CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #9

[anneg]

The first interview with RT was posted on July 15 at 6:32 p.m.
Man says police think he is a suspect in wife's disappearance

dbdb11 said RT called Barbara's family in Hong Kong on July 16.

It sounds like the call was received in HK on July 16 HK time, but with the 15-hour time difference between HK and the Pacific time zone, it is possible/likely that RT made the call on July 15. If he called at, say, 7 p.m., it would have been 10 a.m. the next day in HK.

[Disclaimer: I have not searched back to find discussion about the timing of the call.]

 

[PommyMommy]

It sounds like the call was received in HK on July 16 HK time, but with the 15-hour time difference between HK and the Pacific time zone, it is possible/likely that RT made the call on July 15. If he called at, say, 7 p.m., it would have been 10 a.m. the next day in HK.

[Disclaimer: I have not searched back to find discussion about the timing of the call.]

That's true. I wonder if @dbdb11 can tell us about what time it was?

Perhaps RT thought he better make family aware that Barb was missing before they saw his interview(s) on the news. MOO

 

[Kapua]

How is the neighbor's video camera corroborated? What about the convenience store? I thought they were both corroborated by the VI. That is the same way the pictures on the camera are corroborated.

The neighbor's video camera provides definite proof that BT left her home with RT that morning - it was either 8:15 or 8:30.
The dispatch call log provides definite proof that a 911 call was received at 3:36 PM.
Those are the two irrefutable facts that we have in this case.
The camera at a convenience store where they stopped for ice captured RT on video, but not BT.

 

[Gigi3]

That's true. I wonder if @dbdb11 can tell us about what time it was?

Perhaps RT thought he better make family aware that Barb was missing before they saw his interview(s) on the news. MOO

That’s exactly what I was thinking! RT hadn’t told the family yet, but after the interviews maybe he decided he better give them a call because anyone could see it on TV and that would definitely not be a good look if someone else saw it and informed the family before he did! MOO

 

[10ofRods]

Part of their route was on city streets, in Bullhead City, in Needles and then when they got off on Kelbaker Road, so the 45 mph estimate is probably closer. Needles and Bullhead have traffic lights, etc.

Yes, all of those things as well as the kennel drop off time and the statements by the kennel staff were stated by the VI.
I'm not sure if he said LE ever interviewed the kennel staff. I think it was only he who actually spoke to them. I'm not sure if they questioned the neighbors either.
So I guess all of this is considered an opinion, as it has not been verified by LE or in MSM.
LE has not given us any new information other than what they said right after the search, or at least on July 22nd. Imo

I’d have to go back a couple of threads, but pretty sure that we discussed the fact that LE had talked to the convenience store clerk (and it was from LE that Dbdb found out about the convenience store stop). We discussed how the store clerk’s story might have been subtly or unsubtly shaped by a previous visit from LE (who asked for video, IIRC).

If that’s wrong, then we certainly give up believing that LE is reviewing RT’s route. I wonder if they reviewed his route when he left the desert (which must surely have been by July 15, right?)

 

[Kapua]

So... given the later start time of 8:30 and @LAhiker's generous travel time of 2 hours, and a generous convenience store stop time of 15 minutes, they would have arrived at the Kelbaker/Hidden Hills area around 10:45.

At a minimum then, there are roughly 4 3/4 hours of time to account for. That's a fair amount of time. I am sure that LE asked RT to flesh out the timeline a bit during their alleged 5-hour chat. But we are in the dark. IMHO

 

[PommyMommy]

Part of their route was on city streets, in Bullhead City, in Needles and then when they got off on Kelbaker Road, so the 45 mph estimate is probably closer. Needles and Bullhead have traffic lights, etc.

I’d have to go back a couple of threads, but pretty sure that we discussed the fact that LE had talked to the convenience store clerk (and it was from LE that Dbdb found out about the convenience store stop). We discussed how the store clerk’s story might have been subtly or unsubtly shaped by a previous visit from LE (who asked for video, IIRC).

If that’s wrong, then we certainly give up believing that LE is reviewing RT’s route. I wonder if they reviewed his route when he left the desert (which must surely have been by July 15, right?)

BBM

dbdb11 spoke with the convenience store clerk. The clerk told him that LE had video from that day.

