CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #4

[thesensitivechild]

I hate to point this out, but the way Robbie, Barbara's husband, has handled his approach to finding Barbara, makes me very uncomfortable as a family member.

In my opinion, he should have alerted the authorities of her disappearance, alerted her son of her disappearance, alerted my family of her disappearance. In that order. And not long after a search has yielded nothing we should've all been contacted... not four days later. In the case of Barb's son, Robbie did not even reach out.

If Robbie had reasonably reached out in a sincere effort to create OPEN COMMUNICATION between all of us who would want to help, coordinating his family and our family, the suspicions I harbour would be much harder to believe.

Instead we have seen a scripted publicity event. A public appeal to kidnappers to release Barbara unharmed. No questions asked. No charges.

With a lawyer I wonder if we will hear from Robbie again, even though he was so active those first few days. I hope that we do. And I hope that Robbie offers some more guidance on how we should all aid in his search for those kidnappers and for Barbara. Some further insight into what he is doing to look for her.

He claims there is someone, maybe more, who know where Barbara is. He lives very close to Las Vegas. I hope he is helping put up flyers if he truly believes she has been abducted by some perverts who lucked on a lone hiker in a bikini, and took her to Las Vegas or worse.

To complicate matters, Barb's son made some very strong accusations. No wonder Robbie didn't reach out to her son. They obviously don't get along. Still... if you were truly afraid your wife had been abducted by criminals, wouldn't you want some help? Don't you think Matt would want to help find his mother? Can Robbie explain why he didn't inform Matt?

It is the nature of her son's claims that has left the rest of us with the most questions.

I know Robbie has family on this forum and in other public groups discussing this, and I apologise that our families never had the time to meet and get to know one another. I feel terrible this is how we are being introduced. I did get to spend time with Robbie and Barbara together, and they made for a beautiful and loving pair. I always felt they were natural compliments.

I would like to make an appeal to Robbie's family to help explain the man better.

We all need to know more about both Barbara and Robbie to keep this valuable dialogue from descending into mere speculation.

I also hope that Barb's son Matt can speak to the media and share his perspective in a more reputable venue.

Perhaps then we can begin to discuss what motivations a kidnapper or kidnappers might have had in abducting Barbara, besides her wearing a bikini and holding a beer, stranded on a desert highway.

Also, does Robbie's family have any reason to believe Barb may have been distancing herself from their relationship? I know Robbie has had a few marriages and wonder if they all ended amicably?

I ask these questions in pursuit of one thing. Where is Barbara?

Thank you again to everyone who is helping in the search to find her.

Much respect, admiration, and love to you.

 

[Micheline]

I'm interested to know what changed your outlook, if you would care to share.

I would gladly.
When thinking about the things he said and done I changed my mind.
Barbara leaving him love notes under his pillow, he cherishing them and having kept them all. Him thinking she is a striking beauty even at 69 in her bikini, thinking she would be kidnapped. He always has his arm around her, or she around him, even when people are standing in between them. He loved her, and was loved by her. This was no marriage gone sour or greatly disturbed in order for the husband to plan to murder her. IMO

 

[HongKongPhooey]

I would gladly.
When thinking about the things he said and done I changed my mind.
Barbara leaving him love notes under his pillow, he cherishing them and having kept them all. Him thinking she is a striking beauty even at 69 in her bikini, thinking she would be kidnapped. He always, has his arm around her, or she around him, even when people are standing in between them. He loved her, and was loved by her. This was no marriage gone sour or greatly disturbed in order for the husband to plan to murder her. IMO

Thanks

 

[Twistinginthewind]

Maybe he didn't dare. If he had fears that he would be judged, that might be only natural.

We all want to see the best in one another. On that I don't disagree with you.

That's extremely gracious of you, IMO, dbdb11. It must be very challenging to balance your concern for your aunt with digesting information on her disappearance and trying to be even handed about her husband's behavior.

