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

[nannymo]

I just feel he has to be close to the Lands End, Sutro Bath area and/or presidio....but I feel he is close to where he was last seen.

Praying for some good news soon!

 

[nannymo]

Since Alameda PD now calls John a voluntary missing person, as mentioned in the new article, I wonder if that is why they haven't asked TX Equuasearch to come. Referring to the shifted focus to Sepastopol:

It’s kind of driving me nuts because we’re all running around trying to look for him, and he’s left of his own accord,” said Lt. Jill Ottaviano of the Alameda Police Department. She said the police categorized Beck as a “voluntary missing person.”
http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Reputed-victims-of-John-Beck-speak-out-6847874.php

You are probably correct. A house can be rebuilt and replaced....a Gpa John can never be replaced to those grandchildren who love him dearly.

 

[kimi_SFC]

Lighting a new candle tonight for John and his family.
JoyM you and yours are in my prayers!
raying:
:candle:

#FindJohn


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[Deleted member 165632]

Since Alameda PD now calls John a voluntary missing person, as mentioned in the new article, I wonder if that is why they haven't asked TX Equuasearch to come. Referring to the shifted focus to Sepastopol:

It’s kind of driving me nuts because we’re all running around trying to look for him, and he’s left of his own accord,” said Lt. Jill Ottaviano of the Alameda Police Department. She said the police categorized Beck as a “voluntary missing person.”

That could have been said a little more tactfully!

http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Reputed-victims-of-John-Beck-speak-out-6847874.php

You are right, what the Lt. of the Alameda Police said could have been said more tactfully. I'm not as experienced as other WSers, so I wonder how some of you feel about that determination, "voluntary missing person." In your experiences, does that mean a police dept doesn't search as much for the person? I'm out of my depth here.

In addition, I wished the article had flushed that out a little more, like why the police classified it as that. Aside from the obvious, the police must have more info and made a conclusion...
I'm just asking questions and wondering what you all think... thnx

 

[neesaki]

I hate to be the one to post the latest article about the FTC case, but John's brother seems to believe that John may have been trying to save his house, as we've discussed here. Alameda Police categorize John as a voluntary missing person.

Stephen Beck said he believes his brother disappeared on purpose, thinking it would prevent the FTC from taking the Regent Street home belonging to him and his wife.
“If so, he chose to sacrifice himself for the benefit of his family,” Stephen Beck said. “And from my lifelong knowledge of his character, that sounds like something he would do.”
Despite Beck’s legal troubles, his brother insisted Beck is an honest, benevolent person who became the target of an overzealous government crackdown.

http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Reputed-victims-of-John-Beck-speak-out-6847874.php

This makes me think he may have left that area completely, and be long gone. Idk.

 

[michmi]

You are right, what the Lt. of the Alameda Police said could have been said more tactfully. I'm not as experienced as other WSers, so I wonder how some of you feel about that determination, "voluntary missing person." In your experiences, does that mean a police dept doesn't search as much for the person? I'm out of my depth here.

In addition, I wished the article had flushed that out a little more, like why the police classified it as that. Aside from the obvious, the police must have more info and made a conclusion...
I'm just asking questions and wondering what you all think... thnx

Pretty much it means they aren't going to actively look anymore and unless something compelling occurs they're going to back-burner the case.

 

[Lilibet]

Someone commented on the facebook page that there are caves in the Sutro Baths area and when the tides come in the caves fill with water.....have the caves been searched?

I agree about the inactivity on the facebook page also. I hope no news is good news so far.

Thank you Lilibet for the update from the Brother! It makes this sort of fall together to me in my mind.

I don't know if the caves have been searched at Sutro Baths. It shouldn't be too difficult to do as long as it's low tide. Here are some wonderful photos showing the caves and the whole area.

http://abandonednyc.com/2013/06/11/san-franciscos-sutro-baths/

 

[Deleted member 165632]

Pretty much it means they aren't going to actively look anymore and unless something compelling occurs they're going to back-burner the case.