IMO, dbdb11 was not advised by LE about the stop for ice. I think it's safe to assume that LE has spoken with the clerk, though. MOO

The attendant on the day spoke to me. Describes Robbie as naggy and said police have all surveillance footage. The attendant, Mike if I remember, also told me Robbie parked way out on the other side of the road. Walked in to the store in a very roundabout way, said something about not being able to get in and out of the truck without his wife's help, which made the attendant think he was implying a disability, and then practically jogged across the road and hopped in the truck, which struck Mike as very odd, and made him remember the encounter. RT only bought ice. Mike did not see Barb, but probably wouldn't have if they were parked across the road (context for the google earth photo). This happened around 9am.

 

[Stripehaven]

It has never made sense to me that RT didn’t get on the horn right away to everyone he could think of, in case BT had been in touch with them. If he really thought she might have been taken to LV, she could have managed to get access to a phone. Far-fetched for sure, but I would certainly check out even the most remote possibility ASAP if I were in that position.

 

[MsBetsy]

Part of their route was on city streets, in Bullhead City, in Needles and then when they got off on Kelbaker Road, so the 45 mph estimate is probably closer. Needles and Bullhead have traffic lights, etc.



I’d have to go back a couple of threads, but pretty sure that we discussed the fact that LE had talked to the convenience store clerk (and it was from LE that Dbdb found out about the convenience store stop). We discussed how the store clerk’s story might have been subtly or unsubtly shaped by a previous visit from LE (who asked for video, IIRC).

If that’s wrong, then we certainly give up believing that LE is reviewing RT’s route. I wonder if they reviewed his route when he left the desert (which must surely have been by July 15, right?)

Yes, I remember talking about the gas station clerk's comments but I don't remember any of that information being reported in MSM, or confirmed by LE.
I thought it was the VI who told us that they stopped there. Imo

 

[CSIDreamer]

Yes, I remember talking about the gas station clerk's comments but I don't remember any of that information being reported in MSM, or confirmed by LE.
I thought it was the VI who told us that they stopped there. Imo

Yes, it was him. I am circling around opinions warily, but I have absolutely no reason to think a Verified Insider would make up a story about a convenience station stop. I tend to take that at face value. And I've completely forgotten what the original question about that stop is. Sorry.

 

[Kapua]

I should also have mentioned that BT was seen at the kennel, dropping off her dog that morning. So BT was captured on camera and seen by eyewitnesses twice that morning.

 

[10ofRods]

Yes, I remember talking about the gas station clerk's comments but I don't remember any of that information being reported in MSM, or confirmed by LE.
I thought it was the VI who told us that they stopped there. Imo

Yes, but he said he got that tip from LE. I do not think Dbdb just thought to call the convenience store on his own. There was no reason to think they even stopped in Needles unless Dbdb had a tip. Also, Dbdb does mention that the clerk had talked to LE.

This is not confirmed by MSM or LE, but it makes little sense that Dbdb could know which store of the many between the house and Kelbaker and even that they stopped. So Dbdb is our only link to that info, but since he did call the store and talk to the clerk (who used the word “naggy”), how else would he have known who to call?

As to the kennel, I suppose Dbdb could have just called whatever kennels are in Bullhead. Dbdb did say that LE had the surveillance tape from the neighbor. If LE did not contact the kennel or the convenience store, then this case has been given very low priority by LE.

But the 8:15 am time of leaving hasn’t been confirmed by LE either (nor is the neighbor a VI here).

 

[PommyMommy]

Yes, but he said he got that tip from LE. I do not think Dbdb just thought to call the convenience store on his own. There was no reason to think they even stopped in Needles unless Dbdb had a tip. Also, Dbdb does mention that the clerk had talked to LE.

This is not confirmed by MSM or LE, but it makes little sense that Dbdb could know which store of the many between the house and Kelbaker and even that they stopped. So Dbdb is our only link to that info, but since he did call the store and talk to the clerk (who used the word “naggy”), how else would he have known who to call?

As to the kennel, I suppose Dbdb could have just called whatever kennels are in Bullhead. Dbdb did say that LE had the surveillance tape from the neighbor. If LE did not contact the kennel or the convenience store, then this case has been given very low priority by LE.

But the 8:15 am time of leaving hasn’t been confirmed by LE either (nor is the neighbor a VI here).

BBM I don't think this is correct and should not be stated as fact unless you have a link.

Please keep in mind that there are other platforms besides WS that are discussing Barbara's case. Information provided to our VI is not limited solely to LE, WS, and MSM. MOO

 

[LAhiker]

BBM I don't think this is correct and should not be stated as fact unless you have a link.

