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

[anonypotomous]

Is this what caliblondie is referring to??? The dates don't match up. Article dated yesterday but body was found March 9.

http://kron4.com/2016/03/26/half-moon-bay-body-identified-as-the-missing-25-year-old-brisbane-man/

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Maybe, but this man was found March 9th, and not in the canal

 

[krig101]

Maybe, but this man was found March 9th, and not in the canal

Right.
It's all I can find about a 25 year old man.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[sleeperlabs]

Hmm, I can't find anything about the identification of the body, either. The closest thing I could find was a story about the body of a 25 year old man found in Half Moon Bay?

And thank you Lilibet for the links you posted earlier about the Bay Point canals. Great finds! I was wondering if the Bay Point canal currents went from the ocean/bay to inland, or from the Sacramento rivers out to the sea, since it might give us a clue as to where the body could have originated.

I noticed from the tidal charts that the tidal currents tend to flow in from the ocean and San Francisco/Golden Gate Bridge area into the bay (going into the East Bay and heading up towards the San Pablo Bay to Suisun and also southwards to the Dumbarton bridge) during high tides, and out of the bay during low tides... but I have no idea how far a body could drift over the course of seven weeks. I am also hoping that it isn't Mr. Beck. It's hard to tell if the canals remain quite as narrow up near the coastal ports up in Bay Point as they are around the Contra Costa canal trails going through Walnut Creek, Concord and the residential/office park areas. And though California is still very much in a drought, there has been above-normal rainfall and water coming from the Sierras thus far this season and I imagine that the canal currents have been pretty strong.

Great observation also about the proximity of the BART station to the area where the body was recovered. That Pittsburg/Bay Point station is the last train stop and within easy walking distance to the canals and not far from Martinez, which as you mentioned might be a connection to him being in the Bay Point area. Very puzzling.

 

[sleeperlabs]

Oops, I just noticed that someone already posted about the 25 year old in HMB. Sorry about that, I'm still getting used to the posting system here and kept getting logged out while typing up my previous reply!

About LE, I wholeheartedly agree that it's frustrating how they don't release basic details (like an age range, even "elder man", or height or ethnicity) or connect the case to the other counties. I have an in-law relative who is a former police detective in Southern California and from what I can tell, it would be up to the Alameda Police to connect the Contra Costa County case with theirs. The reason is because the detectives have such an overwhelming caseload that as soon as foul play is ruled out, it's easier to move on to the next case rather than reach out to the adjacent jurisdictions and investigate another department's case further. Not to say that no one is ever trying to connect the dots, just my guess that it's easy for stuff like this to get pushed to the back burner behind the rest of a detective's caseload.

 

[sleeperlabs]

Wondering, with someone with such wealth, how much would an insurance policy be for? Would one have to wait 7 yrs to file a person as deceased in order to collect it? Would suicide be covered in the policy?

I wonder what he was carrying in that packet in his hands. Was it cash? Was it documents and cash to disappear? Such a perplexing case!

I can't imagine owing someone $100,000 much less MILLIONS! That stress has to play a part in his disappearance. Is there anyone else that he could have escaped to live with considering others were sued as well? Would he have had the money to repay the amount owed? Didn't I read he had filed bankruptsy? If so, would that affect his wife and any real estate, or money they jointly have?

Whatever the case, John has family and friends that love him, despite all the legal issues, and want him found. I hope if he is able that he will see the pain being caused and reach out to let them know he is OK. It's hard for me to imagine someone at 73 deciding to start over, but it's hard for me to imagine the millions of dollars as well. If he has harmed himself, I hope his body can be found soon.

Sad case. But John obviously had some plan before his wife dropped him off that morning. He was on a mission. What that mission consisted of is the mystery.

That's a really good question about the life insurance! From what I understand, the state of California protects unmatured life insurance but Mr. Beck or his bankruptcy attorney would have had to file for the exemption from his estate with the Chapter 7 trustee. It is not clear if that ever happened since the hearing on the day of his disappearance was ostensibly with the trustee and creditors to review details like this. To complicate things even further, I believe his family could have a difficult time collecting on the life insurance since he is missing and not officially deceased. There may also be entitlement restrictions based on how much time has lapsed between a death and filing for Chapter 7.

