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

[Angelo]

I really would like to know if there was room for a vehicle in the garage the day Bob disappeared.

Watch this video. Shows the garage about 1:25 in.

81 Year Old Newlywed Vanishes in OC FOX 11 News myFOXla com - YouTube

 

[Angelo]

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

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

Here is the missing video.

"We're thinking maybe one, noon"


ktla com3 - YouTube

 

[zwiebel]

Thank you Angelo. Wish I'd inherited organisational skills like yours. It seems pretty clear there was no room for a vehicle, but also clear there was room for a person to get in and out, as there are three people there in the clip.

I can't say I find these videos easy to watch, but I am very glad they haven't disappeared.

I was under the impression I had seen an article back in 2010, about Bob, in the Pasadena Star. I'm not finding it now though. Anybody have any recollection of this one?

 

[GrainneDhu]

Watch this video. Shows the garage about 1:25 in.

81 Year Old Newlywed Vanishes in OC FOX 11 News myFOXla com - YouTube

The video does show that the garage was too full for another car but not too full to walk around in. I wish the PPD had gotten into the garage that night (and I bet they wish they had as well).

And again, JuM with her weird body language thing of making a positive assertion while shaking her head 'no'.

 

[zwiebel]

Am I right in thinking JuM never did any tv interviews after that day? That's a pity, imo. I know some families of the missing can find it impossible to face the cameras and that's understandable. JuM's siblings and spouse seem to have found it so. But from that video I do get the impression JuM is not ill at ease with the camera. Uneasy with the exact details of when her dad could have gone missing, yes, but that's something she could easily have clarified with her husband and the CL, and come back more confident and with better quality information. It would have been a good opportunity to put things right if she had felt that interview hadn't quite represented what she wanted to say.

After that, I think she would have been capable of getting hundreds of Placentia and mountain folk mobilised to help search, and generating a lot of publicity about it too. She is a dog owner I think, and I've found dog owners are generally walkers too, and often more than willing to come together with their fellow pet-owners in a good cause. The momentum in this case seems to have been lost at a crucial time, sadly and never quite regained.

I still find it amazing that halfway across the world, I can find out the exact brand of food Bob kept in his freezer, and when his dog died and who helped with the burial, but I can't find out what Bob was wearing the day he disappeared, or when. Not even to the nearest hour. I can't help thinking that Placentia PD releasing their information about the time might be helpful at this stage.

It's hard enough for people to wrack their brains for anything they might have seen on a certain day back in 2009; not having a confirmed description of clothing or time last seen or what vehicle/vehicles were supposed to be there/were suspicious, makes it doubly hard.

 

[believe09]

I still find it amazing that halfway across the world, I can find out the exact brand of food Bob kept in his freezer, and when his dog died and who helped with the burial, but I can't find out what Bob was wearing the day he disappeared

This sums things up very nicely I think.

 

[believe09]

The my fox LA video confirms that he did not have his glasses with him. So no glasses? No wonder it became clear this was foul play.

 

[zwiebel]

After all the faffing about how many pairs of specs Bob did or didn't have, I'm stunned to have it pointed out that an early news report clearly states he did not have them with him. And was legally blind. That was a cause for the greatest, immediate concern, I'd have thought.

 

[Oriah]

After all the faffing about how many pairs of specs Bob did or didn't have, I'm stunned to have it pointed out that an early news report clearly states he did not have them with him. And was legally blind. That was a cause for the greatest, immediate concern, I'd have thought.

Random- but- imvho, most folks who are blind or vision impaired in some other way- put on glasses as soon as they wake up. And since it's impossible to find your glasses or put in your contacts when you can't actually see them; most folks with vision impairment have glasses within reach. Especially when they go to sleep for the night.

I wonder if any of the glasses that Mr. Harrod had were damaged?

ETA: I wonder if his glasses can help with our timeline?

 

[zwiebel]

Oriah, I have a brilliant example of what happens when a person who is very shortsighted doesn't keep their glasses close at hand. In fact, I had three examples, but the other two are so badly damaged they've been thrown away.

The last pair I keep in the car, even though they only have one arm. I had to move the car to a car park today due to one of Mr Z's insane ideas, but decided it would be a great idea to tramp out in a foot or so of snow, in the pitch dark, with a dog and an ipad, to take a pic for you. Without my glasses, obviously. My internet connection had gone down so I wasn't busy.

I have a wet dog, an even wetter ipad, a frozen hand from trying (and not succeeding) to get the snow off the car so I could get in it....but I don't have the picture.

After all that I had an idea though. Wouldn't it be a simple idea to go through Bob's receipts? I'll eat my hat if he didn't keep receipts/maybe insurance claims for his glasses. Count the number of receipts, detract the number from the number of glasses in the house, and that should show if any are missing.

I've broken dozens of pairs of glasses. Only once was it the lens. Every other time an arm has broken off, or been so bent at the hinge they are uncomfortable to wear. It's easy to see when that's happened; hold them up sideways on, and you can see if one arm is really out of line. Even if the arm's pushed back into shape, the hinge usually has a crack or bend that is still obvious.

 

[zwiebel]

Here is the missing video.

"We're thinking maybe one, noon"


ktla com3 - YouTube

I hope these links are going to stick around; I hadn't seen that young, 'long and lanky' picture of Bob before, or that painting of Sassy hanging on his wall.

