Found Deceased CA - Lucas Horan, 39, Emeryville Marina, 24 Dec 2020

[Bopit]

Despite having grown up on a major lake where boating was a main event, I have no knowledge of boating or boating etiquette, so please help me understand. After you take your boat out for a cruise, don't you need to tie it back up and do "other things" once it's in the marina slip? It seems courteous if you are a guest on a boat to assist with that. It's possible Lucas said, "I'm training for this crazy race so I'm going to jump into this cold water with all of my clothes on and swim back to the dock. See ya later," but I feel like he would've helped his friend take care of the boat and wrap up for the night and then parted from there, even if he did swim back to shore. (snipped for length).

This is a great point. I'm also unsure of what work may need to be done, but it does seem odd to me to agree to go on a little boating excursion, only to jump off the boat and swim back. I don't go for a drive and tell someone "nah don't worry, I'll run back". But I'm also not an ultrarunner.

He was going to "see the christmas lights on the boats", any idea where that would be? I've seen photos of boats all lit up by the San fran bridge (seems to be a yearly thing), unsure if that's what they meant.
Maybe let's try to find the place the boat would have gone to and trace a sort of example path? I assume the boats would have been further away than the distance he swam but maybe I'm wrong.
In the case that they were driving back, why would the boat owner just stay back if he was on his way home anyway? Also, 100-200 yards is far to swim, but not very far to boat (a couple minutes at most? He would beat him to the Marina for sure).

Seems very odd to me that his phone and GPS watch were left behind. Leads me to believe he has planned to jump in the water and didn't want to lose his phone (as normally having a phone to call for help would be beneficial on the water). But then I have to ask why on earth he wore the clothes he wore, as that seems unplanned.

Maybe this is the minimalist in me, but he lives on a boat. He doesn't have much room for clothing. How many pairs of jeans would this guy have to just put a pair out of commission for the next couple days? Any guy I know has 1 pair of jeans, or maybe two but they seem to always have one they prefer immensely more.

I think the reason there isn't much MSM is that it seems too cut and dry via the police report of a missing man who went swimming. But then you read the story and you're left incredulous. MOO

 

[Curious_in_NC]

There are many weird things about this story but this YouTube video has to be top five of things I’ve found and among the more suspicious. LH rarely uses his channel, never seems to have had another person featured, then he/ someone puts this up Dec 22 - two days before he disappears - either as random act or attempt to create suspicion or an impression on behalf of a potential suspect.

Hair is shorter than what it’s reported to be presently, raising question as to when filmed.

Sorry for reposting, but thought worth a look and some context.

Odd.

I actually think this is one of the least weird things about the story. But then again, I'm a trail runner too, albeit one of far shorter distances and slower paces. FWIW I've never taken a selfie running video, especially when running down a hill like that.

To elaborate further, it maybe looks like KKF is the other runner glimpsed near the end in the video. Also, the "course record" (CR) apparently refers to the time set by KKF on Strava (fastest overall women's time). This wasn't LH's fastest time on that course. So I think this video was celebrating her CR.

Something else this tells me is that he/she likely had the "Strava live" and/or beacon feature enabled on at least one of their Fenix watches, probably both, since they knew it was a CR in real time. Besides real time info, this can also be used as a very handy safety feature for alerting friends where you are when you're running alone. Unfortunately it seems LH did not have his watch with him when he went missing.

 

[SierraAlphaCharlie]

Tide Predictions - NOAA Tides & Currents

Like I said earlier, I don’t know much about high/low tides, but was it considered “Low Tide” yet?
According to the chart:
Low Tide wasn’t until 1:35am

IF I’m reading it correctly.

It would be very close to it, 1 to 2 hours from the lowest tide.

IMO, after a night of sleep and some light digging into how the tide flows in that area, it's incredibly unsettling how every bit of information on where he was swimming, what he was wearing, where he emerged...how far he swam...all hinges on the neighbor.

 

[cvaldez1975]

Right? All i could think of when reading he had swam in Emeryville waters was 'brrrr"

imo

yesssss i know ppl in colder areas laugh at us but i've been frigid and it usually isn't this cold until january and it started in november.

