Virginia Search and Rescue Dog Association, and Blue and Grey Search and Rescue were in the field with personnel and volunteers from six additional organizations and agencies including Fairfax County Fire and Rescue. A Virginia State Police helicopter provided air support.
State police are still encouraging anyone with information about Nicole or may recall seeing someone fitting her description at/near/in the Shenandoah Park within the past week, to please contact the Virginia State Police at 703-803-0026 or #77 on a cell or 911 or by email at questions@vsp.virginia.gov.

 

[white rabbit]

thank you audge...everything you say makes sense.

...:thinking:...

 

[specialk115]

HI All. I went out to the park yesterday and here's what I can tell you. Nicole's vehicle was found in the upper parking lot of the Cedar Run/Whiteoak Canyon. This parking lot is now closed with Park Police and other personnel to ensure you don't. Only the lower parking lot here and the Weakley Hollow parking lot a little further north are open for those wanting to hike Old Rag. Even though the park posted several trail closures in this immediate are were closed as the search expanded, I found there were others included yesterday. Old Rag Trail is still open as well as the Weakley Hollow Fire Rd, however, they've included Corbin Hollow, Robertson Mountain and the Old Rag Fire Road coming down from the Skyline Drive. Even though the park noted Hawksbill Peak would be closed for planned maintenance starting on 4/20, they have also closed Hawksbill Peak and all parking areas in this are for the search. Skyland Resort is the only thing still open in this area and suspect it's only open for those who have reservations or wanting to eat at the restaurant. The Rose River Trail and Dark Hollow Falls Trail (further south) are still open, but the only parking in the immediate area is the Dark Hollow Falls parking lot. Furthermore, the Big Meadows Field across from the Big Meadows Wayside appears to be closed as they are using it as a staging area for the helicopters being used in the search. I also found a State Police staging area at the lower Hawksbill Peak lower parking lot.


Now what's interesting, is the wildfire raging in the Southern District on the western side of Skyline Drive @ Rte. 33 (Spotswood Trail). In that, it's almost to the day that another wildfire happened in this same area a year ago. It's about 15 miles south of the search area and in speaking to park personnel, they feel the fire was set deliberately. Which this area is cordoned off with no vehicle and/or foot access is allowed from MM 65 up to MM 79 and the Appalachian Trail @ Simmons Gap (MM 73) up to Ivy Creak (MM 77) is closed to foot traffic. As I came down Skyline Drive to exit @ Rte. 33 (Swift Run Gap Entrance Station), I could see that the fire was getting very close to Rte. 33 and was told by park personnel that the fire had expanded since Wednesday. If they can't contain it, it's possible they may close the Entrance into the park here as well as possibly closing Rte. 33 heading towards the cities of Elkton and Harrisonburg.

Another interesting thing is that the State Police have said they are not asking for volunteers. However, I found out yesterday that they have. In that, some members of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club have been recruited in the search.

What's tugging at me the most in all of this, is that it's known that Nicole stopped in Warrenton to do a workout before continuing on to the park. My understanding is her workout club is a specialized club for those that cross-fit train. Which brings up why would she do a workout and then head to the park to do a second one back to back. It also brings up what has or hasn't been found with the State Police reviewing road cams. With her car being somewhat unusual, it's not like they couldn't find her easily in the review and who might either be in the vehicle and/or if there was another vehicle following her.

For those that do not know Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive, there is limited at best cellular service within the park boundaries and especially so at the upper parking lot where her car was found; it's down in a valley in a very sparse area at the edge of the park boundary with tall mountain tops blocking signals. Matter of fact, I verified that this was the case when I stopped here. Having hiked many sections of Shenandoah, the only places I'm aware where one can get a signal are on top of mountain peaks and they are usually on the western side of the park that have large barren areas at the top; such as Hawksbill Peak. Not to mention it is only cellular, no data service. However, it doesn't mean a smart phone won't continue to ping and catch an occasional signal. I still carry my phone on hikes and use an App to track my progress and the GPS can capture a signal every so often; enough to show most times where I am along a trail. I noticed many commenting about Nicole having a Fitbit or the like, which basically only keeps track of minimal data until it's connected to a smart phone and/or other liked device that has Internet access. It then updates the data the Fitbit stored.

Great post - thank you! Has it been established that Nicole stopped in Warrenton for a workout Wednesday morning? All I've been able to confirm is she called in sick that morning and that her phone pinged off a tower in Warrenton around the time of her text to her Dad at 10:50 a.m.

 

[Jon]

A report this morning from WUSA9:

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (WUSA9) -- Friends and neighbors tell WUSA9 missing firefighter Nicole Mittendorff was separated from her husband but the two may have been trying to reconcile.

Mittendorff has been missing for more than a week after she called in sick to work, officials said during a press conference on Wednesday. She was reported missing two days later on Friday when she didn't show up to work at Station 32.

WUSA9 recently learned from friends and neighbors that Mittendorff may not have been living in their Woodbridge townhouse and may have moved out last summer.

 

[grsz11]

Rumor mongering from the media? Classy.

 

[Meemaw12]

A report this morning from WUSA9:

Thank you

That clears up my previous post

 

[white rabbit]

perhaps, but the "information" has now been posted in MSM, saving the thread for discussing said 'rumors' going forward.

and sheds a less 'hinky' and more legitimate light on why she wasn't reported missing earlier by her husband. IMO.

 

[JoCoKSEyes]

Rumor mongering from the media? Classy.

Seems like just reporting what they are being told. That's sort of what "reporters" do.


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[grsz11]

Seems like just reporting what they are being told. That's sort of what "reporters" do.


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Maybe I hold news to a higher standard of fact-based reporting than relying on what neighbors "think" vice know. But I'm an unrealistic idealist and it's probably why I'm not winning any friends here.

 

[Ween]

If she did a Crossfit workout just prior to her disappearance, to me, that would not be indicative of someone about to commit suicide. Isn't the whole point of exercise to strengthen long term health, look good, produce mental clarity, etc? All things that would be unimportant to someone on the verge of ending their life.

 

[Mistree]

We last know she was seen at work on Monday. A 24 hour shift would mean she was was seen Tuesday morning. We don't know anything beyond that, no idea if LE knows more. If they do, they aren't sharing

I thought she was seen monday evening at a work out class, how would she be at work and work out class?
MSM has quoted this numerous times.

 

[mrsobrien]

Maybe I hold news to a higher standard of fact-based reporting than relying on what neighbors "think" vice know. But I'm an unrealistic idealist and it's probably why I'm not winning any friends here.

You'll find many of us here share this frustration, imo. Reporting sure isn't what it used to be!