I feel strongly that it was extremely cavalier if not negligent for RT to not immediately alert BT's family that she was missing.

There was nothing in his attitude or demeanor in the first few days after she disappeared and he was on MSM that made him seem like he was sheepish and 'didn't dare' notify her family because he felt bad about the circumstances of her disappearance.

On the contrary, he gave several interviews, was quite outgoing, invited MSM into their home, never said anything about feeling responsible for anything even under those extreme conditions they were hiking in, and immediately put his theory out there as to her being abducted and his reasons why (beer, bikini, had to cross a road) and where she might be (Vegas).

My hunch is that he thought if his theory gained traction, and there was some further play to her being in Las Vegas on some kind of jaunt with her abductor, that he wasn't really on the hook to be contacting family because she was just not around for now, who knows where she is or when she'll be back.

I think he simply avoided contacting her family for days because he didn't put any personal value on her connections with them, and didn't think of them at all, which goes to speak to his character.

All JMO MOO IMO

 

[10ofRods]

Just for the record, we do have a verified insider for this case: @dbdb11.

While you're right that foliage decreases in winter, remember that she was last said to be in the desert, where there is different foliage than in other places and winter tends to be less wintery. MOO

I realize that, living not far from a similar environment. My yard has some of the same plants (native).

But in looking at the search photos, the creosote, alone, is far far more dense this year (and those flowering shrubs are usually rare - not thickly carpeted in the northern side of the rocks).

So in years like this, when the Mojave is so beautifully and densely carpeted, a person seeking shade (or feeling very ill and disoriented) may curl up under some creosote or similar plants and not be easily seen. Especially, if it it's a jumble of rocks and plants.

SAR teams are volunteers and many go back from time to time for failed searches. They know that when winter comes and things die back (and it rains and bones wash out of rock crevices), it's a good time to return.

Winter starts out dry and windy, scouring the desert of much plant life. Chollas look less flowery and more stark. A flyover might reveal a red cap (it's always a good idea to wear a brightly colored tank top, btw, just for safety purposes). You can read about the discovery of the missing Germans (in winter, in Death Valley, after years of being missing).

Winter also gives searchers wider range into remote areas on foot. When the rains first come, there are gully washers and the plants don't start blooming again until it warms up in spring, so there are two windows of opportunity (the early winter and the wet winter). Checking drainages for human bones is something many people do in late winter, actually.

 

[MimosaMornings]

A plane?
A boat
A new truck
A new Keystone Cougar fifth wheel

Wow

 

[Sillybilly]

Bumping CocoChanel's earlier post.

MOD NOTE:

THIS THREAD IS CLOSED YET AGAIN, THIS TIME TO CLEAN UP ALL THE POSTS THAT ARE DISCUSSING PHILOSOPHICAL DIFFERENCES ABOUT WHO/HOW/WHEN NOTIFICATION WAS MADE TO CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT BARBARA WAS MISSING. THE ARGUMENTS ARE POINTLESS AND WILL NOT HELP FIND BARBARA.

NOT SURE WHEN THIS WILL OPEN. WITH NO NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS CASE, IT MAY BE AWHILE.

CocoChanel
Moderator

 

[10ofRods]

I wonder if she fell into a ravine or wash? The temps have been so high that she would quickly dehydrate especially if she was drinking. I live in Needles California which is near where she went missing and the temps have reached 119 last week. The monsoons have not arrived in our area yet.

It's possible - it happens. Probably not into a wash (at least not one nearby) and as to ravines, there are ravine-like places in the granite outcroppings (you can see them on google maps). They did have rock climbers out there for two days, but they can't check the bottom of each crevasse/ravine. She would have had to gain altitude above where she was hiking, though.

As someone who managed to have heat stroke (just outside of Needles, so not far from where Barbara went missing), one of the symptoms is euphoria. I am not a particularly extroverted person IRL, but on that day (I was in a car without air conditioning - and without water, long story) I was first miserable and achy and really worried about what to do. The person who had taken my water and was in another vehicle was ignoring our signaling system and this was before cell phones. I just kept driving.

