CA CA - Bryce Laspisa, 19, Castaic, 30 Aug 2013 - #10

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Missing Teen's Car Is Found Overturned In Castaic

http://hometownstation.com/santa-clarita-news/missing-teens-car-found-overturned-castaic-37484

https://www.facebook.com/FINDBRYCELASPISA?ref=stream

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BBM. I hate to correct you, but it was Buttonwillow he was stopped in, not Bakersfield. Totally different freeway- Bakersfield is off Highway 99 and is a major city, Buttonwillow is right on I5. I agree with your theory that he ran off, the cops seem to think he hitched a ride off I5 also. The reason for the parents to possibly have driven up and get him (not that far away they could've made it in less than 3 hours, and no traffic at night) is because he procrastinated and hung out so long in Buttonwillow that mom had to call CHP to prompt him to get back on the road, and girlfriend thought he was so impaired she took his keys. I know this route well and have stopped in Buttonwillow many times in my life, as I grew up in So.Cal, moved to Nor. Cal, but my family is still in So. Cal, so I make this drive 1-3x/year. I've driven it often. There is literally nothing to do in Buttonwillow unless you live there. It's basically a pitstop off the highway both directions for people to get gas, food, use the restroom, and maybe grab a motel room if the drive is too long and it's getting late. It gets incredibly hot there and usually stinks like cow poop (Not kidding about that). So noone wants to be in Buttonwillow for longer than 30 min if they don't have to. This was a major red flag.
P.S. If they really thought he'd continue on the road, and miss them when they drove up to get him, a simple solution would be for one person to stay home. Or leave him keys somewhere.


My apologies, out of habit I never call those tiny towns by their actual names. When I'm traveling through Buttonwillow, Mettler, McFarland, etc, I always just round off to Bakersfield because it's the town everyone knows. Since everyone here is probably well aware of Buttonwillow by now, I'll call it by name.

In hindsight knowing that he didn't make it home, I'm sure his parents wish they would have driven up there but this whole situation wasn't foreseeable to me. If we are assuming he was unsafe to be driving, they would both have to go up so they could pick up his car. Even then, he was on the road again and heading south before anyone could have driven up. Then if he isn't responding to his cellphone, the chances of somehow coming across him are slim. If they had been searching for him and he disappeared, then people would be saying they smothered him and he panicked and ran away, or that showing up to an empty house made him leave, etc etc.
 
[/B]My apologies, out of habit I never call those tiny towns by their actual names. When I'm traveling through Buttonwillow, Mettler, McFarland, etc, I always just round off to Bakersfield because it's the town everyone knows. Since everyone here is probably well aware of Buttonwillow by now, I'll call it by name.

In hindsight knowing that he didn't make it home, I'm sure his parents wish they would have driven up there but this whole situation wasn't foreseeable to me. If we are assuming he was unsafe to be driving, they would both have to go up so they could pick up his car. Even then, he was on the road again and heading south before anyone could have driven up. Then if he isn't responding to his cellphone, the chances of somehow coming across him are slim. If they had been searching for him and he disappeared, then people would be saying they smothered him and he panicked and ran away, or that showing up to an empty house made him leave, etc etc.[/B]

Glad you saw my post, since I got caught in the door. The parents still could have left somebody at the house- another kid, a neighbor, etc. in case they missed him on the road.
 
Finally watched the Disappeared episode. I ended up purchasing it on Amazon, since I couldn't find any other way to watch it (only to later learn there's a way around the You Tube block). Anyway, lots to say, so I'll try to make this easy to read.

1) I TAKE VYVANSE: I thought it would be helpful to put this here so anyone with questions about the drug can ask, although I have a limited perspective on it. I do NOT have ADD/ADHD, so I can somewhat attest to what it feels like for someone like Bryce. There are other labeled uses for the drug. My Dr. watches me very closely, and I take 50mg, which is not even the highest dose. The pharmacist has told me that one pill lasts for about 24 hours, and even on the 50 mg early in the morning I can still have trouble sleeping and have considered switching back to 30. I have also had issues with depressive episodes coming down from the pill even on the same day, so I can only imagine the effects of taking multiple pills, of the highest dose, for days at a time.

