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 #3

[Herat]

The National Parks system in the US and to a lesser degree, the State Parks systems in the US are places where foreign visitors really like to visit. No wonder, the best of scenery and accessible wilderness and historic sites are in these places. They have a reputation as having reliable, if not luxurious lodging in really great locations. And information and often maintained trails and sites. So they don't feel like flashy or tacky resorts. They are a good place for foreign visitors to get some good experiences that Americans like to visit, too.

So it's entirely understandable that they would target Anzo-Borrego Desert State Park and look for it's notable features. However, in mid-July the accommodations would be shut down and the park probably at low levels of staffing just because it's very hot and inhospitable in the area. Dispersed desert dry camping is allowed, with the usua precautions about not supplying any water, packing out trash, fire rings only, etc.

I agree about the stargazing as being a premier activity, so they would have brought some camping gear. We've seen hiking trip reports in the area where clearly people are car camping ( camping with the vehicle nearby, rather than backpacking in). So where did their camping gear go? Why has no one found it?

 

[Herat]

I also Google-drove Highway 78 from it's junction with Highway 86, which runs along the Salton Sea area. It has only one or two turnoffs to the west until you get to the Ocotillo Wells area. The access to Fish Creek Wash and it's extensive dispersed camping and sand driving is not marked with any park designation or specific sign. It is a street called Split Mountain Road, and if you did not know to turn, you would think it was going to a dispersed residential area, not the access to a popular recreation site. There are several inconspicuous turns into washes with small brown identification signs : Quartz Vein Wash, Narrows Trail, Pinon Wash, Mine Wash, Stag Cove. There is nothing from the highway that really says much about these little trails. The most interesting actually appeared to be the Quartz Vein Wash because of the bright white of the quartz in the canyon and the numerous Bighorn Sheep sighted there in the spring.

 

[10ofRods]

I also Google-drove Highway 78 from it's junction with Highway 86, which runs along the Salton Sea area. It has only one or two turnoffs to the west until you get to the Ocotillo Wells area. The access to Fish Creek Wash and it's extensive dispersed camping and sand driving is not marked with any park designation or specific sign. It is a street called Split Mountain Road, and if you did not know to turn, you would think it was going to a dispersed residential area, not the access to a popular recreation site. There are several inconspicuous turns into washes with small brown identification signs : Quartz Vein Wash, Narrows Trail, Pinon Wash, Mine Wash, Stag Cove. There is nothing from the highway that really says much about these little trails. The most interesting actually appeared to be the Quartz Vein Wash because of the bright white of the quartz in the canyon and the numerous Bighorn Sheep sighted there in the spring.

This is brilliant.

It got me to wondering if JRF's experience was in the considerably better signed (although...still not completely so) Joshua Tree.

What a good insight into the left turn they made - that sign to Pinyon Canyon (I think the sign says Canyon instead of wash even though most maps call it a wash) is maybe one of the signs that would have taken them south (and maybe they saw the elevation gain and were hoping for...cooler hiking). If they did park at the trailhead for Pinyon Wash, I believe you've indicated that would be at fairly low elevation and they'd have been...hiking up?

Thank you so much for all you're doing to research this geography.

 

[megs1477]

snipped.

This is really interesting. Somehow, ever since FJ's body was reportedly found, I've had the notion that they were apart when they died, but now it seems they may have been together.

Agreed. I think I assumed when JRF was recovered, the immediate area would have been searched right away for JF.

 

[10ofRods]

Update posted today in this article:

EDITOR'S UPDATE: On November 2, 2023 the San Diego County Sheriff's Department responded to a CBS 8 public records request by writing, "The truck was located on 9/4/23." Additionally, a lieutenant with the San Diego County Sheriff's media relations office emailed CBS 8 the following statement:

"I can confirm remains were located in the Anza Borrego park. The remains were located in the general vicinity of Mr. Fitzpatrick's. The remains have not been positively identified by the Medical Examiner's office at this time. I cannot confirm whether our office will be doing a press release at this time as we have not received information which may lead us to conducting one."

More human remains found in desert, family of missing woman Fang Jin notified

Sheriff search team discovered remains Saturday in Anza-Borrego.

www.cbs8.com

Thank you for posting that!

They originally said that JRF was "near" his truck which turned out to be (I think) a couple of miles away in a later communication. So "general area" probably means something equally hard to quantify until they tell us.