 

[cvaldez1975]

@FrostykinHopkins You mentioned you were from the area? I have no idea about tides and such, would you have any thoughts on this one?

I will say that San Francisco bay is notorious for not being able to find the bodies of the SF bridge jumpers, but I wonder if closer to the Marina like that might be different. Also, as it was Christmas, would other boats have been on the water at night, or is that not common?

its on the other side of the bay. it can get lost to sea but it has farther to float out that way.

 

[cvaldez1975]

could explain why the neighbor saw him exit the water but why he wasn’t seen on video camera elsewhere and why his wet clothes were never found.
Also thought about Laci Peterson, only in that she was dumped at a San Fran marina on Christmas Eve-she wasn’t found until mid April so if he is in the water then it could be a few months.

i believe she was dumped in berkeley marina. that is where scott was "fishing" that day.

 

[1&2&3]

New to following this case. However, after reading all posts and links, the story sounds like a made up story! There are too many pieces of doing so many things before they set out for an evening boat ride.

What kept her from being the person who pushed him over the boat into the water? Maybe he chose to go for a quick dip and she sped off with the boat? They might have been further out in the lake than she has reported and for some reason he wasn’t able to swim in? Too many possibilities?

 

[whulfc86]

New to following this case. However, after reading all posts and links, the story sounds like a made up story! There are too many pieces of doing so many things before they set out for an evening boat ride.

What kept her from being the person who pushed him over the boat into the water? Maybe he chose to go for a quick dip and she sped off with the boat? They might have been further out in the lake than she has reported and for some reason he wasn’t able to swim in? Too many possibilities?

According to reports she wasn't on the boat with him, his neighbor was.

 

[Bopit]

It would be very close to it, 1 to 2 hours from the lowest tide.

IMO, after a night of sleep and some light digging into how the tide flows in that area, it's incredibly unsettling how every bit of information on where he was swimming, what he was wearing, where he emerged...how far he swam...all hinges on the neighbor.

Agree. I also don't like how everyone seemed to be alone (no confirmation from third parties on the whereabouts). Costco parking lot alone, went back home alone, went to buy a meteor alone(with "expert" I suppose), prepared for Christmas alone. (Not how I'd spend Christmas Eve with my still-new Fiance, but I digress). Went on boat with neighbour (who has yet to confirm, correct me if I'm wrong)

Also want to draw attention to the fact that Emeryville to Sacramento is 1:15 hours away by car. They met at his boat at 12:30, fought on the way, went to go get food, fought again, kicked him out and drove onward to Sacramento. Most of this story takes place within the 10-minute drive from LHs' boat.

Let's track from 12:30, as the story goes (give or take half an hour for the start time):

• 12:30PM: meet and leave Emeryville Marina
• +15 (overestimate of the 9 mile drive) to Costco (this is where they started fighting enough for her to pull over.
• ? Fight (How long? Who knows)
• Make up, she picks him up from wherever he walked away.
• +10 minutes to drive to Solano Avenue
• +1 hour to "get food" (I suspect she means takeout for the road based on writing but let's say they stopped and had lunch)
• + 10 minutes before she pulls over and tells him to go home?
• +1.5 hours to drive to Sacramento (again, generous).
• 5pm was when she expected to get there. (Is anything even open at 5pm on Christmas Day?)

Working backwards (yay math)
5pm(arrive?)-1.5=
3:30(leave LH)-10=
3:20(done lunch)-10=
2:20(lunchtime) -10=
2:10(leave costco)

They fought for 1.5 hours in that parking lot at MINIMUM. If they were picking up food it could add nearly a whole extra hour). And then she wants to propose? Curious to know where and when those rings were purchased.

LH would have been home within two hours (walking, but I'd imagine he'd run, or she probably would have dropped him off) so he'd be home by the time she got to Sacramento. What did LH do after he got home to when he went out on the boat? How was she texting him on the drive home, it's a highway.

