CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #4

[10ofRods]

Thanks. So, could she be there? On the other side of the road somewhere yonder?!

They searched that area for parts of several days. If she overshot the RV and walked off east, there was no early sign of that. Plus, unless she was impaired, why would she do that?

 

[10ofRods]

I think that road looks very scary for a woman to be seen all alone by the highway.

I think so too. Totally. As an older woman, I do not feel any less vulnerable.

Walking on the dirt road leading to the rock formation she would be walking alone.. There was a truck and 5th wheel trailer on the other side of the road. People driving by would have no idea who was in the trailer.. jmho

True, although you can see quite a way down the highway and people do attract attention. If she clearly couldn't get into the trailer and was kicking at the door (ah-hem, that would be me after not finding the key), it could have attracted attention. She wouldn't have been just standing there.

If she got into a car willingly (and the driver said he'd take her to Amboy/Kelso and she was pissed...), then who knows?

I don't think that's what happened, but I sure as heck think almost every theory has some validity in this case.

 

[10ofRods]

I've said before that it's very possible that the suggestion that she had been taken to Las Vegas came from the reporter doing the interview, and that Robert simply agreed that it was possible.
Which isn't the same as "thinking she's in Vegas".
He hasn't organised posters in Vegas because he has no particular reason to think that she's there, that's how I see it.

Okay then - if she was abducted in the American Southwest, perhaps he ought to try and do a media blitz in Phoenix, Las Vegas (most obvious place) and...Needles? People go missing at GC and family get plenty of help to put up fliers all along the route - can take many months, but truckers, tourists and locals do like to help. Facebook is super helpful in this regard.

Perhaps no one in the family is local enough (besides RT) to organize this, and perhaps RT has no close friends in Bullhead, I don't know.

 

[MsFacetious]

I'd like a link as well.^^^

Why would her lawyer advise against a visit in person from R.T ?

And why would she have a lawyer? (I do because I work for one so sorry if I missed an explanation like that!)

 

[kay74]

They searched that area for parts of several days. If she overshot the RV and walked off east, there was no early sign of that. Plus, unless she was impaired, why would she do that?

How could there be a sign of that if she were alone? She was looking for rocks! I guessed she might have gone East looking while waiting for RT to come back to the RV.

 

[GordianKnot]

How could there be a sign of that if she were alone? She was looking for rocks! I guessed she might have gone East looking while waiting for RT to come back to the RV.

BBM:

That ain't what RT told reporters she was doing.

According to his version of events, she walked ahead of him because she needed to get back to the RV.

If she was looking for rocks, she could have just stayed with RT and rummaged around for rocks while he stopped to take a picture. They were in the desert, for crying out loud. Presumably, they'd have come across a few rocks already on their 2-mile walk, or whatever.

Not that I believe any of this account we're discussing to actually be true.

To be clear: I don't.

So to my mind, at least, it's pretty much a moot point.

JMO.

 

[MsBetsy]

How could there be a sign of that if she were alone? She was looking for rocks! I guessed she might have gone East looking while waiting for RT to come back to the RV.

According to Robert, they stopped to look at and take pictures of the rock formations.

She went on ahead while he stopped to take a picture, but it was not mentioned that she was looking for rocks.

If that was her intent, then it might seem more likely that she could have been distracted and gone off the path, but apparently she was just headed back to the RV. Imo

 

[10ofRods]

How could there be a sign of that if she were alone? She was looking for rocks! I guessed she might have gone East looking while waiting for RT to come back to the RV.

The usual - foot prints (that side is pretty sandy), dog picks up a scent. Usual stuff.

They searched the immediately surroundings of the RV parking area (in fact, they were at the intersection of a dirt road and a highway, they were parked on a road - the road was driven, according to pix on twitter, by some LE that first day).

But you're right - there were no strong signs of her anywhere. But they did search near where she disappeared - and RT says he looked and shouted.

If she had gone rock collecting beyond the RV (in just 10-20 minutes before RT gets there), then she got lost away from her stated destination (never good in the desert). There are number of trails east, south and north, ultimately the search expanded into those areas.

However, I don't think anyone walked 20 miles on those trails, on the theory that she couldn't have, either.

Some of the rocks the searchers were shown standing on are more than a mile from where they were parked - but it would be interesting to know how big the perimeter of the search actually was.

 

[PommyMommy]

Oh, ok thanks.
I knew the RV was seen leaving at that time, but I did not realize Barbara herself was seen on camera leaving the house.