Great to hear the location day of the truck. Definitely after the hurricane passed through around August 21-24. I think "general vicinity" probably means "within the same wash/near the same hiking area."

But what's great about this SDCSO communication is that it sure sounds like they will eventually hand out more information.

 

[Herat]

Agreed. I think I assumed when JRF was recovered, the immediate area would have been searched right away for JF.

Me too. This makes me think they are not really close-by. I do recall reading that his remains were not all in one place.

My guess at vicinity means the general quadrant of the map, the North-East corner of the general Harper Flat area, not the opposite, Southwest, or south or Northwest.

I'd be awfully surprised if they were close to each other. I do think the backpack found was likely hers and farther NE washed closer to the entrance to Harper Canyon. It certainly wouldn't take much for clothing or possessions to get stuck on the numerous cacti or rocks all along this narrow wash area.

 

[Herat]

This is brilliant.

It got me to wondering if JRF's experience was in the considerably better signed (although...still not completely so) Joshua Tree.

What a good insight into the left turn they made - that sign to Pinyon Canyon (I think the sign says Canyon instead of wash even though most maps call it a wash) is maybe one of the signs that would have taken them south (and maybe they saw the elevation gain and were hoping for...cooler hiking). If they did park at the trailhead for Pinyon Wash, I believe you've indicated that would be at fairly low elevation and they'd have been...hiking up?

Thank you so much for all you're doing to research this geography.

Yes on the elevations. I reviewed the Google terrain maps, as I don't have USGDS Maps of that area.

The turnoff to Pinyon Wash is slightly less than 1200 ft.

The area that appears most likely for camping or stopping , the farthest south driveable is between 2000 and 2400 ft
elevation.

Harper Flat in that area is about 2600 ft.

My Google has a date of March 2021 for this area. I did not see the blue sign for Pinyon Wash, or any other blue naming signs on the north side of the road. There are small brown signs on the south side, about 20-30ft from the pavement, maybe 30 inches high that denote the wash names. I can only see one brown sign for Pinyon Wash, about 18 x 6 inches in size, at the eastern part of the wash where there is clearly a more trafficked area. The farthest west of the general wash has a blue Emergency Phone box. I think if you were driving in the dark you might easily miss the one brown sign. It would be easy to overshoot and have to turn around, driving off the pavement taking a route up the wash that was not the main route, and slightly farther west, or possibly even taking a dirt road adjacent to a second blue call box and ending up in Mine Wash.

Mine Wash has a nice trail that leads to a site of a Winter Camping area for the indigenous Kumetaay people. Informative signs are in the area and what looks like many moteros grinding holes. Mine Wash does not enter Harper Flat and actually goes farther west into a more remote area without trails.

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

If the remains were moved by floodwater the silt could have buried them quite easily IMO. That would make them hard to find even if you were literally standing on top of them. Wherever she was, I think it's possible that JF's remains were at least somewhat hidden when JRF's were found and only became visible later.

 

[ZVT24]

Somewhere it has been stated that JF-Jin was using wifi for her phone service and that's why she was sending sporadic updates when she was connected.

My daughter has used wifi for her phone service (google) and she's not been able to receive texts or answer the phone unless she was connected to wireless service, either at a friend's or in a public location.

I had asked the VI if JF sent communications in batches (suggesting she was using Wi-Fi) or in real time; VI’s response was that she was communicating in real rime.

 

[Red Clover]

I had asked the VI if JF sent communications in batches (suggesting she was using Wi-Fi) or in real time; VI’s response was that she was communicating in real rime.

Interesting. With my daughter, she either can or cannot make a call or text depending on whether she is connected to wifi but messages never come in "batches" she just has to wait to communicate or get to a wifi hotspot. It's not a great choice safety wise in this day & age. IMO

I wonder if @mark1969 knows specifically what phone carrier and kind of service JF had here in the USA.

I know she was an experienced traveler but she was probably using her phone as a camera and only to communicate with family and friends.

I think she probably turned her phone off after sending those last messages on the night of 7/21 and never turned it on again. That would explain the lack of pings from her phone.

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

I apologise to @mark1969 if this has been asked or answered before.

Do you know exactly what time it was when Fang's family first attempted to contact her on July 22nd? Morning, midday, evening, etc.?

It has already been said that Fang's phone rang without being answered. So if it was using cell service it must have been connected to a cell tower. It's confusing that LE said her phone didn't send any pings, because if it was turned on and connected to a tower it should have done.