I don't think there is any possible way Mr. Beck could have come close to repaying the $113M fine. There was talk earlier of possible Swiss Bank and offshore accounts, but those are no longer anonymous nor protected from the FTC (due to enactment of the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act which you might remember from the news during the depths of the recession and sub-prime crisis). His assets were also closely monitored long before they were frozen during bankruptcy, so it would have been very difficult to for him have stashed money away somewhere.

This is my personal bias, but I don't think John Beck was as close to the wealthy multimillionaire that we've seen in the news. The court ruling discloses his assets and acknowledges that Doug Gravink and Gary Hewitt were the ultimate owners of Mr. Beck's real estate business (also Jeff Paul, the other infomercial business named in the suit) as well as the supporting telemarketing, call center and "counseling" services attached to them. The case clearly shows that John Beck was complicit in appearing in the infomercials and making hyperbolic statements about his "get rich" system but I think he and Paul were more pawns (suckers) and the real money flowed to Gravink and Hewitt's corporations. Again, this is my own point of view but Gravink and Hewitt have a history of questionable business practices which is why I have a bone to pick with them. They have imposed grief and hardship upon consumers and other business partners many times over, which is what makes this missing person case so very sad. Hopefully this is something that the media will pick up on someday.

I can't even imagine how his family is dealing with the situation. Along with John being missing for nearly two months, they have to deal with potentially losing nearly everything they own as the bankruptcy proceedings move forward, and deal with the baggage that comes along with all the negative press about the court case. It's a really, really tough situation and I feel for them.

 

[Lilibet]

That's a really good question about the life insurance! From what I understand, the state of California protects unmatured life insurance but Mr. Beck or his bankruptcy attorney would have had to file for the exemption from his estate with the Chapter 7 trustee. It is not clear if that ever happened since the hearing on the day of his disappearance was ostensibly with the trustee and creditors to review details like this. To complicate things even further, I believe his family could have a difficult time collecting on the life insurance since he is missing and not officially deceased. There may also be entitlement restrictions based on how much time has lapsed between a death and filing for Chapter 7.

I don't think there is any possible way Mr. Beck could have come close to repaying the $113M fine. There was talk earlier of possible Swiss Bank and offshore accounts, but those are no longer anonymous nor protected from the FTC (due to enactment of the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act which you might remember from the news during the depths of the recession and sub-prime crisis). His assets were also closely monitored long before they were frozen during bankruptcy, so it would have been very difficult to for him have stashed money away somewhere.

This is my personal bias, but I don't think John Beck was as close to the wealthy multimillionaire that we've seen in the news. The court ruling discloses his assets and acknowledges that Doug Gravink and Gary Hewitt were the ultimate owners of Mr. Beck's real estate business (also Jeff Paul, the other infomercial business named in the suit) as well as the supporting telemarketing, call center and "counseling" services attached to them. The case clearly shows that John Beck was complicit in appearing in the infomercials and making hyperbolic statements about his "get rich" system but I think he and Paul were more pawns (suckers) and the real money flowed to Gravink and Hewitt's corporations. Again, this is my own point of view but Gravink and Hewitt have a history of questionable business practices which is why I have a bone to pick with them. They have imposed grief and hardship upon consumers and other business partners many times over, which is what makes this missing person case so very sad. Hopefully this is something that the media will pick up on someday.

I can't even imagine how his family is dealing with the situation. Along with John being missing for nearly two months, they have to deal with potentially losing nearly everything they own as the bankruptcy proceedings move forward, and deal with the baggage that comes along with all the negative press about the court case. It's a really, really tough situation and I feel for them.

BBM

I agree with your post up to a point. The reason the possibility of offshore and Swiss accounts came up is that Gravink did it and it didn't come to light until he finally turned over some boxes of documents to the bankruptcy court in November 2015. So it was hidden until then. I figure that John was equally capable of doing this because of his vast knowledge. And an earlier link indicated that he had moved money in a manipulative way, as well as filed for Chapter 11 instead of 7. Desperate times. Desperate measures. But I agree that he does not have gobs of money, despite the fact that he should if his system worked so well. JMO

Here is the link about Gravink's Swiss accounts.
https://www.unitedstatescourts.org/federal/cacb/1733313/1-0.html

Gravink and Hewitt deserve long prison sentences IMO. As you know, they have a long history of questionable business dealings and I think they are still at it. The bone I have to pick with John is that he could have found this out before doing business with them. The internet existed. He's an attorney and a smart man. He has connections. He's not naive. He was well-respected by his peers until he started doing infomercials.

