Found Deceased MA - Kim Kelly-Oberhauser, 56, Lowell, 18 Jan 2021

[Chelly]

This follows along with some of my thoughts.

I would really like to know your thoughts. Will wait patiently.

Wondering if another vehicle could have impacted Kim's SUV before it went into the water.

 

[CuriousCandy]

I would really like to know your thoughts. Will wait patiently.

Wondering if another vehicle could have impacted Kim's SUV before it went into the water.

I have lived within 5 miles of the recovery site for my entire life. I can not recall, even once, a vehicle getting in the river accidentally. I have looked at video and pictures of the vehicle and I don't see damage that would come along with that either.

 

[Sillybilly]

Hi everyone,

Just to let you all know that ChelmChick has now been Verified as an insider in this case.

As a VI, ChelmChick does not need to provide links to whatever they state as fact. Members are free to believe or not to believe information provided by a VI, but either way please treat chelmchick with respect at all times. Do not argue or badger them for additional information they may not have or may not be comfortable sharing.

Thank you to ChelmChick and everyone else who is here to discuss Kim's case.

 

[Chelly]

@ChelmChick ...Welcome to Websleuths as a Verified Insider. Hope you can help us understand more about Kim's disappearance and the mystery of her SUV sinking in the Merrimack.

 

[Chelly]

I have lived within 5 miles of the recovery site for my entire life. I can not recall, even once, a vehicle getting in the river accidentally. I have looked at video and pictures of the vehicle and I don't see damage that would come along with that either.

So, if the SUV didn't enter the river by accident, I keep wondering how it got there...an intentional act?

I lived in Worcester MA area most of my life, somewhat familiar with Chelmsford/Lowell. Sadly, Kim is probably not alive, but I keep hoping that by some miracle.....she is still living.

 

[ChelmChick]

@ChelmChick ...Welcome to Websleuths as a Verified Insider. Hope you can help us understand more about Kim's disappearance and the mystery of her SUV sinking in the Merrimack.

This is so very distressing! It’s been 2 weeks now. <modsnip> it seems she moved out of her Tyngsboro home into a Lowell apartment, as police refer to her as a Lowell woman. She had about three dogs she was devoted to so not sure if she had them living w/ her at the new place. She was in the process of helping her son buy a home. She might have made some enemies along the way, as she can be very sharp. Also had substantial personal wealth but could be frugal. She was very smart, accomplished and responsible, so would never have left her company so suddenly.

If she were in the car when it was rear-ended, I doubt she would have risked her safety to get out on a deserted street. If she didn’t have OnStar in the car, she could have pumped on the horn to attract attention since she didn’t have her phone. Can’t imagine why she was out late as she usually turned in early. Speculating she might have been abducted by at least two individuals, one driving her car, the second driving w/her in another car and then rear-ending the Range Rover, then they sent it into the river. Destroying such an expensive car sends a message, like taunting.

 

[Spider92]

This is so very distressing! It’s been 2 weeks now. <modsnip> it seems she moved out of her Tyngsboro home into a Lowell apartment, as police refer to her as a Lowell woman. She had about three dogs she was devoted to so not sure if she had them living w/ her at the new place. She was in the process of helping her son buy a home. She might have made some enemies along the way, as she can be very sharp. Also had substantial personal wealth but could be frugal. She was very smart, accomplished and responsible, so would never have left her company so suddenly.

If she were in the car when it was rear-ended, I doubt she would have risked her safety to get out on a deserted street. If she didn’t have OnStar in the car, she could have pumped on the horn to attract attention since she didn’t have her phone. Can’t imagine why she was out late as she usually turned in early. Speculating she might have been abducted by at least two individuals, one driving her car, the second driving w/her in another car and then rear-ending the Range Rover, then they sent it into the river. Destroying such an expensive car sends a message, like taunting.

An abduction is certainly a possibility but I don't think I've read any quotes from LE that suggest they are concerned that a violent crime was committed.

 

[Rocky1]

This is so very distressing! It’s been 2 weeks now. <modsnip> it seems she moved out of her Tyngsboro home into a Lowell apartment, as police refer to her as a Lowell woman. She had about three dogs she was devoted to so not sure if she had them living w/ her at the new place. She was in the process of helping her son buy a home. She might have made some enemies along the way, as she can be very sharp. Also had substantial personal wealth but could be frugal. She was very smart, accomplished and responsible, so would never have left her company so suddenly.