2) FAMILY DENIAL: I ALSO have a perpetually suicidal family member, unfortunately. Someone who has multiple diagnoses, also dual diagnoses (tries to self medicate with alcohol and pills), and goes through cycles of great times, then suicide attempts. I could go on forever about my experiences with mental illness, but my point here is that there are members of our family who are absolutely in denial during these episodes. People have asked how Bryce's mother could have thought he sounded okay on the phone, why she thought it was a good idea for him to drive, etc., and this reminds me so much of issues we've dealt with in our family. Sometimes, those closest to a person have the hardest time seeing things objectively. I also know that my suicidal family member can seem to "snap out of" their odd behavior if confronted with contact by family or law enforcement and can present as fine, even at hospitals and in front of doctors, only to follow through with a plan shortly after. I also know that someone who is in any type of troubled state of mind often does things that make no sense whatsoever, so having his home address plugged into the GPS does not necessarily mean anything. It may have been a thought that popped into his head at one moment and was gone the next, or he may have done it and not even known why. Same goes for any of his actions that night. Sure, he may have been carefully contemplating suicide for 13 hours, but I tend to believe a lot of that time he didn't even necessarily know what he was doing.

3) WHY THE FAMILY DIDN'T MAKE THE DRIVE: In hindsight it's certainly frustrating that they probably could have driven to BW and met up with Bryce, but they only knew he was sitting there that whole time after the fact. I was surprised to learn in the episode just how many times he was contacted by someone up there, as I hadn't remembered all the different times with Christian or LE, but we have to remember that, at the time, his parents thought he was on his way in between each of those times. Had they known he was going to stay put for 13 hours, of course driving there would have made sense. The other element to throw into the situation is that they wouldn't have wanted Bryce to have any idea that they were headed his way. That would mean that someone should probably stay home to answer the landline in case he called, so as not to tip him off. In a 3-hour drive, lots could happen, anyway. They could have gotten all the way there and been just streets away from Bryce and never managed to hook up with him. Lots of variables, and I can see why they didn't do it, being that at the time he wasn't telling them the truth about where he really was.

4) THE LAKE, ETC.: It's so hard for me to believe he's not in that lake. I know they say they've done extensive searches, but how possible is it, really, to be that confident in that large of a body of water? I guess something to think about, though, is that if he were to have just wandered into the lake and killed himself that way, his body would likely be close to shore and probably WOULD have been found. I guess a person could have swum to the middle of the lake before intentionally drowning, though, and KS did say he was a good swimmer. I don't know. It just amazes me that anyone could say with certainty that he is not in that entire lake. I would love it if he's not, though. I really want to believe the tracking dogs who lost him at the truck stop. Sadly, though, at this point I believe that even if that were the case, he has probably taken his life elsewhere. I think of Bradyn Fuksa. His plan was obviously to commit suicide, but for whatever reason he abandoned his car, hitched a ride, and did so in a random location.
 
I just wanted to say what an excellent post, GoldieGirl. Of all the scenarios, this one is the most plausible IMHO. It also occurred to me as well that he could've hitched a ride with a trucker, and found another way and another location to commit suicide. As the LE theorized in the DISAPPEARED episode, I would agree that the lake looked a lot closer than it actually was, and Byrce probably expected to dive from a cliff into the lake, never realizing he was actually going to be driving down a steep hillside. I'm not sure why he broke out of his car unless he thought someone would find him right away and take him to a hospital. That or the instinct for survival took over in that moment. He probably stood on the edge of the lake considering his next move, and if the tracking dogs are to be believed, he walked away and on to the truck stop. His impulse to commit suicide might've left him for awhile, but the fact that he hasn't been heard from again, of course I have to wonder if he succeeded at committing suicide. It's possible he was befriended by someone and decided not to go back to his life, but it doesn't seem likely.
 
