CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #2

[MassGuy]

It seems like if it was an abduction or robbery that camper and truck would be gone too.

True.

There would be signs.

There aren’t any.

 

[GordianKnot]

Ha! I do love to hedge, but not with these circumstances.

If this was a wooded area, and they were legitimately on a hike, I’d hedge.

This was the desert, and they were on a leisurely stroll.

Allegedly.

Unfortunately, I absolutely, positively agree with you that the likeliest scenario here is that BT is dead.

In the absence of any evidence that she was ever in that location, I don't believe she was ever in that location.

This means that something happened to her somewhere else.

Where?

And When?

Here's one of my biggest questions right now: When was the last independent sighting of BT?

JMO.

 

[MizStery]

be interested to know if it was a one way ticket to Hong Kong

Razz you and I think alike. I was curious if she had cleaned out or transferred her 401k saving or cashed out her personal or one of their joint banking accounts. Or even contacted an attorney to initiate documents on division of their joint property. Perhaps she was going to have her attorney wait until she was safely in Hong Kong to file.

Just interesting we both were on the same wavelength.

MOO

 

[kkdj]

Unfortunately, I absolutely, positively agree with you that the likeliest scenario here is that BT is dead.

In the absence of any evidence that she was ever in that location, I don't believe she was ever in that location.

This means that something happened to her somewhere else.

Where?

And When?

Here's one of my biggest questions right now: When was the last independent sighting of BT?

JMO.

Ita. She could be anywhere. But I think she was alive in the truck or the cadaver dogs would have hit on it. I'm assuming they had cadaver dogs check the truck and the camper out.

 

[topockaz]

I have no strong opinions on any of this; I’m just throwing out some thoughts that might help someone in further brainstorming—or not. All MOO.

First, I am quite failing to understand why what she was wearing matters so much and I’m NOT being hateful. I’m just thinking that there doesn’t seem to be a crowd of people out there in the desert so anyone wearing anything will be noticeable. She is a striking woman in all the photos I saw with, based on what I recall, seemingly distinct, elegant, facial bone structure so it doesn’t seem like she’d be easily mistaken regardless of what she’s wearing even if she did take off down the road.

Next, and I am again NOT being rude or argumentative but ever heard the “When I am old (not saying 69 is old), I shall wear purple” red-hat poem/saying? When I am 69, I hope I wear whatever it is I feel like wearing if I’m in a place where there’s no one much to see me. MOO. Even or maybe especially if it’s scorchingly hot. I don’t know this lady but I can hear some people I know and my future self saying, “I’m 69 and if I want to walk around the desert in a bikini with a beer, I’m going to do it.” Again: I’m not being snide; it’s just a fact. It’s why older women (meaning over 85 maybe) are so refreshing for the world IMHO; at 69, she might be moving toward her own sense of self. MOO.

On the question of the beer can or beverage container, etc., it seems to me that if she did fall into an old mine shaft or whatever, whatever she was holding probably went down the mine or hole or canyon with her.

On the language and words her husband used, it always seems to me that knowing if something is odd like the use of “I” rather than “we” or vice verse requires knowing how the person usually speaks. I hate saying this but many older male relatives of mine DO, unfortunately IMHO, talk about their wives (or daughters, or nieces) in that ownership/authoritative type of way. I don’t think it always means a person is a bully, etc.; I don’t care for it but I see those kinds of terms used by some men who grew up in a time when it was common for where they lived, etc. At the same time, it might indeed indicate more in a given individual. MOO.

Just a few thoughts; I’m not arguing for any likely outcome because IMHO, surprising things happen every day like the man found behind a cooler after years. I just don’t know. I just hope for the best along with you all.[

I have no strong opinions on any of this; I’m just throwing out some thoughts that might help someone in further brainstorming—or not. All MOO.

First, I am quite failing to understand why what she was wearing matters so much and I’m NOT being hateful. I’m just thinking that there doesn’t seem to be a crowd of people out there in the desert so anyone wearing anything will be noticeable. She is a striking woman in all the photos I saw with, based on what I recall, seemingly distinct, elegant, facial bone structure so it doesn’t seem like she’d be easily mistaken regardless of what she’s wearing even if she did take off down the road.

Next, and I am again NOT being rude or argumentative but ever heard the “When I am old (not saying 69 is old), I shall wear purple” red-hat poem/saying? When I am 69, I hope I wear whatever it is I feel like wearing if I’m in a place where there’s no one much to see me. MOO. Even or maybe especially if it’s scorchingly hot. I don’t know this lady but I can hear some people I know and my future self saying, “I’m 69 and if I want to walk around the desert in a bikini with a beer, I’m going to do it.” Again: I’m not being snide; it’s just a fact. It’s why older women (meaning over 85 maybe) are so refreshing for the world IMHO; at 69, she might be moving toward her own sense of self. MOO.

On the question of the beer can or beverage container, etc., it seems to me that if she did fall into an old mine shaft or whatever, whatever she was holding probably went down the mine or hole or canyon with her.

On the language and words her husband used, it always seems to me that knowing if something is odd like the use of “I” rather than “we” or vice verse requires knowing how the person usually speaks. I hate saying this but many older male relatives of mine DO, unfortunately IMHO, talk about their wives (or daughters, or nieces) in that ownership/authoritative type of way. I don’t think it always means a person is a bully, etc.; I don’t care for it but I see those kinds of terms used by some men who grew up in a time when it was common for where they lived, etc. At the same time, it might indeed indicate more in a given individual. MOO.

Just a few thoughts; I’m not arguing for any likely outcome because IMHO, surprising things happen every day like the man found behind a cooler after years. I just don’t know. I just hope for the best along with you all.

