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

[ScarlettScarpetta]

Scarlett, I can just feel your sadness about LB right through my computer screen. Hugs to you.

I was talking with my mom yesterday about LB...my mom lives in San Antonio, very close to Garden Ridge and knows that I have been slightly obsessed with the case. She was a little worried about me because of the news.

My mom and I both suffer from anxiety and depression (well controlled on meds) and are both high-achieving, "people pleaser" types. We talked yesterday about how when we are depressed, we spend all of our energy putting on a happy face so as not to burden those around us.

I wonder if LB was the same way. Maybe she just couldn't do it anymore...maybe she was just exhausted.

I truly am. For someone I never met. I don't know why for sure. I guess I am upset for the family. I feel like the police gave up looking so soon, The dogs failed them, And for a month they have been holding out hope that she could be alive and she is not.
Someone said something about the discussion about it not being suicide because we want someone else to blame.. And I said no..
But really????? I don't know. I know how I feel does not really matter, But I don't know if it would be easier to accept if someone killed my child or they killed themselves. My heart is with her Mother. I see the picture of the two of them at Christmas time and think... The pain, The hurt, I think that is where my pain is coming from. A mothers heart.

The last time I remember feeling like this.. is when I found out that Susan Smith had rolled those babies in that water herself and watched them drown.

I remember that sadness too..

Thanks for seeing where I am coming from. If my posts are coming off angry, I am not. I am confused and really sad.

 

[I'm Lahoma]

I haven't had a chance to read all the posts on this thread, but some things popped in my head that Josh said early on....for instance, he was asking property owners that had a lot of acres to please check their property. There are more things too, but does anyone remember that??

 

[Advocate1]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/leanne-bearden-missing-month-found-dead-texas-family-article-1.1614181

This article states that LB was wearing the same backpack she allegedly left with as she was when her remains were located. She was still wearing the backpack.
Wouldn't she take the backpack off ?

But then again, she was apparently very petite. She may have worried that her own body weight would not have been enough, if she did indeed hang herself.

She was found within two blocks of her inlaws home. Authorities did not search that area because family members had already done so. LE typically looks towards the family first in cases like this. I am STUNNED that LE would accept the family had searched that specific area without following up with their own
search.

I dont see it like that. I dont think LE took the families word for it. LE followed the tracking dogs and they went in the other direction and lost her scent.

 

[BeanieBod]

I was thinking about that. Elderly people unable to search. To me the way to do that would be for somebody, maybe LE, to knock on the door and ask the homeowner if they are able to search their own property. If not have them sign a permit to have it searched if they agree it's ok.

Of course all of this was a needle in a haystack trying to find somebody lost.

I think everybody did the very best they could do.

My neighborhood is about the size of Garden Ridge Estates. If I had a family member missing, I would knock on every door and search every backyard and woods. But that is me.

 

[cluciano63]

Maybe this thread can be frozen/locked until LE reports?

Out of respect for the family and friends..............

Just My Opinion

I do not see any disrespect. People are shocked and want to post their feelings, IMO.

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

I dont see it like that. I dont think LE took the families word for it. LE followed the tracking dogs and they went in the other direction and lost her scent.

I don't believe that. They were out there a few days after she went missing. Not years.
They should have found her if she was there.. If she indeed walked to that property.

 

[Lilibet]

Honestly, other than the clinically depressed or terminally ill, wouldn't most any suicide be unacceptable and shocking to loved ones? Perhaps even more so, when the person is a high-energy, bubbly sort of person who has always enjoyed life. But for me, the stress of always being that person, especially if you have changed inside, could be extremely overwhelming and distressing.

Obviously, we have to wait and see. But I really hope Leanne was not murdered, particularly in such gruesome, close-up manner. I would prefer she at least had made her own choice.
JMO

I agree with you. I wrote on an earlier thread about my own lifelong struggle with depression and how I would self-medicate by planning neat trips or home improvement projects. I'd get a beta-endorphin high from this and feel great. But the crash afterward, when I'd end up back in my chronically low beta-endorphin state, was brutal. Brain chemistry can affect our thinking powerfully. Low beta-endorphins can cause you to feel worthless, unloved, overly-sensitive to perceived slights, etc. It really messes with your mind. I can recognize this now and identify what is happening, so that I don't take it seriously. But before I understood this, I felt hopeless that it would ever get better.

I'm also a people-pleaser, and I don't want to inflict my "stuff" on others. So I put on a happy face in public. Most people, even close friends, aren't equipped to deal with someone else's depression and will not understand and say the wrong thing. But trying to live up to the image you present to others just adds to the distress, and leaves you feeling more isolated. As I've gotten older, I'm finding it easier to be "real" with friends, but I still hold back from dumping my feelings on them. I doubt that Leanne had gotten to that point yet, if she was struggling.

IF Leanne took her own life, I really do understand, even though I've never gone that far into the darkness myself.

