Found Deceased Spain - Esther Dingley, from UK, missing in the Pyrenees, November 2020 #1

[patCee]

I think it's understandable that someone in that situation is struggling with intense emotions of fear and loss, and cannot be in a position to clinically and coldly examine the facts like an outsider can.

I agree to some extent, and in many cases it is to be expected. However with the lifestyle they have lived for years, and survived both practically and as a couple, they have needed to be realistic. Their blog indicates they have been open about their strengths and weaknesses. I would think DC knows exactly how ED functions in most situations. Where there are extreme levels of stress many people can separate emotions from practical realities, and their lives so far seem to have embodied those skills.
I would add that many people when stressed function mainly in their head, because emotions are too painful at particular times.

 

[PeggyHenry]

I dont believe anyone has officially been 'cleared' as a suspect. People are being interviewed as witnesses at this stage of course.

 

[PeggyHenry]

Are you saying the businessman or his grandson could have given her Covid and she has become unwell with it - maybe she extended her hike then how ever many days later she went down with Covid but had also run out of battery power for mobile?

No, not at all.. it's just another aspect that I hadn't considered.. in that it was lockdown and although Esther was receiving lifts, anyone giving her a lift was actually breaking lockdown rules. I'm sure that in that situation e.g. mountainous, hiking environment, the lockdown rules were not in the forefront of people's minds and it would look a bit unkind to actually drive by a hiker. Just another part of this huge puzzle (and I dont say puzzle lightly - I'm aware this is someone's life we're discussing)

 

[Davidovsky]

Trying to keep an open mind, but based on experience of extended hikes in the Hautes Pyrenees, and from what I've seen of human nature, my assessment is currently:
1. Accident on mountain: Very unlikely, given her experience and the nature of the trails.
2. Voluntary disappearance: Ridiculous, no plausible motive.
3. Suicide: Quite unlikely after exhilarating mountain hikes (is it even possible to climb a mountain when you are depressed?)
4. Abducted/murdered by stranger. Always possible, especially if she headed down the French side through the forest. She is outgoing and readily (naively?) talks to strangers.
5. Crime of passion. <modsnip: Not victim friendly>

 

[Grouse]

Arreau is in Gascony isn't it? I read they had been in the farmhouse there since earlier this year. If DC has been living somewhere else recently, does anyone know where?

In Gascony but not in Gers. Arreau is much closer to support your theory but I don't think it's where he is.

This has all been gone through upthread if you want to check it out.

 

[PeggyHenry]

At the time of Esther's disappearance, Daniel was reportedly at a French address three hours away
Esther Dingley’s boyfriend Daniel Colegate has been quizzed for a third time as cops go through social media accounts (thescottishsun.co.uk)

 

[Kaykedi]

Trying to keep an open mind, but based on experience of extended hikes in the Hautes Pyrenees, and from what I've seen of human nature, my assessment is currently:
1. Accident on mountain: Very unlikely, given her experience and the nature of the trails.
2. Voluntary disappearance: Ridiculous, no plausible motive.
3. Suicide: Quite unlikely after exhilarating mountain hikes (is it even possible to climb a mountain when you are depressed?)
4. Abducted/murdered by stranger. Always possible, especially if she headed down the French side through the forest. She is outgoing and readily (naively?) talks to strangers.
5. Crime of passion. <modsnip: Not victim friendly>

The favourite seems to be stranger abduction/attack Davidovsky?

 

[Satchie]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

The circumstances of her disappearance are being investigated by judicial inquiry in France. The factual evidence is being collected and will be reviewed by the investigating judge, who will reveal the results (but unlikely all the details, which are protected by privacy laws).

As with any LE investigation, it is being conducted in secret, although the media and the family both claim to have insider details, that cannot be verified.

 

[Satchie]

I dont believe anyone has officially been 'cleared' as a suspect. People are being interviewed as witnesses at this stage of course.

I agree, you cannot have suspects until you have evidence of a crime.

A suspicious mind will see things as being suspicious, but that is not the same as having probable cause ie actual evidence, to treat the circumstances as suspicious.

A suspicious mind, when something has been lost or misplaced, will assume someone stole it. A suspicious mind, when someone makes a mistake, will assume they intended to break the rules. etc.

 

[Grouse]

I agree, you cannot have suspects until you have evidence of a crime.

A suspicious mind will see things as being suspicious, but that is not the same as having probable cause ie actual evidence, to treat the circumstances as suspicious.

