CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #5

[rkendmar]

What we need is a good investigative reporter in the area.

Joe Nelson at The Sun?
Joe Nelson
"Joe Nelson is an award-winning investigative reporter who has worked for The Sun since November 1999. He started as a crime reporter and went on to cover a variety of beats including courts and the cities of Colton, Highland and Grand Terrace. He has covered San Bernardino County since 2009. Nelson is a graduate of California State University Fullerton. In 2014, he completed a fellowship at Loyola Law School's Journalist Law School program."

Bolding is mine.
I am on the east coast so I am not aware of some of the smaller independent weekly media who also may do (local) investigative reporting.

 

[Lilibet]

What we need is a good investigative reporter in the area.

Joe Nelson at The Sun?
Joe Nelson
"Joe Nelson is an award-winning investigative reporter who has worked for The Sun since November 1999. He started as a crime reporter and went on to cover a variety of beats including courts and the cities of Colton, Highland and Grand Terrace. He has covered San Bernardino County since 2009. Nelson is a graduate of California State University Fullerton. In 2014, he completed a fellowship at Loyola Law School's Journalist Law School program."

Bolding is mine.
I am on the east coast so I am not aware of some of the smaller independent weekly media who also may do (local) investigative reporting.

In addition, I can tell you from experience that new and relatively inexperienced reporters are often “hungry” for a story that can be their “break out” story. They will work hard on it, especially if you cultivate a relationship with them and feed them information no one else would have (unless they are on Websleuths). Locals and family take note.

 

[wary]

I'm pretty sure we determined in thread #1 (possibly #2?) that there were no mines within 1/4 mile from where the RV was presumably parked, if that helps. MOO

I remember that there were postings that there were no mines ‘close’—but I didn’t get the impression that they were backed up with something substantive—like maps of where the mines were. (It’s very possible that I didn’t click on the right link, though.)

But—I think that 1/4 mile is far too narrow a radius. If Barbara became lost/disoriented from the heat, or something like that, I think we’d need to consider any mines closer than the distance she might have walked. I think that 3 miles is a conservative estimate. ARE there any ‘mine maps’ of the area?

 

[kay74]

Has RT posted any reward for her return? Reason I ask, is that is all he can do at this point.

 

[PommyMommy]

I don't remember reading anywhere that the planned trip was 5 days, either.
I think we're going to need a link for that, unless db can confirm it as a VI.

In fact, I don't remember RT saying anything about their intended itinerary, e.g., where they were headed once they left that spot, how many days they planned to be gone, etc.

The kennel would have had some idea of how long BT intended to be gone based on the dates she arranged for her doggie to be boarded there and the date she gave them for intended pick-up.

I'm pretty confident LE will have interviewed the kennel employees who saw/spoke with BT that morning.
That would be another good question for a reporter to ask LE, though, @PommyMommy:

• Can LE confirm they've spoken with the kennel staff who were working the morning BT was last seen?

JMO.

I don't think SBCSO is going to confirm anything but it never hurts to ask. Adding to the list as well as @Tillicum's question concerning unannounced searches. MOO

 

[PommyMommy]

I remember that there were postings that there were no mines ‘close’—but I didn’t get the impression that they were backed up with something substantive—like maps of where the mines were. (It’s very possible that I didn’t click on the right link, though.)

But—I think that 1/4 mile is far too narrow a radius. If Barbara became lost/disoriented from the heat, or something like that, I think we’d need to consider any mines closer than the distance she might have walked. I think that 3 miles is a conservative estimate. ARE there any ‘mine maps’ of the area?

The 1/4 mile was based on what RT told family. I don't think those maps got added to the media thread but I'll check.

<respectfully snipped and BBM for focus>

As Robbie made his way back to the RV he did not have any concerns. The RV was less than 1/4 mile (1000 ft) away from where he last saw her, he has claimed, and was never concerned about how far ahead she could have gotten, between him and the RV…

<respectfully snipped and BBM for focus>

FOR REFERENCE:

Walking speed 1000 meters or 1 kilometer per 10 minutes ( m/min – km/min ), converted to foot per 10 minutes equals 3280.84 feet per 10 minutes ( ft/min ).

According to the above generalisation Robbie was approx 3 plus MINUTES away from the RV.

<respectfully snipped for focus>

 

[PommyMommy]

@wary, This is what I found in the media thread.

Desert Mines & Mills

https://www.nps.gov/moja/planyourvisit/upload/MOJAmap1.pdf

I remember looking at both caves and mines in the area and I don't a thing about caves in the media thread or much about the mines. Sorry!

 

[GordianKnot]

Has RT posted any reward for her return? Reason I ask, is that is all he can do at this point.