I do feel terrible for John's family. Whatever has happened to John it seems that they are the true victims in all this and are left dealing with the damage as well as grieving. Very, very sad and so unnecessary.
All JMO.

 

[Timekeeper65]

And still no answers....sigh

:candle:

 

[caliblondie]

So sorry for not following the rules. I am a long time reader of WS but have only posted on this case because it's in my backyard. <modsnip> I am the reader who put John's daughter in touch with the woman who thought she might have witnessed John at Pacifica (near Half Moon Bay).

I don't believe the Contra Costa County body had been identified yet but the Half Moon Bay one was.

http://m.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/article/Body-That-Washed-Ashore-Identified-As-Missing-7181691.php


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Lilibet]

So sorry for not following the rules. I am a long time reader of WS but have only posted on this case because it's in my backyard. <modsnip> I am the reader who put John's daughter in touch with the woman who thought she might have witnessed John at Pacifica (near Half Moon Bay).

I don't believe the Contra Costa County body had been identified yet but the Half Moon Bay one was.

http://m.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/article/Body-That-Washed-Ashore-Identified-As-Missing-7181691.php


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for coming back! That explains our confusion. I don't recall that we knew about the Half Moon Bay body. Since we were discussing the one in the Contra Costa Canal that's what we thought you meant. No wonder our googling didn't show anything. Anyway, now you know about posting MSM links with any statements that claim to be a fact rather than an opinion. It's a learning curve for sure.

 

[windrower]

Do you think the family found or received some communication from John letting them know what was going on? The silence from Joy is pretty deafening.

(And Lilibet, when I can get on my PC, I'm going to make a list from your early posts in this case, where you made so many viable suggestions for action the family and searchers could take. Information definitely worth keeping. You rock!)

 

[krig101]

Just a thought, If John was/is found deceased and it immediately appeared as suicide it may not get reported in MSM

IMO he is out there alive somewhere, probably has left the country.



Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[chinacat67]

Do you think the family found or received some communication from John letting them know what was going on? The silence from Joy is pretty deafening.

(And Lilibet, when I can get on my PC, I'm going to make a list from your early posts in this case, where you made so many viable suggestions for action the family and searchers could take. Information definitely worth keeping. You rock!)

<modsnip>

MOO, he is alive and took off. He/they are facing enormous financial problems and that burden can sometimes just be too much. I hope he comes home and finishes facing the music; it'd be a shame to have his family face it alone.

 

[Lilibet]

Do you think the family found or received some communication from John letting them know what was going on? The silence from Joy is pretty deafening.

(And Lilibet, when I can get on my PC, I'm going to make a list from your early posts in this case, where you made so many viable suggestions for action the family and searchers could take. Information definitely worth keeping. You rock!)

Thanks so much for your kind words windrower. That would be a great list to have. Would you want to post it here when you're done? I'm too lazy to do it and I always feel like I'm starting from scratch! It would help others too. I think John's family and friends did an outstanding job searching for him and came up with ideas like searching Instagram that I would never have thought of doing (but now I will!).

My sense is that they have not heard from John. I can't quote a source, but I do check FB pages occasionally. To answer krig101, I do believe that if John had been found to have definitely committed suicide they would say so. I think they would make an announcement on the FB page or blog.

I hope Joy comes back. I hope she understands that it's possible to care about what has happened to John while at the same time having very strong feelings about what he was involved in (as I do) and hypothesizing about where he might have gone. It's a hard sleuthing balance to strike when family or friends are on the thread, so as not to hurt their feelings, but sleuthing is what we do here and we consider all possibilities. It's a very sad situation for everyone, John included. I'm sure it all started out innocently enough and escalated beyond what he ever imagined. A tragic lesson.
JMO

 

[sleeperlabs]

Happy Monday, Websleuths!

