CA CA - Sydney “Syd” West, 19, Univ of CA student, San Francisco, 30 Sep 2020 #2

[Lilibet]

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Our victim friendly policy extends to family members and loved ones of a missing person. Criticizing or making other negative comments or insinuations about them is not allowed. PERIOD.

I think Syd’s parents do not expect Syd to return and so there is no point in revealing more information for sleuths to ponder. Instead, they prefer to remember their beautiful, accomplished daughter and honor her by posting happy memories and putting anything unpleasant out of sight. I’ve asked myself from the beginning if Syd would want her personal thoughts to be displayed on places like Websleuths as possible clues to her disappearance. I don’t know the answer, but I don’t fault her parents for being cautious along the way and seeking privacy and positivity now. If Syd was alive, her parents had to consider her potential feelings about how much they revealed of her private life, especially if it wouldn’t help locate her. I can’t imagine their grief. And it’s normal to feel guilt even if it isn’t warranted. They must be in such pain. I hope their happy memories help ease that pain. I think our work is done.
JMO

 

[flowingbrooks]

I think Syd’s parents do not expect Syd to return and so there is no point in revealing more information for sleuths to ponder. Instead, they prefer to remember their beautiful, accomplished daughter and honor her by posting happy memories and putting anything unpleasant out of sight. I’ve asked myself from the beginning if Syd would want her personal thoughts to be displayed on places like Websleuths as possible clues to her disappearance. I don’t know the answer, but I don’t fault her parents for being cautious along the way and seeking privacy and positivity now. If Syd was alive, her parents had to consider her potential feelings about how much they revealed of her private life, especially if it wouldn’t help locate her. I can’t imagine their grief. And it’s normal to feel guilt even if it isn’t warranted. They must be in such pain. I hope their happy memories help ease that pain. I think our work is done.
JMO

I think that sadly you are right. Why do you think though they recently increased the reward to $25,000?

 

[collegeisintense]

The raise in reward could be to make it seem as if suicide isn’t the outcome/what they believe.

 

[Lilibet]

I think that sadly you are right. Why do you think though they recently increased the reward to $25,000?

Hope springs eternal and they may want to feel as if they’ve exhausted every avenue to either find Syd or her remains. I certainly would. I can imagine they must be riding an emotional roller coaster of hope and despair, even though there isn’t much hope and they must know that, although denial can be huge. And if one parent isn’t ready to let go yet, the other would go along with a reward, I expect. It’s all such a mish-mash of fact and emotion. I can’t imagine.

 

[Lusitana]

I worry about the little sister.

 

[Sillybilly]

It's Easter weekend and our Mods deserve a break.

This thread is closed and will reopen Tuesday.

If there are any major developments in the interim, use the Report feature to let Mods know and we can reopen the thread before then.

 

[Dnp2be]

I think that sadly you are right. Why do you think though they recently increased the reward to $25,000?

Maybe in hope of finding certain closure

 

[NSamuelle]

Maybe in hope of finding certain closure

If someone is in it for the reward, they’ll likely wait until the last day before it expires. The 10K reward was increased by 15K on the last day before it expired, so, having seen that, anyone with a solid lead would want to wait to see if it is increased again. If it’s increased again, they’ll probably continue waiting. The best practice with rewards is to start high and go lower as time goes on to incentive people to give tips as early as possible.

That’s assuming there ARE tips. Tips that would lead to her recovery seem unlikely, though. I wish there had been a fundraiser for a search effort in the bay in the early days after her disappearance. It’s very expensive and inconvenient to shut down that bay, but it has been done.