Well, pretty soon, I felt better. WAY better. Really peachy! I tried to pull up alongside people and wave to them and mouth words to them. I didn't want to stop, and when we finally did stop, I was not concerned about water or finding shade. Euphoria is a symptom of heat stroke. My body temp was 102.5 and rising.

So, if she went from overheated to true hyperthermia, she might have decided that climbing some nearby rock formation was a super cool thing to do. Then, the chances of being in a ravine and eventually washed out of that space - maybe after a year or two - are much higher. Searchers know all this. Heck, I knew that at the time, but managed to completely be in a different frame of mind where all sense flew out of my mind.

I was traveling with a physician, btw...in that other car. He did notice, thankfully. I guess I was clammy and my skin had lost color, whereas I'd been flushed earlier. It was only 3 hours in 117-118 heat, but it was starting to cook me.

 

[LietKynes]

dbdb11

Time for a live rescue is gone.. A kidnap?
Did it happen this time ? In my humble opinion.. No, I do not think so..

The only thing we have left is finding a body or finding the truth.
Detectives need more and I do hope they are looking.

Snipped for brevity
Emphasis mine

I also agree this was no kidnapping.

 

[LietKynes]

A plane?
A boat
A new truck
A new Keystone Cougar fifth wheel

Wow

So, RT has a plane ?
Did Barbara's family know this ?
Is it possible they flew somewhere, on the day she went missing ?

 

[cazador]

This is a good area for a drone search.. Early morning or late evening.. Cameras recording everything.

 

[LietKynes]

I hate to point this out, but the way Robbie, Barbara's husband, has handled his approach to finding Barbara, makes me very uncomfortable as a family member.

In my opinion, he should have alerted the authorities of her disappearance, alerted her son of her disappearance, alerted my family of her disappearance. In that order. And not long after a search has yielded nothing we should've all been contacted... not four days later. In the case of Barb's son, Robbie did not even reach out.

If Robbie had reasonably reached out in a sincere effort to create OPEN COMMUNICATION between all of us who would want to help, coordinating his family and our family, the suspicions I harbour would be much harder to believe.

Instead we have seen a scripted publicity event. A public appeal to kidnappers to release Barbara unharmed. No questions asked. No charges.

With a lawyer I wonder if we will hear from Robbie again, even though he was so active those first few days. I hope that we do. And I hope that Robbie offers some more guidance on how we should all aid in his search for those kidnappers and for Barbara. Some further insight into what he is doing to look for her.

He claims there is someone, maybe more, who know where Barbara is. He lives very close to Las Vegas. I hope he is helping put up flyers if he truly believes she has been abducted by some perverts who lucked on a lone hiker in a bikini, and took her to Las Vegas or worse.

To complicate matters, Barb's son made some very strong accusations. No wonder Robbie didn't reach out to her son. They obviously don't get along. Still... if you were truly afraid your wife had been abducted by criminals, wouldn't you want some help? Don't you think Matt would want to help find his mother? Can Robbie explain why he didn't inform Matt?

It is the nature of her son's claims that has left the rest of us with the most questions.

I know Robbie has family on this forum and in other public groups discussing this, and I apologise that our families never had the time to meet and get to know one another. I feel terrible this is how we are being introduced. I did get to spend time with Robbie and Barbara together, and they made for a beautiful and loving pair. I always felt they were natural compliments.

I would like to make an appeal to Robbie's family to help explain the man better.

We all need to know more about both Barbara and Robbie to keep this valuable dialogue from descending into mere speculation.

I also hope that Barb's son Matt can speak to the media and share his perspective in a more reputable venue.

Perhaps then we can begin to discuss what motivations a kidnapper or kidnappers might have had in abducting Barbara, besides her wearing a bikini and holding a beer, stranded on a desert highway.

