CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #2

[Deleted member 39678]

Admitting that one's polygraph was deceptive is not conducive to triggering belief in other accounts. You are so right. JMO

Did he admit he was being deceptive or did he say that LE told him the results of the polygraph showed deception?

Those or two very different things. JMO

 

[Kapua]

Thanks, Kapua. I’m sure you have a good memory and nothing Scott Peterson would say or do would surprise me!

Well, in this case my memory was off. It was Steven Capobianco in the Charli Scott murder. That was the other case I followed very closely. AND I found a link: https://mauinow.com/2016/08/06/tv-reporter-testifies-at-capobianco-murder-trial/

Mileka: “How’d the polygraph go?”

Steven: “To the best of my knowledge, it went ok.”

Mileka: “Did you pass, fail?”

Steven: “The Police told me I failed.”

 

[Micheline]

I wonder what an anonymous allegation about Herbalife smuggling drugs 34 years ago has to do with this case?

I am curious about that too!

 

[MsBetsy]

I wish we knew a little more about their relationship.

If the VI is willing to answer any questions, I would like to know how they met, how long they were together before they got married, and how long they have been married.

I'm just trying to get an idea of exactly how well they know each other. Imo

 

[zecats]

Did he admit he was being deceptive or did he say that LE told him the results of the polygraph showed deception?

Those or two very different things. JMO

I don't believe it is. He put it out there that LE told him he was being deceptive. To me that casts some doubt on his word. He didn't have to say anything at all.

 

[Deleted member 39678]

I am curious about that too!

If it was a more recent event that was verified as actually being true then I would see it being possibly relevant.

 

[MsBetsy]

I don't think there are any rules how deceptive people have to behave or not behave, there are some general things that most repeat, but no one has to comply with those.

I saw a lying man, and I do believe he loved her.

True, but it is also true that it is hard to come to that conclusion based on someone's behavior during a single interview.

Everyone interprets things differently.
I don't know if I have seen that particular interview but even if his behavior indicates deception I would need a little more evidence before coming to the conclusion that he did something to his wife.

LE had stated they do not suspect him so at this time he is still considered a victim. Imo

 

[PommyMommy]

See, that's the thing. I don't trust RT's account of the day, whatever he might have told LE. He is telling the public his polygraph results were deceptive per what he says LE told him. His wife is gone and there is possibly suspicious dealings with him as I understand it. My ears are certainly perked up! I'm not sure what to think right now, but I'm not going to simply believe the last admitted known person to see her before she vanished. Something is unknown here and I'm quite disturbed by it.

Yes, I keep forgetting to add, "If his story is true," or "If she was in the desert that day in the first place." I am skeptical of both but hope I'm wrong. MOO

 

[Deleted member 39678]

I don't believe it is. He put it out there that LE told him he was being deceptive. To me that casts some doubt on his word. He didn't have to say anything at all.

LE can lie about the results of polygraphs to pressure people into confessing.

Consider the following true story:

A suspect requested a polygraph test, and the police hooked the suspect up to a fake machine. During the questioning, the suspect denied any involvement in the crime, then the police show the defendant a fake graph from the fake machine, and tell the suspect that they know he is lying. The suspect thereafter admits being present at the scene of the crime - The court ruled the defendant's admission is a voluntary and admissible confession. People v. Mays (2009) 173 Cal App. 4th 1145.

https://www.njmoorelaw.com/10-ways-police-can-lie-to-you

 

[MuddyTires]

Do we know anything about their Henderson, Nevada property? Is it a second home? Do they rent it out?

 

[MsBetsy]

Yes, I keep forgetting to add, "If his story is true," or "If she was in the desert that day in the first place." I am skeptical of both but hope I'm wrong. MOO

They were just returning from a short trip, apparently? I wonder where they had been and if there are witnesses who saw them there.
I'm just wondering when the last time someone else besides her husband saw her. Imo

 

[rosesfromangels]

I think those of you suggesting we avoid putting on our tin foil hats have made a good suggestion.

Amateur opinion and speculation

 

[mickey2942]

This time of year, two days in the desert, without water. This is not a "search", it is a "recovery" situation at this point.

 

[PommyMommy]

I wish we knew a little more about their relationship.

If the VI is willing to answer any questions, I would like to know how they met, how long they were together before they got married, and how long they have been married.

I'm just trying to get an idea of exactly how well they know each other. Imo

This is dbdb11's first post. It doesn't answer all your questions but will give you some idea about how long they've been married.