 

[amethystcrystal]

On the official Find Sydney West page, they posted this video a YouTuber recently did about this case and who spoke with Sydney's mom. There's some new information like Sydney stayed at the Hilton Hotel in the Financial District of SF and her backpack was actually found on a trail by the bridge instead, what had caused her concussion, her fall plans (was planning to intern at Stanford, and do more traveling) before they were canceled by Covid, etc:

(Trigger Warning)

 

[NSamuelle]

On the official Find Sydney West page, they posted this video a YouTuber recently did about this case and who spoke with Sydney's mom. There's some new information like Sydney stayed at the Hilton Hotel in the Financial District of SF and her backpack was actually found on a trail by the bridge instead, what had caused her concussion, her fall plans (was planning to intern at Stanford, and do more traveling) before they were canceled by Covid, etc:

(Trigger Warning)

There were some frustrating contradictions as well (the YouTuber kept saying “evening call,” but Sydney spoke with her dad at 2pm). She says the cameras are poor quality and have gaps (given that GGB is a major terrorism target, I don’t see how this could be), and that she was depressed mainly due to the concussion (but suicidal and depressed posts pre-dated the concussion). She also said Sydney took a gap year because she didn’t want to settle, but Syd said she would be fine with a community college in her Reddit posts.

 

[Carmita V]

I have a question.
How could they know the clothes Sydney was wearing that day?

 

[Curious_in_NC]

On the official Find Sydney West page, they posted this video a YouTuber recently did about this case and who spoke with Sydney's mom. There's some new information like Sydney stayed at the Hilton Hotel in the Financial District of SF and her backpack was actually found on a trail by the bridge instead, what had caused her concussion, her fall plans (was planning to intern at Stanford, and do more traveling) before they were canceled by Covid, etc:

(Trigger Warning)

I have to agree with @NSamuelle, there is new information here about the hotel and concussion, but also some frustrating gaps. Another surprising new disclosure is that she was never at Crissy Field. This was apparently early misinformation (?). A most critical detail, the backpack's location, is still not clear. Which trail? Which side of the bridge even? When was it found? There is speculation that it may have been left there by Sydney, so that hints at it having been found on the SF side of the bridge.

 

[NSamuelle]

I have to agree with @NSamuelle, there is new information here about the hotel and concussion, but also some frustrating gaps. Another surprising new disclosure is that she was never at Crissy Field. This was apparently early misinformation (?). A most critical detail, the backpack's location, is still not clear. Which trail? Which side of the bridge even? When was it found? There is speculation that it may have been left there by Sydney, so that hints at it having been found on the SF side of the bridge.

The wild and unsupported theories about an abduction at gunpoint were not helpful, either, along with sensational hyperbole like “predators never stop preying.”

Further, family never would have publicly said “we have received 2 credible tips in the last week” if there was any chance of an abduction. I have a (limited) background in kidnapping response procedures due to work with insurance policies that cover high-value individuals, but you don’t need that background to understand the contradiction here. If someone is abducted, you set a reward early, you set it high, and you don’t spook the abductors by saying that you have tips.

 

[amethystcrystal]

I have to agree with @NSamuelle, there is new information here about the hotel and concussion, but also some frustrating gaps. Another surprising new disclosure is that she was never at Crissy Field. This was apparently early misinformation (?). A most critical detail, the backpack's location, is still not clear. Which trail? Which side of the bridge even? When was it found? There is speculation that it may have been left there by Sydney, so that hints at it having been found on the SF side of the bridge.

Yeah, those gaps were confusing, I thought the PI said she was dropped off at Crissy Field originally by the Uber? I'm assuming that maybe she could've taken the Battery East Trail up or left her backpack near it? It does lead from Crissy Field up to the bridge and to other trails in the Presidio. I also think the gun point theory would be unlikely if a lot of people were around her that morning on the bridge, I think someone would've noticed and stopping a car on the bridge is very dangerous too.

 

[NSamuelle]

Yeah, those gaps were confusing, I thought the PI said she was dropped off at Crissy Field originally by the Uber? I'm assuming that maybe she could've taken the Battery East Trail up or left her backpack near it? It does lead from Crissy Field up to the bridge and to other trails in the Presidio. I also think the gun point theory would be unlikely if a lot of people were around her that morning on the bridge, I think someone would've noticed and stopping a car on the bridge is very dangerous too.