Also, does Robbie's family have any reason to believe Barb may have been distancing herself from their relationship? I know Robbie has had a few marriages and wonder if they all ended amicably?

I ask these questions in pursuit of one thing. Where is Barbara?

Thank you again to everyone who is helping in the search to find her.

BBM

Thanks for pointing this out, esp. the bolded portions.
Curious.
Also wondering what a 'few' marriages means ? 3 ? 4?
And how they ended.

 

[dbdb11]

Bumping CocoChanel's earlier post.

as is my understanding, non verified members should not be discussing these points. but verified insiders are invited to share more personal details because they have direct knowledge of people involved.

hence a verification process.

this is why i appealed to Robbie's family, and not to everyone else here, for answers to my latest questions.

 

[LietKynes]

as is my understanding, non verified members should not be discussing these points. but verified insiders are invited to share more personal details because they have direct knowledge of people involved.

hence a verification process.

this is why i appealed to Robbie's family, and not to everyone else here, for answers to my latest questions.

Emphasis mine

I am hoping you get some answers from Robbie's family.

Where is Barbara ???

 

[kay74]

dbdb11
Thank You


I have been involved in searching this area before. Detectives working this case will not say much. The coroner gets bodies all the time from the desert with no ID and they have to run tests to attempt an ID and in many cases they never do find out who the person is..

This particular missing person case makes no sense from the beginning in my opinion.
Time for a live rescue is gone.. A kidnap? I can not say no because we have actually seen it happen in past cases where some male holds a female or even females for a long period of time.
Did it happen this time ? In my humble opinion.. No, I do not think so..

The only thing we have left is finding a body or finding the truth.
Detectives need more and I do hope they are looking.
I may do my own ground search as we have done this before with a missing nurse in my area and had success in finding a body after search teams had already been there.

I really wish the area across from the RV, the other side would be searched more.She came back to the RV before Robbie and I believe crossed the road looking for rocks to kill time before he came back

 

[Nerissa]

There's some good points @ his assumptions about Vegas - maybe there's something there, something he held back initially...hmmm....

I would gladly.
When thinking about the things he said and done I changed my mind.
Barbara leaving him love notes under his pillow, he cherishing them and having kept them all. Him thinking she is a striking beauty even at 69 in her bikini, thinking she would be kidnapped. He always has his arm around her, or she around him, even when people are standing in between them. He loved her, and was loved by her. This was no marriage gone sour or greatly disturbed in order for the husband to plan to murder her. IMO

This could be the case...but sometimes things that seem too good to be true, are. Lots of people though, also, have - let's say: 'feisty' relationships. The 'feist' goes both ways

My experience though of an abusive man was that if anyone was around - he would be very loving, affectionate, the image of 'perfect' etc. - got to the point when company left it would be just a matter of 'wait for it' then the explosion - over nothing, for nothing - the pent up need to shout, be angry, put me in my place etc.

So who knows? I sure hope that he is innocent & that whatever has occurred there was true love that will help him deal with, I'm sorry to say, her loss. Just seems unlikely she's alive. Hope I'm wrong.

I am still on the fence here.....

JMO

 

[PommyMommy]

dbdb11
Thank You


I have been involved in searching this area before. Detectives working this case will not say much. The coroner gets bodies all the time from the desert with no ID and they have to run tests to attempt an ID and in many cases they never do find out who the person is..

This particular missing person case makes no sense from the beginning in my opinion.
Time for a live rescue is gone.. A kidnap? I can not say no because we have actually seen it happen in past cases where some male holds a female or even females for a long period of time.
Did it happen this time ? In my humble opinion.. No, I do not think so..

The only thing we have left is finding a body or finding the truth.
Detectives need more and I do hope they are looking.
I may do my own ground search as we have done this before with a missing nurse in my area and had success in finding a body after search teams had already been there.

Please let us know if there is some way we may assist you.

Can someone tell me the exact last known coordinant of where the RV was? I am going to do a little aerial mapping exercise.

