CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #8

[PommyMommy]

Another thing that was new in RT and BT's lives this year (in addition to the recent purchase of the new truck and RV) is that they didn't plan a trip to go to Canada to visit RT's family, as they had done yearly in the past (according to posts by our VI). I wonder why. Something must have changed in the family dynamic where he grew up in Canada for him to stop going there this year, after years of doing so. MOO

Perhaps the annual Canada trip was postponed or canceled because BT was going to Hong Kong? MOO

 

[Blue Ridge]

I believe at some point in time we must acknowledge the number of days LE spent searching.
They did not stop after one day, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9.
Something had to of given them reason to believe BT was in fact at that location.

This is a LE agency I have a great deal of faith in.

The pictures that are said to exist, perhaps?

 

[MsBetsy]

I must ask this of the VI.
BT is a extremely photogenic.
Were there any concerns that she was ill by any family ?
She does not look well in the later photos.

As far as I know we don't know about any health problems.
She seemed to be in good shape.
Women in their fifties and sixties can develop unexpected medical conditions and not necessarily have symptoms, though.
Imo

 

[LAhiker]

Does their property include a septic system?

Based on a quick look at real estate postings, it looks like houses in that gated complex have access to the city's sewer system. JMO

 

[Midwestmom2019]

The purpose of the trips may not have been family related. Herbalife comes to mind. Maybe it just got to be too long of a drive at his age. Maybe other activities while driving became less interesting.
Flying a private plane comes to mind. He no longer has a valid license as I recall.

 

[Leney]

As far as I know we don't know about any health problems.
She seemed to be in good shape.
Women in their fifties and sixties can develop unexpected medical conditions and not necessarily have symptoms, though.
Imo

Sometimes symptoms may be non-specific and may come and go.

Tires easily.
Loss of appetite.
Weight loss.

Just a few of many.

 

[bronbaby]

Yes, of course, any person can find themselves in an abusive relationship. I think many women have had experience with men who are controlling and abusive. In fact the red flags are usually the hardest to see for the person that is being abused. I doubt anyone in Barbara's family would doubt her if she claimed she was in this type of relationship. In fact they were described as being very much in love with each other.

My point is it's impossible to know if Barbara was in an abusive relationship based on what little we know.

That she didn't have her own cell phone, spoke to her family on speaker phone, wore a bikini when hiking, and spent a lot of time with her husband is hardly evidence of abusive. Imo

yes, i agree xo

 

[MsBetsy]

Perhaps the annual Canada trip was postponed or canceled because BT was going to Hong Kong? MOO

Yeah, or maybe they just decided not to go that year, or were planning on going at a later time.
Financial concerns may have played a role, especially since they just got the RV and Barbara was already planning a big trip.
I wonder if RT will keep the RV if Barbara is not found. It can't be much fun camping alone. Imo

 

[10ofRods]

What is the significance of RT wearing a shirt or not?

Not much. But people who wear clothing in the desert are less likely to get heat stroke and may slow down dehydration just a tad (because sweat on cloth does a kind of evaporative cooling thing; white cotton is really good, synthetics tend not to work as well in that environment).

The differences at higher temperatures (in terms of survival) are small though.

And as to Amboy Crater, I read that the black rock in those narrow, reflective, maze-like mini-canyons radiate heat to the point that it gets to 160F. No one survive that very long. It was something like 120F or more in the parking lot the day the Schmierers stepped out of the car, IIRC (I think they got there mid to late afternoon - people often think it will cool off after noon, but in the desert it really starts to warm up exponentially at noon, compared to morning, the peak temperatures are usually around 4 pm).

The walk to the actually crater is about a mile, maybe 1.5 miles. Even half a mile in that kind of heat (160F along parts of the trail??!?) would result in rapid impairment. A person would normally turn back almost immediately. I suspect they realized their predicament too late and he went for help after she collapsed. My oven's lowest temperature is 120F and frankly, that's too hot for me to touch comfortably much less be inside, I'd retreat immediately. But tourists are often determined. I've gone for a quick walk in 118F in the shade (in Death Valley, just had to put my feet on the ground at Badwater - maybe 10 minutes total). I was aware that I had to go back to the car even though I was very excited (heart rate was up, all of that) and wanted to stay longer.

