Found Deceased CA - Paul Miller, 51, Canadian missing in Joshua Tree National Park, San Bernardino Co., 13 Jul 2018

[jash]

They're holding a prayer service tonight for Paul Miller's family.
Prayer service for Guelph man missing in California

 

[MaryG12]

You are obviously a very caring person, that really comes across.
We are not here to judge, but to consider any and all possibilities of why this man has disappeared, in the hopes of coming up with some little nugget that can help bring him home. It seems personal, it is not. The dissection is necessary to better estimate predictive behavior that hopefully leads to recovery.

Many people on these threads have lived through tragedy, and give back by attempting to help with research and ideas. The dissection and endless ideation does result, in many cases, to contributing to recoveries. Let’s hope this is one of them. Thank you for your caring; you will find lots of kindred souls on these threads.

BBM

Which is why I brought up the possibility he parked the left, left in someone else's car, is with that person, and still alive somewhere. MOO, better that, than being found dead x length of time later, somewhere in an obscured part of JTNP.

 

[RickshawFan]

See here for a comparable situation in Joshua Tree just 2 months ago. This was an experienced hiker, and she was injured and out there for days. This gives a great “missing hiker” point of view.

Kiwi hiker Claire Nelson's incredible survival after three nights in US desert

 

[whatsnext]

Seems like we made the full circle and are back in the beginning, lol.
To me the opinion of our verified professional @bbbd4u has alot of value. He/ or she said that his/ or her opinion is based on the facts he knows right now (public information). And that his opinion could change of course as new facts would come to light. At the moment, with the public knowledge there is, it seems unlikely to the VP that Paul was ever in that park.
Like others here, I wish that he just decided to disappear for a while, maybe that he just had some sort of midlife crisis, and arranged to be picked up in that parking lot. He could have been lucky (stranger things happen) and there was nobody there who witnessed that.
I'd like it to be that way!
As long as there is no officially confirmed sighting of him at the park, there is also the possibility that he didn't drive the car to that parking lot himself...
There is just still not enough information about all this.. JMO

 

[whatsnext]

Or he left a note maybe for his wife, and that is why she left so early? LE would not make that public at this time ,due to the ongoing investigation? Pure speculation..

ETA I just can't sleep , to be here is alot better than tossing and turning...

 

[Jackeee]

I’m in Canada and can drive to the US border in 10 minutes. If I wanted to disappear, would I be be better off crossing the border to pull this off or stay in my own country? Communications between Canada and the US are good as far as I know. I’m just curious by the way.

 

[bluesneakers]

I’m in Canada and can drive to the US border in 10 minutes. If I wanted to disappear, would I be be better off crossing the border to pull this off or stay in my own country? Communications between Canada and the US are good as far as I know. I’m just curious by the way.

Joshua Tree National Park is about two hours from the Mexican border.

 

[PaulR]

Or he left a note maybe for his wife, and that is why she left so early? LE would not make that public at this time ,due to the ongoing investigation? Pure speculation..

ETA I just can't sleep , to be here is alot better than tossing and turning...

He didn't leave very early if he wanted to see the sheep, apparently they are most visible at the oasis (the end of the trail) around dusk/dawn. That was really early (5:14am says Google) but I assume they linger a bit. 9am is a late start.

It's a feasible sounding "late start" - any later and the timeline for him being able to find some sheep and head back to the hotel/Las Vegas for an afternoon flight doesn't work at all; any earlier and there is a risk that the other hikers (who do the trails early to beat the heat) would have been able to positively identify whether he was or wasn't on the trail. We're a bit lucky that there was someone there after 9am at all.

Someone else mentioned seeing bighorn sheep in Canada; the ones in JTNP are apparently a different breed, but I saw bighorn sheep in Canada as well. There's a lake outside Banff, the sheep are pretty tame and just walk by the road while everyone takes photos.

 

[whatsnext]

Joshua Tree National Park is about two hours from the Mexican border.

Well thats VERY close....

