Found Deceased CA - Paul Miller, 51, Canadian missing in Joshua Tree National Park, San Bernardino Co., 13 Jul 2018

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Could he have seen a sheep while still in the parking lot and never made it to the trail because he went in the direction of the sheep??

This is something I would have done. Despite numerous visits to the Palm Springs area, I had never seen bighorn sheep. It became like an obsession. I drove and hiked to specific spots (at the recommendation of rangers and visitor center staff) to no avail.

(Ironically, I finally ended up seeing some in Canada when I wasn't even looking for them. I stumbled across a pair chilling in the shade on the front lawn of a house in a residential neighbourhood in Radium Hot Springs, BC. I nearly lost my mind!)
 
We finally learn more about Paul.

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“He is very family oriented,” Otten said in describing Miller. “It’s evident he loves his wife and children. It’s rare for us to see him without one or all of them.”

He has a great sense of humor, is generous, always ready to help others and has many lifelong friends, Otten said.

...

Miller is a sports enthusiast and devoted fan of the Montreal Canadiens hockey team. He plays different sports, as well, and has been a member of the same softball team for about 20 years. He has also been involved in youth sports for his kids.

Missing Without a Trace: Family, friends of Canadian hiker Paul Miller hold tight to hope he's alive in Joshua Tree


(The friend quoted in the article has been actively tweeting about some issue they've had with having the rental car company retrieve the car. I wonder if it's still parked at the trail head, as the key is lost with Paul.)
 
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I need a better understanding of why the wife left. Perhaps there is a compelling reason, but it does seem highly unusual. And o.k., even hinky.

Honestly, to me it doesn’t seem hinky. She may quite simply not have the financial resources for an extended stay in a foreign country; she can’t search or organize searches herself (weather & terrain); she may have her own job expecting her back, are just a few reasons.
 
Honestly, to me it doesn’t seem hinky. She may quite simply not have the financial resources for an extended stay in a foreign country; she can’t search or organize searches herself (weather & terrain); she may have her own job expecting her back, are just a few reasons.

Yes , I guess there has to be an important reason for her returning home so quickly after Paul's disappearance. They are described as the perfect couple , somehow that always makes me highly suspicious, but I guess I am just paranoid, lol. Her leaving so soon doesn't fit, IMO.
ETA like all of us here, just thinking out loud.
 
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Honestly, to me it doesn’t seem hinky. She may quite simply not have the financial resources for an extended stay in a foreign country; she can’t search or organize searches herself (weather & terrain); she may have her own job expecting her back, are just a few reasons.
Exactly! I’m sure they have a mortgage and other bills to pay. One would need to be wealthy to leave your job and stay in another country spending hundreds of dollars per day sitting in a hotel room hoping that searchers have time that day to be out there looking for him. Who pays the mortgage and bills while both of you are gone? Friends and family will help of course but not for long. One can’t expect people to float you financially when the odds are great that he’s not coming home alive. I hope she doesn’t come across this thread. I’m sure getting on that plane back to Canada was the hardest thing she ever had to do. My heart goes out to her.
 
Yes , I guess there has to be an important reason for her returning home so quickly after Paul's disappearance. They are described as the perfect couple , somehow that always makes me highly suspicious, but I guess I am just paranoid, lol. Her leaving so soon doesn't fit, IMO.
ETA like all of us here, just thinking out loud.

I knew a couple like that once. They were exactly as the Millers are described in the latest article. It was genuine and the real deal until he dropped the bomb he was cheating and then moved out. As heartbreaking as it is, it happens. Is that what happened in this case? He just literally walked out of his own life with nothing but the clothes on his back? Probably not, but it does happen.

I am now more inclined to believe he saw something that lead him off the trail and he had an unfortunate accident. I also don't find it odd that his wife came back to Guelph to be with their kids. I'd want to stay, myself, but I'd also want to be with my kids. I'd want to be where I was being the most helpful. Certainly not a situation I'd wish on anyone.
 
Exactly! I’m sure they have a mortgage and other bills to pay. One would need to be wealthy to leave your job and stay in another country spending hundreds of dollars per day sitting in a hotel room hoping that searchers have time that day to be out there looking for him. Who pays the mortgage and bills while both of you are gone? Friends and family will help of course but not for long. One can’t expect people to float you financially when the odds are great that he’s not coming home alive. I hope she doesn’t come across this thread. I’m sure getting on that plane back to Canada was the hardest thing she ever had to do. My heart goes out to her.

I really understand and respect your opinion.
O/T
I just think that my oviously weird mindset plays a role: if the man I love went missing, I would be a pain in the bum for both LE and NPS. I 'd sleep in front of their office buildings if I ran out of money. But this is just me and I am not known to be a rational and reasonable person.
 
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You and me both!!

Me too. I can see eventually coming home but I personally would not leave after just 6 days of trying to find him.

Reported missing on Friday the 13th and reported to have left on Wednesday the following week.

"Miller’s wife returned home to Guelph on Wednesday,"

Missing Without a Trace: Family, friends of Canadian hiker Paul Miller hold tight to hope he's alive in Joshua Tree

ETA
IMO Its really only 4 full days because a partial day on the 13th and on Wednesday there had to be travel planning or at least travel so not sure if I even count that Wednesday the 18th either.

Its just bizarre to me leaving so shortly because if his body was found in the 1st couple weeks then what? Turn right around and fly back of course. That is one main reason I would have stayed at least a little longer because he may be found any day closest to when he went missing. At some point yes would have to give up and go back. 6 days is way too soon to give up that he was going to be found and maybe even alive still.