 

[Cherp68]

Respectfully, this made perfect sense to me. I have lurked on this thread, reading about her sudden disappearance. Regretfully, I thought it more than likely was suicide. Experiencing the freedom of traveling in foreign and exotic places and experiencing that joy and freedom can change you. It is very hard to return to the mundane, everyday life after those experiences. Europeanized Americans will tell you how hard the adjustment is returning to the US. Being faced with a job interview and what was "expected" may have been too much to bear. This is such a sad outcome for everyone. RIP. God speed.

I too have backpacked abroad a few times, the longest being 3 months. Even after our 1 month honeymoon trekking through Africa, both my hubby and I both felt a kind of depression returning to "real-life". It's hard to explain to anyone who hasn't lived through it. When the reports first came out that Leanne may have walked away from her life, it made sense to me. But as more time passed, I started to think that the ending would be a happy one.
I can't imagine how difficult it would have been for her to adjust to being back after travelling for 2 years! I think it affects people differently, maybe that's why Leanne may have had a hard time but her hubby didn't.
No matter the reason, the ending is heartbreaking.

 

[Koshka]

I just saw this comment over at the Daily Mail and thought I would post it.

They really need to see if she was on Lariam for malaria protection while she traveled, that medication is known to cause suicidal thoughts and actions

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...rip-world-DEAD-Texas-woods.html#ixzz2tK1uRcSX

Lariam, now that's an interesting thought. The FDA recently required the manufacturer to put a "black box" warning on it: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/30/business/fda-strengthens-warnings-on-lariam-anti-malaria-drug.html I know from travels in Africa that there are some really awful stories about its side effects -particularly hallucinations; I used a different anti-malarial drug instead and had no problems. But not everyone who takes Lariam experiences those side effects.

 

[TxLady2]

:seeya: I was thinking the same thing.

JMO and MOO but isn't it "premature" to state HOW she died -- because the Medical Examiner and LE have NOT released this info ?

And an "autopsy" has NOT been done, but will be done sometime today -- which results we probably will not have today, IMO.

I am anxiously awaiting the "official results" of what happened to Leanne ...

In the meantime, may she RIP ...

:moo:

Not really. If a body was found hanging in a tree, LE would first presume that it was suicide, the same as if they found a body with a GSW to the head and the gun in their hand. But they always leave it up to the ME to declare, because sometimes the obvious is not always the truth.

I have a pretty strong feeling it will eventually be ruled a suicide, though. It is kind of unusual for a woman to be killed by hanging. Someone could have strangled her and hung her body after she was dead to make it look like a suicide, but that sounds more like a crime of passion, not something by a total stranger. Besides, hanging is normally associated with punishment, particularly in the west and southwest.

I found out from a CSI show not long ago that it is possible to hang oneself by tying a belt around your neck and hooking it to a drawer handle or the frame of a bed. As long as the cord or belt is tied above your torso, it can be done. It seems that some inmates in prison have hung themselves from the bed frame, or the bars of a window that is not above their head.

 

[Starry Night]

I do not see any disrespect. People are shocked and want to post their feelings, IMO.

Cluciano63.......thank you for that.
I think a lot of us just don't know how to feel right now. I agree with keeping it open.

 

[blue22]

I don't believe that. They were out there a few days after she went missing. Not years.
They should have found her if she was there.. If she indeed walked to that property.

If she walked to that property, we don't know if she did so after they searched. There are many possibilities.

Kind of related, but I'm mostly asking in general...not necessarily specific to this...can LE search private property without a warrant?

 

[ami]

I dont see it like that. I dont think LE took the families word for it. LE followed the tracking dogs and they went in the other direction and lost her scent.

It was the Search and Rescue quote that prompted this. Search and Rescue said they didn't search that area because the family had already searched it.

 

[2Hope4]

Didn't that really cold spell hit right around when Leanne went missing? IMO, that might have kept some homeowners from being able to do more than a quick search. Elderly people in particular shouldn't have been out for long periods of time in the cold.

I know I wouldn't make a good SAR person. I'm good at looking for clues, knowing behaviors of animals, but people are complex. There's very few that think the same, and react the same. I would imagine most people looking for Leanne were looking for shoe impressions, lost articles of clothing, or personal belongings, even in the woods, I would have looked for leaves that disturbed, ground that was disturbed, signs of 'life and living' such as a campfire evidence, wrappers from the powerbars, bottles of water, etc. Looking up trees for someone that could be lost, or injured wouldn't have been my thought process. Even looking up in a trees for someone hiding wouldn't have a been a thought process for me. Looking in outbuildings, ditches, abandoned/vacant homes, homeless shelters, etc. I can see.

I can't imagine her loved ones looking in the trees either. Unless she was known for climbing up in trees for fun...I don't know.

I'm devastated for the families lost. I'll even admit I felt a bit of envy of her being able to travel for 2 yrs and see all the sights they saw. Even while reading the blog and looking at the fabulous photos, and sights, I felt envy that she and Josh had their health to be able to enjoy such a trip. It's been years since I've had even a day vacation, so yes I felt envy. Oh how the eyes deceive.

