Found Deceased WA - Josiah Hilderbrand & Jon Cleary, Cali/Gorge Ampitheatre, vehicle Yakima Cty, 7 June 2019

[helpfulcharlie]

From family search FB page: Help Bring Josiah Home

Liz Hilderbrand:
I just got off the phone with the agent who is now handling the case of Josiah’s disappearance. The FBI is now involved. Based on the evidence they have, it is being investigated as a homicide. That said, Josiah has yet to be located but is no longer thought to be alive. What I ask for now is for your prayers for both of us - for me to survive this horrific tragedy and for Josiah to be found and brought home where he belongs. Please know that we love and appreciate you.

 

[sasha17]

Jon Cleary's Facebook. It's.... interesting. https://www.facebook.com/jon.cleary.355

 

[Dre]

Oh no! Does anyone know of any evidence that points them towards homicide?
At the very least the FBI is involved!

 

[helpfulcharlie]

I hope, if it turns out they're BOTH victims, that a mod will step in here and remove all my exposure of JJC's past. JH's family made no indication, when informed that it looked like a homicide, as to whether it looked like homicide by an outsider or homicide by JJC. And maybe that's because at this point, they just don't know. JJC's family posts are just treating him as missing at this point. But I'm trying to step into their shoes a little bit and play it multiple ways. Say they're traveling through the woods of the PNW and encounter someone who's bad news? What kinda bad news do you think they're going to encounter that someone with ten years in the Florida state pen under their belt isn't going to be capable of handling? You get my logic there?

 

[Sjm_qc]

As far as I tell from all I’ve read so far, both men are considered missing at the moment and *both* have pasts, there’s no mention of a POI, and as yet the “foul play” theory hasn’t been officially confirmed by LE or MSM (if I’ve missed it, please let me know).

In other words, I’m keeping an open mind, but it’s worrying.

*modsnip*

 

[Cagle]

FBI joins investigation into case of California men who went missing in Yakima County

 

[Tee7077]

Bump

 

[Tee7077]

.

 

[helpfulcharlie]

As far as I tell from all I’ve read so far, both men are considered missing at the moment and *both* have pasts, there’s no mention of a POI, and as yet the “foul play” theory hasn’t been officially confirmed by LE or MSM (if I’ve missed it, please let me know).

In other words, I’m keeping an open mind, but it’s worrying.

*modsnip*

You are correct, they both have pasts, and possibly equally as violent. JH appears to have several run-ins with California's finest within the last couple of years related to assaults & battery, including one that appears domestic.

You're also right that foul play isn't officially confirmed, but JH's family said they were told it looks like a homicide. I'm really curious about the evidence at the car location, and why it's so hush hush. There is obviously enough evidence to involve the FBI. I don't know what meets the required threshold for FBI involvement in adult disappearances, I'm sure it's a higher bar than missing children...

 

[Cabochon]

I’m waiting for the FBI to connect their disappearance (and murder) to the 5 murders in White Swan (Medicine Valley) on the Yakama Reservation on June 8. The Honda was found abandoned June 8 off of the one main road to White Swan, only @12 miles from the murders. There are 4 people in custody for that crime spree, which included carjacking. Based on what the agent told Ms. Liz Hildebrand (homicide investigation), my GUESS is that the FBI is working to get one of the 4 to confess to also killing Josiah and Jon.

From the beginning this was described as “missing under suspicious circumstances” and I think that explains the initial hush hush on the Honda location. Considering the vastness of the area, the Honda was relatively close to the scene. It’s seemed like a 1 + 1 obvious connection from the get go. My fear is Josiah and Jon were just in the wrong place at the worst time.

Others have linked YakimaHerald.com or YakTriNews.com stories -- search those for additional info on the June 8 White Swan murders. The FBI has been involved in those from the start.

 

[helpfulcharlie]

That'd sure be a thickening of the plot. Would also explain the FBI's quick involvement, since they have jurisdiction over the reservation. That area sounds pretty rough.

