I have been floating the Clark Fork river since the early 80's including the Alberton Gorge. Although I've lived my entire life in Idaho, this area is only a few hours from where I live. I also horse back ride and snowmobile in Mineral and Missoula counties and occasionally fly into Superior and Missoula in a Cessna 182 so I'm intimately aware of the river and surrounding area. To answer your question why she hasn't been found in the river after 5 months... Many of the rivers in this part of the country were created by glaciers or glacier runoff. Thus we have rivers here in the NW where there are sections of big, rough jagged boulders in and around the river. When I say big I mean some are truck size big. Not smooth cobble or river stone like you see in other parts of the country. These rocks create sieves in cracks and spaces between the rocks where people and other objects can get caught up. Additionally, there are deep dark pools here and there. A drowning victims submerged body is soft and pliable. Initially it will be slightly negatively buoyant and sink. It's not heavy like a rock but heavy enough to stay submerged except in very turbulent water. Because of the physiology of the body, it has a tendency to get hung up on things. The more placid the flow the more likely it's going to stay stuck until that flow changes. Usually and increase. In this case we can assume there hasn't been any moderate flow fluctuation since July as there are no dams upriver from this location and until the spring thaws come there won't be. There could be a thousand people float right over a drowning victim and they'd never see it. Unless of course it was really obvious which in most cases they are not. Try standing next to a fir tree that's 30 feet from a road in dark cloths and watch the cars go by. Maybe one driver in a couple dozen will look over and notice you there... Maybe
I previously posted about a body that had been on the river bank for weeks while rafter after rafter floated by and didn't notice. And this body wasn't even in the water. So imagine someone several feet underwater lodged under some big boulder. Please, I don't mean to sound unsympathetic to the family and friends of Rebekah in such details. My heart goes out to them for having to endure such a dreadful experience.
As for the mishandling by LE... Well I've yet to be on a search yet that was perfect and couldn't have been improved upon and I've been on dozens and dozens of searches. I don't know what has and hasn't been done via LE in this case as to have any judgement but I've worn the foot on that shoe before. I've been there when a family member has asked, "Why can't you find my loved one." They expect us to have all the answers when we don't. Sometimes things get assumed or presumed too early and in hindsight we look and go yes, that could have been handled better. Or we probably should have done this or not have done that. Personally, I believe every missing persons case should initially hold out for the potential of foul play and be handled accordingly until fully resolved but that's just me. Secure the scene and secure any potential evidence even if it appears to be an open and shut case. It's not over till it's over and sometimes that can take years and sometimes it continues into infinity.
From what I've been able to ascertain here and various other internet sources my hunch is she's in the river. I know there are some domestic considerations that are mixed in here. But from what I've gathered without talking specifically to those involved directly in the case facts basically appear
that: 1) Rebekah met a caregiver at the Town Pump in Superior on the afternoon of July 20, 2021. 2) Rebekah drives to the sportsman access/rest stop along I-90 around mm 71 on her way back to Missoula. 3) Vids are taken and shared while playing with Cerb on the beach. 4) RP (reporting party) calls LE after finding Rebekah's articles on beach that same afternoon. 5) Montana State Patrol arrives which punts case to Mineral County (This is normal). 6) Deputy arrives and somewhere in here, her car is identified in the parking area. 7) Search for Rebekah and her dog begins. 8) Search includes ground teams, water teams, and air support. Search efforts focus in the area of the river between the town of Alberton and the area before Alberton Gorge (Cyr Bridge). 9) Cerb is found deceased in the river around 6 days later about 10 miles down river just above Tarkio. 10) Search continues unsuccessfully for Rebekah and is eventually called off. What am I missing?
Quite a bit actually. I hope you will view the video of AM's meeting with the Mineral County Commissioners or read the transcript of that meeting in previous posts (pages 21 and 27) kindly provided by
@Bit of hope. Here is a small portion of AM's presentation:
"We believe that from the onset of Rebekah’s missing there has been a lack of due diligence. The area was not thoroughly assessed at mile marker 72. When we asked if anybody knew the number of trucks or the number of vehicles at mile marker 72, they did not. When we asked if they knew the number of vehicles at St. John’s access site, they did not have that recorded and St. John’s access has multiple overgrown bushes. If you’ve been down there during this summer many of the vehicles you can’t see until you’re on top of them because the bushes are so overgrown. Sheriff Toth informed the family that all items at the scene were compromised, with the exception of Rebekah’s phone. Nothing has been submitted for forensics. The Mineral County Sheriff’s Office is now in possession of Rebekah’s laptop. This has never been accessed. There was an incomplete search of Rebekah’s vehicle. Meant at the time of discovery at mile marker 72, the Mineral county deputies did not find a gun in the car and when I asked Missoula about her gun on July 23rd they said that it had not been reported. I said "then you have another problem on your hands". So when they went to go get Rebekah’s car, they found the gun in the pocket of the driver’s store. So that would lead me to believe there was not a thorough investigation of the vehicle.
The vehicle itself has never had forensics performed on it and when the statement about Rebekah’s missing was released about Rebekah missing, there was no context about her being married or had being in a domestic abuse situation. That was completely left out of anything that was released to the media or the public. The charges were not acknowledged by LE, but those charges were filed here, in Mineral county."
Regarding land searches (from the CC meeting transcript): "On 7/25 Sergeant Funk informed myself and my sister Laura Williams that there were no tracking dogs on land or surrounding areas. The only dogs used were for the water in the riverbank, but they failed to look on land."
Regarding the RP: LE has refused to release the recording of the 911 call placed by the RB. A FOIA request by LW for details about the call was denied.
I don't know if RB is in the river. However, regarding Cerberus you have unintentionally made a case for why it is highly unlikely he would end up 10 miles downstream from the alleged accident. From your post:
"These rocks create sieves in cracks and spaces between the rocks where people and other objects can get caught up."
"Because of the physiology of the body, it has a tendency to get hung up on things."
I don't think you can discount the domestic violence situation, mainly because of the timing and the threats made by DB (paraphrasing - I will drown both you and your dog). The other thing that bothers me is that Sheriff Toth said DB is not a suspect and
never will be. So much for an open minded investigation.
I hope
@laurawlms weighs in as she can probably more politely and more eloquently explain why many of us on this thread feel LE has dropped the ball and that further investigation (hopefully DCI or FBI) should be undertaken. MOO