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

[kkdj]

Another question....Did RT call any of his family members the day BT went missing?
Sorry if already been answered. I don't recall reading it anywhere tho.

 

[cazador]

Exactly. When our loved ones marry we entrust that person to take care of them and to become a part of our already established family. So, imo it is a radical injustice to not have called BT's loved ones immediately. I would be livid if I were them. Also, imo it is very telling. It seems like there was avoidance going on. I mean, RT didn't even call her brother for days. C'mon now. His (beloved) wife is missing! I would be shouting to all family members for help and I would be on every SM and every news channel I could! No avenue or stone unturned if it were my loved one. But hey....that's just me.

It is not just you.. You are completely correct. It is what I would do also.

This was by design as he made it all about him from the start.
Then he closed the door.

 

[kkdj]

It is not just you.. You are completely correct. It is what I would do also.

This was by design as he made it all about him from the start.
Then he closed the door.

Exactly. And that in itself is such odd behavior it makes his whole story suspicious. (Or should I say hole story?) That's even before he told us his LD exam showed deception!

 

[cazador]

He is a pilot.. owns an aircraft .. Lives very close to the airport..
Did he get in his plane and fly over the area and look for her ?

<modsnip - not victim friendly>

 

[cazador]

The daughter agreed with RT that the Only logical explanation was that BT was taken by others because SAR did not find her in the days of searching.
That daughter is his daughter and the son is her son.
Both have made comment in the media <modsnip: If you can't talk about it, don't mention it.>

 

[rosesfromangels]

<modsnip: quoted post was removed>

We don't know the circumstances of his life. Per the tone of my posts, I think it's clear I am following TOS and remaining victim friendly. Per TOS, RT is a victim. Unless, or *if* such time that LE identifies him differently, I will remain so.
RT is not a young man, and I think the stress of this situation must be taking it's toll.

This type of a case is so anxiety producing. The immediate urgency to find someone who is lost in such an unforgiving environment. Then, the reality that they are likely deceased and waiting to be found.....its heartbreaking, and the pain BT's family must be suffering is profoundly sad.

Finding someone in these circumstances is unbelievably difficult as any SAR professional would likely attest to. The average temperature in the Mojave will drop to a "searchable" average of 80F in October, and average of 68F in November. Let us pray additional searches may be conducted then, and with the result of finding this lovely lady.

Amateur opinion and speculation

 

[al66pine]

Using Private Plane to Search for BT?

He is a pilot.. owns an aircraft .. Lives very close to the airport..Did he get in his plane and fly over the area and look for her ?
hmm ...

@cazador Thanks for your post. sbm
A good idea on its face. What size/type is his plane, 4 - 6 - 8 seater? Just asking rhetorically.
- 1. Depending on configuration of plane, a pilot and/or passenger may have very limited view of objects on ground, w objects too far away to identify much. Not like (some) choppers, where passenger can hang head out window to look down. From some SAR chopper pix I've seen, the lookouts are harnessed to cantilever their bodies out those big openings, not like a tourist/sightseeing chopper. Sometimes 3 lookouts on each side.
- 2. Can his size/type plane fly as low as SAR choppers? Even low-flying choppers may stir/blow up so much dust, debris, dirt, limbs, pebbles, gravel, etc. that it impairs view.
-3. Can his size/type plane fly as slowly as SAR choppers?

OTOH, if RT/other pilot & other volunteer(s) want to try, could it hurt anything? IDK.
So @cazador, keep building your drone piloting skills. jmo.

 

[diggndeeperstill]

He is a pilot.. owns an aircraft .. Lives very close to the airport..
Did he get in his plane and fly over the area and look for her ?

<modsnip: not victim friendly>

Using Private Plane to Search for BT?