Yes, he explained that it was not uncommon for her to dress that way while hiking and told that story to provide an example. At least that's how I understood it. Imo

@topockaz - WOW! With the black mountains in Oatman? Mules and all....Probably a good choice, at least Rt. 66, but Oatman I suppose can be lean of tourists too depending on the time of year. Your grandson is lucky, such wonderful scenery to share with granny.

I have a stick, so he had to learn how to upshift and downshift. Some of the turns you had to take them at 15 miles an hour. I told him its not very many people that can say that they learned how to drive on route 66.

 

[Twistinginthewind]

I agree you can burn in a very short period of time, even with sunscreen. Also experienced dessert folks would not be hiking even for two miles without some water. Beer, no that's for later. If you twisted your ankle or whatever, you need that water. This whole thing stinks to me. (but i just joined this conversation, these are my initial thoughts)

Well, according to RT, 'they' were carrying a gallon jug of water, and a pack presumably within which was his camera, and maybe a cell phone. And BT had a beer in her hand (container it was in is unknown), and the key to their truck and camper was not with them, but hidden under a rock nearby the rig so that whichever of them returned first could get in to it.

BT's attire, whether RT also was drinking a beer, what his attire was, or anything else is pure hearsay since LE has not issued any statements on any of that. They have stated that they searched for her within several miles of rough terrain with all resources at hand unflinchinly in and around the area where RT said she vanished for over a week in 90-120 degree heat in the middle of the desert. JMO.

 

[GordianKnot]

Ita. She could be anywhere. But I think she was alive in the truck or the cadaver dogs would have hit on it. I'm assuming they had cadaver dogs check the truck and the camper out.

One of the things that keeps niggling away at the back of my mind is the way RT baked the Vegas suggestion into the abduction theory he postulated.

Does anyone have a sense of how long it usually takes LE to get the info back on cell phone pings/digital tracking data? Would they already have that in this case?

I'm wondering about their route of travel that day, what time they departed, and whether there were any stops in that desert prior to the RV arriving at the site that became the locus for the search.

I keep wondering if they stopped somewhere else in the desert that day...a spot where maybe the 2 of them arrived, and only 1 of them left. Somewhere between the location RT reported she went missing and say, Vegas, for example.

JMO.

 

[oviedo]

That’s the GOAT, holding a lamb.

Despite the fact that I think it’s the GOAT holding a goat.

Regardless, if you conflate what you want to happen with what you think will happen, then that’s always dangerous business.

Hope for the best, expect the worst.

I’m just waiting for her body to be found.

At this point I think that’s the best we can hope for at this point IMO so much time has passed and we don’t have a definite time of when she was last seen by anyone other than her spouse

 

[RANCH]

True.

There would be signs.

There aren’t any.

What signs would have to be found at the scene if Barbara was abducted?

 

[MassGuy]

What signs would have to be found at the scene if Barbara was abducted?

Her beer for one.

 

[thesensitivechild]

Haaaaa. If they find a time machine, then I’ll entertain the possibility.

Barb’s missing, and we don’t know where she is, or WHEN she is

Is this a reference to “dark”

 

[RANCH]

Her beer for one.

Why? If she was abducted at gunpoint maybe she clutched onto the cup and took it with her.

 

[Twistinginthewind]

Unfortunately, I absolutely, positively agree with you that the likeliest scenario here is that BT is dead.

In the absence of any evidence that she was ever in that location, I don't believe she was ever in that location.

This means that something happened to her somewhere else.

Where?

And When?

Here's one of my biggest questions right now: When was the last independent sighting of BT?

JMO.

There is no info to date, 10 days from BT vanishing, to answer any of these questions from RT, LE, MSM, etcetera.

From what BT's family has said as posted here from a VI, she was 'alive' the week before she vanished, and had spoken to her very ill brother in Hong Kong before she and RT went on a camping trip and reassured her brother that she would be coming to visit the following week (last week) but may be out of touch for a few days before she left because she was going camping with her husband (presumably out in the desert). IMO based on upthread posts, but LE and MSM links that don't report what RT says and are independent are few and far between, IMO.

 

[MassGuy]

Why? If she was abducted at gunpoint maybe she clutched onto the cup and took it with her.

Extremities tend to go limp in situations involving intense fear.

Regardless, I’m not entertaining that idea.

Some lady goes for a hike, her husband loses sight of her for a brief period of time, and some random abductor happens upon her.

Naw.

 

[MassGuy]

Is this a reference to “dark”

I was thinking more “Back to the Future.”

 

[PaulR]

Her beer for one.

An abductor could pick up the travel container.

With the heat out, how long would any spilled liquid even show on pavement?

 

[sorrell skye]

What is done, is done.

Let us keep sending life energy to Barbara just in case she's still alive.

 

[thesensitivechild]

I was thinking more “Back to the Future.”

Oh interesting. They basically say this verbatim in the German Netflix show “Dark”. Four episodes in is hard to get to, but after that, it is excellent.

All is mysterious in the universe. Hoping the best for Barbra... wherever she may be

 

[RANCH]

Extremities tend to go limp in situations involving intense fear.

Regardless, I’m not entertaining that idea.

Some lady goes for a hike, her husband loses sight of her for a brief period of time, and some random abductor happens upon her.

Naw.

I'm not limiting myself like that.

Just because there where no signs of an abduction that doesn't mean an abduction didn't take place. JMO

 

[MassGuy]

I'm not limiting myself like that.

Just because there where no signs of an abduction that doesn't mean an abduction didn't take place. JMO

I’m focusing on probabilities, not possibilities.

I think it is far more probable than not that she was not abducted.