A suspicious mind, when something has been lost or misplaced, will assume someone stole it. A suspicious mind, when someone makes a mistake, will assume they intended to break the rules. etc.

Totally agree. It's all too easy to speculate based on nothing more than a suspicious mind but there needs to be some caution and respect.

The press have their jobs to do, but many will remember the awful circus that ensued in the Jo Yeates case in the UK, with her landlord being vilified by the gutter press just because he looked a bit odd.

That's one reason why I admire the LBT press release, it is a justified and dignified (IMO) attempt to fend off that type of feeding frenzy by the gutter press.

 

[ZaZara]

I dont believe anyone has officially been 'cleared' as a suspect. People are being interviewed as witnesses at this stage of course.

He confirmed that Esther’s partner of 18 years Dan, 38, is not a suspect - adding that his “movements are covered”.

Aunt of missing hiker Esther Dingley fears she may have been kidnapped

 

[10ofRods]

There have been any number of cases on here where similar things were said: experienced hiker, extensive searches, clear path, etc. Paul Miller in Joshua Tree is a recent example.

I would disagree with many of the above statements.
-Darkness was falling, not good hiking conditions. Especially if one is hiking solo.
-Even experienced hikers can make a mistake, stumble, miss a path, etc.
-She communicated frequently, yet he didn't hear from her for two days and said that was not uncommon.
-The hour window presumes everything happened as planned.

If she missed the path in the twilight or couldn't find it again after going off trail for water or bathroom, she could be outside of the area they searched.

If she stumbled and was injured she may not have been able to pitch the tent. It's possible that she is in a sheltered spot and not readily visible.

Her phone could have ran out of battery or been damaged in any number of ways.

I'm going for still on the mountain, and hopefully will be found in the spring.

Davohnte Morgan managed to go missing on Mt Shasta, still not found. Carl Landers, a very experienced hiker, is still missing on Mt Shasta after 21 years. When people slip and fall in the mountains, sometimes their bodies get wedged in fairly narrow places - although searches on Shasta tried to examine every possible place where they could have happened, especially for Carl, since he was only walking a brief distance to his next camp (with two companions not far behind - they watched him walk part of the distance, and there seemed to be so few places he could have gone). He likely left the trail to seek a private spot for a bathroom break.

At any rate, when people tumble down a mountain, they can become limp and gather quite a bit of speed, thereby getting wedged in between rocks in cracks that wouldn't look as if they'd hold a human. I can't remember if it was a Spanish or French officer who mentioned that she could be in a crack. It did snow, IIRC, right after she went missing.

 

[Rhomal]

It may not have been of international interest but it certainly was at national level. It was linked on the main BBC site, not just hidden in the local news for Durham area.

I don't live in that area but I read the story with great interest (and a tad of envy I must admit) on the 22nd. I'd say that was the reason the story of her going missing later grabbed my attention so much, and indeed ended up with me registering on Websleuths.

Grabbed my attention too and also made me register here. Do feel a bit bad like I’m gossiping

 

[Grouse]

Grabbed my attention too and also made me register here. Do feel a bit bad like I’m gossiping

Yes, I've been feeling like that sometimes, my first time posting on a site like this. I do enjoy trying to figure things out (anything really not just crimes/disappearances), normally in private, and I'm trying to stay focussed on the factual side rather than speculation/suspicions etc. Not always easy, and I've got carried away a bit sometimes, but if I'm to continue to post it will be in that spirit.

 

[RickshawFan]

Davohnte Morgan managed to go missing on Mt Shasta, still not found. Carl Landers, a very experienced hiker, is still missing on Mt Shasta after 21 years. When people slip and fall in the mountains, sometimes their bodies get wedged in fairly narrow places - although searches on Shasta tried to examine every possible place where they could have happened, especially for Carl, since he was only walking a brief distance to his next camp (with two companions not far behind - they watched him walk part of the distance, and there seemed to be so few places he could have gone). He likely left the trail to seek a private spot for a bathroom break.

At any rate, when people tumble down a mountain, they can become limp and gather quite a bit of speed, thereby getting wedged in between rocks in cracks that wouldn't look as if they'd hold a human. I can't remember if it was a Spanish or French officer who mentioned that she could be in a crack. It did snow, IIRC, right after she went missing.

