CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #5

[al66pine]

The Power of Concentration?

I thought of this theory as well then kind of ruled it out but who knows.
If someone were drinking, I think they may take a while to get Barbara in their vehicle and supposedly there was only a 5 minute window.
If not drinking, I think there would have been fresh tire marks from slamming on brakes. Also RT would have probably heard a car coming to a full stop in seconds.

@btfly547 Thanks for your post.
Re RT hearing a car coming to a stop?
Yes, seems likely imo if after BT went ahead by herself and if RT (or some/most ppl) were just relaxing & strolling along enjoying the walk, he would have been conscious of brake noise and alert to it.

But if BT (or some/most ppl) had been concentrating on, say, taking photos, adjusting camera/phone-cam settings, choosing F-stop, perfecting the exposure, framing the subject, etc., all his mental and sensory attention would be/might be laser-focused on his photography to the point of excluding extraneous sound.

IOW, if he was really wrapped up in something (presumably photography), he just might have been oblivious to traffic noises (if they occurred).*

Jmo, as a possibility. Some ppl have greater powers on concentration than others.

_________________________________
I thought about ^this after my better half said, "I wonder where those firetrucks were going." I said: "What firetrucks?" "Two of them, w sirens going when they went past the house five minutes ago." Yep, I had my nose in a riveting book, missed the sirens.
{{{ETA: Thinking about it later, I kinda, sorta, halfway believed I did hear sirens, but it just did not register w me at the time. Just an example. Maybe this is what happened w RT. IDK.}}}

 

[kiwi50]

If you eliminate the possibility she was abducted, what are left with?
Supposedly she said she was going back to the RV so why would she have wandered off anywhere else, he was only a few minutes behind, how could there not be any sign of her
when he got to RV.
Surely a dog could have picked up a scent on the path they walked on.
I would have thought this was a relatively easy task for a dog. There must have been some article of hers in the RV for the dog to get her scent from.

 

[rkendmar]

If you eliminate the possibility she was abducted, what are left with?
Supposedly she said she was going back to the RV so why would she have wandered off anywhere else, he was only a few minutes behind, how could there not be any sign of her
when he got to RV.
Surely a dog could have picked up a scent on the path they walked on.
I would have thought this was a relatively easy task for a dog. There must have been some article of hers in the RV for the dog to get her scent from.

SAR dogs were on site on day one so BT's trail was fresh, if RT's description was accurate.

 

[1&2&3]

With LE keeping everything so close to the vest, are they waiting for RT to slip up? Or, do they really not have all the pieces needed to know where BT is?

LE suspects what has happened, with RT being the suspect. JMO. However, LE is not able to bring charges as not only do they not not have a body, they can’t find the piece to connect RT to Barbara’s disappearance. JMO.

 

[Tripod]

I've thought about Barbara a great deal today, but those thoughts are like a repeating, short video loop, going nowhere Continued bump and prayers for Barb and her family and increased media attention on her case.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

OK, I hope this works. I added the vehicle pic to the missing flyer.

Thanks for this. We don't have too many RVs like this in the UK, I just checked some images on the interior layout and it's very plush.

Can someone please tell me - would you be considered financially well- off to have one of these, or are they quite commonplace in the US?

Also, they must be sweltering inside if you're in the desert. So do you have to leave the engine running, for the aircon? Or how does that work? I'm thinking of how much fuel they would get through and the importance of fuel stops.

TIA

 

[Charlot123]

If you eliminate the possibility she was abducted, what are left with?
Supposedly she said she was going back to the RV so why would she have wandered off anywhere else, he was only a few minutes behind, how could there not be any sign of her
when he got to RV.
Surely a dog could have picked up a scent on the path they walked on.
I would have thought this was a relatively easy task for a dog. There must have been some article of hers in the RV for the dog to get her scent from.

There is a possibility that they argued, and RT just pushed her out of the car and left in the desert, my way or highway - style. And later he calmed down, maybe looked around and called the police. He did not hurt her, but he exposed her to the desert, and may not know where exactly she is, and if she is alive.

 

[Charlot123]

Another question, about Barbara being seen on a neighbor’s camera.

How much can a camera see? A woman, hair, clothes.

Could some other woman “play” the role of Barbara for the camera?

 

[Tripod]

Thanks for this. We don't have too many RVs like this in the UK, I just checked some images on the interior layout and it's very plush.

Can someone please tell me - would you be considered financially well- off to have one of these, or are they quite commonplace in the US?

Also, they must be sweltering inside if you're in the desert. So do you have to leave the engine running, for the aircon? Or how does that work? I'm thinking of how much fuel they would get through and the importance of fuel stops.

TIA

I've seen quite a few similar rigs,( and RVs of all types and sizes) around the U.S. for years, so IMO they are relatively common. New ones, like the Thomas's, often signify the owner is relatively well-off. I'm sure there are folks who acquire a lot of debt to purchase them, as well. You can often buy a very nice, somewhat used, 5th wheel or other RV at a pretty darn steep discount, which makes them affordable to more people.
Personally, if I'm going to camp, I'm going to tent camp I sleep well and enjoy it, but I also enjoyed using my dear departed dad's pop-up camper in years past. For others, it's an entire lifestyle and some forgo owning a home and live in their RV, traveling the nation. I can't entirely answer your questions about the AC in these rigs, but I imagine one like RT's has it's own stand-alone system that doesn't require the truck engine at all. Most rigs plug into electric at campgrounds, and/or have utilities that run on their own generators or propane tanks. Obviously, if they wanted to turn AC on where RT pulled off that fateful day, I'm guessing a generator in their rig would have been used- but I honestly don't know for sure.

