AZ - Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, 26 Dec 2009 - last seen in Texas - #13

[panthera]

could she have taken public transit from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami Beach?

I don't know where they run down there, I know in St. Louis you can ride from East St. Louis IL. all the way out to "west county" which is at least 40 miles.

There are a few ways, including bus, limo & shuttle service, but mostly between airports or to hotels. There's also train service.

 

[Gypsy Road]

I wish there was some NEW news! I wonder if EJ's brother visited her today? Her grandpa? UGH! Just wishing someone would get through to EJ's thick and stubborn skull!

On a side note. JVM is a new show tonight so maybe there is hope that NG will also be a new show. I'm just dying for some new info in this case! We are all looking for signs that little Gabe is still alive!

 

[mysticrose]

Maybe I should rephrase that I know she bought a bus ticket at Tornado Bus Company, but are they an actual terminal where she rides that bus all the way to FL or does this bus service take her to another terminal area where she boards a bus like Greyhound to finish the trip ? Is Tornado like a middle man for a larger bus company ?

I see a Tornado Bus in Fort Meyers, FL ....

 

[mydailyopinions]

I have never been on a bus trip, so I'm not sure how things are handled..
Lets say that she bought a ticket to (insert whatever town here), yet fell asleep? Would they wake her to get off the bus, or would the bus continue?

 

[BeanE]

There are a few ways, including bus, limo & shuttle service, but mostly between airports or to hotels. There's also train service.

I was just poking around on travel forums, and locals are saying the Tri-Rail train goes between the 2 places.

ETA: forgot the link. sorry.

http://www.tri-rail.com/

 

[STEADFAST]

When I 1st heard about this case a couple wks ago, with the details eventually coming out regarding EJ and LM and GJ seemingly caught innocently in the middle as well as all the other gradual "bombshells" that've trickled in recently from LE and the news, i.e. handing GJ off to complete strangers at the park, the alleged "babysitter", EJ's anger mgmt and alleged mental issues, her originally discussing adoption possibilities for the baby both before/after he was born, EJ never having wanted GJ, and suddenly just disappearing with no one really knowing her exact whereabouts for days on end, coupled with her changing stories, weird, unhelpful behavior with LE, emotional detachment from GJ, etc made me think of the Anthony case in spades. I do believe EJ and CA could very well be new BFF's ... birds of a tragic feather.

It's very difficult to find a case where the last person to be with a missing person AND whose story about the circumstances changes or is proved to be a lie, did not end up having killed the person. I can't really think of one off the top of my head. Can anyone else?

 

[TearsforCaylee]

I have been trying to think of reasons she would show up in Fl.

Months ago, I used to blog with several people who lived in FL and the more research I would do on the case we were all following, the more the mainstream FL news stuck out as outright weird, violent and beyond average compared to other large cities. Crimes there against others, (including children) just seemed more rampant, violent and bizarre than anywhere else so I asked a few of the fellow FL bloggers what the deal was with their state. The answer I usually got was that they agreed and there take on it was because not only does FL have the 3rd highest population after TX and CA, but so many of FL's population are displaced people from other states ... but even more than that, that they believed that people just tended to gravitate toward FL when they wanted to start their lives over (and/or were running away from something) for whatever their reasons. FL is basically warm also which a few of them commented on because if you're fleeing somewhere else for a new life with little to no money, no job, no housing, etc and may end up homeless for awhile, better it be somewhere nice and warm, than cold. Not to mention it seems when you're running away and starting life over, it seems FL just seems to be a haven to attract those kind of people and usually they turn out to be quite nutty as a result.

I don't know why so many odd people with issues seem to end up in FL and in the news, but their responses to me above seemed to make at least a little sense. Maybe EJ wasn't unlike any of the others before her, deciding to start over in a nice climate, new name, new identity, far away from AZ on the opposite end of the country (with help it seems). Or, maybe she really was eventually trying to flee the country altogether and make it to who knows where going through Miami. Like the Anthony case, it seems the more that comes out about this case, the more confusing it gets. :banghead:

 

[pghbrandi]

I have never been on a bus trip, so I'm not sure how things are handled..
Lets say that she bought a ticket to (insert whatever town here), yet fell asleep? Would they wake her to get off the bus, or would the bus continue?

I'm not exactly sure either but I know some bus trips have multiple stops so I doubt they would know when she was supposed to get off the bus.

 

[passionflower]

When I think of Miami, I think cruise boats............IDKWhy but could EJ think
of a new career on a cruise boat???
Other than that, Miami isn't all that great to me anymore........
sorta crummy??
IMO, sorry if you live there.

 

[trudysplace]

Thanks, nmk. That helps to know.

Do you know I've never watched CSI even once? Not even part of it. I'm embarrassed to admit that lol.

At least we have something in common...neither have I. And I can understand why. You spend heck alot of your time here.

After only being a member for 5-6 days, you have always impressed me with the amount of time you have dedicated to this case. My goodness, it truly makes my head spin with the intricate details you provide to help WS members to keep online and focused. Thank you.