I help in the area rescuing animals, and helping find lost animals. I know the drill to tell someone if their dog or cat is missing, the steps to try to relocate them. I know often elderly animals will wander from home to die. I know how to look for signs of the animal being in the area, and to distinguish tracks to see if it's a dog or skunk. I can put up my 'hunting' camera to get shots of what is eating where I've left food. I know an animal will typically come back to the same places to eat. I know that a cat will retreat in a tree for protection, but never found a dog in a tree, though I have seen them climb a tree. I wouldn't go looking in trees for a lost dog.

People...there's no set rules they follow. How difficult it would be to attempt finding someone with so little clues to work with.

 

[Elainera]

I am not sure we can count on the reporting to be accurate when it comes to what she was actually wearing. After a month of a body decomposing - I am not sure if the backpack or ring would have stayed on her (??). Since no news article seems to contain a first hand description of the site - it's difficult to know what was near her versus on her. The reports say "wearing" but is that possible after sustaining such a long time in the elements and nature?

I was also thinking about the rings. Thinking they must have slipped off after a few weeks. But then with blood pooling in the arms and legs maybe not. Sorry to be graphic!

I wonder whether she went there after dark.

 

[Thespyma]

Her mom and Josh have that pic of her with the sun in the heart over her shoulder. IT is a beautiful pic.

I don't know what it is about this that is so hard for me to accept. I just can not believe that she was around the corner the whole time and NO ONE saw her. The dogs did not follow her scent??!

I think that is what gets to me the most. The dogs. I just do not believe if she was there they would not have found her?

I just pray they investigate thoroughly. Look into everything.

She was found in a person's yard. The property was just over 2 acres ( not huge, but not tiny) with several stands of bamboo, a pool and three small buildings out back. If she had been there since the day she went missing, how could the decomposition not be detected? I once had a neighbor (also a friend) who no one had seen for three days and we thought he was away. The scent THROUGH HIS WALLS, across a yard and THROUGH MY WALLS was strong and distinct. His body was found in a back bedroom. I find it extremely difficult to believe an adult human being could not be detected by scent, not just by dogs but by neighbors, for this long. The scent is not the same as a deer or dog or cat. It is distinct. If she did do this herself, when did it happen and why was there no strong scent?

 

[ami]

Lariam, now that's an interesting thought. The FDA recently required the manufacturer to put a "black box" warning on it: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/30/business/fda-strengthens-warnings-on-lariam-anti-malaria-drug.html I know from travels in Africa that there are some really awful stories about its side effects -particularly hallucinations; I used a different anti-malarial drug instead and had no problems. But not everyone who takes Lariam experiences those side effects.

I had the vivid dreams, always the night following the day of my weekly dose (like not the same night I took it, but the next one). I don't remember feeling anything at all after I came home and stopped taking the pills - except that while I was still taking them for the 4 additional weeks, I still felt connected to my friends and experiences in east africa. When I stopped needing to take the follow up doses it was sad, and I missed the vivid dreams, but I didn't feel any drug/emotion issues. No withdrawal. But I also heard very scary stories of others who took it (never anyone I met though, always "friend of a friend" stories).

 

[2Hope4]

I agree with you. I wrote on an earlier thread about my own lifelong struggle with depression and how I would self-medicate by planning neat trips or home improvement projects. I'd get a beta-endorphin high from this and feel great. But the crash afterward, when I'd end up back in my chronically low beta-endorphin state, was brutal. Brain chemistry can affect our thinking powerfully. Low beta-endorphins can cause you to feel worthless, unloved, overly-sensitive to perceived slights, etc. It really messes with your mind. I can recognize this now and identify what is happening, so that I don't take it seriously. But before I understood this, I felt hopeless that it would ever get better.

I'm also a people-pleaser, and I don't want to inflict my "stuff" on others. So I put on a happy face in public. Most people, even close friends, aren't equipped to deal with someone else's depression and will not understand and say the wrong thing. But trying to live up to the image you present to others just adds to the distress, and leaves you feeling more isolated. As I've gotten older, I'm finding it easier to be "real" with friends, but I still hold back from dumping my feelings on them. I doubt that Leanne had gotten to that point yet, if she was struggling.

IF Leanne took her own life, I really do understand, even though I've never gone that far into the darkness myself.

Huge hugs and lots of love your way! :loveyou:

Sometimes just seeing those little posts on facebook about deleting the negative people in your life, or life is too short to be negative, etc, they cut like a knife. So when I have to deal with folks, throw the smile on, and keep going. People don't want to be around those of us that have depression. They don't want to 'deal' with it. Well wake up world, we don't want to deal with it either, and it's NOT a choice we make. It's our life. There but by the grace of God go I!

 

[cluciano63]

Also, couldn't she have come to that spot, as most others, via various routes? A dog would have to be tracking her route and we do not know if she entered the area the same way a dog may have, or if dogs and searchers even went deep in the property. It probably looked like a spot she would not have been near, if really on a walk, and thus, maybe not really investigated up close. I think they were still in the mode of she had a injury, but on a walk, might not expect she would be walking through brush and high growth, etc.

 

[2Hope4]

My neighborhood is about the size of Garden Ridge Estates. If I had a family member missing, I would knock on every door and search every backyard and woods. But that is me.

But how many would truly think to look UP in the trees?