 

[ChuckMaureen]

SPECULATION

bbm

How Search-and-rescue Dogs Work

Tracking dogs work with their nose to the ground. They follow a trail of human scent -- typically heavy skin particles that fall quickly to the ground or onto bushes -- through any type of terrain. These dogs are not searching, they're following: Tracking dogs need a "last seen" starting point, an article with the person's scent on it to work from and an uncontaminated trail.

We have to assume RT showed LE/SAR where BT was "last seen" and that the tracking dogs (if that's what they were) were able to detect and follow BT's scent for at least some distance. If that was not the case (did not detect a scent or were not able to follow a scent through where RT indicated BT had walked) that might be a primary reason for LE not to believe BT was even at the location RT indicated. Has LE stated as much, either directly or indirectly?

If the tracking dogs did hit on BT's scent and had followed it toward and up to the location of the T's parked RV and no farther would that be enough for LE to consider abduction or could LE extrapolate from that point that BT had entered the RV and was still in it when it was driven away from the area?

 

[HongKongPhooey]

I've seen quite a few similar rigs,( and RVs of all types and sizes) around the U.S. for years, so IMO they are relatively common. New ones, like the Thomas's, often signify the owner is relatively well-off. I'm sure there are folks who acquire a lot of debt to purchase them, as well. You can often buy a very nice, somewhat used, 5th wheel or other RV at a pretty darn steep discount, which makes them affordable to more people.
Personally, if I'm going to camp, I'm going to tent camp I sleep well and enjoy it, but I also enjoyed using my dear departed dad's pop-up camper in years past. For others, it's an entire lifestyle and some forgo owning a home and live in their RV, traveling the nation. I can't entirely answer your questions about the AC in these rigs, but I imagine one like RT's has it's own stand-alone system that doesn't require the truck engine at all. Most rigs plug into electric at campgrounds, and/or have utilities that run on their own generators or propane tanks. Obviously, if they wanted to turn AC on where RT pulled off that fateful day, I'm guessing a generator in their rig would have been used- but I honestly don't know for sure.

Thanks

 

[Micheline]

Whenever I'm "on to something" I get a panicky sense of urgency. I just got it now. Here's what I think happened to Barbara, and because I am an amateur, could be completely wrong. That's the caveat.

I think, just like RT speculates, Barbara was crossing the road, and I believe she was hit by a vehicle. They panicked and threw her in the trunk, and dumped her somewhere else. That long desert drive to Vegas, they could have been looking at scenery, reaching for something, or whatever, (on cruise control), and didn't see her.

That's what I think happened to Barbara.
LE should look for signs of this on the highway, if they haven't already.

Amateur opinion and speculation

Interesting.
They could be caught up in their phones, not expecting anyone crossing the road.

 

[Micheline]

If Barbara was hit by a vehicle, picked up and placed in someone's trunk, wouldn't it have been likely that the search dogs would have hit on her scent?
Being hit by a car usually results in some body fluids being left at the spot.

No need for that imo, someone can get internal damage, yet no visible ones.

 

[Micheline]

Everything you smart sleuths are saying are very good responses and questions to my theory. I'm digging' in on this one. I really think it needs to be explored further.

As always, just an amateur speculation and opinion

Please add to that thought that if this occurred, they may have taken her with the intent to help, to bring her to a hospital.
No one being around, only logical. It also could explain things happening real fast.

 

[Cherwell]

There is a possibility that they argued, and RT just pushed her out of the car and left in the desert, my way or highway - style. And later he calmed down, maybe looked around and called the police. He did not hurt her, but he exposed her to the desert, and may not know where exactly she is, and if she is alive.

I could imagine that scenario, but presumably he would want her found so I can't see that he would let them concentrate the search in the wrong place.

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

Another question, about Barbara being seen on a neighbor’s camera.

How much can a camera see? A woman, hair, clothes.

Could some other woman “play” the role of Barbara for the camera?

Was BT seen on the neighbors camera walking alone or walking beside RT?
Has anyone seen this neighbors camera video or is this just hear say?

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

Please add to that thought that if this occurred, they may have taken her with the intent to help, to bring her to a hospital.
No one being around, only logical. It also could explain things happening real fast.

If BT had been hit by a car it would have been simpler for that person to call 911 instead of picking her up and involving themselves more in the situation by having her DNA everywhere and her possible death inside the car.

 

[rosesfromangels]

Please add to that thought that if this occurred, they may have taken her with the intent to help, to bring her to a hospital.
No one being around, only logical. It also could explain things happening real fast.

Very good thinking Micheline!

 

[Cherwell]

Please add to that thought that if this occurred, they may have taken her with the intent to help, to bring her to a hospital.
No one being around, only logical. It also could explain things happening real fast.

But then what? She obviously wasn't taken to hospital, or she wouldn't be missing now.

 

[rosesfromangels]

But then what? She obviously wasn't taken to hospital, or she wouldn't be missing now.

We don’t that. Despite news coverage, she could bu UID, or could have been dumped somewhere. It’s worth exploring.