This is about as close as we can come:

We don’t know exactly where they parked when Barbara disappeared, but it appears to be within this one mile stretch of Kelbaker Rd: Google Maps

Coordinates:
Kelbaker and Hidden Hill Rd 34.7935010, -115.6097090
Granite Pass marker 34.8121536, -115.6096388

 

[LietKynes]

This is a good area for a drone search.. Early morning or late evening.. Cameras recording everything.

BBM
Agreed.^^^

I am not of the opinion that Barbara is NOT in that desert.
She may be somewhere that only someone(s) else knows.

 

[bradfordsleuth]

I hate to point this out, but the way Robbie, Barbara's husband, has handled his approach to finding Barbara, makes me very uncomfortable as a family member.

In my opinion, he should have alerted the authorities of her disappearance, alerted her son of her disappearance, alerted my family of her disappearance. In that order. And not long after a search has yielded nothing we should've all been contacted... not four days later. In the case of Barb's son, Robbie did not even reach out.

If Robbie had reasonably reached out in a sincere effort to create OPEN COMMUNICATION between all of us who would want to help, coordinating his family and our family, the suspicions I harbour would be much harder to believe.

Instead we have seen a scripted publicity event. A public appeal to kidnappers to release Barbara unharmed. No questions asked. No charges.

With a lawyer I wonder if we will hear from Robbie again, even though he was so active those first few days. I hope that we do. And I hope that Robbie offers some more guidance on how we should all aid in his search for those kidnappers and for Barbara. Some further insight into what he is doing to look for her.

He claims there is someone, maybe more, who know where Barbara is. He lives very close to Las Vegas. I hope he is helping put up flyers if he truly believes she has been abducted by some perverts who lucked on a lone hiker in a bikini, and took her to Las Vegas or worse.

To complicate matters, Barb's son made some very strong accusations. No wonder Robbie didn't reach out to her son. They obviously don't get along. Still... if you were truly afraid your wife had been abducted by criminals, wouldn't you want some help? Don't you think Matt would want to help find his mother? Can Robbie explain why he didn't inform Matt?

It is the nature of her son's claims that has left the rest of us with the most questions.

I know Robbie has family on this forum and in other public groups discussing this, and I apologise that our families never had the time to meet and get to know one another. I feel terrible this is how we are being introduced. I did get to spend time with Robbie and Barbara together, and they made for a beautiful and loving pair. I always felt they were natural compliments.

I would like to make an appeal to Robbie's family to help explain the man better.

We all need to know more about both Barbara and Robbie to keep this valuable dialogue from descending into mere speculation.

I also hope that Barb's son Matt can speak to the media and share his perspective in a more reputable venue.

Perhaps then we can begin to discuss what motivations a kidnapper or kidnappers might have had in abducting Barbara, besides her wearing a bikini and holding a beer, stranded on a desert highway.

Also, does Robbie's family have any reason to believe Barb may have been distancing herself from their relationship? I know Robbie has had a few marriages and wonder if they all ended amicably?

I ask these questions in pursuit of one thing. Where is Barbara?

Thank you again to everyone who is helping in the search to find her.

Great post!

Thank you for being so real with us and putting out those tough questions.

I hope his family can offer some insight into his behaviours that have been questioned.

I am glad to see this thread opened again, I was desperately hoping that something new had arisen....and feel sad to know there is no news.

Still hoping for the best for Barbara and your family

JMO

 

[PommyMommy]

I reached out to the reporter at Inside Edition today to ask it they were going to do a follow up on Barbara's case, but got an automated reply back that the reporter is away until August 5th.

I feel we need to ask MSM to follow up.

So many news agencies reported about her when she first went missing. Surely, they would want to do an update?

They need something new. New photos of Barbara, an interview with a family member or friend, family statement, interview with a random PI, announcement about a Facebook "Find Barbara" group, a vigil or prayer service, a flyer distribution event, a volunteer search, anything... It's not likely they will write a follow-up without new information. MOO