Yes, actually he said that Barbara and RT were both seen. BBM

at this stage most sleuthing is going on in private conversations. i am staying active on this side just incase some detail arises or someone else with inside info chimes in. also just to keep this thread as active as possible. its heartbreaking when there is no activity.

i have to refer you to thread one and two. ive asked moderators to leave a few of my pre VI posts deleted, as the case was starting to lead down dangerous holes. obviously i am skeptical and have my own suspicions about barbs disappearance and larger forces at work. but the story we have is highly questionable, with a narrow window for disappearance claimed by husband, yet a gaping window between when barb and her husband were seen leaving their house in the morning, and when rob finally called police.

there will be questions about what i have shared. i have info i consider reliable from neighbors.

mods are saying accusations at rob and sketchy multinational pyramid schemes are not acceptable in this forum and i completely understand.

i also want rob to be a victim here <modsnip>

yes i would like to share everything publicly. but aspects of the case make me feel that might not be in barbs best interest. i appreciate everyones help, even the pure opinion and wild speculation. it is all energy being spent on the search for barb. thank you all

what are the possible motives for her disappearance? i also want to know, and i am confident police are scouring for answers.

the search is off officially, but we are still searching for better answers.

 

[10ofRods]

According to Robert, they stopped to look at and take pictures of the rock formations.

She went on ahead while he stopped to take a picture, but it was not mentioned that she was looking for rocks.

If that was her intent, then it might seem more likely that she could have been distracted and gone off the path, but apparently she was just headed back to the RV. Imo

That's what he says he thought at the time, and that's what makes sense, since the rocks are more interesting on the west side and it's just dirt road and sand (mostly) on the east.

He never mentions honking the horn (which is interesting), just shouting and waving his arms in the air. Sroads, here on this forum, went out there and says RV should have been visible all along the trail they were on.

My own theory was that if she came back toward RT after being unable to find the key to the RV (I'm guessing after 2 miles in 102-104F heat, with no wide brimmed hat, warm beer, and no water, she wanted shade and to cool off), she might have walked past where he was or gotten onto a spur trail. That could have happened when she left him, if they had both walked down to the dry creek bed. She might have remembered "path was straight" (which it was when they walked out, but now they had made little left turn and she might not have remembered that - people forget that kind of thing all the time).

 

[k-mac]

How could there be a sign of that if she were alone? She was looking for rocks! I guessed she might have gone East looking while waiting for RT to come back to the RV.

but she wasn't looking for rocks.
according to the last person with her, his version of events she was heading to the RV.
she was on the designated track with a designated plan.

moo

 

[wary]

It strikes me as odd for him to say he wouldn’t press charges if Barbara was returned. As if she is a stolen car.

He has no authority to say that. It wouldn’t be his decision and it wouldn’t even be Barbara’s. If she had been kidnapped and police knew who it was, they’re being prosecuted.

However—I’m going to take his side here. Yes, it sounds strange to me, but if the kidnapping is real, and by any chance the kidnappers believe him—great! He hasn’t bound Barbara or the police to anything. If they don’t believe him, no harm done.

MOO

 

[Cherwell]

but she wasn't looking for rocks.
according to the last person with her, his version of events she was heading to the RV.
she was on the designated track with a designated plan.

People who collect things are always on the lookout. If she caught sight of something that looked interesting , she would likely go and pick it up. She would still be interested even if that wasn't the purpose of the outing.

It's like .... When I was a child, I spent holidays with my cousins who lived near beaches and cliffs where there were fossils. Sometimes we would go out specially to look for fossils. But other times, when we went to the beach to swim and play, if we saw something that looked like a fossil we would go and get it.

 

[CatsMeoww]

Google Maps

This is where I think they pulled over.. The map is a 360 view and you can also zoom out and go above the zone..
He wanted to hike out there to the rocks and take pics.. She decided to walk back.
This is what he called a highway that she would have to cross.. jmho

Interesting. There's a "Research Center" out there that google maps said would be about an hour walk from this location. I checked the website and they have on-staff personnel and they have trailers for "long term researcher housing" Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert Research Center

I wonder if there's anyone currently staying in the housing or if there were any groups there at the time.

I didn't notice this before and assumed the area they were in was pretty much deserted, so its interesting to me that about 3 miles away there's a facility with onsite staff, classrooms for up to 40 people, cabins, and housing for 12 people.

 

[Knox]

It strikes me as odd for him to say he wouldn’t press charges if Barbara was returned. As if she is a stolen car.

He has no authority to say that. It wouldn’t be his decision and it wouldn’t even be Barbara’s. If she had been kidnapped and police knew who it was, they’re being prosecuted.

I've heard many family members say that very thing when pleading for the return of their loved one. I think it's an emotional reaction in desperate circumstances. I could see myself saying the same thing ...

 

[MsBetsy]

That's what he says he thought at the time, and that's what makes sense, since the rocks are more interesting on the west side and it's just dirt road and sand (mostly) on the east.

