CA CA - John Beck, 73, Alameda, 9 Feb 2016 #1

[Deleted member 165632]

JoyM,
Sending hugs and hope!
You & John's family & friends are doing a GREAT job! Sending prayers!

raying:

 

[JoyM]

I'm glad all the Moms of WSers got better. Most people I've talked to aren't aware of UTI's causing confusion unless it's happened in their family. A friend of mine gets UTIs frequently and she said her husband is often the one to point it out to her before she realizes she has one, because she acts a little "off" or spacey. I know a nurse in an assisted living facility and she said urine is the first thing she sends out to be tested when someone gets confused or more confused than normal. We can all add this information to the many things we've learned on WS, if we didn't know this before.

Yes! I had no idea that UTIs could cause cognitive impairment in this way, or how common they are. Thanks, websleuths. This is good to know!

 

[JoyM]

I just wanted to take a moment to tell you that y'all are doing such an OUTSTANDING job and seem to be pulling out all the stops by utilizing every resource available. John is very lucky to have such dedicated people in his life and who obviously care about him so much. I hope he's found soon or that he realizes just how much he's loved and missed and comes home on his own accord. Praying for you guys.

Thank you. This means a lot. I've shared it with the rest of the search team. John's family and friends are frantic with worry, but it is absolutely a comfort to know that you all think we're handling the search well. We are determined to do everything we can to bring him home safe!

 

[Lilibet]

The family is racking their minds and visited a few spots, but haven't had any success so far. But they're still trying to remember other possible sites that should be visited.

FWIW, unlike the coastal area of SF, we don't know of any personal significance Sebastopol would have for John. We are entertaining the possibility that it was a stopping place on the way somewhere else--the road he was on leads to Bodega Bay. (I haven't asked the family whether Bodega Bay has personal significance, but I will.) Two volunteers will canvass Bodega Bay tomorrow just in case.

Thank you, Elainera!

BBM

I hate to even mention this, but could John have known attorney Steve Mitchell of Santa Rosa who disappeared last Saturday and is now known to have committed suicide at Bodega Bay? The latest news broke yesterday, coincidentally. He was 56, from Eureka and went to Stanford. His name was mentioned earlier on this thread before it was known that he died. So tragic.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/5257645-181/missing-santa-rosa-attorney-left

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...Rosa-13-February-2016&p=12371281#post12371281

 

[JoyM]

Can you tell us how John's wife and family are holding up...and friends on the front lines like you? It's so easy to sit here with my iPad, so I just can't imagine the stress you're all under and the energy you're expending. I hope you all are making sure to eat and sleep, as hard as it must be. Oh, and don't get dehydrated!

Sending hugs! :grouphug:

First, Lilibet you're a hero. I can't say how grateful I am for your concern, support, and brainpower! :star:

Secondly, the family is acting heroically under very hard circumstances, but they are, unsurprisingly, suffering mightily. They're very active doing everything possible to bring John home. But there are moments where they are overcome with grief and fear. Tearing up when learning that he watched some of the Star Trek movie on Netflix the day before--he loved Star Trek! Or upon finding his instructions for the "Popcorn Fridays" he organized at his grandkids' elementary school: they're characteristically thorough, thoughtful, and kind. (Here's a screen shot of the end of those instructions--I won't include all 23 bullets :

But I can't stress enough how important the concern of kind souls like you websleuths has been for John's family. Your prayers, ideas, and supportive words strengthen and encourage them. (I've been making sure to pass them along on days they're not able to read the forum themselves!) They're getting very little sleep and working tirelessly, and community support has been an invaluable comfort throughout this crucible.

 

[JoyM]

Thank you so much, Dark Sleuth, for your support and for your ideas! :tyou:

JoyM,
Sending hugs and hope!
You & John's family & friends are doing a GREAT job! Sending prayers!

raying:

 

[JoyM]

BBM

I hate to even mention this, but could John have known attorney Steve Mitchell of Santa Rosa who disappeared last Saturday and is now known to have committed suicide at Bodega Bay? The latest news broke yesterday, coincidentally. He was 56, from Eureka and went to Stanford. His name was mentioned earlier on this thread before it was known that he died. So tragic.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/5257645-181/missing-santa-rosa-attorney-left

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...Rosa-13-February-2016&p=12371281#post12371281

Oh, no. What tragic news. I'm heartbroken for his family and will be praying for them tonight.

