Found Deceased NV - Madelyn Lingenfelter, 19, Reno, 19 Sept 2018

[Roxxi3535]

Yes the radio silence is — odd. I can’t recall a missing person case in recent memory in which no updates were given or pleas to the public for information. Is this because LE believe they already know what has happened?

Yes, i think theyve pretty much drawn a conclusion here. Im still wondering what came of the cell phone records though.

 

[ThePhantom]

The cell phone records and the letters to her friends. I guess it's too much to hope she decided to get out of dodge to live with -- a relative perhaps. But I don't think she had anyone else. If several more weeks pass and there are still no further updates, then we may be forced to add sweet Maddy's case to the ever growing list of unsolved disappearances.

 

[DakotaMayi]

Macin Smith wrote a letter before he disappeared. And while it wasn't addressed to anyone in particular, it is my belief, since a recent interview with Macin's Mom where she said he included things that his Mom and Dad didn't do for him, that he killed himself. They have never released the full content of his letter either and that was the most information his Mom has ever given about it. I have to think that might be the way things have gone for Maddy too.

If they pinged her phone two days after she disappeared, were they ever able to ping it any later than that? If I didn't have to use my phone as much as I do, mine would definitely last 2 days. She could have dumped it or dropped it and yes, Roxxi, I agree that something must have been overlooked during those searches.

 

[Jethro4WS]

I am of the opinion that law enforcement recovered her phone in her car.

 

[DakotaMayi]

I am of the opinion that law enforcement recovered her phone in her car.

What makes you think that, Jethro?

 

[Jethro4WS]

What makes you think that, Jethro?

That her family/friends were able to locate her car via Madelyn's phone. Law enforcement has only said that they found nothing in her car that tells them where she is. They never said what they found or didn't find. Her phone, if it were found in her car, would not be helpful to them finding her. Law enforcement has not mentioned the last known location of her phone.

Hopefully law enforcement has pulled her phone location records to see where her phone was and when prior to her vehicle arriving at the events center. Such records may lead to surveillance cameras at business establishments that either show her and/or her vehicle so they can piece together her movements.

As of now we still have no idea who the last person was to see Madelyn alive nor the last person to speak with her. If law enforcement has the cell phone records they should know who that individual is (or individuals are). I expect that once Washoe County Sheriff's came up empty on the search that the investigation remains in the hands of the Reno Police Department. I haven't seen any news come out of them. Who knows what they are up to.

 

[Roxxi3535]

I am of the opinion that law enforcement recovered her phone in her car.

They would have no need to request records if that were the case. The physical cell phone would produce her activity, even if erased, they would be able to recover it with one of their forensics officers. The phone would bare more evidence than the records.
When i read the articles they said the family pinged the phone and thats how they found the car but there was nothing else found. I could be wrong, of course, possible that i missed something?

 

[zecats]

I am of the opinion that law enforcement recovered her phone in her car.

That makes sense. How else would her car have been located and it was reported that her phone led them to the car.

 

[ThePhantom]

That makes sense. How else would her car have been located and it was reported that her phone led them to the car.

What if Madelyn dropped her phone somewhere within the search area, and en route to that location they spotted her car.

 

[zecats]

What if Madelyn dropped her phone somewhere within the search area, and en route to that location they spotted her car.

Possibility for sure. In any case, I feel that the phone is in their possession whether they found it in or near her car. jmo

 

[ThePhantom]

I'm thinking --she could be anywhere on that mountain. It's less than 3 miles to the Galena Creek Regional Park from the Tannenbaum Event Center. She could have easily walked there and gone deep into that park. Between all the trees and steep drop offs, it might be impossible to find her -- if in fact she is there. The police silence speaks volumes.

 

[Jethro4WS]

They would have no need to request records if that were the case. The physical cell phone would produce her activity, even if erased, they would be able to recover it with one of their forensics officers. The phone would bare more evidence than the records.
When i read the articles they said the family pinged the phone and thats how they found the car but there was nothing else found. I could be wrong, of course, possible that i missed something?

Not if the phone is passcode protected, fingerprint protected, or facial recognition protected.

 

[Jethro4WS]

I'm thinking --she could be anywhere on that mountain. It's less than 3 miles to the Galena Creek Regional Park from the Tannenbaum Event Center. She could have easily walked there and gone deep into that park. Between all the trees and steep drop offs, it might be impossible to find her -- if in fact she is there. The police silence speaks volumes.

But why park at the events center when there are several parking lots at the Galena Creek Park? It seems more elaborate as part of plan for suicide than normal. Always possible she went all elaborate in her planning.

