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

[dbdb11]

Im done for tonight. Hope to wake up tomorrow to some profound new info! Thanks all.

 

[Lilibet]

Im done for tonight. Hope to wake up tomorrow to some profound new info! Thanks all.

Thanks for answering so many questions. We hope for tomorrow bringing news too. Sleep well.

 

[PaulR]

Here is the problem I have, at this point, with an accident/injury/medical event, etc. In that heat, sans water, clothed very minimally, how far could she have gotten? I understand that there are many, many times when people have become lost in the desert, died, and haven't been found for months or years.

The Death Valley Germans had some water, but they went farther than anyone thought.

The Hunt for the Death Valley Germans

 

[leomoon]

Perhaps it depends on how much they have in their budget for search & rescues? For Kyron Horman, they searched for months and months. I don't think they wouldn't "not search"......but just imo. It might be related to budgetary concerns at some point.

 

[Ravenmoon]

Keeping Barbara and the Search team in my thoughts! Please do the same. Monsoon season is late, but has officially arrived. We have thunder and lightning, our power is glitching... and once the rain begins, the floods do too.

 

[ZhaZhaHa]

EDIT: answers in bold in quote

Thank you so much! Ugg. I just don't like this. I'm so sorry for your family.

I had assumed the photo of her was taken that day. It's a little off-putting that there is a photo of her in just what he described, but honestly I probably also have pics of my husband in things he wears over and over.

 

[jpo74]

Latest update

July 21st - The search for Barbara Thomas, age 69, is continuing in the area of Kelbaker/ Hidden ... from SBSD - Colorado River Sheriffs Department : Nixle
UPDATE #9
Sunday, July 21st, the search continued today for Barbara Thomas.
Search and Rescue members from throughout the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department were deployed into the field this morning just after sunrise. K9 units, members certified in cave searches, rope climbing and desert terrain ground searchers were utilized today.

The search has been suspended for the day due to extreme temperatures. No evidence of Barbara was located today.

I just don't think they'll find her because she wasn't there. Imho, hubby was last person to have seen her and his story smells fishy. If she were there dogs would have found a scent as much as their looking.

 

[jpo74]

She had sunglasses on in the photo of her in the hat and bikini but it hasn't been confirmed whether that photo was taken the day she disappeared. I wish LE would at least tell us that! I think it's reasonable to assume that anyone out there at that time of day would be wearing sunglasses, though. You're not over-thinking anything, IMO. MOO

Tbh, that pic of her in bikini top looks way younger than her newer pic. She really looks her age in newer one

 

[Joe Friday]

I'd hope a competent investigator could somehow check if metadata was edited, but yea, you're absolutely right... it's quite easy.

"If you notice that one of your photos has an incorrect date, you can modify it right within Windows. Open the folder that contains the photo, right-click the file, and choose Properties. You should see the date on the General tab, but there's nothing we can do there. Click the Details tab. Next, find the Origin section (it should be near the top) and you should see the "Date taken" field. Just click in the date and change it to anything you like."
Change the Dates in Your Photos

I'm thinking more like RT showed LE the photos directly from the camera and didn't download them to his computer.

Obviously if he downloaded the photos onto his computer and then edited the date on the file will show the last "modified" date which LE would certainly know the photo was tampered with.

I'm not suggesting RT did this, just saying dates could be tampered with to give the impression the photo was taken on a date it wasn't.

JMO

 

[Ravenmoon]

Here is the problem I have, at this point, with an accident/injury/medical event, etc. In that heat, sans water, clothed very minimally, how far could she have gotten? I understand that there are many, many times when people have become lost in the desert, died, and haven't been found for months or years.

However, we seem to have a fairly limited amount of geography to cover here, and searchers have been going over it assiduously for over a week now. Could she really have gone for hours in any one direction, taking her many miles away from the spot her husband last saw her?


Thanks.

Sometimes, people are found later on in areas that searchers really thought they had gone through before. The couple in Joshua Tree were in a canyon.. and it was not at all "off the mark" of the area searched. It is almost impossible to explain the oddness of the terrain here. It has to be experienced in person.