It doesn't seem that John knew Mr. Mitchell.

 

[Deleted member 165632]

Thank you so much, Dark Sleuth, for your support and for your ideas! :tyou:

Thank you JoyM. You and John's family & friends will continue to be in my prayers.

 

[SFBA]

Thank you, Lilibet! We agree that this is a priority and assigned a couple of volunteers to talk with bus drivers. I hope I'll have news from them soon!

Joy, you may have done this already but I'd also suggest putting up posters in the Golden Gate Transit "hooch" near the toll plaza of the bridge. (There's one on either side of the roadway.) Back when I commuted to the City, it was usually the same riders on the buses day in and day out, and most people were of pre-retirement age, so either drivers or commuters may remember John since he'd be a non-regular as well as a bit older than the usual commuter crowd.

 

[Lilibet]

You're very kind and way too complimentary, Joy. :loveyou: As for me, all I can say is I guess there are times when it pays to be a couch potato! :HHJP: But this is definitely a group effort and we work together and play off each other's strengths so well.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the "overly elaborate" popcorn instructions!!! opcorn: Thank you for sharing them. John is my kind of guy!

More hugs and many prayers for one and all. You are an inspiration to the families and friends of the missing!

First, Lilibet you're a hero. I can't say how grateful I am for your concern, support, and brainpower! :star:

Secondly, the family is acting heroically under very hard circumstances, but they are, unsurprisingly, suffering mightily. They're very active doing everything possible to bring John home. But there are moments where they are overcome with grief and fear. Tearing up when learning that he watched some of the Star Trek movie on Netflix the day before--he loved Star Trek! Or upon finding his instructions for the "Popcorn Fridays" he organized at his grandkids' elementary school: they're characteristically thorough, thoughtful, and kind. (Here's a screen shot of the end of those instructions--I won't include all 23 bullets :

But I can't stress enough how important the concern of kind souls like you websleuths has been for John's family. Your prayers, ideas, and supportive words strengthen and encourage them. (I've been making sure to pass them along on days they're not able to read the forum themselves!) They're getting very little sleep and working tirelessly, and community support has been an invaluable comfort throughout this crucible.

 

[charminglane]

Maybe the local library in the town John is from should be questioned?
Perhaps he did some extra research there online that he knew wouldn't be traced?
We librarians know our regulars - or an older gent with a hat just might have stuck out.

 

[persimmon]

For our sleuths and esteemed mapmaker:

Battle Creek NV is a ghost town, as was mentioned. It's north of I-80.
http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/nv/battlecreek.htm
Battle Creek Mines are south of I-80. Does John have an interest in mines or ghost towns? This seems out of sync with the water searches.
http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/nv/battlecreek.htm

Martinez is along the Suisun Bay which connects to the SF Bay. Does John have any history or real estate holdings there (past or present)?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinez,_California

The Tidal Canal area (we used to call it the Estuary) he searched is near the Fruitvale Bridge. It is between the High Street and Park Street bridges. Either the Fruitvale or the Park Street bridges could be the most direct route from his house to Oakland (but not downtown Oakland). I would expect that John could walk there from his house.
https://www.acgov.org/pwa/about/maintenance/bridges/bridge_high.htm

Westline Dr. along Robert Crown Memorial State Beach would connect him with Shoreline Dr. along the SF Bay in Alameda.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=526

I would suggest privately finding out who the resident of the Ripley Ave house is and seeing if anyone in the family knows who it is. Consider contacting them. Could this be real estate he has owned? Could he have determined it was vacant and thought of going there for some purpose?

So he searched areas near three different bodies of water, but we know he actually went out to the Pacific Ocean, after searching those locations on the morning he disappeared. Were there any tide searches?

Did he visit any of the locations in the Bay Area between 2/2 and 2/8 and decide they weren't suitable for whatever he had in mind?

I don't think he was leaving clues, as they weren't easily visible searches. The SF searches were found quickly and he actually went there.

Mapping distance between his home and Martinez coupled with the recent sighting made me think perhaps he was looking for alternate routes to Sebastopol. From Martinez, he could cross the Benicia Bridge and head north and wind up there if that was a plan he had.

