FL FL - Isabella Hellmann, 41, catamaran off Cay Sal, SE of the FL Keys, 14 May 2017 #1 *GUILTY*

[Jersey*Girl]

Im not posting a screencap of this but here's the record of the civil assist call between police, LB & his inlaws. Interesting note though...

https://media.local10.com/document_...ident report_1496322195145_9885983_ver1.0.pdf

See last sentence of page 4 of 5. Lewis is under investigation for his wife's disappearance.

 

[Jersey*Girl]

I don't wear jewelry when boating or traveling. For boating because it can get lost or banged up. For traveling, ESPECIALLY in the Caribbean-- attracts too much attention/theft and IMO is in very poor taste because those islands are so very poor.

For traveling, I do wear a 2mm plain platinum wedding band. Everything else stays at home. For boating, I don't even wear it.

I did bring a pair of London topaz stud earrings-- my very favorite-- in our RV because we were headed to a function where we were expected to dress up. I was heartbroken to lose one in the RV. I searched high and low because I know for a fact it was lost in the RV and I was never able to find it. A boat is even worse...

ETA: if you are wearing rings on the boat and the sway causes you to lose balance and jam or break a finger, now you have to get the ring off before it cuts off circulation, and if you can't do that you better have a dremmel and cut it off yourself!

When I travel abroad, depending where we'll be, I usually wear a plain wedding band. When I get back home I change my ring to my more expensive one. I also don't take my more expensive earrings. Pirating has made a comeback on the high seas (cruising in Spain etc), expensive jewelry draws attention from room service, not to mention that imo it's kind of distasteful when visiting certain places. That's just my preference.

 

[Hatfield]

I don't wear jewelry when boating or traveling. For boating because it can get lost or banged up. For traveling, ESPECIALLY in the Caribbean-- attracts too much attention/theft and IMO is in very poor taste because those islands are so very poor.

For traveling, I do wear a 2mm plain platinum wedding band. Everything else stays at home. For boating, I don't even wear it.

I did bring a pair of London topaz stud earrings-- my very favorite-- in our RV because we were headed to a function where we were expected to dress up. I was heartbroken to lose one in the RV. I searched high and low because I know for a fact it was lost in the RV and I was never able to find it. A boat is even worse...

ETA: if you are wearing rings on the boat and the sway causes you to lose balance and jam or break a finger, now you have to get the ring off before it cuts off circulation, and if you can't do that you better have a dremmel and cut it off yourself!

Good point about jewelry. I figured it would be a safety thing but thought maybe she would just leave it on the boat while working around the boat but I guess there is always work to do while on the boat so it would be a safety mistake to have jewelry on.

Safety 101 when around tools or machinery. No jewlry and no long loose hair that get entangled in equipment. I suppose same holds for working on a boat. You dont want to get tangled in anything.

 

[tiffay01]

So your beloved sister/daughter is lost at sea, you're hoping for news that she's been rescued, you're imaging her floating out there alone in the dark, you're looking after her baby.

Maybe they wanted the photos on her ipad, her treasured ring, her favorite clothes, because these objects reminded them of her, they wanted to pray over them, and keep them close because they were a way of keeping her alive, rather than leave them abandoned in her empty apartment.

Just saying, it's not necessarily about money.



Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

I was thinking more along the lines of why would they jeopardize a potential investigation by retrieving those items. I understand 100% sentimental and prayers, I just hope if they did in fact take them, that they are able to be used in the event of a trial. I still wonder if there was something on the laptop that they felt would be destroyed if not taken. But this is assuming Bennett is telling the truth and they do have the items.

 

[Hiandmighty]

When I travel abroad, depending where we'll be, I usually wear a plain wedding band. When I get back home I change my ring to my more expensive one. I also don't take my more expensive earrings. Pirating has made a comeback on the high seas (cruising in Spain etc), expensive jewelry draws attention from room service, not to mention that imo it's kind of distasteful when visiting certain places. That's just my preference.

Yes, exactly. Also, for hotel in room safe, the code 000000 is the default reset code, so unless you want to use the lobby safe, it is too much of a hassle.

My friends all do the same: plain wedding band and maybe a small, nondescript pair of silver stud earrings. When you visit poor places, you don't want to be flashy or stand out. In this last year I have come to realize that I can't bring my leather Cole Haan large tote bag/shopper any more. I think the leather equates to "rich american"... I'm buying one of those anti-theft ebags totes that are more "regular bag" looking.

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

I also read that, as a night watch person, or any watch person, she should have been tethered to the boat.

Would that be true in this situation and why wasn't she tethered (and wearing THE personal locator beacon).

