Found Deceased Dominican Republic - Orlando Moore & Portia Ravenelle, from NY on vacation, April 2019

[cybervampira]

Police in Dominican Republic recover car used by couple who went missing



[...]

Upholstery, cables and other debris appear to dangle from the car as it was pulled from the sea. Locals describe that zone as "la batidora" -- the blender -- because of the rough seas normally found in the area.

Duran Mejia said a black iPhone was also recovered. It's unclear where the phone was found in relation to the car.

[...]

 

[?mysterian?]

I had three or four thoughts.

1. Hit from behind and careened on to the hillside toward the water. She jumped out of the car in order to no go into the ocean. He was attempting to get out but went into the water with car.

2. Some sort of blowout when traveling at a high rate of speed. She jumped out and he could not.

3. Lost control of the car b/c he fell asleep and drove to the cliff. Was her door open in anticipation going in to the water?

4. For whatever reason they went toward the cliff and did the car not go completely over the cliff but she got out because he was unconscious and/or unable to? And, then the car with him in it went into the water.​

Great ideas! I've wondered if it was intentional (another vehicle intentionally hitting them somehow) vs. accidental (the driver having a medical emergency, swerving to avoid something in front of them, miscalculation of how to negotiate the road they were on, taking a turn too fast). I've even wondered if, as they left the toll plaza and changed from one road to the other, at the sharp left turn, if someone attempted to carjack them, while they were slowed down, and this was the result.

 

[osu]

Here’s a few kilometer # marks on
Autopista Las Americas, Santo Domingo

Kilometer mark #19 is ARL - Valla Publicitaria an Occupational medical physicians office.

Kilometer mark #20 is a Nico Auto Diesel station and is the closest landmark that I could find to Hwy 7.

The Quality Hotel Real Aeropuerto is located at kilometer mark #22 and is just a little bit East of Highway 7.

 

[acutename]

In the video of the drive along the highway posted by Satchie (# 150), there are street lights but I wonder if all of them are lit at night. In the town where I used to live, here in the U.S., city council decided to leave many of the street lights off at night to save energy costs. When my sister was visiting, she commented on how dark it was in places.

When the road is so dark for lack of lighting, it can be hard to discern the road from a nearby body of water. At least, that was my experience when I was about 10 and my family stopped at a campsite while on vacation. A tornado and heavy rainfall had just been through the area, so much of the campground was under water. My dad was driving to the camp store to purchase something and I went with him. It was a terrifying experience, as I couldn't tell if we were still on the road.

If PR (presuming she was driving) turned around momentarily as they came to the curve in the road, she could easily have become disoriented if the road wasn't well lit, and lost control. I wonder if it's possible she was ejected through the windshield. I was very confused after reading last night about the bodies found, but after reading here it seems more plausible it was an accident. However, I hope there is a thorough investigation. I was hoping so much the couple would be found alive, but knew it was unlikely at this point. :-(

we also do not know about the weather- in places where there are mountains, there can be fog overnight- not familiar with DR at all, so just speculating

 

[?mysterian?]

Here’s a couple of km marks on
Autopista Las Americas, Santo Domingo

Kilometer mark #19 is a medical office and kilometer mark #20 is the closest I could find to Hwy 7. Km #20 is a Nico Tire and Diesel station. The Quality Hotel Real Aeropuerto is located at kilometer mark #22 and is just a little bit East of Highway 7, but it’s not marked on the map.

I'm betting it happened near that intersection of Hwy 7 and the Autopista Las Americas. I've looked on several maps online, and it's hard, IMO, to clearly see how one traveling south on Hwy 7 would merge to go east towards the airport on the Autopista Las Americas.

 

[ilovechili]

Here’s a few kilometer # marks on
Autopista Las Americas, Santo Domingo

Kilometer mark #19 is ARL - Valla Publicitaria an Occupational medical physicians office.

Kilometer mark #20 is a Nico Auto Diesel station and is the closest landmark that I could find to Hwy 7.

The Quality Hotel Real Aeropuerto is located at kilometer mark #22 and is just a little bit East of Highway 7.

