Found Deceased CA - Erin Valenti, 33, from Utah, en-route from Palo Alto to San Jose, 7 Oct 2019

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To be as respectful and delicate as I can, Erin is not a CEO and her company has done very little authentic client work (her company is registered as an LLC, listed as a freelancer on job sites, and has a fake app as her spotlight case study - I can expand more later if it becomes relevant). The conference/meetup she was attending is a women's networking group that awards its own members. It is not an industry recognized thing like, say, the actual Women in IT awards that happened in San Francisco on Oct 9th. Is is possible she decided to go to that at the last minute? I think a truthful picture of Erin is important here because so far it looks like voluntary missing or possible suicide to me - she should definitely be listed as endangered with a bolo for the vehicle imo. I definitely don't suspect foul play - there is just nothing to point to that as LE has said. I am very surprised if LE is not searching for the vehicle or evidence of a wreck (I am confident they have/are). There is no way a rental car from a CA airport these days does not have GPS tracking. Unsure why family is being told that.
I am very sad for her husband and hope they can track her down alive.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinvalenti/

Based on the above linkedin profile Erin apparently worked for Summit Partners for 4 yrs (2007-2011) in Palo Alto so might still have contacts in the area. It appears she moved to SLC in 2011 and spent time in NYC in April-Dec 2013 before returning to SLC where she has remained.
 
I would like to know how police and the husband know she was last wearing torn jeans and a white t-shirt. Did he FaceTime her while she was driving to the airport? Does LE have her on CCTV?
She met with someone too in Palo Alto before making the journey to San Jose. I’m not sure if they have confirmed with that person though the husband or mom someone talked to her after she last saw that person. They are estimating she left around 3:30pm from Palo Alto.
 
Exactly. If she was driving from Palo Alto to San Jose Airport, she'd either be on 280 or 101; 101 would be the most direct and 280 would be more scenic with less traffic. You can't miss the airport exits, IMHO, they are clearly marked. And I can't imagine any place along these two major freeways where someone could have a car accident that went unnoticed for days. She was either lured to Almaden or abducted, IMHO, based on what little we know from MSM.
MOO
She was staying at the Nest in Palo Alto with 2pm check out. 280 is most likely.
 
To be as respectful and delicate as I can, Erin is not a CEO and her company has done very little authentic client work (her company is registered as an LLC, listed as a freelancer on job sites, and has a fake app as her spotlight case study - I can expand more later if it becomes relevant). The conference/meetup she was attending is a women's networking group that awards its own members. It is not an industry recognized thing like, say, the actual Women in IT awards that happened in San Francisco on Oct 9th. Is is possible she decided to go to that at the last minute? I think a truthful picture of Erin is important here because the media will latch on to whatever buzzword sounds great in headlines (without doing any research or fact checking as usual) and it obfuscates the realities enough to make her disappearance seem more ominous than may be.
So far it looks like voluntary missing or possible suicide to me - she should definitely be listed as endangered with a bolo for the vehicle imo. I definitely don't suspect foul play - there is just nothing to point to that as LE has said. I am very surprised if LE is not searching for the vehicle or evidence of a wreck (I am confident they have/are). There is no way a rental car from a CA airport these days does not have GPS tracking. Unsure why family is being told that.
I am very sad for her husband and hope they can track her down alive.
I have a different impression of the missing person than you do. After looking at her linkedin, she has a stellar academic record and appears to be well connected in the
start-up world, and was likely making the rounds to pitch her latest idea for funding. The "fake app" you refer to appears to be a prototype , that she no doubt uses to demonstrate the art of the possible. I have great admiration for the guts and grit of these entrepreneurs; many great companies have emerged from these type of startup ventures.

Her husband refers to her as being confused and manic sounding. She's not in an age group where most would have a first manic onset episode, so I tend to wonder if she has been quietly managing a medical condition unknown to her spouse, or has suffered a medical episode that is causing this level of disorientation.

Regardless of the above, let's hope this gal is found soon and gets back home safe and sound. Her family must be worried sick.

Amateur opinion and speculation
 
Erin was reported to be driving a 2020 Nissan Murano and her husband reports that she was low on gas heading back to the San Jose, CA airport. Per C&D the Murano would have 20mpg city/28 mpg highway.

Per the Help Find Erin Valenti FB Page, she was last tracked in San Jose, CA, near Almaden Expressway and Camden Ave off of 280 and last seen in Palo Alto, CA both on Monday night/afternoon.