BTW-I never, ever brown nose! I do give credit to the person that deserves it.

 

[mydailyopinions]

I'm not exactly sure either but I know some bus trips have multiple stops so I doubt they would know when she was supposed to get off the bus.

Maybe her original plans were not Miami..she may have fell asleep and traveled way past her destination..:waitasec:

 

[Gypsy Road]

It's very difficult to find a case where the last person to be with a missing person AND whose story about the circumstances changes or is proved to be a lie, did not end up having killed the person. I can't really think of one off the top of my head. Can anyone else?

Not off the top of my head, but maybe baby Shannon out of Chipley, FL?

 

[Kamille]

It's been so long since I was her age I can't begin to think of what kids that age think is "cool".

I rarely watch TV so I'm not even familiar with the popular shows. Are there any shows for 20-somethings that glamorize Miami Beach?

She likes fashion. I wear tshirts and sweats and knit leggings. Not a clue if there's a fashion connection in Miami Beach.

Are there shows on MTV about Miami Beach?

I'm so lost on what the appeal would be.

You know if she really was in an agitated state that last day and really did what she told LM she did and had the intention of leaving the country, like she also told LM she was going to do, then that Tornado Bus Station made sense as the place where she would go. Maybe someone at the hotel told her about it being the easiest way to get to Mexico? But once at the station, perhaps the thought of being on her own in Mexico was a little frightening? And the next bus leaving out of the station was going to Ft Lauderdale so that's what she decided to do? And then once in Ft Lauderdale she figured they might eventually trace her from the bus so she headed to Miami?

That would be the worst case scenario of all the options of why she ended up there though.

 

[panthera]

I was just poking around on travel forums, and locals are saying the Tri-Rail train goes between the 2 places.

ETA: forgot the link. sorry.

http://www.tri-rail.com/

Yes that's the train I was referring to. Since there are several ways to get down there, who knows which one she took. Probably a lot of people and no one would've been paying attention then either!

 

[panthera]

Maybe her original plans were not Miami..she may have fell asleep and traveled way past her destination..:waitasec:

I understood she purchased a ticket for Ft. Lauderdale, so nothing seems out of line there that she ended up about 30 miles south of there in Miami Beach. MOO

 

[BeanE]

At least we have something in common...neither have I. And I can understand why. You spend heck alot of your time here.

After only being a member for 5-6 days, you have always impressed me with the amount of time you have dedicated to this case. My goodness, it truly makes my head spin with the intricate details you provide to help WS members to keep online and focused. Thank you.

BTW-I never, ever brown nose! I do give credit to the person that deserves it.

Trudy, thank you so much. You're very kind.

 

[SallyManda]

Well my dad uses Amtrak and Greyhound a lot. He delivers cars for people around the country.

From what I understand, I'll double check with him, is that you can't just buy a ticket and stay on the bus forever. At stops you have to get off the bus. They recheck your tickets.

Not sure about this other busline.

 

[OneLove]

Maybe her original plans were not Miami..she may have fell asleep and traveled way past her destination..:waitasec:

Good point; other scenarios are possible too. Like she might have just wanted to throw off any tracking of her whereabouts. Seems I saw just that sort of suggestion in the linked sites today on how to steal a child and disappear.

Also, someone mentioned that the hostel she stayed at was an international one that required for 'check-in' proof that you were from another country or had transportation TO another country. IIRC

Maybe the plan was for her to leave the country and rejoin Gabriel elsewhere? :bang: Oh, duh, nevermind, this was EJ, who didn't want anything to do with him ever again, even know who he went to.

 

[BeanE]

You know if she really was in an agitated state that last day and really did what she told LM she did and had the intention of leaving the country, like she also told LM she was going to do, then that Tornado Bus Station made sense as the place where she would go. Maybe someone at the hotel told her about it being the easiest way to get to Mexico? But once at the station, perhaps the thought of being on her own in Mexico was a little frightening? And the next bus leaving out of the station was going to Ft Lauderdale so that's what she decided to do? And then once in Ft Lauderdale she figured they might eventually trace her from the bus so she headed to Miami?

That would be the worst case scenario of all the options of why she ended up there though.

Wow. Good thoughts, Kamille. You're right about the agitation. And yes, this could well have been very spur of the moment, get-out-of-dodge.

Then yes, not wanting to be traced (she seems to have made several references to not wanting to be traced), she could have headed to Miami Beach and the hostel, just to cool her heels and figure out what to do/where to go next.

Good points.

 

[STEADFAST]

Not off the top of my head, but maybe baby Shannon out of Chipley, FL?

That's a good exception to the rule, GR! Pretty apt, too, considering it also deals with child custody. Gives me some hope.

eta: a bit about the case, so some of ya'll don't have to look it up like I did.

The baby was turned over on Saturday, the day she was reported missing, according to Haddock.
The sheriff said Baker and Mercer both were charged with several felonies, including interfering with child custody, false report of a crime, false report of a missing child and contributing to the delinquency of a child.