I do not know if it is translation or media or someone keeps changing things or just cannot get things right. Now the CNN article says it was 19 kilometers from Los Americos Highway?? And nothing about kilometer marker 19.

They also say Portia was in the hospital 8 days when I thought initially we were told 4 days.

And a few other things.

Hard to know what the facts are quite honestly--a bit frustrated.

 

[kaen]

The Canadian woman they spent the day with said Portia was overly cautious making sure their phones were fully charged, their GPS was working on both and that the gas tank was enough to make the trip.

Good to know. But, they would have to refill the tank in the car before returning it to the airport. Were they looking for an open gas station? I hope they can get the information off the computer in the car.

 

[ilovechili]

Good to know. But, they would have to refill the tank in the car before returning it to the airport. Were they looking for an open gas station? I hope they can get the information off the computer in the car.

Could be but I am not sure she would have stopped, they were warned not to by the car rental agency even. I also wonder because if they were running late for the airport I am not sure they would have stopped.

I have not rented a car in so darn long I can't remember, don't you just have to bring it back with the same or more to not be charged? I assume the way it sounded they filled up before leaving their motel.

I could be wrong and maybe they needed to stop, I am just speculating based on what was said.

 

[acutename]

Wow. Holy crap. Yes you can hear and see it snap. Look at those rough waters.

No wonder the cable snapped.

At least we can outrule any foul play with trying to get the car out. They are legitimately trying to get it out. It will be a small miracle if they can get it out of there. Wow.

eek... it is so rocky and rough..."the blender".... tough to believe that either person was in the water where the car wound up

 

[Satchie]

Just collecting together some links in an attempt to clear away some of the confusion:

Anyone doubting the 1:30 am departure time please click on this link, select the timeframe of 12 am to 3 am, and you'll see the daily flight to Newark is at 1: 30 am. Santo Domingo Airport Departures

The Mirabella toll both is on the north-south highway, 500 m before the coastal road, see the end of this article:
Tolls rise on Samana-Santo Domingo highway

No one in the DR stated that she had climbed from the ocean onto the roadway. That would obviously be total speculation. This is a translation of what was reported:

"According to a preliminary report from the Central Directorate of Investigation (Dicrim), several fishermen were contacted, and when interviewed about the case, they reported that on March 27, in the early hours of the morning, they heard a rumble that came from the vicinity of kilometer 19 of the Las Americas highway, Santo Domingo East.

They (Discrim? Fishermen?) said that a lady was found there, who did not carry any documents, and in serious condition, who was taken by ambulance to the Doctor Darío Contreras hospital"
Policía localiza cadáveres cree son pareja estadounidense – El Nacional

 

[bradfordsleuth]

The Canadian woman they spent the day with said Portia was overly cautious making sure their phones were fully charged, their GPS was working on both and that the gas tank was enough to make the trip.

...and this is what makes this so heartbreakingly frustrating.
She was pro-active and planned ahead for these scenarios...so WTH happened?

Is there not any CCTV on any of those routes to catch them driving at all aside from the toll booth?

Did LE wait too long to check and its been erased? I guess I am so used to North American technology....

I am really starting to believe there is something big missing from this story.

JMO.

 

[osu]

Police in Dominican Republic recover car used by couple who went missing

View attachment 179345

[...]

Upholstery, cables and other debris appear to dangle from the car as it was pulled from the sea. Locals describe that zone as "la batidora" -- the blender -- because of the rough seas normally found in the area.

Duran Mejia said a black iPhone was also recovered. It's unclear where the phone was found in relation to the car.

[...]

From that same article

“Detectives spoke to fishermen who said they heard a loud noise coming from 19 kilometers (about 11.8 miles) away from the freeway of Las Americas, Santo Domingo Este early that morning, the National Police said.

The fishermen said they found a woman who was seriously injured and not carrying any identification, police said.

She was taken by ambulance to the hospital with severe trauma and contusions to the head, hospital spokesman Dario Mañon said.

Ravenelle died April 4, before she was in a condition in which hospital officials could take her photo and share it with the media, he said. Mañon told CNN that no family or friends had called the hospital looking for Ravenelle.

 

[ilovechili]

...and this is what makes this so heartbreakingly frustrating.
She was pro-active and planned ahead for these scenarios...so WTH happened?

