Found Deceased TX - Leanne Bearden, 33, Garden Ridge, 17 Jan 2014 #11

[belimom]

Early reports indicated that acquaintances described her as "troubled" that day . i think those conversations would shed some light on her state of mind .
unfortunately, we probably won't be given that information. I wondered what type of conversation would make me categorize a friend as "troubled" and for me it would be more than just venting about being home and the need to get a job. it would be a more emotional conversation. The fact that she shared these feelings with "acquaintances" seems to indicate to me that these issues consumed her thoughts that day.

bbm

I also think being somewhat isolated in TX away from family and friends in GA and CO didn't help either. It may have been better for her to have headed back to CO sooner rather than later and get re-immersed into daily life. Of course no one could foresee what happened and hindsight is always 20/20.

 

[Elainera]

The straps of a backpack would suffice to get the job done, no need for a rope.
RIP, Leanne.

Still trying to catch up but this post made me think - could it have been an accident? Could she have climbed up into a tree and somehow got entangled in her backpack and slipped (or the other way round, slipped and got entangled)?

Any thoughts on this?

Will now read the last few pages and see if this has already been discussed by you all.

Afterthought: or has it been said already what she used (rope, jump rope)?

 

[cluciano63]

The homeowner said he went purposely to check the bamboo back there, as he had not done so in a while, and it gets pretty crazy.

 

[Lilibet]

bbm

I also think being somewhat isolated in TX away from family and friends in GA and CO didn't help either. It may have been better for her to have headed back to CO sooner rather than later. Of course no one could foresee what happened and hindsight is always 20/20.

BBM

I have a different perspective about heading back to CO. To me, her suicide just before their scheduled return speaks volumes. Returning to CO would mean picking up her life where she left off. Her friends in CO would not be able to comprehend how this trip may have impacted her IMO. Their lives had been rolling along in a normal way. Their expectations of Leanne (either spoken or in her mind) could have been the opposite of what she really wanted. Because of her trip, internally she would always be isolated from family and friends, even in their presence.

My husband and I lived in and traveled around the country in an RV for eight years after we retired. It was always hard coming back to spend time in our home town. I felt disconnected from my friends. There was no way I could convey the totality of the experience or feel like I fit in. As much as I love my friends, I was always glad to leave. Only fellow full-time RVers would be able to understand. Now that we have "hung up the RV keys" and are back in our home area in a house, I am forever changed. I'm glad for our experiences and that we did it after our working years were over. I can't imagine being 33 and having to come back and fit in, go back to work, have babies, etc. No way!

Leanne really needed some transitional time to sort herself out and come down gently from the travel high. Hindsight...it's too late.

 

[mck16]

Still trying to catch up but this post made me think - could it have been an accident? Could she have climbed up into a tree and somehow got entangled in her backpack and slipped (or the other way round, slipped and got entangled)?

Any thoughts on this?

Will now read the last few pages and see if this has already been discussed by you all.

Afterthought: or has it been said already what she used (rope, jump rope)?

I thought of the same thing. But, we don't have any details yet. Might never will. jmo

 

[sophiebelle]

Jumping off your post.

Bearden was found in a wooded area so dense that spotting her was difficult, O’Conner said.

“The area was so wooded that you could have walked right by her without even seeing her,” the chief said.

http://m.herald-zeitung.com/mobile/...cle_e427b292-95cf-11e3-a440-001a4bcf887a.html

I assume she was pretty far up, probably a pretty tall tree where branches were high off the ground. But the sheriff's statement is compelling... an untrained searcher could have walked right under that tree and not seen her.

I live in an area where it is dense woods just a few feet from my back yard, and the trees are so close together you can't walk between them. It would be hard to see up into them, so I can well imagine that even if they were right on that property, they might not see her. I have a feeling they were not in the exact spot she was found, so they may not have covered that particular area.

Thank you. From looking at the only pics we have, it looks sparse, so I was thinking she could be seen if one looked up. Maybe the land owner looked up for a reason. Just so sad.

 

[Jax]

It depends on how you look at it, but even from the beginning I thought about the timing and how they were about to be back in CO. At that point, I was considering her leaving to take a bit of a mental break…and that she was definitely not ready to face reality in CO.

I do agree with you that the transition probably hit her hard. We know she was stressed and anxious, but yet she jumped right back into the job search and the new haircut. She was described as a "people pleaser" and it's not hard to imagine her being agreeable and "ready" to jump right back into her old life…even though it seems obvious she was NOT ready. And as that time ticked away, she probably felt more desperate and more trapped. I have a feeling Josh was having an easier time transitioning into his old life. It is just so heartbreaking because she needed time and help to work through her feelings and the transition.

