Found Deceased CA - Fang Jin, 47, flew to LA from China, train to Palm Springs, Morongo Basin, 21 Jul 2023, w/ John Root Fitzpatrick, 55, (fnd dec.), 30 Jul ‘23 #2

[Megnut]

Me too. It's clear that LE is keeping back details, so I am going out on a limb and thinking MoD for JRF is suicide.

The only other possibility I can think of is that it is wilderness misadventure - but typically, when people are found, there are more details and LE isn't so tight-lipped. Instead, LE describes the circumstances and what people can do to keep the same thing from happening to them.

If something happened to Fang on July 21, and then he went to Julian - this would be the next stop past Julian (IOW, not far from Julian).

It's really angering if he died without revealing where she is.

Won't they be able now to track where the truck had been?

 

[10ofRods]

@Megnut : Harper Canyon does have a hiking loop.

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/harper-canyon-loop

Harper Canyon Trail Hiking Trail, Carmel Valley Village, California

JMVHO.

I do not think that's the same place. The Harper Canyon in question is just off State Route 78, at the boundary of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, not far from Salton Sea.

It's not in Carmel Valley Village (which is near Carmel and Monterey, up north).

 

[10ofRods]

Won't they be able now to track where the truck had been?

I hope so (IIRC, it's a 2020 truck). If he died in mid-September (which would surprise me), he could have covered vast amounts of desert in between July 21 and mid-September. If he died on July 25, he still had 3-4 days to meander around. As in Suzanne Morphew's case, there so much empty land where someone could be right off the road and never seen.

I would assume, though, that SBCSO is getting that telemetric evidence from his truck and will look near every place he stopped, hopefully with the help of canines.

SO very sad.

 

[10ofRods]

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/harper-canyon-loopYes, I'm watching another case in Alabama, police are, after several months, still investigating, so medical findings have not been released, even to family. In that case the questions are: was it suicide or homocide, and, if homocide, who did it?

ETA: In this case, accident would also be possible. For example, getting lost on a hike. Also, after several months, remains would not be pristine...

Until police are confident that all the facts prove the final conclusion, they won't release anything. Once it's out in public, they don't want to retract and say 'oops, changed our minds'.

JMO

It sounds like the truck was fairly close to a state road. I am guessing they've searched the immediate area around the truck and have not found Jin Fang.

Here's a link to the Harper Canyon trail - the instructions say it starts just outside of Julian:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/harper-canyon-loop

I don't have a subscription, but it looks like the parking for this trail might be just off SR 78. So, it's possible both of them went on a hike - but then, where is Fang??

 

[ch_13]

@Megnut : Harper Canyon does have a hiking loop.

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/harper-canyon-loop

Harper Canyon Trail Hiking Trail, Carmel Valley Village, California

JMVHO.

I do not think that's the same place. The Harper Canyon in question is just off State Route 78, at the boundary of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, not far from Salton Sea.

It's not in Carmel Valley Village (which is near Carmel and Monterey, up north).

The second URL isn't the correct location. As @10ofRods points out it links to a trail in Carmel Valley.

But the first URL, at alltrails.com, is valid. It goes to a hiking trail in Anza-Borrego.

It's not a popular trail though. Only six reviews in five years. And the most recent one from March mentions that it's barely a trail:
The 'loop' part is not really a trail. It has very steep unmarked sections full of loose rocks and pricky vegetation, it is luck to pass it unscathed.

Seems like a place where a body could lie undiscovered for some time, especially if they are a little off the regular path.

 

[Megnut]

As sad as an accident would be, I hope it was that. And not worse.

Holding out hope for her loved ones...

 

[jash]

The second URL isn't the correct location. As @10ofRods points out it links to a trail in Carmel Valley.

But the first URL, at alltrails.com, is valid. It goes to a hiking trail in Anza-Borrego.

It's not a popular trail though. Only six reviews in five years. And the most recent one from March mentions that it's barely a trail:
The 'loop' part is not really a trail. It has very steep unmarked sections full of loose rocks and pricky vegetation, it is luck to pass it unscathed.

Seems like a place where a body could lie undiscovered for some time, especially if they are a little off the regular path.

I noticed all the reviews/ratings are from colder months (Oct - Apr); not a single one in the summer. And even one from March notes plenty of water is needed.

 

[formerlyme]

one of my biggest questions that I am hoping to hear an answer soon, how long has he been deceased?

 

[Red Clover]

Agree, the cause JRF's death may give some insight into what happened to Fang Jin.

What are the possibiities? Murder? Suicide? Natural causes? Death due to the elements? Drug overdose? Accident?

If murder, could Fang Jin have been kidnapped and still be alive? If natural cause or drug overdose, could Fang Jin have set out to find help if the truck was inoperable? Could Fang Jin have been in an accident and JRF set out to get help but at some point his truck was inoperable and he succombed to the elements?

Could there have been a flash flood that impacted them, or one of them?

I suspect flash flood as there were several this year

 

[10ofRods]

The second URL isn't the correct location. As @10ofRods points out it links to a trail in Carmel Valley.

