Found Deceased NV - Christina Montes, 35, Lake Mead, 3 June 2014

los2188

North Carolina Tar Heels..your NCCA Champs!!
Joined
May 21, 2012
Messages
15,534
Reaction score
689
Search on for missing Henderson woman at Lake Mead

LAS VEGAS --
A man was found dead within Lake Mead Recreation Area and the woman, believed to be hiking with him, is missing. The two had hiked the Arizona Hot Springs trail on June 3. A man's body was found on June 5, according to the Lake Mead Recreation Area Interagency Communication Center. Rangers received a call that James Edward Johnson, 62, and Christina Diane Montes, 35, left to hike the trail on June 3 and they took little food and no water. The National Park Service and Arizona Department of Public Safety are continuing search efforts.

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/25775...ing-after-hiking-in-lake-mead-recreation-area
 
No water? Huh? My coworker was going to hike this trail Memorial Day weekend and told me that they were so hot that they turned around. She said its about an hour and a half hike (or more) 1 way.
I don't understand not taking water unless they thought the hike was super short. I don't even drive to work or the grocery store here (Las Vegas) without taking water (in the summer).
 
Christina's FB: https://www.facebook.com/christina.montes.739

This story is just bizarre. I have so many questions. What was Christina's connection to the late Mr. Johnson? Friend? Relative? Boyfriend?

http://lasvegas.cbslocal.com/2014/06/16/search-fails-to-find-missing-hiker/#.U6I-lSmp7CE.facebook

Lake Mead National Recreation Area spokeswoman Christie Vanover said Monday that authorities aren’t sure whether 35-year-old Christina Diane Montes accompanied 62-year-old James Edward Johnson Jr. to Arizona Hot Spring on June 3.

So who told LE she was hiking with Johnson? Did someone actually see her with him at the trailhead, or did she tell someone they planned to go hiking there together, or what?

http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jun/16/woman-missing-after-search-near-colorado-river/

Florence Frazier said she believes Christina Diane Montes accompanied 62-year-old James Edward Johnson Jr. on the challenging 3-mile hike on June 3 to Arizona Hot Spring in triple-digit temperatures.

Montes left her purse at Johnson’s home in Henderson, Frazier said, and she may have been seen before the hike at a store in Boulder City.

Johnson’s body was found June 5 near a tent and sleeping pad about 150 yards from the Colorado River, authorities said. His motor scooter was found in a U.S. 93 parking area.

It was a 3-mile hike but they (or he) hauled a tent and sleeping pad in there, but no water? Did she ride there on the motor scooter with him or was she driving a separate vehicle? How did they haul their gear there from Henderson if they were both on the scooter?

There's a map of the trail here with warnings, notes on difficult spots, and various other features:

http://www.nps.gov/lake/planyourvisit/upload/Arizona-Hot-Spring.pdf

If Christina did make the hike with Johnson, where did she go? Into the river? If she was never on that trail, then what happened to her? And why was her purse left at his house?
 
c29909e2-600a-45d3-91ce-906d90d5b738_zps11e87cea.jpg
 
This is indeed an odd case. And it seems to fallen completely off the radar. As of June 16th it seems they are no longer looking for her in the park.

http://www.jrn.com/ktnv/news/Officials-call-off-search-for-missing-hiker-at-Lake-Mead-263365731.html

http://insidehenderson.com/lake-mead-officials-missing-hiker-likely-park/

Officials now believe there is a high probability a Henderson woman missing since at least June 3 is not inside the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

Also from the InsideHenderson link:
On June 16, the Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office told iH that information regarding cause of Johnson’s death would be unavailable until June 19, due the the examiner’s unavailability.

I can't find any indication that his COD has yet been disclosed. But I'm not a particularly good sleuther.
 
wow; why on earth was her purse left in His household? If her purse is left in his household, then where is she? This is most bizarre...did she have any active warrants, anything to possibly show a reason why she would try to disappear? And we need to know his COD like did he OD on something...5'2 100 lbs is very thin. Why isn't the media covering her story? Were the kids dropped off with her mom first before the hike and she knew they had little food and water? If his motor scooter was found there...did they do dna to SEE if she even rode on it...such wasted time..more than a month now.
 
The search is still going on for a mother of two who has been missing for more than four months. Loved ones say Christina Montes disappeared on a hiking trail, but the National Park Service isn't convinced. Now, a private investigator is stepping in to help and he believes there is more to the story. It is a missing persons case to the park service, but to her mother and the private investigator she is working with, the disappearance of Montes is suspicious. Until there is more evidence to prove otherwise, they believe foul play may be involved.
http://www.8newsnow.com/story/26817765/mom-of-missing-woman-determined-to-find-her-daughter
 

Thanks, PastTense. That article answers one of my questions: "Vanover confirms Johnson died from methamphetamine overdose. Frazier says her daughter did struggle with drugs."

She could have panicked and run after he died but her mother believes Christina is dead and the private investigator who's volunteering his services says he's been tracking down people in the "drug world" that Christina and her friend may have had contact with and those people's stories "aren't adding up."
 
http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/26822254/rangers-2-human-remains-found-separately-at-lake-mead

The remains of two human bodies were found Saturday at Lake Mohave and Lake Mead according to Christie Vanover, spokeswoman for the Lake Mead Recreation Area...

Vanover said three people have been reported missing in the park. Two men have been missing since February when their boat capsized.

Additionally, Vanover said a woman named Christina Montes was also reported missing. Vanover said her family told investigators Montes might have been hiking in the park.
 
I hope they give more details about where she was found compared to where her companion was found.
 
I can make out "China" on the inside of the ring shank, not that that narrows it down much.
 
There where 2 sets of remains found. I am assuming that this is the other set. http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/26822254/rangers-2-human-remains-found-separately-at-lake-mead

Both sets of remains were identified. One (I think this one) was Christina Montes, other was a fisherman from a boat that capsized in February: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/nov/3/coroner-ids-body-found-in-lake-mead-in-mid-october/

Also, this article http://www.mynews3.com/content/news...ts-to-ID-two-sets/dGNsdU1GuE-1kHksWuiaFQ.cspx mentions that Christina's mother identified the ring as hers. Maybe they're just leaving it up on NamUs while the DNA runs, but this UID has been identified.
 
Age last seen: 35
Age now: 37
Race: White female
Hair color: Sandy
Eyes Color: Brown
Height: 60.0 to 64.0
Weight: 95.0 to 105.0
Clothes: unknown

Scars and Marks: Nothing


Christina left June 3rd 2014 on an overnight camping/hiking trip with her friend. The friend was located, however Christina has not been located yet. There has been a search conducted of the area.

Anyone that has seen or may know the whereabouts of Montes is asked to contact Special Agent Brian Lake or National Park Service.

Namus
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/24998/415
 

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
84
Guests online
744
Total visitors
828

Forum statistics

Threads
589,927
Messages
17,927,755
Members
228,002
Latest member
zipperoni
Back
Top