IMO, the most important part is Mrs Harrod though. I cannot be alone in thinking the confusion, the disbelief and sheer fear and concern for Bob are just written all over her face. And when she says 'We were just getting started again and he would not have left on his own', she means it. She knows.

I think these videos are hugely important. Thank you for keeping track of them.

 

[Cubby]

After all the faffing about how many pairs of specs Bob did or didn't have, I'm stunned to have it pointed out that an early news report clearly states he did not have them with him. And was legally blind. That was a cause for the greatest, immediate concern, I'd have thought.

If Bob's glasses were left behind, where are his key's and wallet? I wonder if they were left behind like the glasses? Or where they picked up by someone who happened to be in the house the day Mr. Harrod disappeared?

Let's not forget, Bob and his glasses were missing prior to the cleaning lady arriving to find no one answering when she knocked at the door.

Gently, it is Mrs. Harrod who is legally blind. Mr. Harrod was still able to drive as CA Exile noted when they went out, Bob always drove. And on that note, if Bob would not allow his best friend to drive, it's pretty unlikely he would have willlingly entered someone else's car. Not too many options on whose car Mr. Harrod may have entered unwillingly the day he disappeared. Especially prior to making his bed.

 

[believe09]

To the point Oriah raised, were Bob's glasses found in the house when the house was initially processed? Must have been.

That was an oops on someone's part. Tough to make it all look like a walk away when you leave behind something that important to a man. JMVHO. At least we can all agree he didnt spirit away on his own unless he had LASIK prior to leaving. It seems pretty obvious that LE would know if he had.

 

[believe09]

I hope these links are going to stick around; I hadn't seen that young, 'long and lanky' picture of Bob before, or that painting of Sassy hanging on his wall.

IMO, the most important part is Mrs Harrod though. I cannot be alone in thinking the confusion, the disbelief and sheer fear and concern for Bob are just written all over her face. And when she says 'We were just getting started again and he would not have left on his own', she means it. She knows.

I think these videos are hugely important. Thank you for keeping track of them.

BBM and ditto. Did anyone put them on the media links thread??

 

[Cubby]

What happened to the linens that were on Bob's bed the morning of his disappearance? Were they still there on the bed when JuM changed the linens the day following Mr. Harrod's disappearance? If so, did she turn them over to LE? If not, is it possible Mr. Harrod was carried out in the linens he had on his bed the morning of his disappearance, and that is the reason daughter JuM had to change the linens?

 

[zwiebel]

BBM, respectfully snipped

Gently, it is Mrs. Harrod who is legally blind. Mr. Harrod was still able to drive as CA Exile noted when they went out, Bob always drove. And on that note, if Bob would not allow his best friend to drive, it's pretty unlikely he would have willlingly entered someone else's car. Not too many options on whose car Mr. Harrod may have entered unwillingly the day he disappeared. Especially prior to making his bed.

Thank you for being gentle. I'm going to return the kindness by coming back and questioning now! On the Fox11 video I definitely think I hear the presenter say 'His family says he was legally blind." I wrote it down because I thought that was so important.
Can someone else have a listen in case my ears are still stuffed up with snow?

 

[zwiebel]

To the point Oriah raised, were Bob's glasses found in the house when the house was initially processed? Must have been.

That was an oops on someone's part. Tough to make it all look like a walk away when you leave behind something that important to a man. JMVHO. At least we can all agree he didnt spirit away on his own unless he had LASIK prior to leaving. It seems pretty obvious that LE would know if he had.

They were sitting on the kitchen table. Where the phone was kept. Not too far away from the bookshelf containing all the white hats. One of which he was supposed to be wearing but you can't quite see in the video if there is an obvious space.

I'm beyond caring about family speculation about how many pairs he had anyway - glasses sitting on the kitchen table, near to the phone where you might take notes and mail waiting to be opened and read......they are the ones he was using, if you ask me. I don't think he took his glasses with him.

 

[Cubby]

BBM, respectfully snipped



Thank you for being gentle. I'm going to return the kindness by coming back and questioning now! On the Fox11 video I definitely think I hear the presenter say 'His family says he was legally blind." I wrote it down because I thought that was so important.
Can someone else have a listen in case my ears are still stuffed up with snow?

Oh, thank you, zwiebel. I have no sound on my computer so I can't listen. Though, I think I can listen to the video's on the wii, so will try that later this evening. You very well may have heard someone say his family says he was legally blind.

 

[zwiebel]

I have sound on my computer but it takes an hour to do anything because somebody decided it would be a good idea to install leftover Russian security systems on it (what for?). I've moaned so much Mr Z's giving me his now. Maybe my sound and your silence should get together Cubby? We might get a fully functioning, normal computer if we try!

 

[zwiebel]

Okay, I've forgotten all my shorthand but what I have 'Al' of Fox11 news saying is this:

'His family said he's legally blind and his bad knees kept him from walking too far'.

If this is true and it was Bob's daughters who gave this information then I have to apologise to them for thinking they had not told LE about the knees (I'm not apologising to AH though because he could have told LE the night before, but it's not in the report).

It also raises a question though. If Bob was blind and unable to walk properly, what line of investigation were LE following when they thought he might have left voluntarily, without his car or glasses?

This also raises questions about whether Bob should have been driving, I know. I'm not going to speculate. Let LE discuss that with him, if and when he returns. Me and Mr Z's Grandad gave up driving voluntarily at the exact same age. He had been LE though. It was still a wrench.