Please keep in mind that there are other platforms besides WS that are discussing Barbara's case. Information provided to our VI is not limited solely to LE, WS, and MSM. MOO

However @dbdb11 got the info, I'm glad he was able to speak with the convenience store clerk. Whether or not the clerk interpreted RT's behavior correctly, I think we can safely assume that the broad outlines of the encounter are correct. That would give us one more valuable data point on our very sparse timeline. JMO

 

[MsBetsy]

Yes, it was him. I am circling around opinions warily, but I have absolutely no reason to think a Verified Insider would make up a story about a convenience station stop. I tend to take that at face value. And I've completely forgotten what the original question about that stop is. Sorry.

Well, the point of the OP was that all this information was collaborated by the VI. This was in response to another post saying they preferred to rely on corroborated evidence rather than the pictures that were said to exist of Barbara at the desert.

In their response the poster pointed out that it was also the VI who said LE told him about the pictures of her there on that day.

So it's not that anyone is suggesting he made any of it up, just that it all came from the same source rather than from MSM or LE. Imo

 

[CSIDreamer]

Well, the point of the OP was that all this information was collaborated by the VI. This was in response to another post saying they preferred to rely on corroborated evidence rather than the pictures that were said to exist of Barbara at the desert.

So it's not that anyone is suggesting he made any of it up, just that it all came from the same source rather than from MSM or LE. Imo

Thank you. I was getting really confused.

 

[MsBetsy]

Yes, but he said he got that tip from LE. I do not think Dbdb just thought to call the convenience store on his own. There was no reason to think they even stopped in Needles unless Dbdb had a tip. Also, Dbdb does mention that the clerk had talked to LE.

This is not confirmed by MSM or LE, but it makes little sense that Dbdb could know which store of the many between the house and Kelbaker and even that they stopped. So Dbdb is our only link to that info, but since he did call the store and talk to the clerk (who used the word “naggy”), how else would he have known who to call?

As to the kennel, I suppose Dbdb could have just called whatever kennels are in Bullhead. Dbdb did say that LE had the surveillance tape from the neighbor. If LE did not contact the kennel or the convenience store, then this case has been given very low priority by LE.

But the 8:15 am time of leaving hasn’t been confirmed by LE either (nor is the neighbor a VI here).

Yes, but the source of all that information is still the VI, just as the source for the pictures of Barbara in the desert is the VI.
That was the point that I thought was being made.
So no matter what LE said or what the neighbors said, the source remains the same. Imo

 

[CSIDreamer]

That’s exactly what I was thinking! RT hadn’t told the family yet, but after the interviews maybe he decided he better give them a call because anyone could see it on TV and that would definitely not be a good look if someone else saw it and informed the family before he did! MOO

Good post. And he never did contact her son/his stepson. The police notified him 6 days in.

 

[Cherwell]

IIRC; the question of whether RT called Barbara’s brother before or after his television interviews has been asked several times. PommyMommy has given us time details quoted below, and we have dbdb11’s sister’s text stating “... robbie’s done some interviews..” interviews, plural...so for those wondering if he did the 2 interviews the same day...perhaps? Idk...but I think we can safely assume he did at least one interview before calling his brother in law and probably both unless “interviews” plural s was a typo

In dbdb11’s sister’s text re-posted above, she reported: BBM:
“...robbie’s done some interviews as he wants to get the word out. but he hasn’t seen or read any of the released news and comments. it’s too much...”

So...I can’t begin to imagine how angry I would feel if I got a call like this from my brother in law...4 days after my sister went missing

I would be upset and worried for sure, but I don't think I would be angry.

Because looking at it from the other side, I (as the spouse) would be hoping against hope that the searches would find her, and find her alive. And I would be very reluctant to worry her family, especially as her brother is seriously ill. My hope would be that they didn't need to know until she had been found. Sadly of course this hasn't happened, but without the benefit of hindsight I would wait to call them too.

So I think I would understand why I (as a close family member) wasn't told right away. Of course I would say "Why didn't you tell me !!!!" as it would all be a shock, but I would realise why once I'd calmed down.

 

[Gigi3]

Good post. And he never did contact her son/his stepson. The police notified him 6 days in.

Totally agree. And I get waiting and hoping she is found before calling family, but to do an interview first? You can’t possibly know that someone else would see that interview and contact family before you did. I don’t know what exactly happened to Barb, but I do know this lady needs to be found! MOO