As I understand it there is some controversy with regards to tethers. Yes, they keep you from falling overboard, but it also hinders your ability to abandon the ship in an emergency.

according to reports in the Detroit Free Press, the 35-foot sloop*WingNuts*capsized during in a fierce storm that struck during the race.*WingNuts*captain, Mark Morley, 51, and his girlfriend, Suzanne Bickel, 41, were found drowned while still tethered to their boat. Six other crew members were pulled from the water.

<snip>

These are now the fourth and fifth fatalities in recent years in which safety tethers have been raised as a possible contributing cause of death.

https://www.practical-sailor.com/blog/-10559-1.html

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Hiandmighty]

I think teathers are supposed to be used here and there as you move about a sailboat... when you have to walk along the side of the boat to get to the front, etc.

They aren't really meant to be used as a "several hours at a time" thing.

We don't have PLBs other than the EPIRB. Maybe they had one on her lifejacket, but maybe she wasn't wearing her lifejacket either. We just don't know.

Again, it is so super duper tempting to not wear a life jacket.

 

[KelsK]

Her story is about to be on HLN with Ashleigh Banfield

 

[Whiskers16]

This story is lead on Ashleigh Banfield right now...

 

[Hiandmighty]

Her story is about to be on HLN with Ashleigh Banfield

Please give us a play by play if possible. It is about to rain here so I have no satellite signal...

 

[Whiskers16]

whoa! just stated fbi has cat in their possession in a warehouse somewhere

 

[Hiandmighty]

Wow!!

 

[KelsK]

Please give us a play by play if possible. It is about to rain here so I have no satellite signal...

Darn it. I'm sorry you're missing it. I'm sure a transcript will appear. Too many oddities, says an FBI agent. There are suspicions, which is why the coastguard called the FBI. This is what's currently being said.

 

[KelsK]

There can be answers/reasons for every little situation, but putting them all together, things don't seem right. That was a recap. As I said, I'm sure there will be a transcript!

 

[Hiandmighty]

So they were bluffing when they said they had no idea where it was?! Maybe we will start getting new information...

 

[Whiskers16]

segment is over. other memorable bits for me: still don't know anything regarding life insurance policies he may have had. they referred to it as a sailboat, a yacht, and a catamaran (smh). Ashleigh spoke to two things- 1) 1st year of parenthood involves a lot of stress and arguments so she doesn't feel the supposed arguments to be unusual. 2) she has experience sailing and felt some of the things being considered odd aren't really that odd. she talked about the reality of hitting things in deep waters. raised the question whether LB would risk his own life to abandon ship.
overall seemed to cover "both sides" of the story pretty fairly and logically.

 

[Jersey*Girl]

whoa! just stated fbi has cat in their possession in a warehouse somewhere

Holy fudge

 

[Hiandmighty]

Yeah, but you can't get a conviction is there is reasonable doubt. The question is: will they ever have enough facts to arrest him, try him and convict him, because right now, there are explanations for what we know.

(Of course it stands to reason, if he did kill her and it was premeditated, he would have worked out plausible deniability ahead of time...)

 

[Jersey*Girl]

<modsnip> Family gets call Isabella is missing at sea. They start calling close friends & fam to see if Isabella was heard from. They all share convos each has had with Isabella. Nobody in her family buys the idea of her falling off. They're skeptical for whatever reason. Family calls USCG &/or FBI. They have a key to Isabella's condo as afterall they've been taking care of her daughter. Is it at all plausible that they retrieved all of Isabella's tech and ring to provide to the appropriate authorities to investigate? Therefore, they may not have fibbed about not having those items...maybe bc they already handed them over?

In all reality, it wouldn't have been considered theft if they had a key and got that stuff before Lewis went there. They were taking care of the baby. Isabella could've said use my phone, ipad, etc. The ring well that could've been "misplaced". No?

 

[Hiandmighty]

segment is over. other memorable bits for me: still don't know anything regarding life insurance policies he may have had. they referred to it as a sailboat, a yacht, and a catamaran (smh). Ashleigh spoke to two things- 1) 1st year of parenthood involves a lot of stress and arguments so she doesn't feel the supposed arguments to be unusual. 2) she has experience sailing and felt some of the things being considered odd aren't really that odd. she talked about the reality of hitting things in deep waters. raised the question whether LB would risk his own life to abandon ship.
overall seemed to cover "both sides" of the story pretty fairly and logically.

I told the story a few times this weekend to boaters and the reactions were basically shrug shoulders, yeah, maybe a whale, sad, etc... like "another lost at sea" story...