Just popping in to share the link below. The body found in the Contra Costa County canals has been identified as Bay Point local Fernando Sierraacevedo (age 41).

http://www.contracostatimes.com/bre.../bay-point-man-found-dead-contra-costa-county

So the search for John Beck continues. I want to build on some of the fantastic replies up above, but that will have to wait until I get out from work! Have a great week, everyone!

 

[Lilibet]

Happy Monday, Websleuths!

Just popping in to share the link below. The body found in the Contra Costa County canals has been identified as Bay Point local Fernando Sierraacevedo (age 41).

http://www.contracostatimes.com/bre.../bay-point-man-found-dead-contra-costa-county

So the search for John Beck continues. I want to build on some of the fantastic replies up above, but that will have to wait until I get out from work! Have a great week, everyone!

Thanks for this information, sleeperlabs. How sad for this man's family.

Looking forward to your next posts.

 

[Lilibet]

<modsnip>

MOO, he is alive and took off. He/they are facing enormous financial problems and that burden can sometimes just be too much. I hope he comes home and finishes facing the music; it'd be a shame to have his family face it alone.

You've made some interesting observations. You could be right. I don't know what to think about the video and the silence. I certainly hope he is alive and I hope he comes home. It's not like he's facing a prison sentence.

 

[sleeperlabs]

Just stopping in for a moment again... I'm not sure if anyone else noticed, but it looked like someone Tweeted earlier under the hashtag #FindJohnBeck (another video) but it was gone when I went back later to look at it. Maybe this means there's some news coming soon.

I agree that the silence has been deafening but it feels more like the news has been that there's no news, and not that anything has been resolved or that they've given up. In addition to the occasional blip on Twitter there is a volunteer email list (the link is sort of buried on the FB) with some updates and mostly requests for help looking online or sharing stuff on social media, calling around, etc. The last email went out over a week and a half ago which seems like an eternity but I think it's more of a signal that there just hasn't been any developments.

I also noticed that things got really quiet when word of that "Finding Beck" documentary began to spread and wonder if maybe the family is keeping quiet in order to not "feed" the filmmakers anything that can be spun into a story. Or maybe they have been talking with the filmmakers... but I hope not! That would be weird and counterproductive. My husband is intrigued by the case and the mystery of the disappearance though and thinks it would make a really good miniseries for the Serial podcast! :doh:

OK, I have to run. More later.

 

[anonypotomous]

I also noticed that things got really quiet when word of that "Finding Beck" documentary began to spread .

Wow, I missed that. A documentary??

 

[persimmon]

Hmm, I can't find anything about the identification of the body, either. The closest thing I could find was a story about the body of a 25 year old man found in Half Moon Bay?

And thank you Lilibet for the links you posted earlier about the Bay Point canals. Great finds! I was wondering if the Bay Point canal currents went from the ocean/bay to inland, or from the Sacramento rivers out to the sea, since it might give us a clue as to where the body could have originated.

I noticed from the tidal charts that the tidal currents tend to flow in from the ocean and San Francisco/Golden Gate Bridge area into the bay (going into the East Bay and heading up towards the San Pablo Bay to Suisun and also southwards to the Dumbarton bridge) during high tides, and out of the bay during low tides... but I have no idea how far a body could drift over the course of seven weeks. I am also hoping that it isn't Mr. Beck. It's hard to tell if the canals remain quite as narrow up near the coastal ports up in Bay Point as they are around the Contra Costa canal trails going through Walnut Creek, Concord and the residential/office park areas. And though California is still very much in a drought, there has been above-normal rainfall and water coming from the Sierras thus far this season and I imagine that the canal currents have been pretty strong.

Great observation also about the proximity of the BART station to the area where the body was recovered. That Pittsburg/Bay Point station is the last train stop and within easy walking distance to the canals and not far from Martinez, which as you mentioned might be a connection to him being in the Bay Point area. Very puzzling.

Yes, I agree about the links Lilibet posted There was a great deal of information that covered questions I had. Thinking back on the Martinez search on JBs computer, I noticed that the canal trail starts very near to there. I'm catching up on the thread so apologies if the body has been definitively ruled out as being JBs.

 

[persimmon]

Wow, I missed that. A documentary??

Me too. I guess it's time to Google Interesting idea and I wonder whose project it is?