 

[mark1969]

I apologise to @mark1969 if this has been asked or answered before.

Do you know exactly what time it was when Fang's family first attempted to contact her on July 22nd? Morning, midday, evening, etc.?

It has already been said that Fang's phone rang without being answered. So if it was using cell service it must have been connected to a cell tower. It's confusing that LE said her phone didn't send any pings, because if it was turned on and connected to a tower it should have done.

I Have to ask myself the exact time but I remember it is reported to us as very early in the morning of 22nd CA time ...friends and family started to contact her....until 25th july phone stops ringing

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

I Have to ask myself the exact time but I remember it is reported to us as very early in the morning of 22nd CA time ...friends and family started to contact her....until 25th july phone stops ringing

Thank you. So family and friends were attempting to contact Fang from early on the 22nd.

I have to admit to finding the phone issue very puzzling. It does appear that Fang was using cell service rather than wifi, in which case her phone should have been pinging cell towers. Yet LE say it didn't.

Fang wasn't answering calls since early on the 22nd, and yet the phone did ring. It didn't go to voicemail or give an indication that the phone was turned off. So it was seemingly turned on and receiving a signal without ever connecting to a cell tower. It sounds completely implausible.

I believe many phones send a ping as they're turned off or the battery dies, a kind of "goodbye" ping. It's entirely possible JRF's ping in Julian on the 24th was one of those. But Fang's phone should have pinged also.

It's very, very confusing.

 

[Kittenn11]

Thank you. So family and friends were attempting to contact Fang from early on the 22nd.

I have to admit to finding the phone issue very puzzling. It does appear that Fang was using cell service rather than wifi, in which case her phone should have been pinging cell towers. Yet LE say it didn't.

Fang wasn't answering calls since early on the 22nd, and yet the phone did ring. It didn't go to voicemail or give an indication that the phone was turned off. So it was seemingly turned on and receiving a signal without ever connecting to a cell tower. It sounds completely implausible.

I believe many phones send a ping as they're turned off or the battery dies, a kind of "goodbye" ping. It's entirely possible JRF's ping in Julian on the 24th was one of those. But Fang's phone should have pinged also.

It's very, very confusing.

I am no expert but this leads me to believe she was at the very least using wifi as her main source of communication. You can still use wifi service in real time and if that was the case the phone very well could ring and if not connected to whatapp or whatever services she used while traveling internationally , this could very well explain why no pings were recorded. I travel extensively both through the US and abroad so technically there are many factors as to why this could happen but imo it seems she was using wifi to make and recieve calls. Then on the 25th when trying to reach her for final time it went straight to voice-mail. There are also many instances where there could be a number of reasons her and JRF phones responded differently. I am no expert and all IMOO
Edited for typos

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

I am no expert but this me to believe she was at the very least using wifi as her main source of communication. You cab still use wifi service in real time and of that was the case the phone very well could ring and if not connected to whatapp or whatever services she used while traveling internationally , this could very well explain why no pings were recorded. I travel extensively both through the US and abroad so technically there are many factors as to why this could happen but imo it seems she was using wifi to make and recieve call. Then on the 25th when trying to reach her for final time it went straight to voice-mail. There are also many instances where this could be a number of reasons her and JRF phones responded differently. I am no expert and all IMOO

Our VI, @mark1969, seems to believe Fang was using cell service rather than wifi, though I may have misunderstood him on that.

The main issue I have with Fang using wifi is that IMO you'd be very unlikely to get a wifi service in the middle of the Anza-Borrego mountains. Even cell service is very patchy. And yet if Fang's phone was ringing (assuming it was with her in the mountains) it had to be getting a signal from somewhere.

It has previously been suggested that Fang could have used JRF's phone as a wifi hotspot. That's very possible. But if she had been doing that, all of her data would have been routed through JRF's phone carrier. So whilst Fang's phone wouldn't have been pinging, every call to it would show up on JRF's phone data. And in that case, IMO LE would know that Fang's phone and JRF's phone were both in the same location.

 

[Kittenn11]

Wow, I surely missed a lot in the past several days! I had almost an entire new thread to go though. I am *happy* ( and sad) to hear some answers are starting to come in and have a lot that I'd like to comment on but am extremly tired from reading and researching well into the night oast my bedtime so my articulation may not be the best right now, sorry.

