CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, Bullhead City, hiking wearing bikini in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019

[ClaireNC]

LE very much look for vultures circling when conducting a search. In Hania Aguilar’s case they asked people in the area to report any scavenger activity. The same with the FBI and SAR here after the Hurricanes, when they were in recovery mode. However, here is North Carolina and we have a very different climate.

In the desert, vultures and other scavengers can clean and disperse bones very quickly. This RadioLab podcast on Border crossings has some interesting information on it: Radiolab | Radiolab Presents: Border Trilogy | WNYC Studios

 

[wary]

Thinking through the logistics of being abducted....if someone randomly drove by and decided to grab BT, the driver would have to likely chase her on foot for at least a bit. She wouldn't just stand there once she realized what was happening, but would see it coming. It takes some time for the abductor to get out of the car, giving her time to maneuver herself away. And once he caught her, there would likely be a scuffle. You'd think there would be some evidence of that - disturbed dirt, dropped beer container, etc, not to mention the noise of a car door, her scream, etc.

jmo

Some people, if they see someone approaching them with friendly apologetic body language of ‘can you help me,’ are going to wait to see what’s going on, rather than turning and running. That would give a would-be abductor time to get close.

I doubt that she was abducted, though.

 

[kkdj]

Some people, if they see someone approaching them with friendly apologetic body language of ‘can you help me,’ are going to wait to see what’s going on, rather than turning and running. That would give a would-be abductor time to get close.

I doubt that she was abducted, though.

Yeah. This deceptive polygraph has me uncomfortable.

 

[Inthedetails]

Some people, if they see someone approaching them with friendly apologetic body language of ‘can you help me,’ are going to wait to see what’s going on, rather than turning and running. That would give a would-be abductor time to get close.

I doubt that she was abducted, though.

That is true - the driver could pretend to be friendly to get close, duh!

I still don't think that happened, though.

jmo

 

[ZhaZhaHa]

BBM
He hasn't been cleared. In fact, his polygraph results were deceptive, per his own statement.

I didn't think they had formally stated that he was either. That was my hypothetical scenario...lol

 

[PaulR]

Thinking through the logistics of being abducted....if someone randomly drove by and decided to grab BT, the driver would have to likely chase her on foot for at least a bit. She wouldn't just stand there once she realized what was happening, but would see it coming. It takes some time for the abductor to get out of the car, giving her time to maneuver herself away. And once he caught her, there would likely be a scuffle. You'd think there would be some evidence of that - disturbed dirt, dropped beer container, etc, not to mention the noise of a car door, her scream, etc.

jmo

That sounds like what happened to Mollie Tibbetts.

 

[ZhaZhaHa]

Hmm. So now I'm thinking more. If she did have a 360 photo with a parking lot included, then they made another stop because it seems they were quite alone in the area she went missing. And if she did a 360 photo, then she wasn't at all tech un-savvy and therefore might take a phone with her on a hike to take more photos. So the fact that her phone was with the RV might also be a problem.

IMO IMO MOO MOO.

 

[Steelslady]

BBM:

This update gives lie to the old saying, "No News is Good News."

In this instance, "No News is Bad News."

• SBCSO continuing to remain tight-lipped.
• No evidence that BT was abducted.
• Not a single trace of BT having been found .
• LE is "unaware" of how long RT and BT were separated before she disappeared.
• LE "doesn't know" how far BT was from the RV at the time they became separated.

One logical explanation for the first 3 bullet points would be that BT was never at that location.

Unless RT has significant memory issues, there is NO logical explanation for the last 2 bolded bullet points.

Those are totally inexplicable.
Totally.

JMO.

If I am a betting woman- I'm thinking that LE doesn't believe that Barbara was ever there. I wonder if they brought in a foot print expert to check hers along the road. We have an expert on here that does that.

LE stating that they don't know how long they were separated for and how far BT was from the RV when they became separated is all telling to me. She wasn't there that day.

 

[ClaireNC]

Hmm. So now I'm thinking more. If she did have a 360 photo with a parking lot included, then they made another stop because it seems they were quite alone in the area she went missing. And if she did a 360 photo, then she wasn't at all tech un-savvy and therefore might take a phone with her on a hike to take more photos. So the fact that her phone was with the RV might also be a problem.

