CA CA - Virgil Owen Bussell, Jr., 52, Weitchpec, 25 Mar 2020

[mlhenn]

Search and rescue for missing Weitchpec man


•52 yrs old
•Native American male
•5 feet 8 inches tall, approximately 180 pounds •black hair, a beard and brown eyes
• last seen wearing a hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and work boots.

He was reported missing on March 25 at about 8 p.m. after his truck was discovered abandoned on Deerhorn Road earlier that evening. It is believed that Bussell Jr. was possibly cutting firewood prior to his disappearance, the HCSO said.


Anyone who has seen Bussell Jr. in the last few weeks or has information regarding his whereabouts should contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.

 

[mlhenn]

Deputies searching for missing Weitchpec man – Times-Standard

Deputies searched the surrounding area Wednesday night, continuing their investigation on Thursday. Today, March 27, the Sheriff’s Special Services Unit, the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Posse and the Hoopa Volunteer Fire Department are conducting an extensive ground search of the area. Teams are searching through thick vegetation and rugged terrain in an effort to locate Bussell Jr. or any evidence of his location.

 

[mlhenn]

Missing Hoopa Man’s Truck Found Abandoned With Keys and a Full Load of Wood – Redheaded Blackbelt

According to his daughter Alicia Audelo, “It had been roughly about three weeks since he’d been to my house so I kind of had a feeling that something wasn’t right because he always comes to my house.”

Virgil’s family found the vehicle “parked at an incline with a full load of wood in it, the windows were rolled down, his keys were in there, and the jacket that he always wears was in on the passenger side seat.”

“It was not like him to leave his truck open like that,” his daughter added. “I think it is way out of character for him to leave his truck like that for any amount of time.” Aduelo speculates her father “could have been out there cutting wood or possibly mushrooming.”

Bussell Jr.’s daughter Alicia Audelo said her father often goes by “Uppity” or “Buscat”. She also provided some of her father’s notable physical characteristics: “He has tribal tattoos on his arms and on his chest, he is graying on his face and on his head. On his right upper arm he has “BUSCAT” tattooed and a noticeable lump on his forehead.”

 

[BuySellTrade]

I suspect after cutting firewood, Bussell may have wandered into the forest looking for edible mushrooms. That area of Deerhorn Road is a popular mushroom gathering area and is on the Hupa Reservation. The general terrain is steep, heavily forested, and much is brushy. The road was the fire line for a forest fire that got fairly large and closed HW 96 for several days but mostly crept around on the ground last year. Morels are common on the interface of unburned duff (forest floor litter) and burned areas this time of year. I picked fresh morels yesterday in my yard from a one of last year's burn piles. Probably Bussell was cutting firewood from the burn. But it has been rainy and the woods are slippery when wet. He could have easily fell and hurt himself. Doubt if he is lost. Locals familiar with the woods don't get lost but may have to work harder to get home than anticipated.

I graduated Hoopa High years ago with his uncle and live between Weitchpec and Orleans (Orleans PO Box). Do not know the man. Hear that family and friends have been searching for Bussell. Pot farms, legal and illegal, are common locally but his truck was on Tribal land and there is no private property (Reservation and then National Forest) on Deerhorn Road except when first leave HW 96 so doubt if it was stumbling on a pot farm. That nothing was apparently stolen indicates t me that he has fallen or had a medical emergency.

 

[mlhenn]

I suspect after cutting firewood, Bussell may have wandered into the forest looking for edible mushrooms. That area of Deerhorn Road is a popular mushroom gathering area and is on the Hupa Reservation. The general terrain is steep, heavily forested, and much is brushy. The road was the fire line for a forest fire that got fairly large and closed HW 96 for several days but mostly crept around on the ground last year. Morels are common on the interface of unburned duff (forest floor litter) and burned areas this time of year. I picked fresh morels yesterday in my yard from a one of last year's burn piles. Probably Bussell was cutting firewood from the burn. But it has been rainy and the woods are slippery when wet. He could have easily fell and hurt himself. Doubt if he is lost. Locals familiar with the woods don't get lost but may have to work harder to get home than anticipated.

