Deceased/Not Found CA - Sierra LaMar, 15, Morgan Hill, 16 March 2012 #5 *A. Garcia-Torres guilty*

[paris_paris]

I don't think she planned to run away. There would have been nothing to do with school in her bag if she did. She probably wouldn't have bothered tweeting a picture that morning either. I think she knew the person she got in the vehicle with. The phone got tossed right away, and then the bag got tossed a couple of minutes later. As much as some questionable things have been found or heard through the night, I think she was taken out of the area immediately.

The shirt she had on in the picture... same one folded up in the bag... it was a sweatshirt was it not?... my thoughts. When I get up in the morning I'm cold, and I throw on a sweatshirt. I have my coffee and do my morning routine and then I get dressed for the day. She may have done just that, and then put the sweatshirt in her bag for later.

 

[marie-chantal]

I recall earlier that there was mention of the migrant workers, working in a different location that day. I am very unfamiliar with this kind of employment. How do they keep track of who is working the farms? Do they just randomly show up for work in the morning? What time do they start work? Could they have been sent home because of rain? Is it common for some to show up some days and not others? I would definately be looking in that direction. Can we get a map of their working locations on and prior to that day? Has anyone that normally showed up for work quit coming after her disappearance? That area where the condoms and handcuffs were found, was any of that equipment being used that day? Who owns it and is it checked on or patroled by security? I could see someone parking down there at night but not in broad daylight. I do find the handcuff box to be odd, like it may have fell out of a car but that doesn't explain the condoms being there also.

I might be able to answer some of your questions about migrant farm workers. I grew up in the valley adjacent to Morgan Hill to the east, and my grandfather was a farmer. Migrant farm workers do not generally have their own cars. They are usually brought to the site by a foreman. They put in the work, and then leave. I'm not sure where the foreman has the workers gather before they head to the site, but they usually arrive in a group and leave in a group. There has historically been a high accident rate in these areas involving people driving workers to sites. In fact, years ago, my father was hit by a van carrying 16 farm workers. These vehicles that bring the workers to the sites are usually vans, and trucks, and are almost always packed with far too many people than is legally allowed.

The farmers themselves don't always know exactly who is working on their farms. Migrant workers are not always legal, and they are usually paid in cash. Crime committed by this population usually is targeted to other members of this community, not the community at large. They are usually a decent group of people (there's always a few bad apples in every segment of society), and they usually keep to themselves. They move on to another area or another crop when whatever they are working on is done. Even though they are often here illegally, it has been my experience that they are incredibly hard-working, quiet and decent people.

I'm trying to find out what was being farmed in that area near her house. They might be getting ready for garlic season, or it could have been lettuce. The worker who noticed Sierra might be located by talking to the foreman. He is most likely still in the area. Things are starting to pick up, work-wise.

 

[JDB]

I don't think she planned to run away. There would have been nothing to do with school in her bag if she did. She probably wouldn't have bothered tweeting a picture that morning either. I think she knew the person she got in the vehicle with. The phone got tossed right away, and then the bag got tossed a couple of minutes later. As much as some questionable things have been found or heard through the night, I think she was taken out of the area immediately.

The shirt she had on in the picture... same one folded up in the bag... it was a sweatshirt was it not?... my thoughts. When I get up in the morning I'm cold, and I throw on a sweatshirt. I have my coffee and do my morning routine and then I get dressed for the day. She may have done just that, and then put the sweatshirt in her bag for later.

I am not an expert of twitter by no means. But if you look at her twitter every tweet has the same picture in it. With that said it could have been in the bag if it was the same reports say it was a t- shirt. And why not have her books in the bag and make it look like a normal day to everybody. If this is a runaway and I am using the word if and I am hoping this is the case.
Put yourself in a 15 years head for a second. She and I bet the person she is with never expected the FBI to become involved so quickly. They are scared to death right now .
I keep thinking of the Runaway Bride case of. Few years ago. Everyone thought foul play was involved.

 

[CALSAR]

This article saying a sweatshirt was found just off Olgier Avenue near Parkway Lakes RV Park leading up to Coyote Creek.It may or may not be related.To me it looks to big to be Sierra's.

http://www.gilroydispatch.com/sierra-lamar-search/image_fdbb2a0b-0b76-5e07-9d37-f5dbba9f677a.html

Added thought I had; It appears to me, that it has been in the elements to long!

