Found Deceased NC - Karin Ottenberg, 49, mom of 2, vehicle, phone & purse were found at her home in Sunset Park nbhd, Wilmington, 22 Dec 2024

[nao]

Moo..there was a missing child, some what recently. Her case has a thread here. About 10 yrs old?? Same thing, she was found in barrel on home property. Also lady in Aussie ended up in garbage can. Both were deemed accidental

 

[Traymar]

Just to add to your great post, if she was reaching then her arms would go in first before the head and body. Looks like she could have used her hands and arms to keep her head above water. JMO

Yes, but for how long? Imagine trying to stand on your hands for hours. Also, if the barrel was secured, she wouldn't be able to tip it over. The only thing I can think of would be to try to hook your knees over the edge and try to pull yourself up. Or, if there is one, to open a plug in or near the bottom.

But if she wasn't able to do that, I don't know how she could have survived more than an hour or so. It actually sounds really awful and terrifying.

MOO

 

[TootsieFootsie]

In the case of Lesley Trotter, the Australian lady, no firm conclusion has been come to as far as I know.

They never did find her body, but do know she was in a bin. Accidental or otherwise, nothing been ruled out.

 

[Knox]

No picture, but @Carolinamomx4 posted the barrel dimensions above.

“The barrel opening was approximately 18 inches, the height approximately 40 inches. The decedent’s head was submerged and the water height in the barrel was approximately 18 inches,” reads the report.

Thanks Gemmie, my bad. I didn't read back or open any links. The barrel dimensions are problematic, given the average size of a female head is 21 3/4 inches

 

[jillolantern]

Thanks Gemmie, my bad. I didn't read back or open any links. The barrel dimensions are problematic, given the average size of a female head is 21 3/4 inches

The 18 inch measurement is a diameter where the 21 3/4 inches you cite must be circumference. Is that what you are comparing in your comment?

 

[Gemmie]

Thanks Gemmie, my bad. I didn't read back or open any links. The barrel dimensions are problematic, given the average size of a female head is 21 3/4 inches

I'm thinking the 18" opening was diameter, and not circumference, because NO ONE wants a 21-3/4" diameter head (measured across, not diagonally). Male or female! LOL

 

[starlightstarbright]

The average shoullder width for women is 14 to 18 inches (as per Google). So yes, in theory she could just about fit, even if might be a squeeze.

But if I was reaching for something over my deck railing that was, let’s say, 2.5 feet down into a cistern (assuming it was floating on top of the 18 in of water), I sure as hell wouldn’t do it with both my arms in that very tiny hole with only 2 in to spare on each side of my shoulders (assuming she had a smallish shoulder width of 14 in). . I would fish around with one arm while the other remains outside or I’d get a stick and try to fish it out.

That said, speaking as a woman of a similar ish age, who isn’t obese, my shoulders are not the widest part of me! While I might be able to squeeze my arms above my head and my shoulders through an 18 in diameter hole, I’d get stuck like a cork when we got to my hips. Women generally are wider at the hips than shoulders and unlike our shoulders, we can’t just fold our arms in and make the junk in the trunk smaller. Was she quite petite and slim?

ETA: As per missing poster, she was 5’7 and 145lbs. She’s not petite. I’m a bit taller and a bit heavier, but still could not imagine myself fitting through such a space. Maybe I’ll have to try it later.

Maybe it seems impossible because we can’t see the cistern. And can’t imagine the scenario when this happened and a normal sized adult woman ended up in that situation. JMO

 

[sunspun]

I’m a bit taller and a bit heavier, but still could not imagine myself fitting through such a space. Maybe I’ll have to try it later.

Yikes! Don't try it yourself, for heaven's sakes! I'm just imagining the worst!

 

[333_OnlyHalfEvil]

I believe that's Kendrick Johnson you are thinking of. Death of Kendrick Johnson - Wikipedia

Thank you for the correction.