Google Maps

Note water areas north of last known location.

Google Maps

2020 Nissan Murano Review, Pricing, and Specs

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The EPA estimates the Murano will earn 20 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. The addition of all-wheel drive also doesn't diminish either rating. In our real-world testing, the Murano fell short of its highway fuel-economy estimate—27 mpg—but still managed to post one of the best results of the rivals we sampled.
She was last seen in Palo Alto, she was going to SJC Airport(?), but ended up near Alamaden Expr. and Camden, which tells me she took Hwy 280 to 87, but made a right at 87 instead of a Left towards the airport. She would have ended up at least good 12 miles in the wrong direction. However, if you look at the attached map, you can see how she made this mistake. The question is, what happened at Almaden & Camden?
Google Maps

In doing quick research it appears this intersection is a bad one. Here's just one article:
Pedestrian Killed In San Jose Hit-And-Run Identified

Amateur opinion and speculation
 
She was last seen in Palo Alto, she was going to SJC Airport(?), but ended up near Alamaden Expr. and Camden, which tells me she took Hwy 280 to 87, but made a right at 87 instead of a Left towards the airport. She would have ended up at least good 12 miles in the wrong direction. However, if you look at the attached map, you can see how she made this mistake. The question is, what happened at Almaden & Camden?
Google Maps
BBM. That's where her phone went off at/after midnight. Where was she for the entire evening before that? She should have arrived to San Jose in the late afternoon if she were to catch her flight. Where did she go after the last ping? Some have suggested checking hiking routes. Nobody goes hiking at night. Her disappearance is likely connected to her state of mind or a medical condition. She needs to be found ASAP.
 
I just don’t understand how the police consider her voluntarily missing. Surely she would be thinking they would come looking for her because she didn’t return the rental car whether she was in trouble, or if she just left on purpose. That is a huge red flag!
 
I'm thinking that EV is a techie, driving a 2020 Nissan model that probably took care of her GPS needs.

Depending how much traveling EV did on Monday, probably had her phone paired/charged up without effort. Also believe if phone suddenly turned off, she was most likely responsible. (Not clear to me if this was a gradual shut down).

Also, besides a techie -EV appears to be a seasoned business traveler, so I'd expect her to be prepared, efficient with her electronic devices.

If departure scheduled for Monday, maybe she spent those last hours in town at happy hour with "friends" she was said to be visiting, and somebody spiked her beverage. Perhaps that would explain the state she presented in during last convo with husband.

Really anxious for the timeline... where is it!

MOO
This is what I have at this point and it is very rough but I'll work on it some more today. Input from any and all is appreciated. :) MOO

EV is the founder and CEO of Tinker Ventures. The company designs, develops and scales technology products for iOS, Android and the web, according to its website.

EV attended an Alpha Conference in Monterey last week, then was visiting friends and colleagues around SF (Stanford?) and Palo Alto over the weekend.

EV was set to fly home (SLC UT) from San Jose on Monday, October 7, but she missed her flight and did not return her rental car, described as a gray Nissan Murano with license plate No. 8LUD641.​

Mon Oct 7
Tue Oct 8
Wed Oct 9
Google Maps
  • 2500 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park CA
  • Almaden Expressway/Camden Avenue, San Jose CA
  • Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport
 
Last edited:
OCT 11, 2019
Utah tech CEO goes missing on way to San Jose airport
  • Her panicked family flew to San Jose to revisit her last known locations.
  • They passed out flyers in the area and filed a report with San Jose police, who is treating the case as a voluntary missing persons case.
  • "I get that people have the right to disappear, but that's not this," her husband HW says. "Everything she said she was planning on coming home. She was trying to get to the airport. She's not thinking clearly.
  • EV's husband & parents say they all spoke to her on Mon. - something wasn't right. She seemed manic, but has no history of mental illness.
  • "She seemed confused. We said, 'Did you drink anything? Did anybody give you anything?' and she said, 'No,'" her mother said.
  • There has been no phone contact or credit card use since Monday.
 
She met with someone too in Palo Alto before making the journey to San Jose. I’m not sure if they have confirmed with that person though the husband or mom someone talked to her after she last saw that person. They are estimating she left around 3:30pm from Palo Alto.
I wonder what that person has to say about her state of mind? Would love to hear from them.
 
She won the award.