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Everything here is pointing to someone that knows Sierra IMHO.i don't think this was random at all I honestly believe she willing got in the car or truck. And something went wrong or it was planned all along. I am still not 100% convinced she did not get help to run away.
If you read the articles they all say it is all highly unlikely . But nowhere does it say they have completely rule her running away out.

That is the problem with cases like this. We really dont know. While we may think it was someone she knew it just as easily could have been a forced abduction and she didnt know the person or persons.

What bothers me is Sierra seemed to be a very social person and to drop off the face of the earth like this does give me pause as to whether she left voluntarily.

It certainly wouldnt be the first case we have discussed where a young teen went missing right out of the blue and no one saw or heard a thing. We like to think if she was forced against her will there would be some evidence of it, but sadly that doesnt have to be the case at all. If the perp had a weapon pulled on her ..automatically...human instincts kick in and the will to live is paramount. Not everyone kicks and screams. Some think if they are compliant they have more of a chance to live even if it turns out not to be the case.

Other than typical teenage complaining about her mother, I just dont see Sierra putting her family through all of this agony and worry. She just doesnt seem to type to run away.

Sadly, I think all the searches for Sierra will not turn up anything or lead LE to her whereabouts.

Throwing the purse and phone out could have been done so for a distraction so LE would think that Sierra is in that general area. He/she/they could have taken her further away from her home and disposed of her body elsewhere.

I do think Sierra is most likely deceased. It has been way too long to think otherwise, imo.

 

[1faith]

I've wondered if she's being held in someone's home/apartment, and the abductor is watching everything on the news. I've heard of cases like that. It does seem that the phone is likely to have been tossed immediately to prevent tracking, but the bag could have been purposely placed later to divert the focus of the search.

 

[R.U.Kidding!]

Everything here is pointing to someone that knows Sierra IMHO.i don't think this was random at all I honestly believe she willing got in the car or truck. And something went wrong or it was planned all along. I am still not 100% convinced she did not get help to run away.
If you read the articles they all say it is all highly unlikely . But nowhere does it say they have completely rule her running away out.

....but if she is a runaway, why leave her bag with folded clothes and her phone--why not just go without a trace?

I do think it possible that she knew the person/persons she got in the car with, but there were no plans to run away, rather to blow off school and do something mom would not approve of, and something terrible happened.JMO

 

[NJGuy]

I know LE has endangered, possibly kidnapped. On the facebook page for Sierra, the family has posted the flier with "Kidnapped" in large font across the front. Maybe it's the family just believing she was kidnapped, or possibly LE gave the family some info they haven't shared with media yet. Just pondering this possiblity

 

[JDB]

....but if she is a runaway, why leave her bag with folded clothes and her phone--why not just go without a trace?

I do think it possible that she knew the person/persons she got in the car with, but there were no plans to run away, rather to blow off school and do something mom would not approve of, and something terrible happened.JMO

The phone could be found with the ping from cell towers. As to the bag that is one that I can't explain. Like I said I hope this is the case. It has happened before,

 

[OldSteve]

That is the problem with cases like this. We really dont know. While we may think it was someone she knew it just as easily could have been a forced abduction and she didnt know the person or persons.

What bothers me is Sierra seemed to be a very social person and to drop off the face of the earth like this does give me pause as to whether she left voluntarily.

It certainly wouldnt be the first case we have discussed where a young teen went missing right out of the blue and no one saw or heard a thing. We like to think if she was forced against her will there would be some evidence of it, but sadly that doesnt have to be the case at all. If the perp had a weapon pulled on her ..automatically...human instincts kick in and the will to live is paramount. Not everyone kicks and screams. Some think if they are compliant they have more of a chance to live even if it turns out not to be the case.

Other than typical teenage complaining about her mother, I just dont see Sierra putting her family through all of this agony and worry. She just doesnt seem to type to run away.

Sadly, I think all the searches for Sierra will not turn up anything or lead LE to her whereabouts.

Throwing the purse and phone out could have been done so for a distraction so LE would think that Sierra is in that general area. He/she/they could have taken her further away from her home and disposed of her body elsewhere.

