Posted 1 hour ago/ Update from recent search by Paul's sister, Dawne.
Note: Once again the dog (Montana) picking up Paul's scent is confirmed, as well as mention of the witness (I assume Neil).
Find Paul Miller
BBM
"Today is Paul’s birthday. It’s been a week now since we returned from Joshua Tree after another search for answers. We still have no clues as to what happened to my little brother. The park looks quite different in springtime. It’s greener and although the wildflowers and cactus plants are almost done blooming, their beauty is still in evidence and their scent often fills the air. We continue to have a love-hate relationship with the park. It’s a spectacular place but there is melancholy associated with it knowing Paul was lost to us there. Springtime is a time of new beginnings and perhaps I hoped that we would find something this time to help us move on.
Several of Paul’s friends came down to search with us this time. It was interesting to watch their impressions of the trail unfold. I think they went through what we did in the fall.
When you see the terrain around the trail, the enormity of the task becomes clearer. Fortunately, we had the support of JOSAR (Search and Rescue) once again. I can’t say enough about these people. We found out that they can’t go in to search officially without a park directive and I think this has been somewhat frustrating for them. Many have been going in unofficially as individuals whenever they can. They don’t get paid to do this so we owe them a huge debt.
One of the team leaders has the same birthday as Paul and because of this has developed a passionate drive to find him. She has spent innumerable hours searching the area with her dog. Montana is the same dog who first caught a scent of Paul on the trail back in July and burned her paws so badly on the hot ground that she was out of commission for three months.
It seems that the report of a witness who saw someone fitting Paul’s description on the trail is what keeps the search within the boundaries of the park. We were unable to get more information on the witness since it is an ‘ongoing’ investigation. Unfortunately if you go missing in a national park, you have to rely on the park’s resources which are considerably less. This is frustrating for us.
So what was accomplished by going back?
Well, we searched a few more areas and have a few more ideas on where to search next once the weather gets cooler again in the fall. Upon looking at the GPX tracks of searchers, we noticed that there are some holes. Some of these areas however, require a trained technical team due to their steepness. We will be asking the park to put something of that nature together.
Our thinking is that Paul may have slipped at an overlook taking a picture or may have dropped his camera over the edge and tried to get it back. Something took him off the trail. This line of thinking developed after Dave dropped his walkie talkie by accident one day. Fortunately, he was able to find it again. Another theory put forward by a friend is that for some reason Paul got off trail and headed towards town. Maybe he fell and was injured or got disoriented due to dehydration. If he went overland instead of following the wash, he could get out of the park and end up somewhere between the park boundary and highway 62. JOSAR only has authority to search inside the park. Could he be there?
The media attention this time was awesome thanks to Ainsley who put so much time into getting the story back out there. She’s a force to be reckoned with! I lost track of how many reporters we talked to. Unfortunately, they usually caught me while I was in the middle of climbing a cliff or clamouring over rocks so I’m not too sure of what I said. The media campaign also brought out more searchers, some from quite far away and some with experience in search and rescue. Many had been looking on their own already. We are extremely grateful for what they have done and continue to do for a total stranger. The campaign also led to the Sheriff’s Dept. contacting me for a DNA sample to keep on file in case remains are found. I truly believe that media attention keeps Paul on the minds of the park administration.
To finish up, it was so helpful to have Paul’s friends with us this time. They looked at the area with fresh eyes and asked questions that we had not thought of. They delivered more posters, talked with pawn shops, and visited outdoor stores where hikers might shop.
They looked into getting Crime Stoppers involved in case of the foul play scenario. They were also there to support us. It’s a lonely and depressing task to finish each day no closer to finding out the truth but it’s so much easier when you have friends to help you through it. Thanks Ken, Laura and Sarah! Tonight we all head to a local bar that Paul and his team mates liked to frequent after playing sports. We’ll raise a toast to a wonderful man who brought so much love and laughter into the lives of those around him. We could all do with a bit of that right now.
Dawne