He never mentions honking the horn (which is interesting), just shouting and waving his arms in the air. Sroads, here on this forum, went out there and says RV should have been visible all along the trail they were on.

My own theory was that if she came back toward RT after being unable to find the key to the RV (I'm guessing after 2 miles in 102-104F heat, with no wide brimmed hat, warm beer, and no water, she wanted shade and to cool off), she might have walked past where he was or gotten onto a spur trail. That could have happened when she left him, if they had both walked down to the dry creek bed. She might have remembered "path was straight" (which it was when they walked out, but now they had made little left turn and she might not have remembered that - people forget that kind of thing all the time).

I'm thinking she never made it back to the RV. If she couldn't find the key right away why go looking for him? They were almost back and she was just a few minutes ahead.

I'm not sure if she would have been able to see the trailer from the whole trail. It looked like there were some huge rock formations and lots of hills.
From one of the videos it also looked like there were numerous trails.

Do we know if there was just one main trail to get to where they were going? It looked to me like there were several and it would be easy to make a wrong turn. Imo

 

[wary]

The usual - foot prints (that side is pretty sandy), dog picks up a scent. Usual stuff.

They searched the immediately surroundings of the RV parking area (in fact, they were at the intersection of a dirt road and a highway, they were parked on a road - the road was driven, according to pix on twitter, by some LE that first day).

But you're right - there were no strong signs of her anywhere. But they did search near where she disappeared - and RT says he looked and shouted.

If she had gone rock collecting beyond the RV (in just 10-20 minutes before RT gets there), then she got lost away from her stated destination (never good in the desert). There are number of trails east, south and north, ultimately the search expanded into those areas.

However, I don't think anyone walked 20 miles on those trails, on the theory that she couldn't have, either.

Some of the rocks the searchers were shown standing on are more than a mile from where they were parked - but it would be interesting to know how big the perimeter of the search actually was.

I’d like to know the perimeter of the search, too.

Search a mile in every direction from the starting point, and that’s about 3 square miles. I’ll assume that someone walks a mile in 20 minutes.

Search two miles out—that’s 12.5 square miles. A 40 minute walk.

Search three miles out—an hour’s walk. 28 square miles. (Hope I did this right—might be the first time I put pi r squared to practical use.)

On a regular basis lost people walk farther than the search perimeter.

Visualize the scenery we’ve seen in the search videos. Visualize searching every square yard of every square mile of those rock piles and cactus-covered hillsides. The only thing she was wearing that had an eye catching color was her red hat. If she fell, it could well have ended up under her. Searching for someone is difficult.

Or, maybe she’s not there at all.

 

[Gypsy Violin]

Barbara Thomas was hiking with her husband in the Mojave Desert and they became separated. She has not been seen since.

Search underway for lost hiker in Mojave Desert

"Thomas does not have supplies or a cell phone, and she was last seen wearing a black bikini, red baseball cap and tan hiking boots with black socks."

"She is a resident of Bullhead City, and she is 5 feet and 9 inches tall, weighing about 130 pounds, with blonde hair and green eyes."

Thread #1
Thread #2
Thread #3

Without food and water and out in the elements, sorry to say I think she's gone unless kidnapped. I'm not comfortable with her husband either.

 

[MsBetsy]

People who collect things are always on the lookout. If she caught sight of something that looked interesting , she would likely go and pick it up. She would still be interested even if that wasn't the purpose of the outing.

It's like .... When I was a child, I spent holidays with my cousins who lived near beaches and cliffs where there were fossils. Sometimes we would go out specially to look for fossils. But other times, when we went to the beach to swim and play, if we saw something that looked like a fossil we would go and get it.

True, but if she didn't want to wait just a few seconds for him to take a picture my guess is that she really wanted to get back.
Maybe she had to go to the bathroom after drinking the beer. Imo

 

[PaulR]

I’d like to know the perimeter of the search, too.

Search a mile in every direction from the starting point, and that’s about 3 square miles. I’ll assume that someone walks a mile in 20 minutes.

Search two miles out—that’s 12.5 square miles. A 40 minute walk.

Search three miles out—an hour’s walk. 28 square miles. (Hope I did this right—might be the first time I put pi r squared to practical use.)

On a regular basis lost people walk farther than the search perimeter.

Visualize the scenery we’ve seen in the search videos. Visualize searching every square yard of every square mile of those rock piles and cactus-covered hillsides. The only thing she was wearing that had an eye catching color was her red hat. If she fell, it could well have ended up under her. Searching for someone is difficult.

Or, maybe she’s not there at all.

The Arizona Department of Emergency Management has data on how far lost elderly (65+) have traveled - 50th percentile is 1.35 miles, 75th percentile is 3.82 miles.

So the elderly can walk a lot farther than you might think, even in the deserts of the Southwest.