It's so heartbreaking to know it's too late now and I don't even know her. Her travel blog just makes me so sad. They mention so many times their hopes of returning to certain places or paying back the kindness by the new friends they had made on their travels. I wish help had come sooner so Leanne would have seen that there still was so much life to live. I know they wanted to continue to travel and I think, with time, she would have overcome the darkness. Just so sad that a vibrant, talented, beautiful, and kind soul is gone. I can't imagine the pain and sorrow her friends and family are going through and will go through for years to come.

MOO

BBM

I have a different perspective about heading back to CO. To me, her suicide just before their scheduled return speaks volumes. Returning to CO would mean picking up her life where she left off. Her friends in CO would not be able to comprehend how this trip may have impacted her IMO. Their lives had been rolling along in a normal way. Their expectations of Leanne (either spoken or in her mind) could have been the opposite of what she really wanted. Because of her trip, internally she would always be isolated from family and friends, even in their presence.

My husband and I lived in and traveled around the country in an RV for eight years after we retired. It was always hard coming back to spend time in our home town. I felt disconnected from my friends. There was no way I could convey the totality of the experience or feel like I fit in. As much as I love my friends, I was always glad to leave. Only fellow full-time RVers would be able to understand. Now that we have "hung up the RV keys" and are back in our home area in a house, I am forever changed. I'm glad for our experiences and that we did it after our working years were over. I can't imagine being 33 and having to come back and fit in, go back to work, have babies, etc. No way!

Leanne really needed some transitional time to sort herself out and come down gently from the travel high. Hindsight...it's too late.

 

[Mitch1]

My take on what was happening with Leanne:
I think Leanne very well may have had some mental health issues in the past, I think this may be a good explanation for her parents silence.

I think this woman was thinking like a traveler for the past 4 yrs, and the last 2 yrs she was living her life as a traveler-Leanne's identity (in her mind) was a traveler and in reality this is who she was. I think as their trip was winding down she probably missed her family and was even ready to take a break from traveling, however being this is all she has known for the past 2 years, that doesn't mean she mentally was ready to become someone completely different. By someone completely different I mean, someone who is stuck in the same city and state, the same house, working and starting a family.

I think Leanne once returning to the states began getting a little "stir crazy", she was used to traveling and seeing something NEW everyday. I think this started once she got to Georgia, instead of the stress and anxiety subsiding I think it just got worse and worse. By the time she got to Texas the added stress of having to find a job-I don't think her or Josh had landed one as of yet.
I think ALL of this just came to a head and she just wanted to end it all.

 

[MeSeek]

What strange things?

Hmmm. Yeah...I think I ran across a few oddities, myself.

Hmm.

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

I'm leaving this thread now.
My heart is heavy for all that loved Leanne and I feel like I got a glimpse into a special person's life.

I don't know what happened at the end of her life. I don't know what she was thinking or how she was feeling but really, that is not my business anymore.

Sending heartfelt condolences to her family and loved ones and friends.

 

[mck16]

Thank you. From looking at the only pics we have, it looks sparse, so I was thinking she could be seen if one looked up. Maybe the land owner looked up for a reason. Just so sad.

I don't know what kind of trees there were. I know it was said bamboo, but bamboo does not have strong outward branches. But, they are very dense so what I want to say is that in that part of the country if you are in a bunch of trees you are always aware of what is above you and below you. There are poison snakes everywhere especially if it is an area not frequently visited. If it were me, I would have on boots and probably carrying a pistol. jmo

 

[Mountain Misst]

Still trying to catch up but this post made me think - could it have been an accident? Could she have climbed up into a tree and somehow got entangled in her backpack and slipped (or the other way round, slipped and got entangled)?

Any thoughts on this?

Will now read the last few pages and see if this has already been discussed by you all.

Afterthought: or has it been said already what she used (rope, jump rope)?

BBM
Did Leanne and Josh visit Asian countries in their travels? The bamboo may have attracted Leanne - panda bears or similar cuddly memories.

I did note on one of the MSM images, that the property where Leanne was found had a clump of bamboo out the front as well, on Fairview Circle. That may have been what attracted Leanne to this particular property over another, initially.

Now that we know Leanne was found in a dense clump of bamboo in the rear of the acreage, your theory could indeed be true, Elainera. Misadventure cannot be ruled out, although the initial climbing into the bamboo would have likely been 'a retreat into a cave'.

Now we know why the call for handsaws by the recovery team. LE would have needed to cut their way in to the clump in order to correctly assess the situation.

 

[cluciano63]

I believe LE could tell by the knots...if accidental or not...

 

[ahintexas]

Thank you. From looking at the only pics we have, it looks sparse, so I was thinking she could be seen if one looked up. Maybe the land owner looked up for a reason. Just so sad.

I get that she could've only been seen if one looked up, but I keep going back to the arial search...they would've been looking down. Just don't see how they missed her. So sad that she hung there for almost a month. Ugh. Just cannot imagine what her family is going through.