But the first URL, at alltrails.com, is valid. It goes to a hiking trail in Anza-Borrego.

It's not a popular trail though. Only six reviews in five years. And the most recent one from March mentions that it's barely a trail:
The 'loop' part is not really a trail. It has very steep unmarked sections full of loose rocks and pricky vegetation, it is luck to pass it unscathed.

Seems like a place where a body could lie undiscovered for some time, especially if they are a little off the regular path.

Yep - I just saw that too and looked up Old Kane Springs Road. It heads off SE of SR 78 at almost a 45 degree angle, perfectly straight, like a utility road. I figure that's where he turned in and why his truck wasn't right on the main road.

Old Kane Springs Road offers trail access (such as it is) to Harper Canyon. Not a popular hike. Very remote. There's another, similarly unimproved road that goes to the same trail access, but less close to Julian (not sure what it's name is). He would have seen the canyon and mountains as he drove east from Julian. Maybe he took the first right towards them, just hoping for a very isolated place.

It's not that close to Julian - some 31 miles away.

 

[Megnut]

one of my biggest questions that I am hoping to hear an answer soon, how long has he been deceased?

I'm going to predict his phone was in the truck. Final ping. Within days of hers.

Might this case be sealed ecause it's a US vet and Chinese visitor? Political fall out?

His cause of death will tell the story.

Jmo

 

[crhedBngr]

@Megnut : Harper Canyon does have a hiking loop.

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/harper-canyon-loop

Harper Canyon Trail Hiking Trail, Carmel Valley Village, California

JMVHO.

Apologies for that second incorrect link.

JMVHO.

 

[10ofRods]

I agree, @Megnut.

I predict his phone was on his person or in the truck. Truck is said to be "parked," no mention of water damage or it being in an unusual position. I bet it'll be a couple of months before we know his CoD (if we ever do - if it's suicide, not sure we'll find out about it soon).

 

[Bogbacal2]

I could have gone with accident, even Jin having an accident and John going for help. (Phones surely worked?) But the fact that Jin loses contact with family and John “goes on” for several days, and no reports to EMS or LE from him as to her having an injury/accident isn’t sitting well with me! Now HE is found. This is all to strange. Jin, where are you?

 

[BlaiseFinlay]

It sounds like we can rule out a car crash, given the reference to the car being "parked."

The latest news sadly doesn't make my leading theory less likely. It's been difficult to reconcile the days between the last evidence of him and last evidence of her.

That said, there was that very sad case of the family in northern California all dying just because of the elements, and I found that outcome unlikely too, so I know not to rule out seemingly unlikely (to me) outcomes.

Also makes me scared about how I probably don't fully appreciate the risks of being out in the heat, given I'm not from a place where it is ever a risk. I view it more as a discomfort and an obstacle, rather than a danger.

 

[hazel324]

What!? According to the article, JRF was found dead in September. Jin is still missing.

@mark1969, has the family been notified about this? Is she still listed as voluntarily missing? I can't believe at least 12 days and up to 40 days has passed and this is the first mention of his death.

I am furious that Fang's family at least are just finding this out now!

We don't know when JRF's family were notified. <modsnip>

 

[hazel324]

I'm going to predict his phone was in the truck. Final ping. Within days of hers.

Might this case be sealed ecause it's a US vet and Chinese visitor? Political fall out?

His cause of death will tell the story.

Jmo

That's what I think too Megnut - US Navy Seal and visiting Chinese Citizen

There's always tension between the countries and this could be a catalyst (or used as excuse) for China to do who know's what...

Not expecting to find out any more info any time soon

 

[ch_13]

That's what I think too Megnut - US Navy Seal and visiting Chinese Citizen

There's always tension between the countries and this could be a catalyst (or used as excuse) for China to do who know's what...

Not expecting to find out any more info any time soon

Actually, I've been surprised there hasn't been a stronger response by the Chinese government. No news conferences, no press releases. It doesn't seem like there's much government interest at all. And similarly, the Chinese press and public haven't expressed much concern. Fang Jin's plight doesn't seem to have permeated the public discourse over there at all.

I think we would have seen a stronger reaction to date if the Chinese were going to use this to ramp up tensions.

You can contrast the Chinese response to other incidents. Like, for example, when Natalee Holloway went missing in Aruba there was a huge outcry that affected the island's tourist economy. Or even more recently, Jaahnavi Kandula's death in Seattle and subsequent comments by the police union caused fury in India and a diplomatic storm.

We've seen nothing like that in this case.

 

[megs1477]

I definitely never saw this one coming….wow.

If LE knew about this for a month, did not even tell the families, then suddenly release it today. I’m going to speculate they completed their initial investigation and know what happened or as much as they can. Hopefully JF will be located soon. So sad.

 

[ifindedout]

Some things from the article (thank you, @Twister2 ) —
Mystery surrounds missing San Bernardino man found dead in Anza-Borrego state park


Fang & JRF met and formed a romantic relationship through “Facebook messages”. (I thought FB was banned in China?)

RSBM
A VPN should be able to get around the ban.
https://cybernews.com/how-to-use-vpn/facebook-in-china/