Thank you to everyone on here hoping, helping and sharing info.

I am Barbara's nephew, and though i don't have much to add to what you guys have gathered i can share that Barb and Robbie were regular and avid campers. besides the rv they also regularly camp on their day boat on the Colorado river. They are both outdoorsy people, and regularly traversed the desert. she collected rocks for their rock garden and was fond of gnarly wood pieces. they both also liked bottle hunting and finding leftover prospector knickknacks, flints etc. lots of interesting items they'd found and collected from their desert walks...

i went on the river with them once, and they also took our family out in the desert when we were kids, maybe fifteen years back. I can confirm they're from Bullhead, though they often spend summers in Canada, where I believe Robbie's family live. They were all about the desert, and I'm not sure they would have even been in an actual campground or official campsite. They spent time outdoors like that all the time. And bikini, beer and hiking boots is accurate. That's her style.

I'm shocked Robbie would have let her get ahead of him, but just indicates to me how well they both must have known the area. I heard from my father (Barbara's brother) that after failing to find her at the RV Rob began searching the area, including a nearby cave they both knew about, incase she'd gone there to escape the heat. So this is a place they camped and explored regularly... All my info is coming second and even third hand, or from the same news sources you guys are seeing. I've actually just learned about this today, as I'm travelling at the moment.

My father's health is failing and Barbara was literally flying to visit us in Hong Kong next week. I'm not sure if this is relevant, but understandably my father was not immediately notified of the severity of the situation, as his own situation is dire. When Robbie finally contacted my family in HK to share this devastating news, my father's wife and my sister report the story he told was almost unbelievable. Robbie also reported he'd been detained for most of a day as a suspect.

Just last week I received voice messages from Barb concerning my father's condition and whether or not she should push her trip forward. I've had trouble contacting her, but this was no surprise to us as her and Robbie are often comfortably beyond cellphone service. I am not the most easy to reach either, so our calls kept missing...

I am grateful this community has jumped on this, and frankly am still in shock. Feeling a bit helpless and can only hope and pray.

I've not been a very active part of Barb or Robbies lives these past decades, or I would have more details to share, but I can say these two were no strangers to the rocky hills around Arizona/Nevada. They were seasoned enough to feel casual in the hills and the heat, and the news reports I've read aren't making it sound that way.

Thank you all again for your concern and your efforts to dig into this.

 

[ClaireNC]

Do we know anything about their Henderson, Nevada property? Is it a second home? Do they rent it out?

Apparently, they used to live in Henderson. Don’t know if they still own property there.

 

[Micheline]

True, but it is also true that it is hard to come to that conclusion based on someone's behavior during a single interview.

One could say it is nearly impossible, but it is a feeling that cannot even be explained.
In a way it is our instinct and how we often are able to "read" someone in one second.
But same goes for people who genuinely believe him. We all rely on our reference cadre and may all be right in some way or another.

Everyone interprets things differently.
I don't know if I have seen that particular interview but even if his behavior indicates deception I would need a little more evidence before coming to the conclusion that he did something to his wife.

I don't know which interview you are referencing, I only saw a few secs of him on TV.

 

[PommyMommy]

They were just returning from a short trip, apparently? I wonder where they had been and if there are witnesses who saw them there.
I'm just wondering when the last time someone else besides her husband saw her. Imo

They left their home Friday morning to go camping. They pulled over and parked along the side of a road to take about a 2-mile hike. They were hiking about 2:30 p.m. although we don't know when they began the hike. I'd have to track down the dispatch log from thread #1 but I think RT called 911 around 3:26 p.m. to report BT missing. MOO

ETA: Dispatch Call Log – San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department

7/12/2019 3:26:24 PM CR CR191930018 CRR1900230 MISPER NAT 936** HIDDEN HILLS RD, KEL

 

[Twistinginthewind]

This time of year, two days in the desert, without water. This is not a "search", it is a "recovery" situation at this point.

It's been 9 days; she disappeared on Friday July 12.

 

[LAhiker]

This time of year, two days in the desert, without water. This is not a "search", it is a "recovery" situation at this point.

That's true if she's out in the desert. If she's somewhere else (voluntary departure? abduction??) she could still be alive. MOO.

 

[zecats]

It's been 9 days; she disappeared on Friday July 12.

As hot as it is here today, I can barely breathe when I think about her being lost in the desert, and that heat. 9 days is a long time..