 

[mck16]

I get that she could've only been seen if one looked up, but I keep going back to the arial search...they would've been looking down. Just don't see how they missed her. So sad that she hung there for almost a month. Ugh. Just cannot imagine what her family is going through.

Did the aerial search go over that area? I am not sure what their path was. But also think of this, she was 100 pounds and dressed in dark attire. She could have appeared to be just a branch especially if she was up close to the tree. I don't know, but I live in that kind of woods, and I understand it. jmo

 

[Cardinal47]

I think we need to remember that when someone ends their own life, they often feel that their loved ones will be better off without them. They don't think there will be an end to their pain and don't want to be a burden to others. In that sense, they see suicide as relieving their loved ones of a burden.

I totally get that. I'm not suicidal by any means. But I'm 68, have chronic pain and struggle with depression, even though my health is good. My husband is 69 and much more active than I am or want to be. And by the way, neither one of us is "elderly"! Humph! Sometimes I feel like I'm holding him back (that's in my own head), and that he could have a better life if he didn't have to deal with my limitations. But we have been married 47 years and he constantly reassures me that he loves me just the way I am and couldn't live without me. I tell him the same thing.

But some couples aren't there yet. I know we weren't when we were younger. It takes time to build that kind of relationship. IF Leanne was deeply depressed, I can imagine her perfectionist self feeling that Josh wouldn't be able to handle it and that she was ruining their lives. I'm sure he would have done his best to reassure her and help her if he'd known. But his best might not have been enough. It's really hard for a spouse to discern the right thing to do.

This is all speculation, just to help people understand Leanne's possible state of mind. Someone wise once said "Empathy is feeling your pain in my heart." We can all have empathy for Leanne and Josh and their families.

JMO, MOO, etc

I have been thinking about you and what you wrote since I read this. BBM I just want to tell you in my household I am in better health than my husband. We too have been married for many years. He suffers from both heart and back problems.

Honestly there are no limitations on his love for me. I would rather spend forever with him and any disabilities he brings to our marriage.

He is kind and good and loving and has always thought the moon rises and sets on me. I would rather spend a few good years with this kind gentle man than travel the earth with another.

Rest easy. Your husband loves you...just the way you are!

 

[Insomnia Momma]

http://www.leannebearden5k.com/


5k in memory of Leanne

 

[Cardinal47]

Yeah, some of this is known now. It was the homeowner (homeowner & his wife are reportedly in their 70's) who found her. Leanne was found in an area that was not searched by the search & rescue team, as it was so close to the Bearden family home that Search & rescue felt the family had searched there well enough. And the homeowner just didn't go out to that undeveloped part of his property very often, so it wasn't an area that he was commonly walking through.

Thank you and I can certainly see that happening. Word getting around the neighborhood about Leanne missing. The couple having their morning coffee and discussing perhaps they should have a walk around their property to be sure.

What a terrible day that had to be for them. I hope they are alright and know that above all they did bring a closure to this grieving family.

So as traumatic as their discovery might have been they spared the family of years of grief, accusations and wondering that were ended that day. Leanne was found.

 

[Trino]

I find it difficult to believe that LB did not consider the affect on family and friends.

While I don't know Josh, he seems like a nice guy, and this will haunt him for the rest of his life, and determine who he is. Her elderly parents will have a deep hole in their hearts, and her siblings will be forever seeking answers. Her friends who respected her as a role model and friend will forever seek answers.

All I can think to say, Jon Donne, author of No Man is an Island, has already said,

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were: any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee."

 

[Elainera]

BBM
Did Leanne and Josh visit Asian countries in their travels? The bamboo may have attracted Leanne - panda bears or similar cuddly memories.

I did note on one of the MSM images, that the property where Leanne was found had a clump of bamboo out the front as well, on Fairview Circle. That may have been what attracted Leanne to this particular property over another, initially.

Now that we know Leanne was found in a dense clump of bamboo in the rear of the acreage, your theory could indeed be true, Elainera. Misadventure cannot be ruled out, although the initial climbing into the bamboo would have likely been 'a retreat into a cave'.

Now we know why the call for handsaws by the recovery team. LE would have needed to cut their way in to the clump in order to correctly assess the situation.

bbm - do we know that? I don't think so, I can not remember reading she was found in 'bamboo'. If you read that somewhere please point me to it. TY

Anyway I don't think climbing a bamboo is easy. We have bamboo in front of our house, the branches (if you call them that in bamboo) are smooth and slippery. Bamboo has no side branches, it mostly points up and leans a little bit sideways. I think it would be nearly impossible to hang yourself in it.

Nevertheless, could she have accidentally strangled herself with her backpack while climbing a tree? I think it's certainly possible but we don't know how she was found.

Thinking of Josh and the family, they must be in shock still, most of all Josh and her parents and siblings. Sending them positive energy and healing for their hearts.