The family hired Drone-up to find Mrs Schmierer:

https://dronelife.com/2018/09/12/th...up-search-and-rescue-mission-at-amboy-crater/

 

[LietKynes]

No, we are not at all certain of that. If the truck and RV were parked at the side of the road near the Kelbaker/Hidden Hill intersection, and as poster sroad stated, a car went by every few minutes, then certainly, someone saw the truck w/fifth wheel RV, if not the hikers. That is why I was so insistent upon getting a picture of the vehicle on the poster. Now, whether or not the people who saw it remember seeing it, or even know that Barbara went missing that day is another question. MOO

Lavender bolding mine

Good post,and possibly some clues there ?^^^

Also-- did anyone see either of them outside the RV-- or did they just see RT alone ?
Now that's not necessarily what some might think --they could've seen RT after he returned to the RV-- expecting Barbara to already be back.
I wish someone would come forward.

And if there's friends of Barbara's, it'd be nice to hear what they have to say !

 

[LietKynes]

I must ask this of the VI.
BT is a extremely photogenic.
Were there any concerns that she was ill by any family ?
She does not look well in the later photos.

BBM
Agreed re. the bolded.

I'd posted the same earlier and then deleted as it didn't seem relevant.
Maybe it is ?
My .02 is that 130 lbs and 5'9" is dangerously thin for a healthy person of 69 years.

 

[10ofRods]

wait, I;m confused...

It's impossible for the (supposed) attempted abduction of Sheryl Powell to be the same perp as for Barbara. Realistically, it's 6 hours between the two places (and perhaps a speed demon with every single traffic stop and road empty - say in the middle of the night - could do it in slightly under 5). The crimes happened about 2-2.5 hours apart. Powell says she was evading that man all that day (and in one account says she escaped from him in late afternoon and then wandered in the dark).

Not possible to be the same man. It's true that the Bristlecone Pine NM guy had to have a vehicle (none was ever sighted) as there's no potable water up there - nearest water is 16 miles away. The little spring that Mrs Powell found did not have enough water to keep her alive longterm, which is why she tied the dog there and started looking for a way out (whereupon she met up with searchers, thankfully; the searchers having found the dog and, I believe, some tracks of Mrs Powell). I don't know if Mrs Powell was headed toward the road or not (she wasn't far from it).

 

[MassGuy]

prearranged abduction fits well imo. no stretching required at all.

Why go through the trouble of doing something like that?

It’s an unnecessary step to stage an abduction, especially in a location like that.

What would the goal be?

No witnesses to throw off. No evidence left behind to sell that story.

Pointless in every way.

 

[Yvettea]

An attempt to fake an abduction could be a means of protecting someone.

 

[bronbaby]

I believe we are all very aware of this possibility.
To not question this would be irresponsible of LE.
Having stated that, someone may believe in hindsight that there was abuse does not make it so.

exactly. my point was to keep an open-mind. all good.

 

[MassGuy]

An attempt to fake an abduction could be a means of protecting someone.

Yes. But the whole point of faking an abduction, is to actually make it look like a real abduction.

There were zero signs of that, as demonstrated by that days long search of the desert by law enforcement.

They thought she might be lost.

 

[Yvettea]

Yes. But the whole point of faking an abduction, is to actually make it look like a real abduction.

There were zero signs of that, as demonstrated by that days long search of the desert by law enforcement.

They thought she might be lost.

Very good point.

 

[MsBetsy]

An attempt to fake an abduction could be a means of protecting someone.

That may be true but in this case there is no evidence to suggest a fake abduction.
Usually in a situation like that the perp has left behind clues such as a staged crime scene or evidence pointing to another suspect.
If RT wanted LE to believe his wife had been abducted than why not leave her drinking cup or a boot along side the road? Imo

 

[Leney]

Yes. But the whole point of faking an abduction, is to actually make it look like a real abduction.

There were zero signs of that, as demonstrated by that days long search of the desert by law enforcement.

They thought she might be lost.

Perhaps there was ?

Everyone continues to think that an abduction could only happen with a passing vehicle.
Yet the Command Post was in a large turnout in which a number of vehicles could of been parked.
Perhaps someone was waiting and watching ?
It would not have to be a planned abduction but an opportunity that presented itself.

 

[Curiousobserver]

Perhaps there was ?

Everyone continues to think that an abduction could only happen with a passing vehicle.
Yet the Command Post was in a large turnout in which a number of vehicles could of been parked.
Perhaps someone was waiting and watching ?
It would not have to be a planned abduction but an opportunity that presented itself.

I think the point was that if you were going to stage an abduction you would leave evidence behind on purpose to substantiate the abduction by someone else.

To add to that thought, you might also give yourself an iron-clad alibi by being physically somewhere else.

Its seems neither of these happened.