 

[persimmon]

Thank you, Lilibet! We agree that this is a priority and assigned a couple of volunteers to talk with bus drivers. I hope I'll have news from them soon!

There are also a number of special tourist busses that depart from SF on one day excursions. He could have traveled on one of these and they tend to leave from the area he was last known to be in in SF. I'll check for any that may go by or stop in Sebastopol and see where their departure point is.

 

[Lilibet]

Maybe the local library in the town John is from should be questioned?
Perhaps he did some extra research there online that he knew wouldn't be traced?
We librarians know our regulars - or an older gent with a hat just might have stuck out.

Brilliant idea, charminglane, just like your signature.

 

[persimmon]

Maybe the local library in the town John is from should be questioned?
Perhaps he did some extra research there online that he knew wouldn't be traced?
We librarians know our regulars - or an older gent with a hat just might have stuck out.

There are only two libraries so it would be worthwhile to inquire.

 

[persimmon]

There are also a number of special tourist busses that depart from SF on one day excursions. He could have traveled on one of these and they tend to leave from the area he was last known to be in in SF. I'll check for any that may go by or stop in Sebastopol and see where their departure point is.

I don't see any other options aside from Golden Gate transit. There are a few expensive bus to wine country tours but that seems unlikely so Id say nothing here.

 

[Timekeeper65]

Extraordinary effort being utilized by the family and friends of JB. It is very encouraging to see.

I send UP good thoughts and prayers for all involved.

:candle:

 

[katydid23]

I am feeling a little conflicted about the way tho case is going now.

I have been married for over 30 years. If my husband went missing I would pull out all the stops to try and locate him and bring him home safely. I have great respect and admiration for John's family and friends. They are amazing the way they have handled this mystery.

But I guess that if I eventually learned that my missing husband was traveling around voluntarily, and hiking local tourist spots and was alive and well----then what? I suppose the thought that he might be considering suicide is a strong motivation to keep searching for him. But I would be somewhat conflicted if I thought he was just on an adventure and trying to hide from the family.

 

[Lilibet]

I am feeling a little conflicted about the way tho case is going now.

I have been married for over 30 years. If my husband went missing I would pull out all the stops to try and locate him and bring him home safely. I have great respect and admiration for John's family and friends. They are amazing the way they have handled this mystery.

But I guess that if I eventually learned that my missing husband was traveling around voluntarily, and hiking local tourist spots and was alive and well----then what? I suppose the thought that he might be considering suicide is a strong motivation to keep searching for him. But I would be somewhat conflicted if I thought he was just on an adventure and trying to hide from the family.

BBM

I get feeling conflicted. I feel awful for his wife and daughters. If it ultimately turns out, after John is found, that he has been on a walkabout just for the "fun" of it...well, he has some serious 'splainin' to do, big time, to his family and friends (not to us).

But the thing is, after 30+ years (40+ in John's case) you know your husband. Seemingly being off on an adventure would be out of character. John's "popcorn instructions" tell me that he takes his responsibilities VERY seriously. It's hard for me to imagine him blowing off a court appointment, leaving his wife and beloved family in agony, just to go on an adventure. Something is up and it's a mystery that needs solving.

So far, the only tourist spot we know of for sure is Lands End, which is in his old stomping grounds. The Sebastopol sighting isn't confirmed yet, so he could be anywhere. Those searches found on his computer last night may mean something, although I have to say that my own searches often mean nothing other than brief curiosity about something.
JMO

 

[SCHMAE]

I am feeling a little conflicted about the way tho case is going now.

I have been married for over 30 years. If my husband went missing I would pull out all the stops to try and locate him and bring him home safely. I have great respect and admiration for John's family and friends. They are amazing the way they have handled this mystery.

But I guess that if I eventually learned that my missing husband was traveling around voluntarily, and hiking local tourist spots and was alive and well----then what? I suppose the thought that he might be considering suicide is a strong motivation to keep searching for him. But I would be somewhat conflicted if I thought he was just on an adventure and trying to hide from the family.

I was thinking about this very thing. It reminds me of this case linked below . I'm not suggesting John wanted to ' leave his family' but it's certainly something to think about . I think at a certain age, people assume there is no way this person would just leave the family. And yet , somtimes, that is exactly what they've done.
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?290149-KS-Bill-Oxley-65-Shawnee-11-Sep-2015