CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #10

[Jo in Calif]

Has anyone changed their opinion (whatever it may be) regarding this case since first reading about it and after having perused the many posts in the threads?

Nope!

 

[LietKynes]

Since LE has told the VI that Barb was in that location that day (at some point), I accept that she was. But from the beginning I’ve always said that in order for Barb to “get lost” on that walk, the timeline had to be longer than RT stated in order for her to walk far enough to be out of range of his calling and waving AND to be undiscovered in the subsequent nine day search by SAR. I still have that opinion because I don’t have facts to support another and I prefer to think of Barb’s disappearance as a tragic accident. But that isn’t to say I haven’t entertained other theories along the way.

JMO

BBM
Agreed.

And this post is not directed towards you, @Lilibet ; but... WHAT TIMELINE ?
She was seen on video leaving their residence.
She was observed and spoken to at the dog kennel.

Beyond that we don't really know the when and where.

The list of 'unknown' is greater than the known.
No one ever said if it was a can of beer or a cooler container .
No one said what types of boots, so that people could look for a tread mark or even the boots themselves if lost or kicked off in a struggle.
No one said if Barbara was prone to getting herself lost, or if she vanished in spite of being experienced at hiking.
No one said if they ate at a cafe along the way or only in the RV.
No one looked to see if an intruder had hidden in the RV or what trash was discarded in the waste basket of the fifth wheel.

Not blaming LE, but there's too much that's unexplained.
I think LE are working diligently and there will be answers.

 

[Twistinginthewind]

Has anyone changed their opinion (whatever it may be) regarding this case since first reading about it and after having perused the many posts in the threads?

No, ChuckMaureen, but I sure wish there was for Barbara’s sake.

9 weeks ago she disappeared.

No word from SBSCO Special Investigation unit that’s continued their investigation into her disappearance this whole time.

No word from her husband RT or his local family since the initial MSM interviews.

Words of concern of late for her welfare and regarding foul play & RT’s veracity from her non local family (her son, and nephew).

Nothing more.

Nothing to change my initial opinion of what the heck, where could she be, and how could she have just disappeared under the circumstances RT, the only and last person who was with her, has said and proposed she was abducted within a short distance of where their RV was parked.

Still makes no sense and never will. If and until there’s more from LE’s investigation that is made public. MOO

 

[Kapua]

Has anyone changed their opinion (whatever it may be) regarding this case since first reading about it and after having perused the many posts in the threads?

Good question.

My current opinion was not formed on day #1.

The post that helped me form my opinion was the one by @sroad with the picture that shows the path and the surrounding terrain. IMHO, based on viewing that photo, she did not get lost going back to the RV on that path. MOO

 

[PajamaSleuth]

Good question.

My current opinion was not formed on day #1.

The post that helped me form my opinion was the one by @sroad with the picture that shows the path and the surrounding terrain. IMHO, based on viewing that photo, she did not get lost going back to the RV on that path. MOO

Nine weeks, ten busy threads.... and I think I know exactly which post you are referring to! @sroads pictures had a huge impact on me also.

I initially thought of Joe Keller. Then @sroads post made me have doubts. Watching the interviews have me an eerie Chris Watts vibe.

I wish I could physically search the area.

 

[LietKynes]

No, ChuckMaureen, but I sure wish there was for Barbara’s sake.

9 weeks ago she disappeared.

No word from SBSCO Special Investigation unit that’s continued their investigation into her disappearance this whole time.

No word from her husband RT or his local family since the initial MSM interviews.

Words of concern of late for her welfare and regarding foul play & RT’s veracity from her non local family (her son, and nephew).

Nothing more.

Nothing to change my initial opinion of what the heck, where could she be, and how could she have just disappeared under the circumstances RT, the only and last person who was with her, has said and proposed she was abducted within a short distance of where their RV was parked.

Still makes no sense and never will. If and until there’s more from LE’s investigation that is made public. MOO

Emph. mine

Are you referring to this msm article ?
Since it's verified msm, we can discuss it.