Frankly, as he's accounted for and his phone isn't, I don't trust any text messages that came from it.
MOO

 

[cujenn81]

Agree. I also don't like how everyone seemed to be alone (no confirmation from third parties on the whereabouts). Costco parking lot alone, went back home alone, went to buy a meteor alone(with "expert" I suppose), prepared for Christmas alone. (Not how I'd spend Christmas with my still-new Fiance, but I digress). Went on boat with neighbour (who has yet to confirm, correct me if I'm wrong)

Also want to draw attention to the fact that Emeryville to Sacramento is 1:15 hours away by car. They met at his boat at 12:30, fought on the way, went to go get food, fought again, kicked him out and drove onward to Sacramento. Most of this story takes place within the 10-minute drive from Lucas' boat.

Let's track from 12:30, as the story goes (give or take half an hour for the start time):

• 12:30PM: meet and leave Emeryville Marina
• +15 (overestimate of the 9 mile drive) to Costco (this is where they started fighting enough for her to pull over.
• ? Fight (How long? Who knows)
• Make up, she picks him up from wherever he walked away.
• +10 minutes to drive to Solano Avenue
• +1 hour to "get food" (I suspect she means takeout for the road based on writing but let's say they stopped and had lunch)
• + 10 minutes before she pulls over and tells him to go home?
• +1.5 hours to drive to Sacramento (again, generous).
• 5pm was when she expected to get there. (Is anything even open at 5pm on Christmas Day?)

Working backwards (yay math)
5pm(arrive?)-1.5=
3:30(leave Lucas)-10=
3:20(done lunch)-10=
2:20(lunchtime) -10=
2:10(leave costco)

They fought for 1.5 hours in that parking lot at MINIMUM. If they were picking up food it could add nearly a whole extra hour). And then she wants to propose? Curious to know where and when those rings were purchased.

Lucas would have been home within two hours (walking, but I'd imagine he'd run, or she probably would have dropped him off) so he'd be home by the time she got to Sacramento. What did Lucas do after he got home to when he went out on the boat? How was she texting him on the drive home, it's a highway.

Frankly, as he's accounted for and his phone isn't, I don't trust any text messages that came from it.
MOO

Exactly!! You just nailed it.

PS. The Find Lucas website definitely says BUILD a meteor and she talks about an appointment with an expert. Would you need an appointment to buy a meteor replica or whatever she was actually referring to?

 

[SuziQ]

So swimming in water with a temp. of 54F or lower can result in arrhythmia or hypothermia. Even him getting out of the water could still put him in danger. So his behavior after that could have been erratic.

I would say him just suddenly jumping in the water to go for a swim (without a cold water wetsuit!) sounds highly frantic to me.

And where would he have gotten dry clothing from? It just doesn't make sense.

 

[Mitch1]

So did this Sacramento trip happen on the 23rd or the 24th? Also, why would you need to build a meteor/meteorite when it’s already one-it’s like saying I’m going to build a diamond from a diamond-huh??

 

[Bopit]

Exactly!! You just nailed it.

PS. The Find Lucas website definitely says BUILD a meteor and she talks about an appointment with an expert. Would you need an appointment to buy a meteor replica or whatever she was actually referring to?

Yeah, I saw "buy" somewhere else (first edition of the website maybe?) but "Build" is now what it says. I can't find any place you could BUILD specifically (children's museum activity perhaps? Really reaching here). There are however a few rock shops in the surrounding area of Sacramento (geodes and stuff but I imagine they would have space rocks too)

Meteors are also pretty expensive (if they're bigger than a couple of grams, noting that meteors are significantly heavier than earth rocks, so even 2 grams would be small in comparison to rocks).
I can see him getting her one as a gift for Christmas. But instead, she went alone so I presume he didn't buy her one, and she would have bought her own? Otherwise why make the trip.

I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure they come from space and you can't build meteors or rocks. LH, being a scientist, probably knew that too. MOO

 

[Bopit]

Gear Review: Garmin Fenix 6.
"The Garmin Fenix 6 isn’t just for runners, though. The timepiece can also track:

• Gym workouts, like strength training or rowing machines
• Golf courses, including 41,000 pre-loaded courses around the world
• Outdoor recreation, like hiking, climbing, mountain biking and skiing
• Cycling, including road, indoor, mountain biking and triathlon
• Swimming, both pool swimming and open water

To be suitable for swimming, Garmin made the Fenix 6 fully waterproof. It has a 10 ATM water rating, which means it can withstand water pressures equivalent to being 100 meters underwater. The rating makes the watch ideal for just about every water sport you can think of—swimming, diving, snorkeling—although it’s not meant for scuba diving or free driving."