Is there not any CCTV on any of those routes to catch them driving at all aside from the toll booth?

Did LE wait too long to check and its been erased? I guess I am so used to North American technology....

I am really starting to believe there is something big missing from this story.

JMO.

I agree, it is one thing that makes it a bit hard to believe--she planned so well and was so careful. They had made it the majority of their trip just fine through probably far more unpopulated areas... What happened?

 

[cybervampira]

I agree, it is one thing that makes it a bit hard to believe--she planned so well and was so careful. They had made it the majority of their trip just fine through probably far more unpopulated areas... What happened?

Autopsy toxicology results should also be interesting.

 

[bradfordsleuth]

From that same article

“Detectives spoke to fishermen who said they heard a loud noise coming from 19 kilometers (about 11.8 miles) away from the freeway of Las Americas, Santo Domingo Este early that morning, the National Police said.

The fishermen said they found a woman who was seriously injured and not carrying any identification, police said.

She was taken by ambulance to the hospital with severe trauma and contusions to the head, hospital spokesman Dario Mañon said.

Ravenelle died April 4, before she was in a condition in which hospital officials could take her photo and share it with the media, he said. Mañon told CNN that no family or friends had called the hospital looking for Ravenelle.

RE: the picture of the iphone, it looks like it was put in a blender!
I am getting more and more blown away by this case by the minute...

 

[kaen]

From that same article

“Detectives spoke to fishermen who said they heard a loud noise coming from 19 kilometers (about 11.8 miles) away from the freeway of Las Americas, Santo Domingo Este early that morning, the National Police said.

The fishermen said they found a woman who was seriously injured and not carrying any identification, police said.

She was taken by ambulance to the hospital with severe trauma and contusions to the head, hospital spokesman Dario Mañon said.

Ravenelle died April 4, before she was in a condition in which hospital officials could take her photo and share it with the media, he said. Mañon told CNN that no family or friends had called the hospital looking for Ravenelle.

Maybe it was a carjack. She was thrown from a moving car. He was killed and dumped in the ocean. The car was driven into the ocean. It is all so confusing.

 

[bradfordsleuth]

Delete. Duplicate.

 

[Gardenista]

Fishy they found a phone

 

[Satchie]

I'm betting it happened near that intersection of Hwy 7 and the Autopista Las Americas. I've looked on several maps online, and it's hard, IMO, to clearly see how one traveling south on Hwy 7 would merge to go east towards the airport on the Autopista Las Americas.

I researched this earlier Found Deceased - Dominican Republic - Orlando Moore & Portia Ravenelle, from NY on vacation, April 2019

 

[osu]

Just collecting together some links in an attempt to clear away some of the confusion:

Anyone doubting the 1:30 am departure time please click on this link, select the timeframe of 12 am to 3 am, and you'll see the daily flight to Newark is at 1: 30 am. Santo Domingo Airport Departures

The Mirabella toll both is on the north-south highway, 500 m before the coastal road, see the end of this article:
Tolls rise on Samana-Santo Domingo highway

No one in the DR stated that she had climbed from the ocean onto the roadway. That would obviously be total speculation. This is a translation of what was reported:

"According to a preliminary report from the Central Directorate of Investigation (Dicrim), several fishermen were contacted, and when interviewed about the case, they reported that on March 27, in the early hours of the morning, they heard a rumble that came from the vicinity of kilometer 19 of the Las Americas highway, Santo Domingo East.

They (Discrim? Fishermen?) said that a lady was found there, who did not carry any documents, and in serious condition, who was taken by ambulance to the Doctor Darío Contreras hospital"
Policía localiza cadáveres cree son pareja estadounidense – El Nacional

It was this article where it said Portia was able to escape the car as it went under water.

“Ravenelle was found badly injured on the side of a road on March 27, the day she and Orlando Moore were due to fly home.

According to the Dominican Authorities, Ravanelle managed to escape the car crash as the automobile went under water. She was admitted to a hospital with no documents and was unidentified when she was pronounced dead there April 4.”

Mount Vernon couple dies after car plunges into sea in Dominican Republic