@cazador Thanks for your post. sbm
A good idea on its face. What size/type is his plane, 4 - 6 - 8 seater? Just asking rhetorically.
- 1. Depending on configuration of plane, a pilot and/or passenger may have very limited view of objects on ground, w objects too far away to identify much. Not like (some) choppers, where passenger can hang head out window to look down. From some SAR chopper pix I've seen, the lookouts are harnessed to cantilever their bodies out those big openings, not like a tourist/sightseeing chopper. Sometimes 3 lookouts on each side.
- 2. Can his size/type plane fly as low as SAR choppers? Even low-flying choppers may stir/blow up so much dust, debris, dirt, limbs, pebbles, gravel, etc. that it impairs view.
-3. Can his size/type plane fly as slowly as SAR choppers?

OTOH, if RT/other pilot & other volunteer(s) want to try, could it hurt anything? IDK.
So @cazador, keep building your drone piloting skills. jmo.

Hi al66pine
You always have such interesting posts..
I think he has or had a Bonanza. It is a low wing so limited vision and it is fast as single engine planes go.
Still you are flying over desert with very limited aircraft in the area. He could cover a lot of ground and early on when SAR quit..
He could be checked out in all kinds of aircraft for all we know. He is a certified mechanic also.
But as an ex pilot myself.. I know what I can see And If SAR quit I would have done that.. She could have been laying down in plain sight and they just missed her..
They do miss at times.. Searching is a hard job.
It happens.. We currently have a missing man close to where I work. His name is Paul Farmer. Very populated area and the man has been missing 19 days with hundreds of people looking for him. They have creditable sightings, even video of him walking on hiway 92. He has memory issues and takes meds for high blood preasure..
They have not found him yet..

Really good points I’ve wondeted myself.

Is it allowed to fly over the area he claims she went missing?

I do wonder what his flight olanscdiring that time frame, or any for that matter, would show?

How many times has he been back to the area to search on foot?

 

[10ofRods]

<modsnip: referenced post was removed> RT has distant or brittle relationships with Barbara’s son and, now, with Barbara’s family in Hong Kong.

I would argue that there is a lack of friends rallying around him to help find Barbara (obviously, the local communities and their networks would be crucial in turning up leads if in fact anyone in Vegas is involved, or in finding her body if she’s still in the desert or in keeping her story in the news). Early on, his daughter gives a brief interview to someone (footage used by the LV station) but she doesn’t seem to be continuing in a public role here.

There can be many reasons for this, but RT’s one main relationship seems to be Barbara. To outsiders, they have appeared as a loving couple with many shared interests. They had get togethers with his daughter and her family, as we see in the pictures.

 

[cazador]

The lack of family support..
We know what the son thinks..
There must be 2 step daughters ,,,
The media mentions Tracy giving her opinion agreeing with RT about the abduction theory..
But there is another one claiming that BT is her children's Grandmother..
and we know what our VI thinks..
But there does not appear to be any friends supporting RT or looking for BT

 

[Penny4YourThoughts]

The lack of family support..
We know what the son thinks..
There must be 2 step daughters ,,,
The media mentions Tracy giving her opinion agreeing with RT about the abduction theory..
But there is another one claiming that BT is her children's Grandmother..
and we know what our VI thinks..
But there does not appear to be any friends supporting RT or looking for BT

^^THIS^^ the silence from friends!
Does anyone recall:
were the reported searches all conducted by LE or were untrained public included too?

 

[LAhiker]

^^THIS^^ the silence from friends!
Does anyone recall:
were the reported searches all conducted by LE or were untrained public included too?

It was all LE and SAR. Did not include the untrained public. JMO

 

[kay74]

<modsnip> RT has distant or brittle relationships with Barbara’s son and, now, with Barbara’s family in Hong Kong.

I would argue that there is a lack of friends rallying around him to help find Barbara (obviously, the local communities and their networks would be crucial in turning up leads if in fact anyone in Vegas is involved, or in finding her body if she’s still in the desert or in keeping her story in the news). Early on, his daughter gives a brief interview to someone (footage used by the LV station) but she doesn’t seem to be continuing in a public role here.