IMO IMO MOO MOO.

Do we know her phone was in the RV? It could have been in the backpack that her husband was carrying. Plus, they had a camera, so she might have used the camera to take the photo.

 

[Inthedetails]

If I am a betting woman- I'm thinking that LE doesn't believe that Barbara was ever there. I wonder if they brought in a foot print expert to check hers along the road. We have an expert on here that does that.

LE stating that they don't know how long they were separated for and how far BT was from the RV when they became separated is all telling to me. She wasn't there that day.

Honestly, never being there at all is the explanation that makes the most sense.

I'd really like to know if the photo of her in the black bra/bikini top was taken that day.

jmo

 

[Snoopster]

Some people, if they see someone approaching them with friendly apologetic body language of ‘can you help me,’ are going to wait to see what’s going on, rather than turning and running. That would give a would-be abductor time to get close.

I doubt that she was abducted, though.

The recent Suzanne Eaton case shows one way it could happen. If someone was driving along and sees this woman walking toward the road through the scrub but she is not there yet, they could drive a bit further, turn around, and then ram her with their car to incapacitate her.

Having said that, I don't think BT was abducted either, but stranger things have happened!

 

[Snoopster]

Do we know her phone was in the RV? It could have been in the backpack that her husband was carrying. Plus, they had a camera, so she might have used the camera to take the photo.

Do we know they had a camera?

 

[ZhaZhaHa]

Do we know her phone was in the RV? It could have been in the backpack that her husband was carrying. Plus, they had a camera, so she might have used the camera to take the photo.

Oh man I thought I read it somewhere, maybe it was from the poster here who is her nephew? Let me see if I can find out where I saw it. Hopefully it was in a media link!

 

[PommyMommy]

SBCSD Colorado River Station on Twitter
The search for Barbara Thomas, age 69, is continuing in the area of Kelbaker/ Hidden Hills near the I-40 https://local.nixle.com/alert/7417152/

1:38 PM - 19 Jul 2019

July 18th - The search for Barbara Thomas, age 69, is continuing in the area of Kelbaker/ Hidden ... from SBSD - Colorado River Sheriffs Department : Nixle
UPDATE #7
Friday, July 19th, the search continues this morning for Barbara Thomas. Search and Rescue members are utilizing off road vehicles, K9 units and hikers. The search resumed just after sunrise this morning. The search will include aerial support throughout the day.

There has been no evidence of Barbara Thomas located on previous days. Temperatures are expected to reach over 100 degrees.

@oviedo

 

[Tssiemer]

Is there a chance she is still alive at this point?

 

[ZhaZhaHa]

Do we know they had a camera?

Well, he says he stopped to take a photo and then she vanished around the corner (of what I still want to know?). So either a phone or a camera.

 

[ZhaZhaHa]

Is there a chance she is still alive at this point?

Crazier things have happened! The woman in Hawaii had been missing for two weeks, right? But there is not a lot of shade out there and not much in the way of water or food. Maybe cactus?

 

[Tssiemer]

Well, he says he stopped to take a photo and then she vanished around the corner (of what I still want to know?). So either a phone or a camera.

The corner of what in a flat desert???

 

[Daisyeve]

They went for a 2 mile walk (i.e. 1 mile there and 1 mile back). RT said they were 'almost back' which meant that they were likely at least 2/3 of the way back, or only 1/3 of a mile away. BT went ahead, and after taking his photo he turned around and saw her ahead when she went around a curve. That means that BT was likely well closer to the RV than 1/4 mile.

ETA: this is based on what RT said.

I have stupid question because I am from East coast and I am trying to imagine what a curve in the desert is like. Is the curve that sharp that you would completely lose sight of a person?

 

[ZhaZhaHa]

I just. don't. like this interview. I saw the first one with him outside and when he starts saying he just wants her back, he starts breaking down into a tissue. Same thing he did with the interview that happened outside. Same exact spot in the interview is when he got choked up and had to stop. There are too many extra details provided and I can't.

Husband of Woman Who Vanished During Mojave Desert Hike: 'I Just Want Her Back'