Thanks for explaining michmi! Must be tough on the family right now. My heart goes out to them.

 

[persimmon]

Very tragic. What a frustrating situation, but hopefully Alameda PD continues to offer support. I think you're right though Lilibet that sounds like a downgrade in priority. Stress causes illogical thinking at times.

 

[michmi]

Thanks for explaining michmi! Must be tough on the family right now. My heart goes out to them.

I know there are people who are of the opinion that he did leave voluntarily, but I feel like the issue of the court proceedings has caused them to take this as an opportunity to step back from the case. I'm not convinced he made a decision to disappear. Perhaps the brother has some information the rest of the family does not; I don't know.

 

[Lilibet]

Disclaimer: My default position is to assume that LE doesn't make the determination "voluntary missing person" lightly. If they just casually use that label and it turns out to be wrong, it wouldn't be pretty. So, I do believe that LE has more information that leads them to that conclusion about John. As a consequence, they will not use quite as many resources as they would if they believed he was missing involuntarily. They do have to prioritize their resources, but I'm sure Alameda PD isn't just pulling completely out of the case. It's a delicate balance.

I learned a lot on Hannah Thomas-Garner's threads last year. This long story really confirmed to me that LE is very likely to investigate thoroughly and make this judgement call correctly, even if well-intentioned onlookers or family disagree...

Hannah Thomas-Garner was a local 17 year old who sneaked (snuck?) out of her Mom and stepdad's home to attend a rave party in the mountains. A day or two later her car was found abandoned an hour away in CA, behind a strip mall, windows broken, phone left behind with missing SIM card, small spots of blood inside. She was friends with some sketchy kids from that area. Lots of strange stuff was happening. We were sure she had been abducted and harmed. There were many threads.

After an intense investigation, local LE determined that she left voluntarily. Her father in TX was not buying it and really pushed hard for more tests of small amounts of blood found in her car. Local residents insisted too and met with police at a public meeting. The pressure was intense and the police chief had to explain to the city council why they were not spending big bucks to test the blood for DNA. Their investigation showed that Hannah had left voluntarily. They had every LE department on the coast of CA on the lookout. The police department took a lot of flack locally and online. But I knew they weren't taking this case lightly, even though we all were concerned about trafficking or foul play happening later if she left voluntarily. They bent over backwards and went beyond duty in order to accommodate the family and satisfy the community to a reasonable extent.

All this time Hannah was living with an unsuspecting family near Santa Cruz. She missed Christmas with her little brother and sister. She knew she was the subject of a search. Her Dad posted to her almost daily on the FB page. But she stayed hidden until she called her Dad over three months later. He took her home to TX where she will finish highschool this year. Even though she disappeared voluntarily, and we will never know her reasons, I don't regret the time and intense effort involved on WS and behind the scenes with other WSers helping her family. She's safe. That's all that matters. And I learned a LOT!

But LE was right. She left voluntarily. They did what they could. Dad is a classy guy who thanked them for their efforts and apologized to them publicly.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...Thomas-Garner-17-Jackson-County-29-Nov-2014-1

 

[Lilibet]

What's next? I hope that when John's family has had a chance to regroup Joy will come and let us know how we can help. Even if John disappeared voluntarily and doesn't want to surface yet, his family needs support. I can't even imagine how they feel tonight.
I hope they feel the many kind thoughts and prayers on their behalf. More hugs. :grouphug:

 

[DANI24]

Most departments in this area are overwhelmed with cases, with not enough detectives to go around. My husband is a former detective, and I remember him talking frequently about frustrating cases in which leads were drying up, or where the evidence was pointing to no actual crime having been committed (e.g. in the case of someone who ran away). He hated to back burner cases, but with so many other active cases to tend to, he couldn't devote all of his energy to such cases. They would stay on his mind though, and I know he'd always be on the lookout for something new (especially if another case he worked on wound up creating a lead for the cold case).