Family members of Barbara Thomas suspect foul play in disappearance
"....Matthew Schellinkhout, Thomas' only child who lives in Lafayette, Indiana, said his mom was great at cheering people up. He added that his two children called her "Grandma Barbie," and that she was given the nickname because of her beauty.
"Mom liked Collies and Himalayan cats, a very outgoing personality — loved to dance and cook," he said........ I wish my children and I lived out there. (Her disappearance) would not have happened," he added...."

So sad.
I think her son felt protective of Barbara.

From the same :
"... A few days after the interview, Robert Thomas told Insider authorities considered him the prime suspect in their investigation after he failed a polygraph test.
Bachman said the Sheriff's Department does not release information on polygraph tests...."
^^^ Bolding mine
So, is it possible that LE flubbed up spectacularly ?
What do you all think ?

Eta : No, they probably didn't mess up. Too professional to be making such a mistake.
Just wonder who told RT that ?

 

[cazador]

I do not think LE SAR flubbed up ...
It is hard work and a lot of Luck to find a person who is down and out ...
I felt they just missed her in the search even though they had all the tools and personal needed..

 

[LietKynes]

Nine weeks, ten busy threads.... and I think I know exactly which post you are referring to! @sroads pictures had a huge impact on me also.

I initially thought of Joe Keller. Then @sroads post made me have doubts. Watching the interviews have me an eerie Chris Watts vibe.

I wish I could physically search the area.

BBM

I know... I want get out there and just start looking !

 

[Handsome Sailor]

Has anyone changed their opinion (whatever it may be) regarding this case since first reading about it and after having perused the many posts in the threads?

No, I haven't changed my opinion. The whole premise of taking a brand new rv out into the Mojave in mid-summer to camp at a roadside pull off, and not an established campground - that just doesn't pass the smell test to me.

 

[wary]

No, I haven't changed my opinion. The whole premise of taking a brand new rv out into the Mojave in mid-summer to camp at a roadside pull off, and not an established campground - that just doesn't pass the smell test to me.

But no one connected with Barbara ever claimed that they were ‘camping at a roadside pull off.’

The only reason that’s ever been presented for their stopping is that they were taking a brief walk.

MOO

 

[Kapua]

No, I haven't changed my opinion. The whole premise of taking a brand new rv out into the Mojave in mid-summer to camp at a roadside pull off, and not an established campground - that just doesn't pass the smell test to me.

The whole premise of camping in the Mojave in mid-summer strikes me as odd, but apparently it was not so odd for the Ts. They're not far from the Colorado River; that's where I'd go, and with Lexi, too. MOO

 

[nannymo]

If this has been discussed I apologize, but something that is tugging on my mind is the beer she supposedly had in her hand.

I am not a beer drinker, but my husband has always enjoyed his beer. Wasn't their hike a pretty long hike?

Most beer drinkers want their beer ice cold. If she was drinking beer when they were getting back from their hike, where did it come from? RT's backpack? A rolling cooler they had with them? Did she have it from the beginning of the hike? Maybe this has been discussed and I have missed it, but it just seems odd she would have a beer at the END of her hike.

I would think it more likely the beer would have been iced down at the RV and would have been much more refreshing after having a hike in the desert when she got back to the RV instead of on the way back from the hike.

Beer also makes you dehydrated and I feel sure living in the desert she would know that and not drink a lot of beer on a hike in the desert.

Did RT ever state where the beer came from or where he had it? Was he carrying the backpack with beer? Just odd to me.

 

[LietKynes]

If this has been discussed I apologize, but something that is tugging on my mind is the beer she supposedly had in her hand.

I am not a beer drinker, but my husband has always enjoyed his beer. Wasn't their hike a pretty long hike?

