WV WV - Cassie Shelton Sheetz, 23, hiker, Spruce Knob, Monongahela National Forest, 11 Mar 2021

[spiritseeker31]

I forgot that LE said Huckleberry Trail. This is where it is in relation to the parking lot.

Huckleberry Trail
Google Maps

 

[Elboogie]

View attachment 289283
I forgot that LE said Huckleberry Trail. This is where it is in relation to the parking lot.

Huckleberry Trail
Google Maps

I was just about to comment that it was huckleberry trail. Lol. Either way, I don't really see how, and I've hiked this trail, you would trip and get up and not be able to find the person who was just in front of you. I understand the issue with the guy who heard the noise and went off trail and got lost. Sooo easy. But if you aren't directionally challenged you will generally end up in either a parking lot, another trail, or the paved road that leads up to the top. In high-school my 4H group hiked from the lake to the top with a map and compass. We hit the road twice. I don't mean to downplay anything because it is serious backcountry. But I don't see how you could get that far into the back country with the dense underbrush. It would be a literal fight. If she was up on Spruce they did something to scare her into running. Either she fell off of something or into a hole so to speak and they couldn't find her to get her car keys. But I honestly doubt she was ever up there. They drove up there for a story.

 

[Knox]

WHSVnews[URL='https://twitter.com/WHSVnews']@WHSVnews[/URL]
It has now been one week since Cassie Sheetz went missing near Spruce Knob in Pendleton County, and West Virginia State Police said they are still continuing to follow leads.

One week later, W.Va. State Police still searching for missing hiker
After a week, West Virginia State Police are still looking for 24-year-old Cassie Sheetz.

 

[Knox]

Police told WHSV on Thursday about a lead they had heard of earlier in the week that Sheetz had been seen at a nearby Walmart. State Police have ruled it out because the tattoos on the woman identified did not match Sheetz.

Troopers say law enforcement is continuing to check the forest area near Spruce Knob where Sheetz was known to be seen last on Thursday.
One week later, W.Va. State Police still searching for missing hiker

 

[spiritseeker31]

But I honestly doubt she was ever up there. They drove up there for a story.

It seems like LE believe that it's a story as well by looking where she was last seen. But it also says they're still checking Spruce Knob. Who knows...just hope they find her, I'm sure it's been one heck of a long week for her family.

One week later, W.Va. State Police still searching for missing hiker

 

[Detective Willy]

I think the headline will change from "Woman remains missing" to "Woman's remains found". This story is very suspicious and I think the 2 men she was with have a lot to answer for but are probably not talking.

 

[dimples37398]

This part of that statement from police stands out to me as well.

The whereabouts of Cassie Sheetz, 24, are still unknown after she supposedly went hiking with two male friends

 

[shotgun09]

I already have problems with the reporting in the short articles posted. Lack of information is noted, and clarification is needed. But, in the first linked post on this thread,

W.Va. State Police searching for missing hiker at Spruce Knob

is this statement:

"Police told WHSV on Friday they received a report for three hikers who were missing while hiking in the Monongahela National Forest. They said two of the hikers were found, one male by a vehicle and another male coming out of the forest."

My question is who reported three missing hikers?

 

[jenpil]

But I honestly doubt she was ever up there. They drove up there for a story.

....or drove up there for an alibi.

Have LE gone so far as to check phone pings? Is there a mast or antenna up there? Either way, the mens phone and Cassie's phone should all have pinged somewhere that day/night.

 

[Knox]

Interesting comments at link - The Pendleton Times

 

[jenpil]

They were all split up in the woods just before dark on Thursday (18.00hrs approx).
A passing vehicle finally went past where their car was parked at 11.00hrs Friday and the 2 men flagged it down for help.

But before that, they had both waited at their car for 3 hours together for Cassie. (So, since 08.00hrs)

But one of the men, who came out of the woods first (and smashed the back window in to get inside the car) had been at the car for 2 hours before the other man (so 06.00hrs).

So, from that timeline they had all split up and been wandering around the woods, lost and or looking for Cassie for 12 hours!! (18.00hrs Thursday to 06.00hrs Friday). Then waiting at the car for some more hours! (5 hours for one man, 3 hours for the other.)

Wow, 12 hours in the woods in the dark?! Were they searching for her that whole time? They'd been hiking all day too. What about sleep? Tiredness? Enough battery power in the flashlights? Did they shout or call out to Cassie? Did Cassie shout out to them?

Then finally stopped a passing car at 11.00hrs Friday. and when you add in that they started this hike in the daytime on Thursday....it's getting on for a whole 24 hour job!! That's a long time to be up there.

Those 2 men need to be hauled in by LE and interrogated!

Plus, local search teams have had sniffer dogs there who couldn't find Cassies's scent, which makes me question if she was even up there at all.

MOO.

 

[MimosaMornings]

What about cell signal up there?

 

[Elboogie]

What about cell signal up there?

No cell signal, gosh, for like about 15 to maybe even 30 min in almost all directions you leave from the mountain

 

[jenpil]

No cell signal, gosh, for like about 15 to maybe even 30 min in almost all directions you leave from the mountain

But there must have been a last ping from their phones to an antenna somewhere......whwre was this last ping from? Be interesting to find out where Cassie's last ping was, and if it corresponds with the 2 men.

LE needs to get access to the data of these 2 men's phones, through whichever phone company they subscribe to.

 

[tiffkinsadder]

I never considered the fact that she may not have even been there to start with. Uggggh!!!

 

[zecats]

They were hiking at midnight?

I was wondering about that as well. Were they planning to be out that long and packing things in to stay the night? Or maybe hiked too long and became lost trying to get back?

DH and I ended up hiking in the dark once, due to overestimation of the trail length (loop). Only thing I had to see the trail was my cell phone, before there was a flashlight app. It was disconcerting to say the least, even as we knew the way back was to continue around the loop trail.

 

[Sunshine95]

I’m not certain if this is TOS and I’m not in any way implying she deserves anything bad because of it and hopefully she is all better now as far as drug use, but this makes me wonder if it’s related to her disappearance? If she served the full two years she probably hasn’t been out for too long
Opioid dealer pleads guilty

 

[azure]

I’m not certain if this is TOS and I’m not in any way implying she deserves anything bad because of it and hopefully she is all better now as far as drug use, but this makes me wonder if it’s related to her disappearance? If she served the full two years she probably hasn’t been out for too long
Opioid dealer pleads guilty

Great sleuthing! I wondered if the cops thought she was on the run for some reason. Given the above, it sounds like they do.

 

[wadewv]

No cell signal, gosh, for like about 15 to maybe even 30 min in almost all directions you leave from the mountain

I get 4G service less than a mile down FR 104 from the Spruce Knob parking lot. This is with US Cellular. Never had service up top.

 

[wadewv]

Huckleberry trail runs along the ridge of Spruce Mountain. It is a well defined trail, though there are a couple intersections with old roads that could be confusing. If you were to get seriously off trail, you'd probably eventually end up descending. Either off the east side of the ridge, toward the Fore Knobs, or the west side toward Seneca creek. Either direction would bring you to a road or trail eventually, but it is rough country with lots of thick underbrush that would be difficult to negotiate. Would be much worse in the dark.