Conspiracy theories were rampant about what had happened because everyone felt that they should have been found in "x" amount of time.

Unfortunately, in many cases, it just doesn't work that way. Hiking/walking/ bouldering..any activity that is not undertaken in or on a clearly marked trail will greatly increase the odds of someone being lost , and potentially not found in time.

I hold out hope .. until SAR comes out and states this to be a recovery effort only, or if they call it quits.. I will be open to the fact that she may be alive.

Edit by me , because I made some dumb mistakes.
Sorry!

 

[mrstfs]

Do we have a timeline for the day she went missing? I know the nixle report shows 2:30pm for that day as the time they went for their walk. But since Bullhead City is less than 2 hours away from their location on Kelbaker, I’m curious what time they left their house, what time were police called and what time did police arrive? I’d love to hear the 911 call. JMO

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

Do we have a timeline for the day she went missing? I know the nixle report shows 2:30pm for that day as the time they went for their walk. But since Bullhead City is less than 2 hours away from their location on Kelbaker, I’m curious what time they left their house, what time were police called and what time did police arrive? I’d love to hear the 911 call. JMO

The 911 Call was posted in the first thread.

 

[IceIce9]

The following is MOO and based off of my own experience in the Mojave:

A walk that is a 2 mile round trip is much different in the desert than it is in any other place.
One thing really bugs me.. and that is the story with the beer.
These are people that are experienced hikers, if I am reading correctly.
I must say, I don't know of any person that would take a beer on a 2 mile walk during the hottest part of the day .. you dehydrate faster ..you become much more susceptible to the effects of the sun..
The beer back at camp or in your trailer is the REWARD at the finish line.
This may be nothing...nothing at all... perhaps they do things different.
It just feels strange to me.

My thoughts exactly, and I’ve hiked deserts also.

The beer and the bikini stand out to me as puzzling. The beer, exactly as you have mentioned, and MOO the bikini too. Normally experienced desert hikers wear loose-fitting long sleeves and pants to avoid being sand-blasted and to shade yourself from the sun.

I’ve seen 2 miles mentioned and 4 mile round trip. Definitely a hike in the desert and not just a “walk.”

 

[mickey2942]

I don't think the search would go into its 9th full day if they didn't think she was out there.

Sitting here feeling really sad for her, whatever happened.

Or they are searching for evidence.

 

[10ofRods]

Just that jumble of boulders that they were searching yesterday could take considerable time to sort through (so many crannies). That presumes that she, after leaving her husband because she wanted to go to the RV, instead got off trail and headed (back) to the rocks (passing where he was?) or went on to distant rocks past their RV (but they seem to be searching near the trail to the Granite Hills, which is the walk I assume they took).

So...she'd have to be really disoriented (or pissed off) to have taken off for those rocks instead of just going back to the RV. There's enough scrub and enough bends in that dirt road/trail that he could have lost sight of her quickly. He just doesn't seem to ever say how long he stayed out there photographing rocks.

Those of you who have been following missing person stories closely for longer than me...what's your take on his video appearance(s)? Why isn't he at a campground closer to where his wife was lost? If LE considers him a POI (as he seems to say) they would ban him from the search area. Is it possible he was told to go home and remain in contact? Are there other missing persons cases like this one?

 

[mrstfs]

The 911 Call was posted in the first thread.

Thanks, I missed it! I’m having trouble finding it now. Any tips on what to search for? I used the obvious search terms to no avail.

 

[moonriverfarm]

This whole thing has my head doing like the Exorcist.

 

[artsy1]

Thanks, I missed it! I’m having trouble finding it now. Any tips on what to search for? I used the obvious search terms to no avail.

I don't believe the call itself had been posted. Just the dispatch log showing when it was called in.

 

[mrstfs]

I don't believe the call itself had been posted. Just the dispatch log showing when it was called in.

Ok, thanks. I meant I’d love to hear the 911 call recording. MOO

 

[Joe Friday]

I recall reading it took LE two hours to show up after being called. Maybe that was mistaken for him searching for two before calling.