I do think Sierra is most likely deceased. It has been way too long to think otherwise, imo.

BBM - you make an excellent point! Cannot imagine her without her phone and cutting herself off from something she really has a need for.
I see her as vulnerable, might be trusting of older teens, or gangsta boys and took a chance of accepting a ride.

She also might have been targeted, though the tossing of bag in that case is tricky since I would think a serial type would have wanted that or it's contents as a trophy.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

BBM - you make an excellent point! Cannot imagine her without her phone and cutting herself off from something she really has a need for.
I see her as vulnerable, might be trusting of older teens, or gangsta boys and took a chance of accepting a ride.

She also might have been targeted, though the tossing of bag in that case is tricky since I would think a serial type would have wanted that or it's contents as a trophy.

Through the years concerning missing cases like this one I have seen that the perp seized on the opportunity available to them to grab the victim. It doesn't take but a blink of an eye for someone to pull a young slim female into their vehicle and then leave.

imo

 

[katydid23]

I wonder , sarx, would the person responsible for the disappearance of a person, be inclined to be involved in the actual search? Somewhat sick, but MOO, inserting oneself into the investigation as an observer would seem like something this person might get a "rush" from, like seeing the chaos they are causing?

If this does happen, do you think LE is on the lookout for the perp among the volunteers--like someone asking too many questions and seemingly more interested/obsessed with the outcome?

In this area of California , during missing persons cases where foul play is suspected, they always check out all of the volunteer searchers. There is a registration involved which includes identification, like drivers licenses. They will not let an anonymous person sign in to search. And if someone did come to search, and had no id, then they would probably get extra scrutiny. imo

But LE does do a quick over view of all of the id's just to see who is there helping out. If there was an RSO or something else of interest, they would check further. Although it is possible that the perp has no record and would garner no suspicion.

 

[katydid23]

Through the years concerning missing cases like this one I have seen that the perp seized on the opportunity available to them to grab the victim. It doesn't take but a blink of an eye for someone to pull a young slim female into their vehicle and then leave.

imo

I am curious if there was any reason that she had gone outside earlier that morning and could have been seen by a passing perp. Like she went out and said goodbye to her mom or got something out of the car, while still in her pj's. My DD used to go out to the driveway early before school to grab things out of her car trunk, dressed in pj's usually, and she would see gardeners or paperboys in our cul-de-sac. It made me nervous.

The only way a random abduction took place, imo, is if he had seen her a little earlier when he saw the adults driving away. He would know she was going to school soon, imo. He could have hidden near his waiting car for her to come out.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

I wonder , sarx, would the person responsible for the disappearance of a person, be inclined to be involved in the actual search? Somewhat sick, but MOO, inserting oneself into the investigation as an observer would seem like something this person might get a "rush" from, like seeing the chaos they are causing?

If this does happen, do you think LE is on the lookout for the perp among the volunteers--like someone asking too many questions and seemingly more interested/obsessed with the outcome?

I, too, thought about this, but forgot to post it.
I have heard of perps attending vigils, funerals, etc, of their victim, and I transferred this to a possibilility that a perp would be interested in attending searches, too.
What do you think, sarx and other Search and Rescue force members?

 

[:+:MrTT:+:]

As far as I know. Almost 11 12 hours had past before anyone knew something may be wrong. Around 6 that evening the mother received a phone call from the school reporting she had not been there that day. All day no other students or friends called her mother to report earlier she was not at school. Which tells me no one close to her knew anything about her having other plans. The person/persons she left with appeared at the end of the drive way that morning if the dogs in fact are correct in tracking her that far before the scent stopped. I assumed she got in voluntarily for there was no reports of screams, slamming of car doors, yelling, squealing of tires or other reported commotion. Or she could have been made to get in quick with a gun being displayed. We wont know for sure until after she is found and a suspect arrested to get the details. Tossing of the phone was to prevent the possible tracking when it became obvious she was missing. Perhaps the person she is with assumed she would be discovered missing much earlier and discarded the items early just in case there was a witness to something, and they were afraid of being stopped at a road block or a description of a vehicle was given and didn't want those items in the vehicle if pulled over.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

I might be able to answer some of your questions about migrant farm workers. I grew up in the valley adjacent to Morgan Hill to the east, and my grandfather was a farmer. Migrant farm workers do not generally have their own cars. They are usually brought to the site by a foreman. They put in the work, and then leave. I'm not sure where the foreman has the workers gather before they head to the site, but they usually arrive in a group and leave in a group. There has historically been a high accident rate in these areas involving people driving workers to sites. In fact, years ago, my father was hit by a van carrying 16 farm workers. These vehicles that bring the workers to the sites are usually vans, and trucks, and are almost always packed with far too many people than is legally allowed.