Most beer drinkers want their beer ice cold. If she was drinking beer when they were getting back from their hike, where did it come from? RT's backpack? A rolling cooler they had with them? Did she have it from the beginning of the hike? Maybe this has been discussed and I have missed it, but it just seems odd she would have a beer at the END of her hike.

I would think it more likely the beer would have been iced down at the RV and would have been much more refreshing after having a hike in the desert when she got back to the RV instead of on the way back from the hike.

Beer also makes you dehydrated and I feel sure living in the desert she would know that and not drink a lot of beer on a hike in the desert.

Did RT ever state where the beer came from or where he had it? Was he carrying the backpack with beer? Just odd to me.

Good post , @nannymo .

I'd asked about the beer since we don't know if it was a can, cooler, or what ?
Many unanswered questions.

 

[PajamaSleuth]

Good post , @nannymo .

I'd asked about the beer since we don't know if it was a can, cooler, or what ?
Many unanswered questions.

Along the same lines, when was the beer purchased? How many were accounted for? Where were the empties? How many did each person drink?

 

[Tripod]

Has anyone changed their opinion (whatever it may be) regarding this case since first reading about it and after having perused the many posts in the threads?

Yes. I've changed the percentages of which directions I lean towards, to be more clear. In the beginning, I believed it was another tragic case of getting lost and felt the desperate husband perhaps wasn't 100% clear in his timeline or thinking. As each day of searching ended with no sign of Barb, I started to become suspicious.
Today I'm extremely suspicious, but leave plenty of room for alternatives.

 

[LietKynes]

Along the same lines, when was the beer purchased? How many were accounted for? Where were the empties? How many did each person drink?

Hahaha... I like your line of thinking.
Seriously, these aren't difficult questions.
So why are we asking them ?
Does someone have the answers ?

 

[Cherwell]

I retain an open mind.
I do feel it's probable that there is more behind what Robert said publicly about the circumstances of their walk. I think it's entirely possible that they had an argument - perhaps nothing serious - and Barbara stomped off by herself. Or something like that. We've been told that they are prone to bickering. So I don't put too much store in details of distance, direction, timing etc. He's probably been more candid with the authorities, but initially he might have felt responsible and ashamed, and reluctant to admit that.

No one ever said if it was a can of beer or a cooler container .
No one said what types of boots, so that people could look for a tread mark or even the boots themselves if lost or kicked off in a struggle.
No one said if Barbara was prone to getting herself lost, or if she vanished in spite of being experienced at hiking.
No one said if they ate at a cafe along the way or only in the RV.
No one looked to see if an intruder had hidden in the RV or what trash was discarded in the waste basket of the fifth wheel.

Not blaming LE, but there's too much that's unexplained.
I think LE are working diligently and there will be answers.

For accuracy, I would change all your "No one said"s to "No one told the public".

And we don't know whether the police looked inside the RV. I don't want to start another protracted discussion about warrants, but this would be routine in the UK. Check the missing person's home (or current environment) to make sure they weren't out of sight somewhere and had been missed. It happens.

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

Along the same lines, when was the beer purchased? How many were accounted for? Where were the empties? How many did each person drink?

I’ve always thought it strange that RT even mentioned the beer to begin with.

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

Has anyone changed their opinion (whatever it may be) regarding this case since first reading about it and after having perused the many posts in the threads?

I thought from the beginning that BT was kidnapped and that RT knows who kidnapped her. I still believe so but I did thought she would be released in a couple weeks.

 

[Stripehaven]

Along the same lines, when was the beer purchased? How many were accounted for? Where were the empties? How many did each person drink?

Yeah, the thing with the beer has nagged at me for a few reasons. I like my beer but I don’t know that I would pop a cold one at 10:00 am or whenever they supposedly started their walk. And I know if I drank that early, in the heat, I’d get a headache. So I’ve been wondering about their typical drinking habits (assuming RT’s story is accurate) and if he himself had also imbibed and to what level. I wonder if drinking played a big part in their lives and if so, how “fit” were they really to handle challenging outdoor activities.