CA CA - Bob Harrod, 81, Orange County, 27 July 2009 - #13

[zwiebel]

Thank you Cubby. I thought it had gone missing. It's very strange. I suppose it's gone to join all the comments under articles. At least the majority of the articles haven't disappeared, anyway.

 

[zwiebel]

Does this mean that the only TV interviews available for viewing now are with Mrs Harrod? I'm not complaining about her role, she's done wonderful work. But it just seems inexplicable to me that none of Bob's other close family members - daughters, son-in-law, only grandchild - don't seem to have any media presence at all, on Bob's behalf.

 

[zwiebel]

Apart from JuM's early interview in 2009 that has now disappeared, the only person who seems to have spoken to the media at all seems to be RB. If the family are afraid of being unfairly represented, or the media aren't interested, I can't understand why they haven't taken the opportunity to fill Bob's missing persons fbp with everything they want to say. What is going on? Where are people supposed to go if they want to find out what Bob's family think, or what help or information they need in finding him?

It's extremely frustrating, if you ask me. Viewers of 'Disappeared' are going to find it the same, imo.

 

[GrainneDhu]

Apart from JuM's early interview in 2009 that has now disappeared, the only person who seems to have spoken to the media at all seems to be RB. If the family are afraid of being unfairly represented, or the media aren't interested, I can't understand why they haven't taken the opportunity to fill Bob's missing persons fbp with everything they want to say. What is going on? Where are people supposed to go if they want to find out what Bob's family think, or what help or information they need in finding him?

It's extremely frustrating, if you ask me. Viewers of 'Disappeared' are going to find it the same, imo.

Meh. It is what it is.

All we can do is supply factual, well supported information to anyone who cares to ask. Keeping Bob's thread going will help keep it high in Google results.

So far as Bob's family is concerned, I seriously doubt they want any help in finding him. They'd no doubt be overjoyed to support a search centred on New York City before they'd actually assist any local effort.

 

[zwiebel]

Agreed. As for New York; the moment PPD say they are turning their search in that direction, I think we should all start looking there. Until then, I guess it's best to follow their example and confine ourselves to this particular part of California.

MSM information is available out there of course and I suppose I just have to accept it has to be searched for - and that the family fbp is not the best source for any information or links. I still think it's a loss for Bob though, that all those facebookers could be drawn to Bob's case. Never mind, Seajay's helping to spread the word there and you never know, sometimes these things catch on like wildfire!

I just found the oddest link on a mp forum actually. It seemed to be a thread about a missing woman and rented condos built by very large property development companies. Nothing at all to do with Bpob's case, as far as I could see, but someone had pasted cloudajo's name and number of posts here on Bob's thread, at the top of a post. No other mention of Bob, no link here and no connection, as far as I could see. Strange. I managed to click off it and can't find it again, so now I'm thinking I was seeing things.

 

[zwiebel]

I've found it again. The mention of Bob and cloudajo is at the top of reply number 27, by Dan. I can't see any connection to Bob's case though, at all.

Here's the link, if it's not allowed please let me know someone, or alert a mod if I'm not around to edit:

ETA: edited myself because it's all referring to the Jennifer Kesse case, which is here. And on that I can see modsnips which don't allow mentions of a certain site. I'm guessing it's this one. I don't think there can be any link to Bob's case anyway, as believe09 or Cubby would have spotted it; they're on Jennifer's case. How confusing.

 

[Cubby]

Here's one video, but it is not the missing video....

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/orange_county&id=6940283

 

[cloudajo]

Here's one video, but it is not the missing video....

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/orange_county&id=6940283

Thanks. Watch JuM's facial expressions starting at 2:20.

 

[zwiebel]

It looks like part of that video wrongly labels daughter as Fontelle at one point?

What a total nightmare that 'welcoming' must have been for Mrs Harrod. Surrounded by near strangers and press and with little idea of what was going on and not knowing who she could turn to. Then to have the people who greeted her with hugs and helping arms soon telling her she had no right to stay in Bob's home.

She looked a little frail in that video herself. I really don't know how she has coped. She must be very brave. Maybe it's the Kansas character, maybe a supportive family. I can't believe that getting on for four years later she's still right there, defending Bob's corner. I just find it so moving. If anybody deserved their happy, fairytale ending, it was Bob and Fontelle Harrod. I'm so sorry that they didn't get it.

He's got to be brought home to her soon. He's just got to be.

 

[zwiebel]

On Disappeared's Meet the Missing it now says 'Long Lost Love' on top of Bob's profile. Is it safe to assume that's going to be the final title of his show, does anyone know?

http://investigation.discovery.com/tv-shows/disappeared/meet-the-missing/bob-harrod.htm

 

[suzyq211]

Thanks. Watch JuM's facial expressions starting at 2:20.

Huh. Interesting.

 

[Seajay]

I wonder if any of Fontelle's family moved out to California to support her. That has to be very scary to come all the way out here, not know anyone, have this happen, have all the sharks circling her, having no one who wants to help her here and then not have someone of her own in her corner. I can't even imagine.