People have been known to survive extreme situations and longer than 6 days. Especially if he managed to find a water source and maybe a cave for shade. I would have still been holding out hope he was alive.
JMO of course
 
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Honestly, to me it doesn’t seem hinky. She may quite simply not have the financial resources for an extended stay in a foreign country; she can’t search or organize searches herself (weather & terrain); she may have her own job expecting her back, are just a few reasons.

I agree. We are regularly told that most people are one or two pay cheques from financial disaster. Financial disaster would come much more quickly if there were additional hotel bills and basic living bills to pay in order to stay in the area for an indefinite period of time. If Paul is dead, it may still take months to find his body. Who is going to pay his wife's bills to stay in the area as well as ensuring her bills in Canada are covered?

By way of comparison, in the case of the disappearance of Corrie McKeague in the UK in 2016, his mother has been given a lot of help by local people - including free or heavily subsidised accommodation for her to stay in the area where he disappeared. I wonder if any owners of accommodation in the Twentynine Palms area would have been willing to do the same for Paul's wife?
 
I don't think anything about this is suspicious in the least. He went for a hike and likely was quite badly injured. He likely either fell down an incline or was trapped by a boulder. There is an extremely slim chance he could be alive if his injuries are not life threatening, he has a water source, and he is in the shade.

By day 6, his wife is dealing with the reality that her husband is likely gone, much better to deal with that devastation at home with your loved ones, and to support your kids who are also likely struggling with knowing they have likely lost their dad. She wasn't able to search, couldn't do much to help, and sitting at a hotel on her own in a foreign country, hoping searchers find him would be very hard emotionally. If he is found and by some miracle is alive, he will be whisked immediately to a hospital and she can be there in hours. Criticizing this woman for going home in this kind of situation is really unnecessary.
 
I don't think anything about this is suspicious in the least. He went for a hike and likely was quite badly injured. He likely either fell down an incline or was trapped by a boulder. There is an extremely slim chance he could be alive if his injuries are not life threatening, he has a water source, and he is in the shade.

By day 6, his wife is dealing with the reality that her husband is likely gone, much better to deal with that devastation at home with your loved ones, and to support your kids who are also likely struggling with knowing they have likely lost their dad. She wasn't able to search, couldn't do much to help, and sitting at a hotel on her own in a foreign country, hoping searchers find him would be very hard emotionally. If he is found and by some miracle is alive, he will be whisked immediately to a hospital and she can be there in hours. Criticizing this woman for going home in this kind of situation is really unnecessary.
I don't think anyone is actually criticising her TBH. Many of us wouldn't think of leaving in such a situation...so that's merely our opinion.

Regarding melmoths comment...I do not think people that are "two paychecks away from financial disaster" take trips to several states in other countries...or at least they shouldn't.

Not sure the reason she decided to leave but everyone has their reasons and priorities. Not anyone's opinion is better than another's IMHO and I also don't think anyone's opinion should be considered unnecessary...ever.
 
Regarding melmoths comment...I do not think people that are "two paychecks away from financial disaster" take trips to several states in other countries...or at least they shouldn't.

That hasn't stopped anyone before. Lots of people take trips on their credit cards.

If she thought her husband was deceased, it makes sense to go home to be with friends and family. Staying in Joshua Tree is just a reminder of the place that took your husband.

I still think there are some things that don't add up.
 
That hasn't stopped anyone before. Lots of people take trips on their credit cards.

If she thought her husband was deceased, it makes sense to go home to be with friends and family. Staying in Joshua Tree is just a reminder of the place that took your husband.

I still think there are some things that don't add up.
I would agree. I speculate there is something not being shared that would strongly suggest he would not be found alive. This is only *speculation*, but I strongly agree something is "off", or at least unknown to us. Did this man have any known illnesses? Anything terminal? This is just all speculation, not factually based.
 
Since we don't know 99% of the context of her life or of what she has been told or not told or what she knows or not knows, I don't know how anyone can say what they would or wouldn't do in her circumstance.

I get differing opinions, I just don't see the need to make it personal and to make negative assumptions about their marriage, their character, or their intentions without a shred of evidence to back it up. Those aren't really opinions, just judgments.

These are real people dealing with incredibly difficult circumstances. While they likely don't really care how random people on the internet judge them, I would hate for any family to stumble across threads where people with very little information have made it personal.
 
Since we don't know 99% of the context of her life or of what she has been told or not told or what she knows or not knows, I don't know how anyone can say what they would or wouldn't do in her circumstance.

I get differing opinions, I just don't see the need to make it personal and to make negative assumptions about their marriage, their character, or their intentions without a shred of evidence to back it up. Those aren't really opinions, just judgments.

These are real people dealing with incredibly difficult circumstances. While they likely don't really care how random people on the internet judge them, I would hate for any family to stumble across threads where people with very little information have made it personal.
You are obviously a very caring person, that really comes across.
We are not here to judge, but to consider any and all possibilities of why this man has disappeared, in the hopes of coming up with some little nugget that can help bring him home. It seems personal, it is not. The dissection is necessary to better estimate predictive behavior that hopefully leads to recovery.

Many people on these threads have lived through tragedy, and give back by attempting to help with research and ideas. The dissection and endless ideation does result, in many cases, to contributing to recoveries. Let’s hope this is one of them. Thank you for your caring; you will find lots of kindred souls on these threads.
 
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