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

[zwiebel]

Is there any documentation showing what was purchased at HD?

Police said they had son in law's receipt from his afternoon visit to Home Depot, issued at 3.02pm. They never disclosed what the items purchased were though.

 

[zwiebel]

Standard Pacific also built tract homes in the following states:

FL
AZ
NC
SC
TX
CO

So if any posters in those states know where to find old tract home floorplans, please let us know.

They are still building homes now, and although they are fancier, the floorplans of the homes seem quite similar in some cases.

http://thehousingtract.com/index.php?option=com_easygallery&act=categories&cid=291&Itemid=27

 

[zwiebel]

There is an awful lot of discussion going on about the natural terrain and desert areas of SoCal and the Inland Empire at the moment, because of the McStay family being discovered. It makes me want to bang my head against the wall, because one of the very best chances of pinpointing a location for Bob would have been soil samples from a vehicle's wheels, I believe.

Even after power washing, a forensic botanist could have found something. I have been reading a little about the terrain - much of it is extremely delicate, with increasingly rare biological crusts, mosses, grasses and plantlife. This is bad news for the ecology but fantastic for a forensic plant expert who might have been able to pinpoint a single, small location from a single pollen sample.

What are the chances of samples being taken and retained after a forensic examination, even if the vehicle was found to be clean?

I am going to look and see if the OC DA's investigators employ a forensic botanist. I bet they don't though.

 

[sreshowtime]

imho most people never wash the undercarriage of their vehicles in so-called normal circumstances, and I guess it would depend on the terrain one drove across/thru as to what potential evidence could be found under there...and I guess it depends on how well a vehicle is cleaned...and how well LE examines suspected vehicle(s) to begin with

 

[Cubby]

if she came at noon and JeM drove up while she was waiting, and she was there about 3 hours, then why would he leave her there alone, to run other errand to HD , if he was wondering why the heck she showed up that day? It seems he thought weird she was there, and she had seemed to indicate his behavior was...interesting, like the going upstairs, piddling, and her calling out to ask of all was okay......

oh heck I dunno

i thought the original tale was he showed up around 3 ( from HD trip) she was sitting there, he was surprised, they went in , she cleaned about 3 hours or so,and then left and he followed shortly after around 6 ish

it's like did Mr H leave the premises before CL...or possibly after


I am going to go pretend to pack

Mr H is Missing
where is he

darn them all

BBM. ...because JeM did not expect the housekeeper. Once she placed him there, he knew he would be questioned and had to come up with some kind of alibi for his time.

According to the disappeared episode JeM provided LE with two receipts. We know from other MSM accounts and contact with one of the journalists JeM's receipts were for 9 am ish and 3pm ish.

No one knows where he was coming from when he arrived around noon to find the housekeeper.

Also, JeM and JuM had previously resided in the home on Carnation next to Bob and Georgia. It would make sense they would know Bob's routines and the housekeeper's regular schedule.


IIRC, MSM never stated she arrived at 3. It stated Jeff's account of being at the HD at 3 was accurate.

Now that we have put the peices of the timeline puzzle together, it's very clear why Bob's daughters kicked and screamed at any questions surrounding the time line.

 

[sreshowtime]

i guess it just makes me antsy that anyone would leave a worker in a home alone to run an errand if something nefarious occurred there earlier in the day...I mean if he did actually run to HD while she was still cleaning...or went as soon as she departed

well at any rate Mr. H left the premises some how that day
most likely after that 10 am-ish call ...a short time frame- but we do know there are plenty of places he could have traveled to... and someone back from

 

[zwiebel]

I have just written three posts about the timeline and had to delete them all because it is so confusing.

.....make that four.

If son in law spoke up now, even if it was to contradict everything that has gone before, it would be so helpful. He was the last known person to see Bob and his words would be absolutely invaluable in mustering public support to help find Bob. If he spoke now, he would get attention. Lots. More than even his wife could summon up. If he cares about missing people, he should step up now and prove it. The time is well overdue.

 

[Grainne Dhu]

imho most people never wash the undercarriage of their vehicles in so-called normal circumstances, and I guess it would depend on the terrain one drove across/thru as to what potential evidence could be found under there...and I guess it depends on how well a vehicle is cleaned...and how well LE examines suspected vehicle(s) to begin with

Tangential thought: I always snicker when I see so-called aerodynamic cars because the designers almost never seem to give any considerations to the aerodynamic properties of the underside of the car. The aerodynamics are all on the showy side of the car.

I cannot believe that someone determined to wash away trace evidence could not do so successfully. What is the taking of forensic samples if not removal of a substance from one object to another? If it can be done by a forensic technician, it can be done by a determined perp with access to a power washer.

I had a power washer that could peel the paint off a house.

 

[Grainne Dhu]

i guess it just makes me antsy that anyone would leave a worker in a home alone to run an errand if something nefarious occurred there earlier in the day...I mean if he did actually run to HD while she was still cleaning...or went as soon as she departed

well at any rate Mr. H left the premises some how that day
most likely after that 10 am-ish call ...a short time frame- but we do know there are plenty of places he could have traveled to... and someone back from

It may have been a calculated gamble. Since she was cleaning the house, she was in a good position to notice anything untoward (and she did--the unmade bed). But since she apparently didn't say anything to JeM and he had to have known she was leaving in just a few moments, he took a small risk.