The YouTuber was saying it was so foggy that Sydney may not have seen where the railing was and accidentally fell over. Arguing that someone could point a gun at her from a car and she would see that - but not see a railing - is yet another internal inconsistency. Not to mention the logistics of the first-ever abduction from the GGB.

She also says “Sydney was not alone” meaning that other people were around her, so someone must have seen something. Minutes later she argues for abduction and says “Sydney was by herself.” Logically, you can’t have it both ways to suit whatever argument you’re making.

The video seems to be a rather botched attempt to disprove the prevailing suicide theory, but in its bizarre and heavy-handed efforts to present alternative theories actually strengthens the saddest and most obvious conclusion.

 

[Carmita V]

In my opinion after watching and reading parents videos and comments in social media, I think it's more about suicide and mental illness taboo than a denial.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

The YouTuber was saying it was so foggy that Sydney may not have seen where the railing was and accidentally fell over. Arguing that someone could point a gun at her from a car and she would see that - but not see a railing - is yet another internal inconsistency. Not to mention the logistics of the first-ever abduction from the GGB.

She also says “Sydney was not alone” meaning that other people were around her, so someone must have seen something. Minutes later she argues for abduction and says “Sydney was by herself.” Logically, you can’t have it both ways to suit whatever argument you’re making.

The video seems to be a rather botched attempt to disprove the prevailing suicide theory, but in its bizarre and heavy-handed efforts to present alternative theories actually strengthens the saddest and most obvious conclusion.

Also, if Sydney was truly shopping in SF, why didn't she stay at the Hilton next to the Shopping District, i.e., the Hilton Union Square? It makes no sense that she would choose to stay at the one in the Financial District if her primary reason for being in SF was shopping.

Also, if she wanted to shop and she was actually staying in Pleasanton and/or Livermore, why did she not go to the giant Livermore Outlet Mall, Pleasanton's Stoneridge Mall, or downtown Walnut Creek?

 

[lilacs]

Also, if Sydney was truly shopping in SF, why didn't she stay at the Hilton next to the Shopping District, i.e., the Hilton Union Square? It makes no sense that she would choose to stay at the one in the Financial District if her primary reason for being in SF was shopping.

Also, if she wanted to shop and she was actually staying in Pleasanton and/or Livermore, why did she not go to the giant Livermore Outlet Mall, Pleasanton's Stoneridge Mall, or downtown Walnut Creek?

She likely wanted to shop at boutiques, small businesses, or vintage clothing stores. I’m her age and that’s what we usually opt for. San Francisco would have more of those options.
Malls aren’t very desirable to our demographic, particularly during COVID (with them being crowded).

 

[lilacs]

I want to say that it’s not that weird for her parents to let Sydney’s little sister move into her room. Sydney’s an adult and didn’t live at home anymore.

I’ve had many friends have their childhood bedrooms converted into home gyms, guest rooms, office spaces, e.t.c. In fact, my childhood bedroom was turned into a functioning guest room.

It’s likely that the space was being used for something else—before she even went missing. If staying there helps her little sister cope, that’s not our business. If she returns, she likely won’t stay at home because she’s not a child anymore.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

She likely wanted to shop at boutiques, small businesses, or vintage clothing stores. I’m her age and that’s what we usually opt for. San Francisco would have more of those options.
Malls aren’t very desirable to our demographic, particularly during COVID (with them being crowded).

Vintage clothing stores and small businesses/boutiques of that sort are mainly located in places like Santa Cruz, and if they are in SF they would not be located in the Financial District but in the Haight or Castro, for example. The retail rent per square footage is extremely high in SF such that over 1000 stores have closed permanently during the pandemic. Smaller stores have had to be closed until very recently except for curb side pickup because the footprint of the floor space is too small to accommodate social distancing.

The revelation that she was in the Hilton at the Financial District would open up more questions...I would assume some security cameras would have picked up her image there since it is a major hotel chain. Did security cameras capture her image? Did she check out that morning, were any purchased items found in the room, was there luggage or any wheeled suitcase left in the room or did she travel there and check in with just the back pack?