If she were in the car when it was rear-ended, I doubt she would have risked her safety to get out on a deserted street. If she didn’t have OnStar in the car, she could have pumped on the horn to attract attention since she didn’t have her phone. Can’t imagine why she was out late as she usually turned in early. Speculating she might have been abducted by at least two individuals, one driving her car, the second driving w/her in another car and then rear-ending the Range Rover, then they sent it into the river. Destroying such an expensive car sends a message, like taunting.

I may be wrong, but I don't believe the car was rear ended.
Take another look. It appears to me anyway that the video shows no damage at all to the rear hatch. I think what we are seeing hanging down is the headliner panel, that was ripped off with the sunroof, and slipped out of the interior, and what appears to be the lower valance missing, perhaps due to the heavy current ripping that off.
At first, I thought perhaps the panel hanging out of the back was the floor panel behind the rear seat, but there's no carpeting on it. If you scroll through about a dozen of these pics. you'll see what I mean.

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/land-rover/range-rover/2016/photos-interior

Here's the video once again of them pulling the car out.

Police Seek Missing Woman Whose SUV Was Pulled From River in Lowell

'I think it's fair to say she didn't have OnStar. If she did, they would have known the location of the car once those side airbags deployed, through a GPS signal, and it would have been found much sooner.
All speculation on my part.

 

[Rocky1]

An abduction is certainly a possibility but I don't think I've read any quotes from LE that suggest they are concerned that a violent crime was committed.

I agree.
I don't know this woman's habits, but, leaving home without her phone isn't something a lot of people do these days.
She took her purse, but was it found in the car? If so, I'm thinking she's in the water. If not... a robbery and/or abduction, or a staged accident.

Did she want to disappear? Did she leave her phone behind because she didn't want to be tracked? Does LE think this too, hence why there are no urgent pleas for tips?

 

[Chelly]

This is so very distressing! It’s been 2 weeks now. <modsnip> it seems she moved out of her Tyngsboro home into a Lowell apartment, as police refer to her as a Lowell woman. She had about three dogs she was devoted to so not sure if she had them living w/ her at the new place. She was in the process of helping her son buy a home. She might have made some enemies along the way, as she can be very sharp. Also had substantial personal wealth but could be frugal. She was very smart, accomplished and responsible, so would never have left her company so suddenly.

If she were in the car when it was rear-ended, I doubt she would have risked her safety to get out on a deserted street. If she didn’t have OnStar in the car, she could have pumped on the horn to attract attention since she didn’t have her phone. Can’t imagine why she was out late as she usually turned in early. Speculating she might have been abducted by at least two individuals, one driving her car, the second driving w/her in another car and then rear-ending the Range Rover, then they sent it into the river. Destroying such an expensive car sends a message, like taunting.

Thanks for insider info @ChelmChick and thought-provoking speculation. So, we know:
* Police are keeping their investigation close to the vest and media are not reporting.

*No outward indications LE and family are searching for her.

* Kim recently moved out of family home into apartment, so has separated/divorced from husband, whom we definitely can not sleuth.

*She is helping her son buy a home. This sounds like a financial contribution.

* She <modsnip> was driving a high-end vehicle later at night than she would normally be out.

* There is limited, questionable damage to the car? read-ended? sideswiped?

Have bodies been recovered from Merrick in recent years? Direction of water flow? Too many questions.

 

[Rocky1]

Thanks for insider info @ChelmChick and thought-provoking speculation. So, we know:
* Police are keeping their investigation close to the vest and media are not reporting.

*No outward indications LE and family are searching for her.

* Kim recently moved out of family home into apartment, so has separated/divorced from husband, whom we definitely can not sleuth.

*She is helping her son buy a home. This sounds like a financial contribution.

* She <modsnip> was driving a high-end vehicle later at night than she would normally be out.

* There is limited, questionable damage to the car? read-ended? sideswiped?

Have bodies been recovered from Merrick in recent years? Direction of water flow? Too many questions.

I can answer one question.
The river flows from north to south from NH into Massachusetts. Then northeast. So, if you are looking at the boathouse on the Google map posted previously, it flows from left to right.

Merrimack River - Wikipedia.