 

[helpfulcharlie]

So I'm both surprised and unsurprised that I can't seem to find a thread on WS for the White Swan murders. I hadn't heard of it on the east coast of the US myself. But I read a bunch of articles, and took it upon myself to map both the published murder-related locations as well as the point at JH and JJC's vehicle was found abandoned. You're right about it being really close. I'm even more interested in this case now.

 

[Cabochon]

Possibly no thread here because people were arrested immediately...IDK, but even in Washington there wasn’t a ton of coverage on the White Swan murders. Definitely a troubled area, and if JH and JC got caught up in the early June spree it was most likely just super bad timing that they were passing through.

 

[Cabochon]

But I read a bunch of articles, and took it upon myself to map both the published murder-related locations as well as the point at JH and JJC's vehicle was found abandoned. You're right about it being really close.

btw that's a great map! Thank you for making that. The likely route J & J were following north to The Gorge is the red line on the right (Hwy 97). The intersection of Fort/Hwy 97 is not shown on this map, but it's about 9 miles east of where the Honda was found. The Legends Casino Hotel is at the intersection and pretty certain LE would have reviewed any camera footage for the parking lot, in case the guys were carjacked around that intersection, or maybe J & J had pulled over someplace near to grab a quick nap.

 

[Sjm_qc]

I’m waiting for the FBI to connect their disappearance (and murder) to the 5 murders in White Swan (Medicine Valley) on the Yakama Reservation on June 8. The Honda was found abandoned June 8 off of the one main road to White Swan, only @12 miles from the murders. There are 4 people in custody for that crime spree, which included carjacking. Based on what the agent told Ms. Liz Hildebrand (homicide investigation), my GUESS is that the FBI is working to get one of the 4 to confess to also killing Josiah and Jon.

From the beginning this was described as “missing under suspicious circumstances” and I think that explains the initial hush hush on the Honda location. Considering the vastness of the area, the Honda was relatively close to the scene. It’s seemed like a 1 + 1 obvious connection from the get go. My fear is Josiah and Jon were just in the wrong place at the worst time.

Others have linked YakimaHerald.com or YakTriNews.com stories -- search those for additional info on the June 8 White Swan murders. The FBI has been involved in those from the start.

So I'm both surprised and unsurprised that I can't seem to find a thread on WS for the White Swan murders. I hadn't heard of it on the east coast of the US myself. But I read a bunch of articles, and took it upon myself to map both the published murder-related locations as well as the point at JH and JJC's vehicle was found abandoned. You're right about it being really close. I'm even more interested in this case now.

Thank you both so much! I hadn’t heard anything about the White Swan murders and the map is great.

This puts JH’s & JC’s disappearance in an entirely different light, at least in my mind . I’d seen a few cryptic comments on social media about the area being “sketchy” & “other events”, which now make a lot more sense to me.

 

[helpfulcharlie]

Still no info released on this case. Yet Josiah's mom is announced a "save the date" -- she is holding a memorial service for him on August 24 somewhere in California per the Help Bring Josiah Home FB page. I wonder what they're waiting for.

 

[helpfulcharlie]

And why do they almost seem to be deliberately leaving out Cleary's description? I've never seen or met the guy, and I know he's 6'3"-6'4", 230-240 lbs. Why do they make a point of saying that no description was available for Cleary?

Missing Persons Cases Network

 

[helpfulcharlie]

Aaaaaaaaand here we go.

Memorial planned for man who went missing in Yakima

"Josiah's mother has referred Cleary a person of interest."

 

[helpfulcharlie]

My prediction is the search won't last long. Cleary has demonstrated he can't go more than a few months without getting locked up somewhere. Spin the wheel and guess the state.

 

[helpfulcharlie]

The news reports seemed to indicate that the White Swan case is wrapped up. "All suspects in custody" etc. I have seen no MSM link between the two cases yet, and believe me, I've been looking for one. One thing I have learned, though, is that Imma stay the hell out of Yakima County for the foreseeable future. Between the meth on the rez, and the Norteno and Sureno activities, there's certainly enough activity to keep me away.