OCT 11, 2019
https://ksltv.com/423349/i-dont-thi...nds-family-search-for-missing-utah-tech-ceo/?
[...]

“She’s one of those incredible people that’s an engineering mind and a CEO mind smashed into one,” said colleague ES. “I mean, people like her don’t come around very often.”

[...]

“She’s an incredible person and I don’t think she wants to be lost,” ES said.

[...]

ES has known Valenti for a couple of years and both were finalists heading into the 12th Annual Women Tech Awards held at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City on Wednesday.

[...]

“I was sure she was going to win,” ES said. “I texted her when we sat down. I said, ‘hey what table are you at? I bet you’re going to win the entrepreneurial excellence award.’”

No response. When it came time to announce the winner for the award, ES pressed record on her phone to capture the moment.

In the video, you can hear the presenter say, “the entrepreneurial excellence award to Erin Valenti”, followed by applause. But then, no one walked on stage and the room fell silent.

[...]

“She’s a genius. She’s such an incredible mind. We need to find her,” Smith said.

[...]

(Name changed to initials by me)
 
I haven't read every media link so I may have missed it, but did she actually tell her husband or family members that she was actually in San Jose, or are we all just assuming she was because her phone pinged there?
 
She was talking to her husband and was confused. What would cause her confusion? Medical issue- sinus infection, low blood sugar, did she take something and it made her drowsy like an allergy pill? Still, her car should have been found somewhere by now, with her in it, if there was any medical emergency.

I really get concerned when LE thinks someone is missing voluntarily- many times, by the time they take it serious, it's too late for the victim. Kelsey, MacKenzie- to name two women who's cases were deemed voluntarily missing in the beginning, in spite of family's pleas that they wouldn't normally not be in touch or show up for work or blow off their exams.

I want to believe she is hanging out with friends having a good ole time for herself, but um, if she is, she's going to have a hefty rental bill for her car, and not to mention, some places are strict and if you don't return the car back, they just might not let you rent from them again. This doesn't sound typical of her, at least from what I can see- being irresponsible. Now, if you said that she brought the rental back and was seen on video fine and dandy, I might entertain the idea that a friend could have been waiting outside for her to drive her where ever.

She's not using her bank accounts. So unless someone handed her a hefty wad of cash, she probably doesn't have much money on her, she hasn't purchased gas or food. I know friends are generous, but eventually you have to pay your own way somehow- you can't live off of your friends forever.

So far, it doesn't appear that she's gone to any hospitals or walk in's, right?

I hope they find her rental car soon. What is up with the rental agency not having a GPS tracker on it? In this day and age?
I don't know what LE's definition of "voluntarily missing" is, but IMHO no credit card or ATM activity and a dead cell phone is not the good kind of voluntarily missing.
 
Good morning, everyone.

I'm thinking that EV is a techie, driving a 2020 Nissan model that probably took care of her GPS needs.

Depending how much traveling EV did on Monday, probably had her phone paired/charged up without effort. Also believe if phone suddenly turned off, she was most likely responsible. (Not clear to me if this was a gradual shut down).

Also, besides a techie -EV appears to be a seasoned business traveler, so I'd expect her to be prepared, efficient with her electronic devices.

You can rent cars with a navigation system, but many times it is optional and reserved for higher (or the highest) trim. The alternative is either using your phone directly by turning it on and having it read out and show directions, or (if the car supports it) using Apple Carplay/Android Auto by plugging your phone into one of the USB jacks in the car, which effectively projects the screen from your phone into the car's LCD screen. I'm a techie and I prefer using my phone because it gives me up-to-date traffic information, I can plug addresses that I am driving to beforehand, etc.

Under this scenario, the phone could run out of juice if she was using the phone directly for navigation instead of having a car with a navigation system or using Carplay/Auto.

All that being said, I'm also a bit surprised she didn't just use Uber/Lyft. I work for a large tech company and many times this is what we do when traveling. It's easier than renting a car, you don't have to worry about finding parking, etc.

Also you'd be surprised how many people are not prepared with electronic devices, by not having a portable charger/power bank with them.
 
I agree with most of what you are saying, but her husband is a psychotherapist. I think he would be aware of an ongoing medical issue. I too hope she is found soon and I hope LE will offer more help. I don't think she is voluntarily missing.

A psychotherapist isn't a medical doctor. If she had a mental condition, he'd know, but not necessarily a medical condition, unless she told him or signed away HIPAA to allow her doctor to tell him.
 
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