 

[Sillybilly]

Please welcome Genealogy lady who has been Verified as a friend of Kim Kelly-Oberhauser and the family.

As with all Verified members, Genealogy lady does not need to provide links to whatever they state as fact. In all other respects, VIs post in accordance with TOS. Please treat our VIs with respect at all times. Members may ask questions of our VIs, but do not argue with them or persist in asking for information they may not be comfortable sharing.

We are fortunate to have Verified Insiders contributing to this discussion, and as always our Thanks goes out to them and all WSers who are here to help seek resolution in this case.

 

[Chelly]

@Genealogy lady , Glad to hear you're a Verified Insider. I had a feeling you'd have lots to offer Kim's thread after reading your first two posts.

If it does not appear that Kim's vehicle went over that small cement "wall" along the river, and if gates at one of the boat ramps were locked...could she have driven her SUV into the river at the other boat ramp and sideswiped something along the way? Could someone else have driven her SUV into the river? On the subject of vehicle damage, the tires seem intact.

 

[Chelly]

I can answer one question.
The river flows from north to south from NH into Massachusetts. Then northeast. So, if you are looking at the boathouse on the Google map posted previously, it flows from left to right.

Merrimack River - Wikipedia.

Thanks @Rocky1 . I admit, this case is making me crazy thinking about what might have happened.

 

[otto]

Based on the location of the vehicle it is unlikey that it ended up in the river by accident. It was pulled from behind the UMASS Lowell Boathouse, where there is a boat ramp.

Is this the right place, water runs left to right? If the vehicle was upstream from Rourke's bridge, it had to go into the water upstream. This reminds me of Danniella Vian who was found in the water at the end of a boat dock.

Where exactly was her car found again?

 

[Rocky1]

Is this the right place, water runs left to right? If the vehicle was upstream from Rourke's bridge, it had to go into the water upstream. This reminds me of Danniella Vian who was found in the water at the end of a boat dock.

Where exactly was her car found again?

View attachment 282680

View attachment 282681

The vehicle was found downstream from Rourke's Bridge, just to the right of the bridge in the lower photo.
The vehicle was pulled out of the water next to (just west of) the UMass Lowell Bellegarde Boathouse. Here's a picture on Google Map. I'm not sure how it will show up on your screen, but if you can't see the river, spin it 180 degrees and you'll see the boathouse. If you spin to around 200 degrees ,(about 2 oclock looking straight at the boathouse) you'll see a landscaping trailer with Rourke's Bridge in the background. The vehicle was pulled out where the trailer is, and the ramp for the boat launch is to the left of the trailer behind the locked gate.

I doubt the vehicle went in at the UMass boat ramp. If it did, it would have been fighting against the current.

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x89e3a490ca414f71:0x8a186d015a72ccb6!3m1!7e115!4s/maps/place/umass+lowell+boathouse/@42.6407176,-71.3524216,3a,75y,180.23h,90t/data=*213m4*211e1*213m2*211sABzx9JH7QvSssh_KThxf5Q*212e0*214m2*213m1*211s0x89e3a490ca414f71:0x8a186d015a72ccb6?sa=X!5sumass lowell boathouse - Google Search!15sCgIgAQ&imagekey=!1e2!2sABzx9JH7QvSssh_KThxf5Q&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjtkLqCitLuAhWJVc0KHYS1BRoQpx8wEnoECCsQCA

 

[Chelly]

Police Seek Missing Woman Whose SUV Was Pulled From River in Lowell

According to link, SUV was pulled from MerrimackRiver near Regatta Field.
eta: I believe that is across the street from UMass Boat Ramp. I suppose this doesn't mean the vehicle went in at that location if the river flows fast?

 

[Allynator]

Another baffling case. Where are you, Kim?

 

[MrsWatson]

Very strange disappearance.

I hope she is found.

 

[Rocky1]

Police Seek Missing Woman Whose SUV Was Pulled From River in Lowell

According to link, SUV was pulled from MerrimackRiver near Regatta Field.
eta: I believe that is across the street from UMass Boat Ramp. I suppose this doesn't mean the vehicle went in at that location if the river flows fast?

I stand corrected.
I thought the vehicle was pulled out to the west of the boathouse. It was pulled just to the east, meaning that if it went in at the boathouse ramp, it would have drifted with the current, not against.
Sorry if I confused anyone.