We just had a similar situation on Mount Rainier, too. One night overnight. Experienced hiker; quality gear. Nowhere to be found. Here: https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...wich-lake-th-mount-rainier-9-oct-2020.547154/

 

[patCee]

It's realistic to consider a serious accident when a person disappears in the mountains. Dependent upon so much, water, equipment, weather and general conditions of safety. It has to be the most likely situation, and groups like the SAR are set up for just that reason. So it's surprising that DC, though not dismissing the possibility entirely, clearly seems to be minimising that outcome in this case. Of course it could be because he can't bear to think about ED lying out there somewhere, hurt and alone. It's because its the most obvious that I get the feeling there is more information that we are not being told.
L B Trust Global

 

[j_in_c]

Davohnte Morgan managed to go missing on Mt Shasta, still not found. Carl Landers, a very experienced hiker, is still missing on Mt Shasta after 21 years. When people slip and fall in the mountains, sometimes their bodies get wedged in fairly narrow places - although searches on Shasta tried to examine every possible place where they could have happened, especially for Carl, since he was only walking a brief distance to his next camp (with two companions not far behind - they watched him walk part of the distance, and there seemed to be so few places he could have gone). He likely left the trail to seek a private spot for a bathroom break.

At any rate, when people tumble down a mountain, they can become limp and gather quite a bit of speed, thereby getting wedged in between rocks in cracks that wouldn't look as if they'd hold a human. I can't remember if it was a Spanish or French officer who mentioned that she could be in a crack. It did snow, IIRC, right after she went missing.

I don't think it can be emphasized enough by those of us that spend a decent amount of time outdoors how easily things can go from mundane to disaster. It is always easy after the fact to point and say what should have been done (or brought along), but outdoor adventure is full of trade-offs, bringing everything versus travelling more quickly & lightly, making a last-minute route change (without being able to let others know) due to weather or trail conditions.

On multiple threads I see people mention the need to carry an an emergency transponder beacon - however, most don't seem to be aware that these are very expensive as they require a subscription service like a cell phone.

There is an excellent podcast called "the sharp end" which is based off the American Alpine Club's annual "accidents in North American Mountaineering" publication. the focus is more on rock climbing and mountaineering accidents, but the message is the same - accidents happen to very experienced and skilled outdoors-people. The purpose of the podcast is to learn from others and it does an excellent job of not assigning blame but rather assessing the situation and what could have been done differently.

I am glad that the local authorities are considering *all* options as they should, but this still seems most likely to be an accident in the mountains.

 

[mrjitty]

Read Meredith Emerson. She was hiking in the mountains with her well trained dog when she was approached by a man who accompanied her down the trail where she was abducted, transported, held captive, murdered and beheaded.

So she walked off?

There is no way to abduct someone on the mountain

My 02c

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

Some posts have been removed as they violate Websleuths TOS (aka The Rules, linked in my signature).

For our newer members and as a reminder to our more veteran members:

Do not state opinion as fact without MSM or LE to substantiate the fact. IF it is your opinion, make that clear in your post by adding IMO, JMO, etc.

Discussing what someone has said in MSM is fine, but insinuating their involvement or making direct accusations violates Websleuths victim friendly policy. If/when a person is officially named by LE to be a POI/suspect, they may then be discussed as a POI/suspect and may be sleuthed at that time, not before.

With respect to whether or not anyone has been cleared, Websleuths relies on information from official sources in that regard (i.e. MSM or LE). While the LBT is an admirable agency that is supportive of families of missing persons, they are not an official source for information at Websleuths. (Having said that, I now see that a link has just been provided to MSM that includes a statement from LE that DC has been cleared. Do not discuss him as a POI or suspect.)

Thank you.

 

[Grouse]

ADMIN NOTE:

Some posts have been removed as they violate Websleuths TOS (aka The Rules, linked in my signature).

For our newer members and as a reminder to our more veteran members:

Do not state opinion as fact without MSM or LE to substantiate the fact. IF it is your opinion, make that clear in your post by adding IMO, JMO, etc.

Discussing what someone has said in MSM is fine, but insinuating their involvement or making direct accusations violates Websleuths victim friendly policy. If/when a person is officially named by LE to be a POI/suspect, they may then be discussed as a POI/suspect and may be sleuthed at that time, not before.

With respect to whether or not anyone has been cleared, Websleuths relies on information from official sources in that regard (i.e. MSM or LE). While the LBT is an admirable agency that is supportive of families of missing persons, they are not an official source for information at Websleuths. (Having said that, I now see that a link has just been provided to MSM that includes a statement from LE that DC has been cleared. Do not discuss him as a POI or suspect.)

Thank you.

DBM (I just reread your post and see that you did address the issue I was asking about - sorry)