One thought before I go regarding the photo's of JRF remains ( not the skull one but the other of the two blurred out photos) I noticed in the one photo that I feel like i can see what appears to be some material, looking like part of some Grey cargo or outdoor type pant leg and maybe even a tennis shoe at the end of the pants. If you zoom into this particular photo it appears the grey material/ pants are of one side/leg and kinda strung along the bottom of the big Boulder there lengthwise from left to right with a possible part of a shoe on the right side, as i examine from my pov view ( maybe running type shoes?) If I'm correct this may have been where his identification/ wallet was found. I know tgere had been a little speculation earlier aboit how these items could float away with his skeketal remains. As stated, I'm very tired so feel like this may not have been articulated tvery well ( due to a medical condition i don't actuate well on a good day so I assume this is probably worse) but someone else may be able to see what I am talking about. Not sure how much relevance this has now but saw it a while back and wanted to point it out. I have several more things I'd like to comment on or point out but will probably do that later in the next day or days. I'm still very new to these websleuths forums ( however i do and have followed through many avenues on other cases just not here until this case actually) so I am unsure where or how to post that original photo right now but it has been passed around a bit in the past. I'm hoping someone else will look at it and see what im trying to point out. If not then I'll try to figure out a way to do that myself later.
AllMOO

 

[AliceInPain]

Can someone post a link to the pictures of John's remains please? Not good at searching on my phone. I didn't notice any clothing remnants when I saw them, want to take another look. ty!

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

Can someone post a link to the pictures of John's remains please? Not good at searching on my phone. I didn't notice any clothing remnants when I saw them, want to take another look. ty!

I think it's these two photos. There are grey clothing remnants, IMO, but it's difficult to tell if it's a shirt or pants. The blurring, as intended, makes it hard to tell exactly what's what.

 

[Kittenn11]

Our VI, @mark1969, seems to believe Fang was using cell service rather than wifi, though I may have misunderstood him on that.

The main issue I have with Fang using wifi is that IMO you'd be very unlikely to get a wifi service in the middle of the Anza-Borrego mountains. Even cell service is very patchy. And yet if Fang's phone was ringing (assuming it was with her in the mountains) it had to be getting a signal from somewhere.

It has previously been suggested that Fang could have used JRF's phone as a wifi hotspot. That's very possible. But if she had been doing that, all of her data would have been routed through JRF's phone carrier. So whilst Fang's phone wouldn't have been pinging, every call to it would show up on JRF's phone data. And in that case, IMO LE would know that Fang's phone and JRF's phone were both in the same location.

I guess I missed the post that mark states he knows for sure she was using her cell phone service providers international plan and that it was working properly on US soil and not by means of wifi, or a sim card( sim is most common for tourists except for rare people like me that travel so much that we keep an international plan so I don't have to purchase a sim everywhere I go like most do and even I did several years ago. As I stated previously there are several ways this can be explained or therorized from but at least imo it points more to the usage of wifi ( which could include a data sim) anyway I'd like to explain more but most of all, I think it would be very helpful if we could verify Jins service provider ( I'm guessing China mobile as they would likely have the best connection to contracted cell towers thru ATT, Sprint or TMobile. ) I completely get that cell service was decent at best out there which often times can lead to one person having more coverage than someone say using an Chinese international cell service provider. Even so these calls can get expensive and not ping off or pull data off same towers so calls can ring and still be heard by the receiving end and vice versa as someone stated earlier. I have experience with that happening. Even in my own area where technically I should get better service at home according to their Tmobiles coverage map but have had better service say, literally in the middle of the Sahara Dessert by camel back for hours to reach a Barron dessert with only a huge sea of sand to be seen for miles to a berber tribe to stay with the family for a few days and where service was great as far as wifi anyway. Take this info fwiw, but I know for sure there are many factors and have experience in this very thing that makes it hard to tell for sure. Having her cell service provider , if she had an international phone plan and if she was accustomed to buying a sim in a countries she visited would help discover this information more clearly. Even down to knowing which version of the Chinese brand hauwei phone she used could tell us something as some phones will not accept a sim and in my experience a large portion of international travelers in any given country do purchase a sim card upon arrival into a new country they're visiting. Hopefully that can be clarified but also could be hard to tell for sure without bank statements or phone and account records at this time.

 

[AliceInPain]

Thank you now I see it.
Also, his bones look very dark, is this common in areas like these?
And the ground underneath both his head and his body look burned, but may be shadows. eta: or the remains of the rest of his body/ fluids.