 

[sreshowtime]

Yeah I bet ears would perk up if he spoke.
ahem

We keep looking at that time line, the house, this thing and that thing....and it all just comes right back where it seems to have always come back to , doesn't it?
It's almost comparable to a möbius strip with one boundary and one surface , considering all the odd-number of half-twists....and dear Mr. H is located some where upon.

Where was Mr H placed???

 

[sreshowtime]

maybe LE didn't consider the correct vehicle, that might have had more distinct trace evidence, , theorizing an additional one was used to complete the activity?

and we are assuming a vehicle left regular pavement ...and , went on dirt? backed into a weed infested tangle of brush?? went to an area with some unusual markers for the terrain?

 

[zwiebel]

From Disappeared and media reports, it does seem that the housekeeper didn't go upstairs straightaway either. She cleaned downstairs first, and I'm guessing that took at least half of the three hours she worked. So son in law, upstairs, had a good amount of time to fix any urgent problems he had left undone when he met her on the stoop.

 

[zwiebel]

maybe LE didn't consider the correct vehicle, that might have had more distinct trace evidence, , theorizing an additional one was used to complete the activity?

I think it is very possible an additional vehicle was involved. I don't think it was a mysterious black whatever it was though, cruising up and down the road.

 

[travelbug]

Standard Pacific also built tract homes in the following states:

FL
AZ
NC
SC
TX
CO

So if any posters in those states know where to find old tract home floorplans, please let us know.

They are still building homes now, and although they are fancier, the floorplans of the homes seem quite similar in some cases.

http://thehousingtract.com/index.php?option=com_easygallery&act=categories&cid=291&Itemid=27

I've searched all of their current floorplans in all of their locations, so far I haven't found any close enough to be of help. Here in CA and several other states the trend is to change floorplans along with current trends. For example: eat-in kitchen and separate dining room vs. open plan kitchen and no separate dining room or a formal living room and a separate game room/family room vs. a very large "great room". Consequently, what was trendy in the 70's is no longer what they are building. The other thing is that, more or less, any home built in CA since 1950 will not have an attic or a basement. The homes here are built on a concrete slab, but that is not the case in areas where there is heavy snow or frost. The only areas that will have floorplans similar to those in CA are locations with a similar climate.

 

[zwiebel]

I was reading a forum today travelbug, for people restoring those mid century modern homes (hoping to find that elusive floorplan). That lack of an attic was an issue that cropped up in a very funny post that I did empathise with. A homeowner hired an out of state roofer, who was absolutely amazed that all the long nails he put in the roof, came straight through the ceiling of the living area.

 

[True Crime Gal]

Welcome, True Crime Gal! And thank you for all the information too.

I hope you get to watch the Disappeared episode - it doesn't cover every aspect of Bob's case, but it certainly revealed a few gems to us. I think for viewers totally unfamiliar with his case, there were certain omissions that left them puzzled. If you have read through some threads though I don't think that will be a problem for you.

I'd love to hear what you think when you've seen it.

Thanks, zwiebel! :seeya:

This weekend was too busy, so when I do get a chance to watch, I'll be sure to report back. Having the info from this thread going in to the episode will be very interesting. Maybe I'll take notes!

ETA: I did want to say that I think it perfectly reasonable to ask the CL to come a day early; if Mrs Harrod was arriving the next day for good, why wouldn't be want to spruce the place up for her arrival? And I also think it's reasonable that Bob wouldn't feel the need to tell anyone about it. (I did wonder at first about the key in the mailbox, whether someone with nefarious purpose could have found it and let themselves in to lie in wait for Bob, but I am pretty convinced no stranger was involved.)

tcg

 

[zwiebel]

Grainne, I heard on BBC radio earlier there is very nasty weather heading into the Mid-West. If it is your part of the Mid-West, please hunker down!

 

[zwiebel]

Thanks, zwiebel! :seeya:

This weekend was too busy, so when I do get a chance to watch, I'll be sure to report back. Having the info from this thread going in to the episode will be very interesting. Maybe I'll take notes!

ETA: I did want to say that I think it perfectly reasonable to ask the CL to come a day early; if Mrs Harrod was arriving the next day for good, why wouldn't be want to spruce the place up for her arrival? And I also think it's reasonable that Bob wouldn't feel the need to tell anyone about it. (I did wonder at first about the key in the mailbox, whether someone with nefarious purpose could have found it and let themselves in to lie in wait for Bob, but I am pretty convinced no stranger was involved.)

tcg

Yes, and Bob wouldn't have needed to leave the key in the mailbox because he was in the house when son in law left, according to son in law.

I'll try and link the Disappeared transcript for you. That might be interesting to look at again too, after you've watched the episode.

ETA I've completely forgotten where we've put it. believe09 always brings it over.

 

[zwiebel]

Here's the link to the complete transcript of Bob's Disappeared episode, Long Lost Love. Thanks for putting it in the media thread Cubby.

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - CA CA - Bob Harrod, 81, Orange County, 27 July 2009 - #14

 

[True Crime Gal]

Stupid double post. Sorry. Wonky connection.