There is either video or photos of search teams actually repelling down to search the Galena Creek area itself and the one story from the day they ended the search said that they conducted a tight grid search in the area. She would have to be outside of that grid or up in a tree (searchers often forget to look up), which is always possible. She would also have to be away from any trail because quite a number of people hike the area.

The family and friends should be organizing and conducting searches on their own. That is the only way she will be found if she is up there. Law enforcement doesn't have the resources to devote to it and they won't search again unless they have credible information for a small search area.

 

[Jethro4WS]

They would have no need to request records if that were the case. The physical cell phone would produce her activity, even if erased, they would be able to recover it with one of their forensics officers. The phone would bare more evidence than the records.
When i read the articles they said the family pinged the phone and thats how they found the car but there was nothing else found. I could be wrong, of course, possible that i missed something?

One thing, law enforcement did not say they found nothing in her car. What they said was they found nothing that leads them to her location. Those are two different things. So, for example, we don't know where her cell phone/wallet/ID/purse/backpack or whatever is. We don't know if they found any receipts in her car. We don't know if they found any notes. I would expect that unless she left such things where she lived then law enforcement would have found those in her car. I wouldn't expect her to take her wallet, for example, with her to where she was going to suicide. We don't know what items were found where or if found at all.

I certainly could be wrong but right now I can't rule out foul play nor rule out suicide and law enforcement is not being helpful in working that out.

 

[ThePhantom]

I agree -- though that area seems huge with so many places one could hide. She could be in a tree or in one of the creeks/lakes in the park. Thank you for your description of where the search team went. I'm thinking she may have left her car at the event center to leave people wondering exactly where she went. Honestly I don't know what was going on her mind when she parked there. She might have thought leaving her car at Galena Creek would be too obvious. Maybe she wanted people to know where she was but not too soon. I don't get the sense she has enough people who would be willing to band together to search for her. I hope I am completely wrong about that and I apologize in advance if I am.

 

[Anthony96]

Sending thoughts and prayers

 

[profitamole]

hello i was told about this forum earlier and i want to clear something up i noticed was off- Maddy is my second cousin and my parents tell me she worked at the event center so while her immediate family does think her car was planted my side thinks it makes some sense for it to be there. I've never met Maddy personally but everyones saying this seems pretty out of character. thats all im really allowed to say rn though

 

[ThePhantom]

Hello profitamole and thank you for your insights! I don’t think any of us knew Maddy worked at the place where her was found. I certainly didn’t. I still keep going back to the letters Maddy sent to her friends. This concerns me the most and causes me to think she had a plan. The police haven’t provided any updates which is also strange. Really sad situation. We really appreciate you coming here and giving us better perspective!! I hope you will come back.

 

[Jethro4WS]

hello i was told about this forum earlier and i want to clear something up i noticed was off- Maddy is my second cousin and my parents tell me she worked at the event center so while her immediate family does think her car was planted my side thinks it makes some sense for it to be there. I've never met Maddy personally but everyones saying this seems pretty out of character. thats all im really allowed to say rn though

That would be interesting if it can be confirmed, especially if she was still working there since one of her friends had said that she had not been working recently. And it would introduce questions about the witness sighting concerning her car and someone in the passenger seat. The account of that in the media gives no indication that the witness, who is a manager, knew it was Maddy's car nor Maddy in that car.

That afternoon, a manager at the Tannenbaum event center along the highway saw her car, without knowing about the missing person case. That manager saw a person, now believed to be Lingenfelter, in the car's passenger seat at that time, but when the manager stepped back outside a few hours later, the car appeared to be empty.

Reno woman still missing; investigators looking for leads

 

[Roxxi3535]

Not if the phone is passcode protected, fingerprint protected, or facial recognition protected.

Thats not necessarily true. FBI and LE invests in expensive encryption software, hacking tools and personnel to access these smartphones. Specifically, one method is by way of a clay fingerprint scanner which can access a locked phone within 48 hours of its last accessed session. Apple will assist when presented a warrant and android phones in particular are no challenge for law enforcement. Where theres a will there is a way. Nothing is impossible for a hacker to access. A computer is only as smart as its creator. There is an abundance of gifted individuals, ethical hackers (which have the ability to maliciously hack but are said not to use their skills for this purpose) recruited by the FBI and LE to stay on top of the security of ever changing technology. Millions of dollars are invested into this industry each year. The FBI is not going to allow for technology manufacturers to have authority over their agency and its investigations.