Interesting that he took it off. I will say it's incredibly expensive, though. Maybe he didn't want to lose it? MOO

 

[mlhenn]

So did this Sacramento trip happen on the 23rd or the 24th? Also, why would you need to build a meteor/meteorite when it’s already one-it’s like saying I’m going to build a diamond from a diamond-huh??

It was planned for the afternoon of Dec 24th.
Then it was rescheduled for 5pm the same day (24th).
It’s stated, she went alone.

 

[LcNY09]

I live in the Bay Area & have been following this closely. Sad story, and lots of strange parts. My hunch is he never made it out of the water (relying on the neighbor’s story that he did in fact jump in the water). The neighbor has not come forward publicly yet (likely because he knows how it looks). I think the neighbor could have seen someone on the rocks that night (based on the marina lights & moonlight that night), but it could have been someone else. When KKF told the neighbor LH never showed up at her house on Christmas Day, sounds like the neighbor called the police immediately (maybe a moment of “omg I didn’t 100% confirm that was him on the rocks, maybe he never made it out of the water?”). I think the homeless encampment & adventure run is wishful thinking because it means he could still be alive. I think the back story on the fight, Xmas gift, etc (as strange as it is) is more of a distraction. But I do think it could set the stage for how LH was feeling that night or his mindset (maybe upset, decided to drink a bit). The weather is turning & it’s raining now (not a good situation for surviving on or searching trails). KKF is still scheduling trail searches. I don’t think he would have voluntarily took off this long & put his family through this.

 

[ThisIsWeird]

I live in the Bay Area & have been following this closely. Sad story, and lots of strange parts. My hunch is he never made it out of the water (relying on the neighbor’s story that he did in fact jump in the water). The neighbor has not come forward publicly yet (likely because he knows how it looks). I think the neighbor could have seen someone on the rocks that night (based on the marina lights & moonlight that night), but it could have been someone else. When KKF told the neighbor LH never showed up at her house on Christmas Day, sounds like the neighbor called the police immediately (maybe a moment of “omg I didn’t 100% confirm that was him on the rocks, maybe he never made it out of the water?”). I think the homeless encampment & adventure run is wishful thinking because it means he could still be alive. I think the back story on the fight, Xmas gift, etc (as strange as it is) is more of a distraction. But I do think it could set the stage for how LH was feeling that night or his mindset (maybe upset, decided to drink a bit). The weather is turning & it’s raining now (not a good situation for surviving on or searching trails). KKF is still scheduling trail searches. I don’t think he would have voluntarily took off this long & put his family through this.

when you say you have been following closely do you mean online etc or locally... and do you know that neighbors have been spoken too, etc. or is that a supposition like those like me are making from afar?

(for the avoidance of solution - this is not meant to be rude... just wondering if you have more info than the rest of us have)

 

[mlhenn]

Make up, she picks him up from wherever he walked away.

what we know — FINDING LUCAS

It states:
After some heated discussions, we both went for walks to cool down - I headed to the dog park nearby and Lucas walked towards the bulb. Through some texting, we decided to give the day another go, I called the meteor guy to push the appointment back to 5pm, and eventually I made my way to the car and then to pick Lucas up.

I apologize in advance if this is a stupid question.
What is the bulb?

 

[charminglane]

Albany "Bulb" | City of Albany, CA

 

[ThisIsWeird]

what we know — FINDING LUCAS

It states:
After some heated discussions, we both went for walks to cool down - I headed to the dog park nearby and Lucas walked towards the bulb. Through some texting, we decided to give the day another go, I called the meteor guy to push the appointment back to 5pm, and eventually I made my way to the car and then to pick Lucas up.

I apologize in advance if this is a stupid question.
What is the bulb?

here is a pic of the Costco location. You can see the dog park listed in one area and the Albany Bulb further south