 

[Jackeee]

I think Paul had an accident. I find it difficult to see him wanting to disappear since there is nothing in his personal life to indicate otherwise, as far as I can tell.
JMO

 

[whatsnext]

I think Paul had an accident. I find it difficult to see him wanting to disappear since there is nothing in his personal life to indicate otherwise, as far as I can tell.
JMO

Okay, but where did he have that accident?
ETA I mean, hey, they DID search for him quite extensively, or did I get that wrong?

 

[bluesneakers]

I think Paul had an accident. I find it difficult to see him wanting to disappear since there is nothing in his personal life to indicate otherwise, as far as I can tell.
JMO

Me too. Got lost, or maybe went off the trail and hurt himself or got sick from heat and dehydration. It might take awhile, but I think they will find him and when they do he won't be far from the trail.

I wouldn't rule out suicide, but JMO it seems unlikely.

 

[Jackeee]

Okay, but where did he have that accident?
ETA I mean, hey, they DID search for him quite extensively, or did I get that wrong?

That’s what bothers me. I’ve read about many searches where the one they are looking for has been missed. Were drones used? I know there were dogs and a lot of searchers.

 

[rosesfromangels]

Me too. Got lost, or maybe went off the trail and hurt himself or got sick from heat and dehydration. It might take awhile, but I think they will find him and when they do he won't be far from the trail.

I wouldn't rule out suicide, but JMO it seems unlikely.

My assessment, though cursory, agrees with the above. Let's find this guy!

 

[rosesfromangels]

That’s what bothers me. I’ve read about many searches where the one they are looking for has been missed. Were drones used? I know there were dogs and a lot of searchers.

What is troubling is that we have two SAR folks on the thread who seem to think the search was pretty darn thorough, and that the indications are he was not on the trail. (Read upthread). So I have ambivalent feeling on this one, but am going with the most reasonable assumption. He's there, off trail, injured. Probably fell in to a ravine and can't be seen.

 

[SeesSeas]

Okay, but where did he have that accident?
ETA I mean, hey, they DID search for him quite extensively, or did I get that wrong?

I agree with the search dogs:
"Six canine search teams" "never detected Miller’s scent".

Search for Canadian hiker missing at Joshua Tree National Park scaled back
Rangers launched an immediate search which included up to 90 ground searchers, six canine search teams, an ATV search team and a helicopter, Land said.
Over the past five days, canines never detected Miller’s scent and search crews couldn’t find any tracks, discarded equipment or hikers who may have seen him, Land said.

 

[SeesSeas]

What is troubling is that we have two SAR folks on the thread who seem to think the search was pretty darn thorough, and that the indications are he was not on the trail. (Read upthread). So I have ambivalent feeling on this one, but am going with the most reasonable assumption. He's there, off trail, injured. Probably fell in to a ravine and can't be seen.

Can't be SEEN, but the search dogs should have been able to SMELL him.

 

[rosesfromangels]

Can't be SEEN, but the search dogs should have been able to SMELL him.

Yes, this is true, and given there were *six* teams of dogs ? it certainly seems they would have hit on something. However, as incredible as the dogs and trackers are, they are not infallible.
But if you combine the dogs not coming up with anything and the wife leaving town after six days....well I'm just not sure what's going on here. Still, we must act as if he is there waiting for us to find him - until such (if any) time we learn otherwise.

 

[Poppyflower]

Me too. Got lost, or maybe went off the trail and hurt himself or got sick from heat and dehydration. It might take awhile, but I think they will find him and when they do he won't be far from the trail.

I wouldn't rule out suicide, but JMO it seems unlikely.

Sadly, this is the most likely the situation. Occam's Razor and all.

I'm reminded of Joseph and Rachel last fall. There was much discussion here : Found Deceased - CA - Rachel Nguyen, 20, & Joseph Orbeso, 21, Joshua Tree Nat'l Park, 27 July 2017 #1 RIP.

 

[Jackeee]

Is it known if cadaver dogs have been brought in? (Sorry, I don’t like this thought).