There can be many reasons for this, but RT’s one main relationship seems to be Barbara. To outsiders, they have appeared as a loving couple with many shared interests. They had get togethers with his daughter and her family, as we see in the pictures.

Some posts back, it was said the Barbara consider either RT's daughter or sister or both, her best friend.

 

[NervousNellie]

^^THIS^^ the silence from friends!
Does anyone recall:
were the reported searches all conducted by LE or were untrained public included too?

Because we haven’t heard from their friends does not mean they are silent. Robert and Barbara’s friends would be in their 70’s, I assume, and are not likely to be media or social media savvy, IMO. At least based on their (RT/BT) lack of social media presence, IMO. How would we “hear” them? Has media been knocking on doors to publicize friends’ thoughts?

 

[LietKynes]

Some posts back, it was said the Barbara consider either RT's daughter or sister or both, her best friend.

Wonder if that's still the case ?

 

[10ofRods]

SBMFF

They are retired. They were not working within a restricted time frame.
Driving a 5th wheel of that size means that they were not travelling at any speed, probably not even the speed limit.

I do believe they did take a short walk prior, came back and ate a lunch/brunch, then decided to take another leisurely walk.
They are experienced, so I suspect they were well hydrated prior to their walk/hike.
I believe not only are there pictures of her but remnants of their lunch. (plates, glasses,utensils).

What has not been taken into account is that most will stop, rest a few minutes, re-hydrate, perhaps have an energy bar?
I suspect they did once or twice. It would of been at one of these stops were she could of requested her travel mug while she was looking around.

When two individuals have different interests, BT looking for driftwood/rocks, and RT taking pictures, they could of potentially been a distance apart, but still within a comfortable talking/shouting range.

Many have felt she was dehydrated prior to returning and I disagree. I am going on the premise she was in fact quite hydrated.
BT appears fit and could conceivably travell quite a distance. I would not be surprised if she is outside the search area, or the perimeter.

I agree with you. I’ve also been wondering if perhaps RT was confused about how close they were to the RV. If they really walked a mile out and especially if they also climbed to the top of anything, they might have been further away from the truck than he supposed. It would not be the first time that people got confused about where exactly they were in the Mojave, it happens many times a year. Then, instead of Barbara having an easy walk back to safety, she would have had a longer walk (with more possibilities of taking a wrong trail). In fact, had she decided to walk back to RT for any reason, she might have become even more off track. If she then decided to climb something to get her bearings, that took more time and energy (and must be what LE was thinking when they spent so much time on Day 8 at the boulders).

Because we haven’t heard from their friends does not mean they are silent. Robert and Barbara’s friends would be in their 70’s, I assume, and are not likely to be media or social media savvy, IMO. At least based on their (RT/BT) lack of social media presence, IMO. How would we “hear” them? Has media been knocking on doors to publicize friends’ thoughts?

Their friends needn’t all be the same age! I don’t know anyone who has only friends their own age. Neighbors could be friends or at least friendly. There are locals who have tried to use facebook to find anyone who is friends with the Thomases, but with little luck (that’s two different FB groups that I know about).

The kind of friends I am speaking about are the ones who get together and organize events, set up a for reward money, go out to the site and have vigils, etc. They don’t have to be close. They can be children of friends.

Media has not be doing anything at all, but many people who have learned about this case through the Missing in California project or from the FB page dedicated to this case have tried.

I do have the name of one person who has known Barbara for at least 20 years (and is apparently near her age) but haven’t been able to track her down.

In my own hometown, friends of friends helped with a massive missing persons search about 7 years ago, and that snowballed into a lot of community awareness. If someone goes missing where I live, that’s typical. All it takes is one or two people to contact clubs or churches and until the person is found, there are events. Fliers given out at ordinary pancake breakfasts, fliers in coffee shops, fliers in convenience store windows, all of that.

The only group I know who is doing fliers is the one organized from this forum. I’ll ask the one reporter who does answer email whether he’s seen anything at all since the last time we corresponded, but I do believe he’d report if any community effort was being made.