 

[Occam's Zebra]

Agree with posters saying this scenario is hinky. Who reaches into a rain barrel with both arms to get something from the bottom of it? I don't think that's even possible.

Has there been any report on what she was supposedly trying to retrieve? Because that sounds like pure speculation.

She is 5 foot 7 so I would estimate that even if she did fall into the barrel head first, the lower half of her body would still be outside the barrel. Could she have done a handstand of sorts and kept her nose above the water to breathe? Soak up some of the water with her shirt to lower the water level? Even drink some of it? Unless she was also rendered unconscious by the fall....

She sent a text at 2 pm and her ex showed up at 3:15 pm - that doesn't leave a lot of time for this to happen.

 

[Gemmie]

She sent a text at 2 pm and her ex showed up at 3:15 pm - that doesn't leave a lot of time for this to happen.

SBMFF

An hour and 15 minutes is a lot of time IMO. Bryan Kohberger took mere minutes to kill 4 people.

 

[Carolinamomx4]

SBMFF

An hour and 15 minutes is a lot of time IMO. Bryan Kohberger took mere minutes to kill 4 people.

Yesss! Literally just minutes and he even took a break to sit down while still in the crime scene.

IMO if this was done intentionally by someone else, it could take place in much less time than an hour and 15 minutes

 

[Occam's Zebra]

Yesss! Literally just minutes and he even took a break to sit down while still in the crime scene.

IMO if this was done intentionally by someone else, it could take place in much less time than an hour and 15 minutes

I wasn't implying someone killed her. Not sure how that would happen either - she would clearly struggle or fight if someone tried to stuff her head first into a rain barrel.

Was just saying that she texted at 2 pm and then...what? Instantly went out and got herself stuck in a rain barrel and drowned? It's possible I guess.

I just don't see any scenario making sense here.

 

[sallye818]

The first thing I think of that would be soooo important you'd try to reach for it in this way, over a deck, acrobatically, would be your cell phone. I'm guessing it would float and the original report DID say that her cell phone was found at her home. But at that time, I think she was still considered missing??

 

[sallye818]

And why in the world didn't they see her when they came to her house? Why was she considered "missing"? I still don't get that.

 

[333_OnlyHalfEvil]

Was she completely in the barrel? Seems like her legs would be sticking out, but that would make her body easy to find. Why didn't she just drain the barrel first? Most of them have a spigot at the bottom for that purpose, unless she was using something for a rain barrel that was repurposed.

 

[sallye818]

I was certainly picturing/imagining her legs were sticking out, at the very least. Again, I feel like if the object she was reaching for was floating, she'd be more likely to reach out and try to retrieve it.

 

[Seni]

I was certainly picturing/imagining her legs were sticking out, at the very least. Again, I feel like if the object she was reaching for was floating, she'd be more likely to reach out and try to retrieve it.

And retrieve it with one hand, whilst holding onto railing/side of barrel with the other hand.

 

[Gemmie]

Moo..there was a missing child, some what recently. Her case has a thread here. About 10 yrs old?? Same thing, she was found in barrel on home property. Also lady in Aussie ended up in garbage can. Both were deemed accidental

i can only speak to the 10 yo found in a barrel. It's night and day from Karen Ottenberg's case IMO (I'm unfamiliar with the Aussie case so struck it out as I can't speak to it.)

You are talking about Gracelyn Vick who was found in a barrel, however, most of it was caught on camera leading detectives to believe she crawled into it herself (no one else seen on camera). That is a far cry from what happened in Karin's case. She wasn't playing around and crawled into a barrel. JMO

Found Deceased Post in thread 'MS - Gracelyn Vick, 6, Harrison County, 13 April 2025'

Apr 17, 2025

She went inside the barrel on her own, closed the lid which got stuck.

Surveillance cameras showed it. No one else went in that area.

• Megnut

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[jillolantern]

The 18 inch measurement is a diameter where the 21 3/4 inches you cite must be circumference. Is that what you are comparing in your comment?

@Knox Can you clarify your comment?