There are several other things he could be doing right now, such as:

• Putting up BT's missing posters in businesses, gas stations, etc. (since he believes she was abducted).
• Hiring a PI to investigate her disappearance (since he believes she was abducted).
• Contacting MSM reporters attempting to get them to cover BT's disappearance.
• Contacting BT's family members to compare/contrast notes re: any possible places BT might have gone if she left voluntarily, plan independent family searches, keep her family in the loop, offer mutual support, etc.
• Coordinating and/or participating in unofficial searches for BT back in the desert.
• Participating in SM activities to help get the word out about BT's disappearance and making appeals for information.

JMO.

 

[Rusty123]

chains of evidence.

if they haven't found them already, I hope they find chains soon. i hope they follow all chains of evidence to their natural source, and find Barbara.

I want to make a second appeal to Robert's family, or his lawyer, or to anyone who knew him better than I did, to describe the character of the man.

This is what I’m asking about. Anyone reading between the lines here?!?!!!

 

[kkdj]

Has RT posted any reward for her return? Reason I ask, is that is all he can do at this point.

Why do you say that? We have people that are missing their dogs that do all kinds of things to find their beloved.

 

[Rusty123]

DBM

 

[kay74]

Why do you say that? We have people that are missing their dogs that do all kinds of things to find their beloved.

But RT does not sound too active. At least a reward would help and would show he cared that is, if he has the funds for one.

 

[GordianKnot]

But RT does not sound too active. At least a reward would help and would show he cared that is, if he has the funds for one.

We simply don't know how active an individual he normally is, though.

He looked pretty robust to me in those interviews.
The fact that he and Barbara went out walking in the desert in the middle of the day, with the sun at its zenith and temperatures soaring >100 degrees provides some evidence that they maintain an active lifestyle.

You have to be pretty active to be capable of undertaking that kind of outing.

JMO.

 

[kkdj]

We simply don't know how active an individual he normally is, though.

He looked pretty robust to me in those interviews, and we know he and Barbara enjoyed an apparently active lifestyle if they were out walking in the desert in the middle of the day, with the sun at its zenith and temperatures soaring >100 degrees.

You have to be somewhat active to want to undertake that kind of outing.

JMO.

ita.
He maybe isn't too sociable but he is active imo.
It seems to be if he was especially worried about the love of his life he would be figuring out ways to find her.
Maybe he is doing some things we aren't aware of tho.

 

[dbdb11]

I remember that there were postings that there were no mines ‘close’—but I didn’t get the impression that they were backed up with something substantive—like maps of where the mines were. (It’s very possible that I didn’t click on the right link, though.)

But—I think that 1/4 mile is far too narrow a radius. If Barbara became lost/disoriented from the heat, or something like that, I think we’d need to consider any mines closer than the distance she might have walked. I think that 3 miles is a conservative estimate. ARE there any ‘mine maps’ of the area?

Robbie told me there were no mines in the area when I last spoke to him two weeks ago. He described the earth as unfit for mining. Don't remember how he described it exactly, but he made it sound like he knew what he was talking about, including the general geology of the area.

 

[kkdj]

Db,
Did Barb tell your family where she and RT were going and that she might not be accessible by phone for a bit? Did she say the Mojave Desert on the CA side? Anything to let you guys know their destination?

 

[dbdb11]

Db,
Did Barb tell your family where she and RT were going and that she might not be accessible by phone for a bit? Did she say the Mojave Desert on the CA side? Anything to let you guys know their destination?

No indication of where that I know of. Just that the trip was planned and she might be out of touch (if we tried to contact her about travel arrangements, for example).

 

[kkdj]

Robbie told me there were no mines in the area when I last spoke to him two weeks ago. He described the earth as unfit for mining. Don't remember how he described it exactly, but he made it sound like he knew what he was talking about, including the general geology of the area.

So he had studied the area?
Honestly, I can't imagine going out there in this heat.
I was recently at Lake Havasu and anything outside of traveling in the boat or being in the water was miserable. Just not the time of year to be out in that desert.

 

[Rusty123]

Robbie told me there were no mines in the area when I last spoke to him two weeks ago. He described the earth as unfit for mining. Don't remember how he described it exactly, but he made it sound like he knew what he was talking about, including the general geology of the area.

chains of evidence.

if they haven't found them already, I hope they find chains soon. i hope they follow all chains of evidence to their natural source, and find Barbara.

I want to make a second appeal to Robert's family, or his lawyer, or to anyone who knew him better than I did, to describe the character of the man.

Dbdb11, can you extrapolate on the Chains of evidence”? Is there more meaning to this than meets the eye? Natural source would lead me to believe somewhere in nature? With chains?

 

[Tillicum]

I'd like to see Matt and Robert on Dr Phil.