I graduated Hoopa High years ago with his uncle and live between Weitchpec and Orleans (Orleans PO Box). Do not know the man. Hear that family and friends have been searching for Bussell. Pot farms, legal and illegal, are common locally but his truck was on Tribal land and there is no private property (Reservation and then National Forest) on Deerhorn Road except when first leave HW 96 so doubt if it was stumbling on a pot farm. That nothing was apparently stolen indicates t me that he has fallen or had a medical emergency.

Thanks for sharing this info!

 

[BuySellTrade]

Thanks for sharing this info!

I may be totally wrong about combining mushroom hunting and firewood.

Why it immediately came to mind as I used to cut my own firewood and gather mushrooms and combined the two activities when figured one or another mushrooms might be out.

But more so I am old and health is not great and I pay a fellow to cut my firewood, mow, etc. now. When in season he will also pick mushrooms for his family's use but also to sell to the commercial mushroom buyers. When he has been successful in mushrooms, he gives me enough for my modest use. He has been cutting at times in that fire. He just brought me a load of madrone firewood today and talked about Bussell. He was also at my place Tuesday cleaning leaves and other debris off my roof and out of rain gutters, mowing, and starting to prep my vegetable and flower garden for the year.

 

[TatianaBarbie]

New article detailing the searches being done to find Virgil:

Search Ongoing for Missing Man – Redheaded Blackbelt

Deputies searched the surrounding area Wednesday night, continuing their investigation on Thursday. Today, March 27, the Sheriff’s Special Services Unit, the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Posse and the Hoopa Volunteer Fire Department are conducting an extensive ground search of the area. Teams are searching through thick vegetation and rugged terrain in an effort to locate Bussell Jr. or any evidence of his location.

 

[mlhenn]

Missing Hoopa Man’s Truck Found Abandoned With Keys and a Full Load of Wood – Redheaded Blackbelt

I linked this article in a previous post, but I just noticed the number of comments made regarding it. I believe they are worth noting. A person with initials AL seems to have a lot of info seeing she replies to the majority of que or comments made by others.

 

[mlhenn]

Photo of his vehicle which was found abandoned with his keys inside it.


Missing Hoopa Man’s Truck Found Abandoned With Keys and a Full Load of Wood – Redheaded Blackbelt

 

[Penny4YourThoughts]

Missing Hoopa Man’s Truck Found Abandoned With Keys and a Full Load of Wood – Redheaded Blackbelt

I linked this article in a previous post, but I just noticed the number of comments made regarding it. I believe they are worth noting. A person with initials AL seems to have a lot of info seeing she replies to the majority of que or comments made by others.

Thanks for linking again - valuable comments there

 

[Penny4YourThoughts]

Aduelo added a K9 unit was searching the area where the truck was abandoned for any scent of Bussell. She recounted how “the handler went to Virgi’s truck and got out an article of clothing to help aid in the search and when I came off the hill the dog wasn’t picking up his scent anywhere.” At that point, Aduelo characterized the search for her father as “kind of at a standstill.”Hoopa Man Missing Near Witchepec; Abandoned Truck Unsettles His Family | Facebook

 

[mlhenn]

Unable to find any updates...

 

[Luckyzmom]

Prayers for Virgil to be found safe and soon. The way that truck is sitting looks like maybe he had pulled over to let another vehicle pass on the road. Did LE or family determine if the truck had broken down ? It seems to me he would have stayed with the truck. Things disappear when left out in the woods. JMO

 

[BuySellTrade]

Weitchpec Man Still Missing: Family Received a Ransom Note and Tracker Found Possible Evidence Indicating Foul Play

Weitchpec Man Still Missing: Family Received a Ransom Note and Tracker Found Possible Evidence Indicating Foul Play – Redheaded Blackbelt

>>Since going public with her father’s disappearance, Alicia Audelo was contacted by an anonymous individual demanding a ransom for the return of her father. Via text message, the anonymous individual claimed to be a “fugitive, human trafficker, drug trafficker” who was holding Bussell. The individual demanded $7,000. If the demands were not met, the individual threatened, “I WILL [kill] HIM AND DROP HIS LIFELESS BODY OFF THE ROAD”. Audelo believes the author of the ransom texts “was some sick person that was trying to scam me to get [money] but the local sheriff’s office didn’t even read them and at least try to assure me that they could try and trace to find this person.”<<

 

[mlhenn]

Weitchpec Man Still Missing: Family Received a Ransom Note and Tracker Found Possible Evidence Indicating Foul Play – Redheaded Blackbelt

Wow, there’s quite a bit to take in when reading this article!

