CA CA - Bob Harrod, 81, Orange County, 27 July 2009 - #15

[zwiebel]

On the Tim Bosman thread, sleuthers got lots of useful info from aviation forums. They cracked the suspect's username, who was a pilot. He had used the same name, and minor variations of it, all over the place.

 

[deca]

I agree on the 90 min drive (for now). Most likely.

Not ruling out the possibility of Bob being hidden in the garage, or someplace else the CL wouldn't go (upstairs closet??) and moved after the CL left and before the calls to LE were made. Then the search would have to be much broader (3 hour?).

 

[zwiebel]

I wonder if we could take into account the 'comfort zone'? By that I mean the places possible suspects would have known and be comfortable with. I think often, they will travel just outside their 'comfort zone', to divert suspicion. I have seen posts indicating the 'comfort zone' usually extends for about a mile around the suspect's home.

I guess if the suspect had lived in a few homes, they would have a few comfort zones.

We don't have an official suspect in this case, but I still think a map might be doable with a litttle ingenuity.

 

[zwiebel]

No, I have got that wrong. The comfort zone stretches between the home of the suspect and the place where the crime took place. And any location where a victim is placed will often be at least a mile away from the suspect's home.

I am confusing myself now. There is a thread here where someone explains it a whole lot better than me. I will try and find it.

 

[MaryNo]

I wonder in what context the "getting a lot of calls that morning" came into the conversation. I know this is really silly to focus on, but so much of this convo with Paula, as related by Paula, seems contrived. This phone call bothers me to no end!

But, yes, I agree, it would be great to know what time the calls began to go unanswered. Paula's "convo" leads us to believe that all was well in the morning (even though, Bob didn't make his bed), and therefore, most of those should have gotten a "howdy doo". Though, without seeing the records, some might have us believe that there were no calls to, or from, Bob's house until the welfare check.

Also unanswered, is mail delivery time. Not accounting for anomalies, what time was regular mail delivery, and was Bob's mail on the table when people came to look for Bob? Did the carrier notice anything unusual?

Timeline ponderings go on and on in this case.

Didn't PB say her dad was getting a lot of calls that morning? I assume then, that he probably missed several calls that morning after he 'went missing'.

I'd think LE would have records of whomever was trying to call Bob and didn't get an answer. I'm sure it has helped with their timeline.

 

[Laughing]

This 'Arrival/Departure at Fullerton airport video, with pilot Andrew Harrod in a brand new Cessna plane, could that be Bob's grandson, AH?
I wish they could attach Bob's missing flyer to it somehow. I wonder who owned the plane? I bet they are expensive, aren't they?

http://shelf3d.com/Search/IFR+Flying+Videos+PlayListIDPL06136BC569BF6232

BBM

Zwei, airplanes are like sooo many other things. The initial expense is only part of the equation. Upkeep on an airplane runs from engine(s) to tires to radio$. Good radios and avionics are pricey, but let you take flights in weather like this video shows.

This type of airplane can be rented by the hour at most airports in the US. Either of the people in the plane may have rented it for a couple hours. In the US, licensed pilots must fly a certain number of hours each month to keep their license current. The pilot's log book is marked by airport officials after flights.

There are bound to be some light plane pilots on WebSleuths with more complete information.

I'm not a pilot, but my Daddy is. When I was about 10, I was sometimes referred to as AutoPilot since I flew the plane while he checked maps & charts & adjusted radio frequencies.

:seeya:

 

[zwiebel]

I love that. A 10-year-old autopilot. I've a good mind to send it to Mr Z who has to take a flight soon and is a very nervous flyer!

I think I have a link somewhere or other that shows AH being the owner of the Cessna. Any idea what one would have cost to buy, and the yearly maintenance costs, say around 2008?

My brother is a pilot too - went to CA to get his licence because it was so much quicker there. I don't know if he is a good one though - I like to keep my feet firmly on the ground, even if it is pretty soggy at the moment!

 

[deca]

just like a car, a cessna can run from $10k to over $200k based on the model, year, "miles" etc. I am not sure what model he has.

If he owns and does not rent, I know hangers in southern california can easily be $1000 a month-- although he could tie down outside for lower cost.


It is an expensive hobby. I am pilot's daughter myself.

If you rent a plane, it can be somewhere like $85/hour. Probably more because my cost is a few years old.

 

[zwiebel]

Thanks deca. I'm glad Mr Z hasn't picked up expensive hobbies like that. I shall never complain about his cricket obsession again (probably).

I really am getting a picture of AH as a striver and man of action. Someone willing to go after what he wants.

I don't understand why he hasn't done more to find his grandfather.