With the limited information we have, I do believe as well that he left voluntarily. We know he deceived his wife into thinking he was going to a meeting, and then hopped on BART (with his hat and glasses case hidden in his folder that "should" have contained paperwork). He researched in advance a route for that day's trip. And he's seen in two photos, hours apart, in locations indicated by those internet searches, and he was alone. Nothing points to foul play, from what we've seen. And given his immense legal/financial troubles, it would make a lot of sense that he might think disappearing (and/or committing suicide) would lift the burden not just for him but for his family. I know that the proceedings will continue anyway... but when you've reached such a breaking point, emotion can very easily trump logic, even for the smartest people (my dad also committed suicide, so I've witnessed this with him).

My fear is that John intended to end his life. The area he visited is known for such things. Even the Lands End Labyrinth, where someone claims they spotted him that afternoon, has seen such activity. A person's body, once in the ocean, can easily be carried away/under, never to be seen again (or it could be weeks/months before it resurfaces).

That said, until he's found -- in any condition -- it's great for people to keep an eye out for him in case he decided to just purely run away. The PD may have exhausted all of the leads up to now. But the family can certainly keep the search alive in the hopes that a new promising lead will materialize, that would give the PD something to work with.

I hope answers are just around the corner for the family, and that John is brought home to them soon.

 

[Deleted member 165632]

Most departments in this area are overwhelmed with cases, with not enough detectives to go around. My husband is a former detective, and I remember him talking frequently about frustrating cases in which leads were drying up, or where the evidence was pointing to no actual crime having been committed (e.g. in the case of someone who ran away). He hated to back burner cases, but with so many other active cases to tend to, he couldn't devote all of his energy to such cases. They would stay on his mind though, and I know he'd always be on the lookout for something new (especially if another case he worked on wound up creating a lead for the cold case).

With the limited information we have, I do believe as well that he left voluntarily. We know he deceived his wife into thinking he was going to a meeting, and then hopped on BART (with his hat and glasses case hidden in his folder that "should" have contained paperwork). He researched in advance a route for that day's trip. And he's seen in two photos, hours apart, in locations indicated by those internet searches, and he was alone. Nothing points to foul play, from what we've seen. And given his immense legal/financial troubles, it would make a lot of sense that he might think disappearing (and/or committing suicide) would lift the burden not just for him but for his family. I know that the proceedings will continue anyway... but when you've reached such a breaking point, emotion can very easily trump logic, even for the smartest people (my dad also committed suicide, so I've witnessed this with him).

My fear is that John intended to end his life. The area he visited is known for such things. Even the Lands End Labyrinth, where someone claims they spotted him that afternoon, has seen such activity. A person's body, once in the ocean, can easily be carried away/under, never to be seen again (or it could be weeks/months before it resurfaces).

That said, until he's found -- in any condition -- it's great for people to keep an eye out for him in case he decided to just purely run away. The PD may have exhausted all of the leads up to now. But the family can certainly keep the search alive in the hopes that a new promising lead will materialize, that would give the PD something to work with.

I hope answers are just around the corner for the family, and that John is brought home to them soon.

Thank you so much DANI24 for sharing your insights and also giving us a LE perspective!

 

[Deleted member 165632]

Disclaimer: My default position is to assume that LE doesn't make the determination "voluntary missing person" lightly. If they just casually use that label and it turns out to be wrong, it wouldn't be pretty. So, I do believe that LE has more information that leads them to that conclusion about John. As a consequence, they will not use quite as many resources as they would if they believed he was missing involuntarily. They do have to prioritize their resources, but I'm sure Alameda PD isn't just pulling completely out of the case. It's a delicate balance.

I learned a lot on Hannah Thomas-Garner's threads last year.
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...Thomas-Garner-17-Jackson-County-29-Nov-2014-1

I agree with you, my position is also to trust that the police have investigated and come to that conclusion. Thanks for sharing the Hannah Thomas-Garner story. In John Beck's case, I'm inclined to think that the police did investigate as thoroughly as they could. This is a high profile case involving a publicized FTC legal battle. I can't imagine local police didn't do a thorough investigation.
Thnx again for the Thomas-Garner thread, I'll read up on it.