Alicia Audelo was contacted by an anonymous individual demanding a ransom for the return of her father.
Below is a screenshot of the texts:

According to Bussell’s daughter Alicia Audelo, after these initial search efforts, “We haven’t had any law enforcement help with searching since.”
She states nor did LE read the texts she received or try to trace their origin.

Therefore, the family has been collaborating with Humboldt County local Jesse Armstrong (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Activist) and Kevern Hodgin (Northern California tracker).

 

[mlhenn]

Jesse Armstrong (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Activist) and Kevern Hodgin (Northern California tracker) have gathered information that may lead to finding answers related to Bussell’s disappearance.

•Armstrong said that the community’s extreme reluctance to share information about Bussell’s disappearance was exemplified for him when he found a purposefully placed message of intimidation on Deerhorn Road–“a fake human skull in the middle of the road.”
•found and located a grove of fallen trees where he believes Bussell cut wood. He says the wood there is the same type of wood found in the bed of Bussell’s truck.
•conversations around the Weitchpec community suggest three to four suspects are involved with Bussell’s disappearance.
•he suspects these individuals may have grown aggressive when they found Bussell cutting wood off of Deerhorn Road.
•Hodgin saw signs of a physical struggle near the grove where Bussell was believed to have been and parallel drag marks from there indicating a body was dragged.
•he reports being able to track the drag marks to the home of a person the family considers a suspect.

Weitchpec Man Still Missing: Family Received a Ransom Note and Tracker Found Possible Evidence Indicating Foul Play – Redheaded Blackbelt

 

[Luckyzmom]

Oh not good, prayers for Virgil and family. Alicia you are doing an amazing job, with no LE support. Admire your strength and focus
I keep you all in my prayers. Hoping someone will come forward. Someone knows something MOO

 

[Knox]

This sounds pretty scary, might not have a good ending. Sounds like Virgil's family has a pretty good idea who's responsible for his disappearance.

 

[mlhenn]

An Extortionist Is Preying Upon the Families of Northern California’s Missing People – Redheaded Blackbelt

This is an interesting find...it’s pitiful & quite pathetic IMO.

Three families of missing people across Northern California have received text messages demanding a ransom in exchange for their missing loved ones. All of these text messages have been sent from the same phone number, request similar amounts of money, and share common themes in their threats.
The first person to receive the ransom text messages was Alicia Audelo, the daughter of missing Weitchpec man Virgil Bussell Jr. On April 4, she received text messages claiming “i have Virgil” demanding $7,000 for his release. Audelo requested verification of the claims asking to speak to her father. The extortionist responded, “IF YOU DONT F*%^ CALM DOWN, I WILL MAKE YOUR DAD PAY FOR YOUR STUPIDITY WITH HIS LIFE”.
The scammer says that they are sending a “code” claiming “I am doing this so the cops wont have my number traced through the call.”

The other two ransom threats were to two other families that have loved ones missing. These ransom threats weren’t sent Easter Sunday.

 

[TatianaBarbie]

An Extortionist Is Preying Upon the Families of Northern California’s Missing People – Redheaded Blackbelt

This is an interesting find...it’s pitiful & quite pathetic IMO.

Three families of missing people across Northern California have received text messages demanding a ransom in exchange for their missing loved ones. All of these text messages have been sent from the same phone number, request similar amounts of money, and share common themes in their threats.
The first person to receive the ransom text messages was Alicia Audelo, the daughter of missing Weitchpec man Virgil Bussell Jr. On April 4, she received text messages claiming “i have Virgil” demanding $7,000 for his release. Audelo requested verification of the claims asking to speak to her father. The extortionist responded, “IF YOU DONT F*%^ CALM DOWN, I WILL MAKE YOUR DAD PAY FOR YOUR STUPIDITY WITH HIS LIFE”.
The scammer says that they are sending a “code” claiming “I am doing this so the cops wont have my number traced through the call.”

The other two ransom threats were to two other families that have loved ones missing. These ransom threats weren’t sent Easter Sunday.

I certainly hope LE can locate and prosecute the person making these ransom requests. The families of these missing people are suffering already, and don't need this added trauma.