 

[zwiebel]

I've been thinking of all the things we could have done, if we had ever had access to a friend with a plane in California.

Asked them to carry out air searches when we realised Bob was not coming back
Asked them to fly with a ribbon trailing Bob's name
Asked them to ask other pilots to look out for signs of disturbance on the ground, that Oriah could describe for them
Asked them to take pictures of relevant areas, for close study

There are loads of things I can think of. I wonder if AH has done any of them?

 

[Opie]

Two comments on your last post.
1. You have lots of good ideas.
2. I highly doubt it.

So sad that strangers are working so hard to find this man and there's no obvious evidence that his family has done so.

JMO, IMO, MOO and all that.

 

[zwiebel]

I know, and the saddest thing is they don't really have to do anything physical, because the most important thing needed to find Bob is information. If only son-in-law had provided public details about the precise time/circumstances of Bob's disappearance, and daughters had worked to try and establish firmer details of what Bob was wearing, it would have been so helpful.

If daughters had co-operated with Bob's neighbour too, rather than threatening him, I am sure more information about Bob would be available as well. The only 'firm' information daughters have provided seems to have been changeable at best, downright misleading at worst.

I know it is all quite obvious, but I still find it hard to accept they have done that, and yet are still brazen enough to claim they want to find their father and have done all they can.

 

[zwiebel]

Any chance we could make a checklist of the questions we would really like family to answer, to help find Bob? You never know, we might get a response. If we only get one question each, mine would be to JeM;

What were the repairs you were supposed to carry out that day?

I would love to hear any other questions, and I'll make a list if we get enough.

 

[deca]

Oh, great- you want me to narrow it down to ONE question??
I would actually like to ask some questions of the CL about the house, attitude of Jm, etc.

But I guess I would ask the family....IDK...I just can't see them giving a straight answer!

 

[Cubby]

My question to JeM would be:
Where were you between 10:00am and 12:30pm the day Bob disappeared?

Though, I don't believe I'd ever get to ask JeM, nor do I believe he'd offer an answer.

 

[zwiebel]

Oh, great- you want me to narrow it down to ONE question??
I would actually like to ask some questions of the CL about the house, attitude of Jm, etc.

But I guess I would ask the family....IDK...I just can't see them giving a straight answer!

That's not a question deca, it's an answer! Try again, pretty please....

 

[deca]

I guess I would ask a two part question (yes I am cheating). I don't think this would be a case-maker, but I am curious none-the-less.

1. Who called Bob that morning (since he had been on phone all morning answering calls willy-nilly)? And were the calls that morning a continuation of the previous night's argument?

Another one:
1. Where do you all work and where are your time sheets for that day.

 

[zwiebel]

That's not cheating, it's creative answering!

 

[believe09]

That is VERY important, isn't it? The fact that Bob asked PB to trace Fontelle long before she contacted him? That absolutely puts to bed all those 'out there' theories about Fontelle somehow finding out Bob was wealthy and tracking him down and convincing Bob they were once engaged when really he didn't know her etc, etc.

Respectfully snipped and bolded by me. Clearly she was closer to him than any of her siblings-he asked her to take care of something so personal and intimate.

I wonder what other secrets she with held from her family members about her father's life? I assume this I guess because there was such a hue and cry about Mrs Harrod contacting Bob out of the blue and there were implications she had the wrong Bob Harrod yada yada....clearly PB knew better.

Interesting.

 

[sreshowtime]

do I have this straight more or less-
JeM is there doing stuff and in & out to HD, blah blah, at some point Mr. H is mysteriously not there

Housekeeper comes, JeM surprised to find her there & let's her in

Mr.H isn't there during what supposed time frame that was

Then apparently JeM leaves at some point, still no Mr. H

Housekeeper leaves, still no Mr. H
( not quite certain who left first, but anywhoo...)

...SO Jem did what? Shrugs, leaves and doesn't wonder where Mr, H is all this time?

SO, at some point after JeM departs....calls to Mr. H aren't being answered
(like who all is trying to call Mr. H that 'evening'? besides Fontelle?)

Were there no incoming calls all during the time the housekeeper and JeM were there? And the evening suddenly becomes a hotbed of calling?

Why didn't AH trot his happy self over there to check on Mr. H? Why call the police, and MEET them there? He had a key, didn't he??
whose brilliant idea was that to do?

If they were all 'worried' daddy was getting 'forgetful' then why would a family member leave without ascertaining his whereabouts before departing the residence?

you don't have to answer I am just venting I suppose, thinking about the time frame

Police were there that night for the welfare check- but when was the NEXT time LE was in that house???