 

[bellesnwhistles]

Heartbroken for his family. I hope if that is the case, John will realize that disappearing isn't the answer and come back to his family. I just find it strange that if he went voluntarily missing he would stay close and go to lands end in broad daylight. And even if he did disappear voluntarily, couldn't he still be considered in danger? I hope they don't stop looking.

 

[caliblondie]

Just heard from the woman who had posted on FB that she may have seen him near the beach. She was the one whose post was a bit confusing because she stated she lives at Lands End but she also stated that she lived at Lands End. I reached out to her because we have a friend in common. She got back to me today and I am attempting to put her and the family in touch. I am not going to say what she saw and let police and the family figure that out but I thought I would let you WS folks know (and get a bump for John's thread).


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[Lilibet]

I've been thinking about John since this thread started. It just makes me so.. sad. I am on the east coast but sure wish I was closer, I would definitely want to help.

I had a couple of questions -

Is John religious or practicing of any specific religion?
Does John have grandchildren? If so, is there anyway an appeal from family, including the kids could help lure him home (maybe he feels guilty or that he has burdened family for the past business/legal matters?)
Does John have a drivers licence and if so - could he rent a car (I know he doesn't have known cash on him and there is no credit card activity?)
Could he have another credit card that no one is aware of? Maybe pull his credit to see about recent inquiries?


Just a few random questions on my mind tonight. He has a gentle face and kind eyes (if that makes sense) and I really just hope he's found.

I see that these very good questions haven't been answered. I know Joy said she wouldn't have time to do much here yesterday so I'll take my chances and try. My answers are from answers on FB or earlier here, so I won't link.

No John isn't particularly religious.

Yes, he has grandchildren. The adult family isn't up to a personal appeal on FB, so I doubt they'd want to put the kids in that position at this time. The kids aren't very old...elementary school and younger, I think.

Yes, John drives. I imagine he could rent a car if he had an unknown credit card.

That's a good idea about looking for recent inquiries about his credit. IMO He might have a hard time getting a credit card right now.

And yes, he does have a gentle face and kind eyes. I really hope he's safe and will come home.

 

[Lilibet]

Just heard from the woman who had posted on FB that she may have seen him near the beach. She was the one whose post was a bit confusing because she stated she lives at Lands End but she also stated that she lived at Lands End. I reached out to her because we have a friend in common. She got back to me today and I am attempting to put her and the family in touch. I am not going to say what she saw and let police and the family figure that out but I thought I would let you WS folks know (and get a bump for John's thread).

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BBM

Thank you! I think she was the one we thought was in Pacifica, down on the Peninsula. It was confusing, so you're a gem for reaching out. Here's hoping!

 

[Lilibet]

I agree. It seems John did plan his disappearance, at least to some extent. I know it's very difficult to understand, but even in circumstances where the missing person is seemingly living a happy normal life it happens. One case that keeps coming to my mind as I follow John's thread is that of Nicholas Francisco. http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?60495-WA-Nicholas-Francisco-28-Seattle-13-Feb-2008-1

That case blew my mind, as well as most everyone who followed it. You think you truly know someone...

BBM

Thanks for this. I remembered it vaguely, but wasn't on WS when it started or ended. Here is a MSM article about it.
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/missing-seatac-man-found-with-new-name-in-new-state/

Your comment "You think you truly know someone..." is really accurate because people always say that the missing person "would never" do something like this. But sadly, they do.

I'm sure we all know of cases on WS like this. I'm reminded of the guy in CO happily attending his first NFL game who disappeared during halftime and was found days later in Pueblo. We had a thread but here's an article.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_26818637/denver-police-says-man-missing-since-last-broncos

And the list goes on. I so hope that John is in this category.