 

[Deleted member 39678]

I agree with you. I’ve also been wondering if perhaps RT was confused about how close they were to the RV. If they really walked a mile out and especially if they also climbed to the top of anything, they might have been further away from the truck than he supposed. It would not be the first time that people got confused about where exactly they were in the Mojave, it happens many times a year. Then, instead of Barbara having an easy walk back to safety, she would have had a longer walk (with more possibilities of taking a wrong trail). In fact, had she decided to walk back to RT for any reason, she might have become even more off track. If she then decided to climb something to get her bearings, that took more time and energy (and must be what LE was thinking when they spent so much time on Day 8 at the boulders).



Their friends needn’t all be the same age! I don’t know anyone who has only friends their own age. Neighbors could be friends or at least friendly. There are locals who have tried to use facebook to find anyone who is friends with the Thomases, but with little luck (that’s two different FB groups that I know about).

The kind of friends I am speaking about are the ones who get together and organize events, set up a *** for reward money, go out to the site and have vigils, etc. They don’t have to be close. They can be children of friends.

Media has not be doing anything at all, but many people who have learned about this case through the Missing in California project or from the FB page dedicated to this case have tried.

I do have the name of one person who has known Barbara for at least 20 years (and is apparently near her age) but haven’t been able to track her down.

In my own hometown, friends of friends helped with a massive missing persons search about 7 years ago, and that snowballed into a lot of community awareness. If someone goes missing where I live, that’s typical. All it takes is one or two people to contact clubs or churches and until the person is found, there are events. Fliers given out at ordinary pancake breakfasts, fliers in coffee shops, fliers in convenience store windows, all of that.

The only group I know who is doing fliers is the one organized from this forum. I’ll ask the one reporter who does answer email whether he’s seen anything at all since the last time we corresponded, but I do believe he’d report if any community effort was being made.

If you search social media for friends of myself you will not find any.

 

[10ofRods]

If you search social media for friends of myself you will not find any.

But if you went missing, would there be anyone local to you who would organize fliers?

If not (and if that’s the case for Barbara and Rob), it’s entirely possible. They’ve lived in that neighborhood for almost 10 years. There would be people in my neighborhood who would help my SO put up fliers, for sure. Friendly neighbors. They aren’t “good friends” but they are friends of a sort. We know their first names, we wave. Beyond that, there would be other people in my community who would be friendly enough to put up fliers and to contact local media. Always helps a newspaper/station decide to do more if its actual subscribers are writing in.

 

[Deleted member 39678]

But if you went missing, would there be anyone local to you who would organize fliers?

If not (and if that’s the case for Barbara and Rob), it’s entirely possible. They’ve lived in that neighborhood for almost 10 years. There would be people in my neighborhood who would help my SO put up fliers, for sure. Friendly neighbors. They aren’t “good friends” but they are friends of a sort. We know their first names, we wave. Beyond that, there would be other people in my community who would be friendly enough to put up fliers and to contact local media. Always helps a newspaper/station decide to do more if its actual subscribers are writing in.

I have no idea if my neighbors would do anything or not if I went missing.

 

[MassGuy]

I would care about alarming people. I have explained my position clearly in my posts.

As for the son, others have addressed the possibility of estrangement. I don't want to say any more about him, except that there may be understandable reasons why RT might not have wanted to speak to him.

I have also said previously that the abduction theory was probably just clutching at straws, and I don't think RT really believed in it then or now.

RT was confident enough to take to the media with this “abduction” scenario. All things being equal, I don’t see how he could be “grasping at straws” here.

She’s either missing, or he knows something we don’t.

As for the “estrangement” thing, I do agree that’s quite likely. At the same time, it doesn’t matter at all.

This is life or death, and most people would take into account their missing wife’s wishes. He didn’t have to make that phone call, he could have had someone else do it, to include law enforcement.

Shame he apparently gave them the wrong number.