When you think of the tenacity and fortitude this classy lady has to have to stay, to stand up, to be heard, and to know what she meant to Bob and that her marriage, albeit short to Bob Harrod mattered. It seems even though they were apart for years, she knew her Bob and she knows that he would not want her to walk away and let them run roughshed over her. IMO

 

[zwiebel]

That video really helped me to see what Fontelle came home to. If that was my Mom, I'd have taken one look at all that and tried to make her come home. That wouldn't have been fighting Bob's corner, I know, but I'd have wanted her away from all that, until everything was 'resolved'.

I think we all know what the result of that would have been, if Mrs Harrod had done that. Thanks to her, Bob still has a home to come back to, and even if all his familiar things aren't there, she'll have made it comfortable. It cannot have been easy for her to stay in that house alone. Not only because of all the troubles and the reminders of her loss, but also the physical adjustment. California isn't Kansas. They're both beautiful places but I know how hard it is to adjust to a completely new environment even when you are used to moving about.

Amazing as it seems, it does look like Fontelle kept a candle burning for 59 years for her first love and would have gone anywhere, done almost anything, to be with him again. In that respect I suppose, it wouldn't have occured to her to let that candle flicker out after just another four years. Bob must have been a lovely man to earn such loyalty; not only from Fontelle but from his first wife too. What a space he's left in the world.

 

[zwiebel]

'Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.'

Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 3.

 

[GrainneDhu]

It looks like part of that video wrongly labels daughter as Fontelle at one point?

What a total nightmare that 'welcoming' must have been for Mrs Harrod. Surrounded by near strangers and press and with little idea of what was going on and not knowing who she could turn to. Then to have the people who greeted her with hugs and helping arms soon telling her she had no right to stay in Bob's home.

She looked a little frail in that video herself. I really don't know how she has coped. She must be very brave. Maybe it's the Kansas character, maybe a supportive family. I can't believe that getting on for four years later she's still right there, defending Bob's corner. I just find it so moving. If anybody deserved their happy, fairytale ending, it was Bob and Fontelle Harrod. I'm so sorry that they didn't get it.

He's got to be brought home to her soon. He's just got to be.

Meant gently: Fontelle and Bob were both from Missouri, not Kansas.

Even though the two states are next to each other on the map, they are very different in terrain and character.

Missouri is known as the "Show Me" state.

 

[GrainneDhu]

Thanks. Watch JuM's facial expressions starting at 2:20.

It looks to me like she's ever so slightly shaking her head 'no' while professing love for her father and appealing to him to come home.

What did you see?

 

[tlcya]

Thanks. Watch JuM's facial expressions starting at 2:20.

facial expressions make what is coming out of her mouth seem disingenious IMO

 

[zwiebel]

Meant gently: Fontelle and Bob were both from Missouri, not Kansas.

Even though the two states are next to each other on the map, they are very different in terrain and character.

Missouri is known as the "Show Me" state.

Thanks so much Grainne for your kindness. I've always used Missouri, but I swear I thought I heard that newscaster on the video say Kansas, so then I started thinking I'd made a mistake, or Kansas must be in Missouri. *Do you have to learn all the states by heart at school in the US? If so, direct me to the homework website!

Regardless of my ignorance, I got my idea of the character of Bob and Fontelle from the Missouri photographic archives. They certainly have some weather there. What struck me wasn't the pictures of flooded, ruined houses, hanging by a thread, but of the people rebuilding, with quiet determination. I'm scared of water and have experienced floods. I ran away from them as quickly as I could. I admire the tenacity of people who can stay and cope with them.

Here's the link where there are some lovely old photos. Including the one of a young Bob in the beard competition, I think.

http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/photo.asp

 

[zwiebel]

'I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me.'

Congressman William Duncan Vandiver.

I like his quote. It's good enough for me. Now I know what the 'show me' state means, although I'm still completely lost about a cocklebur.

IMO, this quote could really be applied to some people in this case. Just saying.

ETA: Adding the video link here again. Seems to fit somehow.
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/orange_county&id=6940283

 

[Seajay]

I think we all know what the result of that would have been, if Mrs Harrod had done that. Thanks to her, Bob still has a home to come back to, and even if all his familiar things aren't there, she'll have made it comfortable. It cannot have been easy for her to stay in that house alone. Not only because of all the troubles and the reminders of her loss, but also the physical adjustment. California isn't Kansas. They're both beautiful places but I know how hard it is to adjust to a completely new environment even when you are used to moving about.

RS&BBM: Can you imagine if Bob did return alive and well??? Can you imagine if he had amnesia all this time and was in a home or something and then his memory came back and he returned home??

Returned home to his home being ransacked by his family, returned home to his family trying to toss his beloved Fontelle out on the street, returned home to his daughters trying to take control of all his money and assets??? To have things that he loved being taken from him and having had them tell the courts they were their things all this time.

Boy have they acted from the beginning like they knew he was dead and was never coming back to have to face. Big red flag, hinky meter going crazy.