I just wanted to say what an excellent post, GoldieGirl. Of all the scenarios, this one is the most plausible IMHO. It also occurred to me as well that he could've hitched a ride with a trucker, and found another way and another location to commit suicide. As the LE theorized in the DISAPPEARED episode, I would agree that the lake looked a lot closer than it actually was, and Byrce probably expected to dive from a cliff into the lake, never realizing he was actually going to be driving down a steep hillside. I'm not sure why he broke out of his car unless he thought someone would find him right away and take him to a hospital. That or the instinct for survival took over in that moment. He probably stood on the edge of the lake considering his next move, and if the tracking dogs are to be believed, he walked away and on to the truck stop. His impulse to commit suicide might've left him for awhile, but the fact that he hasn't been heard from again, of course I have to wonder if he succeeded at committing suicide. It's possible he was befriended by someone and decided not to go back to his life, but it doesn't seem likely.

Thank you. And, I hate to think this, but it's based on my experiences with my suicidal family member, other cases (like Bradyn Fuksa's), and new info I learned from the episode. I guess, what it all comes down to for me is the fact that he was accelerating down that cliff, and I don't believe that to be an accident, since he also drove by earlier and was caught on camera. I think that shows that he was there for a while contemplating something and that he knew where he was driving and probably didn't accidentally drive off the edge (while accelerating, no less). He was also evidently alive after the accident, as he's not in the car. It's too bad he didn't take this as a second chance and a sign from above that he wasn't supposed to follow through, but I can only imagine that after that attempt and having it go wrong, a person wouldn't be in a BETTER mood and feel even BETTER about life than before; rather, I imagine that person would be even more determined to try suicide by other means after realizing the fiasco they'd now need to explain. Of course, had he just embraced that second chance at life, the car wreck and the whole saga would be all but forgotten by now, as we'd all be so happy he was still here. But in a moment like that, those aren't the thoughts going through someone's head.
 
If he committed suicide and he's wasn't in the lake, his body probably would have been found by now. Rarely does a person commit suicide in a way and place that they are never found. He must be in the lake. Or he isn't dead. IMO
 
If he committed suicide and he's wasn't in the lake, his body probably would have been found by now. Rarely does a person commit suicide in a way and place that they are never found. He must be in the lake. Or he isn't dead. IMO

I really hope you're right that he's not. Bradyn's body wasn't found for a few years, though.

ETA: Growing up we had just one missing person in our county, a middle-aged man with a family. It wasn't until I was in college that they found out he'd shot himself in the woods.
 
I really hope you're right that he's not. Bradyn's body wasn't found for a few years, though.

ETA: Growing up we had just one missing person in our county, a middle-aged man with a family. It wasn't until I was in college that they found out he'd shot himself in the woods.

True, that is possible. I'm just thinking that if he did commit suicide, he would either be in the lake, or nearby somewhere around the lake. Both were heavily searched several times and no body was ever found. That leads me to believe it's in the lake and never popped up, or he left the area and is alive and well or he left the area in committed suicide later in another place. IMO He's somewhere, whether is is alive or deceased.
 
The area away from the lake and the freeway is so desolate. I keep coming back in my mind to the news article I read where a man went off the road and was trapped in one of the deep ravines in the area. His family looked for him, retracing his steps and were walking the road calling his name when he heard them. They had to have emergency heavy rescue personnel come and get him. It turned out that his car had landed, off that road, directly adjacent to another car that had gone off the road several days before, with the remains of a crash victim still inside. If Bryce went the opposite way on the road that everyone assumed he went he could be anywhere, even just right off the road, and no one would have found him by now.
 
The area away from the lake and the freeway is so desolate. I keep coming back in my mind to the news article I read where a man went off the road and was trapped in one of the deep ravines in the area. His family looked for him, retracing his steps and were walking the road calling his name when he heard them. They had to have emergency heavy rescue personnel come and get him. It turned out that his car had landed, off that road, directly adjacent to another car that had gone off the road several days before, with the remains of a crash victim still inside. If Bryce went the opposite way on the road that everyone assumed he went he could be anywhere, even just right off the road, and no one would have found him by now.