The farmers themselves don't always know exactly who is working on their farms. Migrant workers are not always legal, and they are usually paid in cash. Crime committed by this population usually is targeted to other members of this community, not the community at large. They are usually a decent group of people (there's always a few bad apples in every segment of society), and they usually keep to themselves. They move on to another area or another crop when whatever they are working on is done. Even though they are often here illegally, it has been my experience that they are incredibly hard-working, quiet and decent people.

I'm trying to find out what was being farmed in that area near her house. They might be getting ready for garlic season, or it could have been lettuce. The worker who noticed Sierra might be located by talking to the foreman. He is most likely still in the area. Things are starting to pick up, work-wise.

BBM
Thanks for your post, Marie-chantal!:seeya:
I somehow have missed a reference to a worker that noticed Sierra.
Could you refresh my memory please?
TIA

 

[CALSAR]

CALSAR just donated $100.00 To Klaas Kids. PLEASE DONATE what you can to help find Sierra @KlaasKidsSearch @PollyDad

https://secure.vwswebs.com/_vti_bin/shtml.dll/klaaskids/pg-help.htm

 

[:+:MrTT:+:]

As far as I know. Almost 11 12 hours had past before anyone knew something may be wrong. Around 6 that evening the mother received a phone call from the school reporting she had not been there that day. All day no other students or friends called her mother to report earlier she was not at school. Which tells me no one close to her knew anything about her having other plans. The person/persons she left with appeared at the end of the drive way that morning if the dogs in fact are correct in tracking her that far before the scent stopped. I assumed she got in voluntarily for there was no reports of screams, slamming of car doors, yelling, squealing of tires or other reported commotion. Or she could have been made to get in quick with a gun being displayed. We wont know for sure until after she is found and a suspect arrested to get the details. Tossing of the phone was to prevent the possible tracking when it became obvious she was missing. Perhaps the person she is with assumed she would be discovered missing much earlier and discarded the items early just in case there was a witness to something, and they were afraid of being stopped at a road block or a description of a vehicle was given and didn't want those items in the vehicle if pulled over.

Does anyone know if they have started or have checked along the 101 and I5 going south to see if anything else of hers may had been discarded along the side of the hi-ways.

I know for now it may appear to LEOs that she was taken, killed and left somewhere close by in the area. But I have doubts about that. Especially after two weeks have gone by. And so far in the area we have found only a couple of her personal possessions that we know for sure are hers that were discarded along the way out of the area.

Add on...
Someone could have pulled up and offered to give her a ride to school or the bus stop even. And when it became apparent something else was happening, she started to through her stuff out to leave a trail to show in which direction she was heading.....Until we know for sure, any theory is as good as any other for we do not know the exact circumstances that happened that morning.

 

[JDB]

BBM
Thanks for your post, Marie-chantal!:seeya:
I somehow have missed a reference to a worker that noticed Sierra.
Could you refresh my memory please?
TIA

I saw an interview right after Sierra went missing. There were no workers in The field where the bus stop is. As they were working another field. No worker saw Sierra the day she went missing.

 

[Dewey2Me1MoThyme]

I still think there is a chance that they are totally unrelated to Sierra BUT if they are related...

The clothes being folded in the Juicy bag immediately made me think ... military. Now we have "stainless hand cuffs". Which are also used in the military (http://www.bradleyssurplus.com/store/handcuffs/) though they are typically black, we don't know what color these were.

I think LE needs to seriously be looking at military people in the area that have recently been discharged (perhaps dishonorably) or someone that is suffering from PTSD, perhaps with a history, even an older vet that has displayed concerning behaviors.

My gut has been and keeps screaming military.

That's what I have been saying for the last week or so, glad to see I'm not the only one seeing that possible connection. :woohoo: