CA CA - Bob Harrod, 81, Orange County, 27 July 2009 - #17

[zwiebel]

There was me wishing something, anything, would shed a little light on Bob's case and...

"A bright streak observed flashing across the Southland sky Wednesday evening was believed to be an especially bright meteor..."

http://www.sbsun.com/science/201311...a-believed-part-of-south-taurid-meteor-shower

"Meteor sightings in their thousands across the US"
http://intellihub.com/2013/09/30/meteor-sightings-1000s-across-u-s/

In ancient times, people believed they were a portent of things to come.

I'm like the professor talking about the ones in Russia though:
"It's just a coincidence. Coincidences happen."
http://www.themorningsun.com/article/20130216/NEWS01/130219754&template=printart

Just coincidence, after all, is what Bob's daughter says his disappearance is all about.

 

[zwiebel]

Good morning Mr Harrod. We are still here, keeping an eye open for you.

The people who should have searched for you have failed you and let you down. But there are sadly many other people still disappearing in SoCal. Desperate searches are being carried out for them - some right now. Those people's misfortune is your good luck. Those searches might help locate you too.

The answer to the question, 'Who is searching for Bob Harrod?' is strangers. And they may not even know they're doing it. It doesn't matter. If they find you, they'll say. I look forward to the day Bob's trust conservators hand over the $50,000 reward.

 

[Oriah]

tap tap Zwie ....drink WATER the day before lol...not just drink...sorry I am half giddy, & overwhelmed here
rather be map staring

Sre! We've been terribly absent as of late. It is so busy.
thank you for the reminder to everyone to drink water.

Today's SAR advice: everyone drink water! Even if not thirsty. Just enough, so that one remembers they have drank a full glass of water in the last 4-6 hrs. It's good for you! And one never knows when they might become lost, missing, or just out for a walk- and become ill or injured and in need of hydration.
Hot climates or cold- dense moisture or desert dry- young, old, ill... we all dehydrate rapidly (albeit in different ways.) So drink water, just in case you find yourself in a bad situation. :seeya:

I really hope Mr. Harrod, who's physical condition was already stressed by age, body mass, joint disease- was not deprived of water. Ever.

 

[Oriah]

Good morning Mr Harrod. We are still here, keeping an eye open for you.

The people who should have searched for you have failed you and let you down. But there are sadly many other people still disappearing in SoCal. Desperate searches are being carried out for them - some right now. Those people's misfortune is your good luck. Those searches might help locate you too.

The answer to the question, 'Who is searching for Bob Harrod?' is strangers. And they may not even know they're doing it. It doesn't matter. If they find you, they'll say. I look forward to the day Bob's trust conservators hand over the $50,000 reward.

That $50,000 reward. Does anyone know which specific financial institution was/is holding that in trust?

 

[Oriah]

You may laugh. I don't think I have ever consumed a glass of just water in my entire life. Does it really come without tea?

Yes! (But tea is ok, too. )

 

[zwiebel]

'Harrod's family' in this article.
http://www.ocregister.com/news/harrod-313939-disappearance-reward.html

'Reward by the Harrod Family Trust' here.
http://www.rewardstv.net/missing-persons/50000-missing-person-reward-4/#more-703

Explanation here, summary seemingto be it is only an offer UNTIL someone performs or partially performs the required task, at which point it becomes a contract between the parties offering the reward and the parties claiming it.
The reward can be withdrawn after a 'reasonable' time, but it must be done in the same manner (ie with same amount of publicity) as it was made. I hope it gets no media coverage if it ever is withdrawn, then any finder of Bob could still try to claim it.
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/reward

I guess the same financial institution/person/organization holding the Trust assets is also holding the reward money, hopefully in a special, set aside account. I don't think who/what that is has ever been mentioned here, and I can't imagine it will be revealed. Well, not until Bob is located anyway, when I am sure a lot of information about what has happened to his fortune will be revealed.

In other words, I don't know Oriah.

 

[Oriah]

Thank you, Z. I don't know what to make of that. Perhaps it's a discussion worth having?

The money for the reward for locating Mr. Harrod is likely floating somewhere in some US based financial institiution(s)? That institution (whom/whoever they are) is responsible for those finances, I would think. Who opened that account, and on what date? Was it someone with the legal last name of Harrod?

Oh, the questions.

ETA, I should have added, what is the interest in the reward? If it's not for family- and not for SAR? Are they looking for a bounty hunter? and if so- why?

 

[travelbug]

IMHO it would not have behooved Mr. H's new wife, et al, to disappear Mr. H....at THAT point in time.... Pure speculation on my part, now IF they wanted to, they would have waited until the new Mrs. was securely enthroned in her new status.......physically and completely legally bequeathed any and all things Mr. H could have had mind to 'set her up' with.KWIM?
Now the barber lady....I those monies was discussed in court and apparently was determined to be gifted... for whatever reason Mr. H chose...

Now when it comes to family and business...and the 'loaning' of monies for whatever purpose. IMHO any good business man, and I think it has been determined that Mr. H is, isn't going to shell out boat loads of money to family, because in part tax laws probably come in to play.... and he may have been trying to teach a lesson in economics. IMO family is sometimes more apt to assume loans can be forgiven on a whim, so having a paper trail is important, because family can get just as ugly as strangers, in the money department. Ya know? It was one thing for my daddy to slip me a wad of benjies, for some mad money, but those few times it was 4 digits or more, had a promissory note attached...
Boils down it was Mr. H's money and he could do what he wanted....

I believe, in spite of what his family likes to infer, that Bob liked to help his family members financially in ways that the gift could not easily be squandered. He provided them with houses to live in, cars to drive and mortgage loans. He was an astute businessman and financially conservative. Over the years he was able to assess the financial habits of his children and undoubtedly determined that if he actually gave them cash it would not be spent in a wise and prudent manner so he "gifted" them via fixed assets. Unfortunately, his children considered him a mean tightwad because they were not handed cash gifts. He probably hoped they would grown wiser with age, but they just grew bitter. JMHO

 

[zwiebel]

Gosh, I have my own opinions about why the reward was offered. It's really only opinion though, for what that's worth.

I think Bob's blood relatives were feeling the pressure of having done very little to find him for so long, and wanted the world to see they were doing the right thing.

I think they might also have had an eye on a future declaration of Bob's death, and the requirement to have taken 'all reasonable steps' to locate him.

I think they saw an opportunity to mount a very public but underhand attack on Mrs Harrod and her family. A really venomous one that has a female touch, if you ask me. Although it backfired, because some people presumed it was aimed at their own family, I think the 'family excluded from claiming' clause in the reward, had a dark purpose. It also details why no-one should profit from a crime, after all. I think that was intended to get people thinking Mrs Harrod and her family may have had something to do with Bob's disappearance, for the purposes of profiting from his estate. This may have had a little success, because thanks to a lot of none/misinformation, I think some people did not realize Mrs Harrod had not been written into Bob's will or had any financial provisions for her future arranged, when he disappeared.

I think the only purpose they clearly did not intend the reward to achieve was eliciting any information to locate Bob. Let's face it, having any disclaimer on a missing person's reward suggests that those offering it are prepared to sacrifice a possible location for the sake of not paying someone they don't care to. It also discourages the public who may be interested in getting a reward, as it makes it seem a bit iffy - as though there may be problems actually collecting.

There is also one daughter saying the Private Investigator hired was only paid to report 'general milestones'. That's a very cost-effective service, I'm sure, but the PI's number was on the reward poster, for any tips - how would the service family paid for cover all the work involved in taking telephone tips and then following them up, with all that involves?

I am not criticising the PI Agency here, I'm sure they did the best they could, under the circumstances and the conditions they were given.

I am sure, if anyone does come forward with information, there are plenty of people prepared to give them all the help in the world, in claiming that reward, if necessary.

 

[zwiebel]

Welcome, travelbug! It's lovely to see you have chosen your first post for Bob's thread!

 

[travelbug]

We know Bob liked to donate, and we know he told officials following up elder abuse allegations that he was not being exploited. In fact, if what his daughter wrote was true, Bob was very angry about this.

It seems pretty certain he gifted money of his own free will, when he wanted to. On a whim? When he felt someone really needed it? Or when he felt there was little chance of the person being able to repay it, and so gifting or not giving money at all were the only options?

I completely agree with this. My family and I are from the Midwest, just like Bob, and my dear father handled his finances in precisely this way. His parents were sharecroppers and he worked in the fields from the age of 8 to help supply his family with food. Many times he was ridiculed because he had to go to school barefoot. He decided, quite young, that he would work hard to make a better future for himself. He struggled for a long time, but during the 1940's he patented some of his mechanical concepts and began to experience some success. When he passed, at age 97, he still had 37 active patents in use. We were a very large family and he NEVER would give us money, however he would loan us money if we could prove it was a necessity (health problems, etc.) and we always signed a loan agreement and make prompt and regular payments. My father was a stern parent, an astute businessman and also one of the most kindhearted people I've ever known. He had tremendous empathy for the downtrodden and destitute, because he had been there. He was incredibly generous with people who were struggling, giving a $20 tip to the waitress in a diner for a $5 breakfast or paying the medical expenses of his employees without them knowing. BUT, and this is where I can understand Bob, he always felt his duty and obligation to his children was to teach them that you don't get something for nothing. You have to earn your way in life and tend to the needs of those less fortunate. His lessons worked very well with all 15 of us children and I find it tremendously sad that Bob's family never really understood and appreciated him. When we were settling our father's estate we all brainstormed when it came to dividing the memorabilia, etc. Everyone was asked to list which things were most important to them and we made sure everyone had at least one of their most important items. In contrast to Bob's family, our choices had nothing to do with monetary value, it was all about memories. My sister and I wanted his pipe collection, because, even though we don't smoke, all of our memories were of dad sitting in his easy chair smoking his pipe. I wanted the belt he always wore and one of my brothers wanted his original pilot's license from the 1930's. My heart breaks for Bob and I just hope that at some point there will be justice for him and dear Fontelle.

 

[travelbug]

Welcome, travelbug! It's lovely to see you have chosen your first post for Bob's thread!

Thank you! Bob's case is what drew me here. It has taken me quite a few months to come up with the right "email parameters" to be registered :lurk:

 

[Grainne Dhu]

Thank you, Z. I don't know what to make of that. Perhaps it's a discussion worth having?

The money for the reward for locating Mr. Harrod is likely floating somewhere in some US based financial institiution(s)? That institution (whom/whoever they are) is responsible for those finances, I would think. Who opened that account, and on what date? Was it someone with the legal last name of Harrod?

Oh, the questions.

ETA, I should have added, what is the interest in the reward? If it's not for family- and not for SAR? Are they looking for a bounty hunter? and if so- why?

My guess is that they are looking for completely untrained people who would have absolutely no idea about the importance of preserving the remains in situ or preserving the site in general. Their ideal would be someone who doesn't have a GPS unit who finds a few bones (probably the skull) and brings it into town to turn over to LE. And then cannot remember precisely where it was found.

 

[Oriah]

My guess is that they are looking for completely untrained people who would have absolutely no idea about the importance of preserving the remains in situ or preserving the site in general. Their ideal would be someone who doesn't have a GPS unit who finds a few bones (probably the skull) and brings it into town to turn over to LE. And then cannot remember precisely where it was found.

Hey Grainne! That's one of my guesses, also.

For some reason your post made me think of something I've been meaning to bring up for awhile, for the possible ID factor.

Anyone know if there is anything in MSM re: the last meal and/or beverage Mr. Harrod was witnessed consuming, just before he was reported missing?

 

[travelbug]

Hey Grainne! That's one of my guesses, also.

For some reason your post made me think of something I've been meaning to bring up for awhile, for the possible ID factor.

Anyone know if there is anything in MSM re: the last meal and/or beverage Mr. Harrod was witnessed consuming, just before he was reported missing?

Do we know whether the donuts & coffee picked up by Jeff were shared with Bob? My bet is we will never know, especially if the coffee included any extra ingredients from Jeff's stop at the pharmacy :twocents:

 

[zwiebel]

There were no dirty dishes by the time police checked the house - the housekeeper had done them, I imagine. I hope though, she was questioned soon enough that she could recall what was there. She would certainly be able to tell if donuts had been on plates......

But then, wasn't son in law said to have purchased paper plates too? With a possible explanation given by daughter that Bob didn't like washing up or something? It didn't really make sense to me, because Bob knew his housekeeper was coming and would clean any dishes.

travelbug, was that 15 children a typo?

 

[travelbug]

There were no dirty dishes by the time police checked the house - the housekeeper had done them, I imagine. I hope though, she was questioned soon enough that she could recall what was there. She would certainly be able to tell if donuts had been on plates......

But then, wasn't son in law said to have purchased paper plates too? With a possible explanation given by daughter that Bob didn't like washing up or something? It didn't really make sense to me, because Bob knew his housekeeper was coming and would clean any dishes.

travelbug, was that 15 children a typo?

That was my thinking too, why bother with paper plates? Nope, 15 was the correct number although we're down to 14 now. We range in age from 46 to 76.

 

[Grainne Dhu]

Do we know whether the donuts & coffee picked up by Jeff were shared with Bob? My bet is we will never know, especially if the coffee included any extra ingredients from Jeff's stop at the pharmacy :twocents:

Ugh, I hate to think this way but...

Fontelle believes that Bob was killed in the upstairs bathroom for reasons she did not specify during the interview.

What if Bob ate breakfast before getting dressed ("let's eat while it's still hot") and it were spiked? He went upstairs to dress and the first thing that happens is he vomits up the breakfast, soiling the bathroom. Now he's somewhat under the influence but definitely not feeling good and the perp talks him into getting into the perp's car for a trip to the urgent care clinic.

Except that isn't where they went.

Anyone who might have seen Bob getting into a car that morning might not have any memory of it since it would not have looked memorable. Just a somewhat frail older man getting into a vehicle with a younger person.

Someone cleans up the bathroom but not very effectively. Or overcleans the bathroom, to the point where it reeks of bleach two days later.

The whole thing gives me the creeps.

 

[zwiebel]

That was my thinking too, why bother with paper plates? Nope, 15 was the correct number although we're down to 14 now. We range in age from 46 to 76.

Yes, yet another oddity in Bob's case. Paper plates are disposable; which could mean nothing. Or everything.

Re all the siblings - Your Christmas/birthday greetings list must be novel length!

 

[zwiebel]

Ugh, I hate to think this way but...

Fontelle believes that Bob was killed in the upstairs bathroom for reasons she did not specify during the interview.

What if Bob ate breakfast before getting dressed ("let's eat while it's still hot") and it were spiked? He went upstairs to dress and the first thing that happens is he vomits up the breakfast, soiling the bathroom. Now he's somewhat under the influence but definitely not feeling good and the perp talks him into getting into the perp's car for a trip to the urgent care clinic.

Except that isn't where they went.

Anyone who might have seen Bob getting into a car that morning might not have any memory of it since it would not have looked memorable. Just a somewhat frail older man getting into a vehicle with a younger person.

Someone cleans up the bathroom but not very effectively. Or overcleans the bathroom, to the point where it reeks of bleach two days later.

The whole thing gives me the creeps.

I had a thought along the same lines myself, last night. But I did wonder about any medications which might have been left over from Georgia's illness. She may have been prescribed very powerful painkillers in the late stages of her illness.

If Bob had ingested something and became sick, confused and distressed and wanted to call emergency services, rather than just becoming sleepy, urgent action may have been taken. It is a terrible scenario.