This is true. I've often wondered if Maura Murray is somewhere nearby her accident site as well. I read a really sad article about an Appalachian Trail hiker, Geraldine Largay, who wasn't found for years despite extensive searches by search parties and family. She was actually only a couple miles from the trail, and some think she may have even been within earshot. Different circumstances, as she'd just gotten lost, and I can't bring myself to re-read the details, but her case has really made me rethink some of these others, like Bryce's.

ETA: The fact that the dogs MAY have traced him to the truck stop, though, still makes me think he may no longer be in that area. But he's still somewhere, and all this still applies regardless.
 
This is true. I've often wondered if Maura Murray is somewhere nearby her accident site as well. I read a really sad article about an Appalachian Trail hiker, Geraldine Largay, who wasn't found for years despite extensive searches by search parties and family. She was actually only a couple miles from the trail, and some think she may have even been within earshot. Different circumstances, as she'd just gotten lost, and I can't bring myself to re-read the details, but her case has really made me rethink some of these others, like Bryce's.

ETA: The fact that the dogs MAY have traced him to the truck stop, though, still makes me think he may no longer be in that area. But he's still somewhere, and all this still applies regardless.

I remember reading about that hiker. She made one wrong turn that ended up taking her life. So sad. As far as the dogs go, I want to trust them, I really, really do but there have been so, so many instances in which dogs haven't been as reliable as one would have hoped. I don't know enough about these specific dogs, as the information was spotty and contradictory at times in Bryce's case. I would hate for everyone to think he left the area because of the dogs only to find out years from now that he doubled back or retraced his steps for whatever reason, or they were just simply wrong in regards to the direction he traveled, and he actually ended up a short distance away but in the opposite direction and has been there ever since.
 
I still think Bryce is in the lake. He may have walked away at one point, which explains the dogs following a scent, but I believe he went back.
It's really really hard to find someone in water, or outdoors in general.
Let's pray I'm wrong.
 
From the beginning of this case it has been my theory that he tried to drive the SUV into the lake. When he could not get past the gates, he decided to drive over the embankment unaware of the drop off and the road. It is a 50/50 if he was doing it to commit suicide or to hide the vehicle. When he ended up going off the drop onto the road, it ruined his plans. The fact that there was no obvious print or scent trail going from the SUV directly into the lake makes his next move difficult to sleuth. My personal opinion is that when the SUV ended up wrecked on the road, he realized there was no way to get it into the lake and in whatever mental state he was in, went to plan B and walked away aware that the SUV would be found and a search mounted. The only thing about the lake that bugs me is that when the water was at an all time low level, a more detailed search should have been done using a video-ray ROV, side scan sonar and a cadaver dog(s) in a boat(s).
 
There is a lot of info missing from the TV show and the family interviews. <modsnip>
 
From the beginning of this case it has been my theory that he tried to drive the SUV into the lake. When he could not get past the gates, he decided to drive over the embankment unaware of the drop off and the road. It is a 50/50 if he was doing it to commit suicide or to hide the vehicle. When he ended up going off the drop onto the road, it ruined his plans. The fact that there was no obvious print or scent trail going from the SUV directly into the lake makes his next move difficult to sleuth. My personal opinion is that when the SUV ended up wrecked on the road, he realized there was no way to get it into the lake and in whatever mental state he was in, went to plan B and walked away aware that the SUV would be found and a search mounted. The only thing about the lake that bugs me is that when the water was at an all time low level, a more detailed search should have been done using a video-ray ROV, side scan sonar and a cadaver dog(s) in a boat(s).

Another search wasn't done then when the water level went down? We've had a terrible drought here and all the water levels went to an all time low. That would have been the perfect time to mount another search of the lake. I'm surprised if it's wasn't done.
 
Does anyone happen to know if the body found burning near Bryce's car was ever identified? If so, was motive ever determined?
 

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