CA CA - Lydia "Dia" Abrams, 65, Idyllwild, 6 Jun 2020 #2

[Curious Me]

And wasn't it said - that Harper left before LE got there? Did I read that article correctly - about the first ones that were posted here. Suspicious??!!

I don't remember another version that implied KH wasn't on the scene when they got there.

I thought they just were having a hard time reaching him again by phone. I think if I had read that he wasn't on the scene, I would've copied and pasted it here, unless I missed seeing that original version. In any case, it matters, and it's an important detail you brought up.

I wonder why he couldn't be reached 20 minutes after calling 911, and whether he was really on the property when he called. There was not even 40 minutes between the call and when responders reported the victim was dead.

Good questions. Are you saying the news article said KH wasn't there when the responders arrived on the scene? That is still unclear. I don't remember any mention of whether KH was there when they finally arrived. I read and heard in the video of the scanner that they could not reach KH by phone during that time -- reported at 5:00 p.m. and at 5:23 p.m. KH is not answering his phone, and it was being forwarded to his NM business number.

That's weird though because you'd think he'd be waiting for the responders to arrive, and eager to answer his phone.

ATV fatality reported at Idyllwild ranch of missing woman, Abrams | cbs8.com
"The call for assistance came in just after 5 p.m. on December 23 from 58111 Bonita Vista Road in Mountain Center. The reporting party was Keith Harper,..."

"Dispatchers also had trouble reconnecting with the reporting party, Keith Harper."

“The phone number for the original [reporting party] keeps going to an answering machine for American Storage, unable to get anything further from them,” a dispatcher reported at 5:23 p.m."

"Records show Harper is the owner of American Storage Complex in New Mexico."

 

[Curious Me]

^^^ Just a thought... if KH originally called on a landline then left to go out to the scene, maybe the landline phone is programmed to forward to his NM business. However, if he called from his cell phone, then it'd still be on him to answer further calls.

 

[coastal]

I had to call 911 for a neighbor who had fallen, and I have to say that if my dbf hadn't been with me to help with the the (99yo!) lady, I would have hung up with 911 and then let any calls go to vm. She was disoriented and scared, and it was all I could do to keep her from trying to get up, while I tried to hold her still. Turns out she had fractured two vertebrae in her neck, which may have paralyzed or even killed her, had she moved. She had all of my focus and attention until paramedics arrived and I was told to hang up with 911.

I don't think I read that KH wasn't there when help arrived, just that dispatch couldn't reach him because the reporting phone number had been forwarded to American Storage, where no one answered. IMO, that could be because he was busy with the injured party, as I was.

That his name is associated at all with the unexplained death of another woman from that ranch is chilling and ominous, IMO. I hope to hear he has been speaking with LE, and answering questions.

 

[missmonica]

She has been identified.

Riverside County Sheriff, CA

 

[windrower]

She has been identified.

Riverside County Sheriff, CA

Interesting tidbit from the sheriff’s office report:

. . . Hemet Station deputies responded to the 58000 block of Bonita Vista Rd., reference a suspicious death investigation initially believed to have been a traffic fatality. Upon arriving, deputies located a deceased female in the open area of a large private property with unexplained injuries.

No mention of an ATV or KH.

 

[sleuther007]

from the link above.

A hearing on a request to remove Harper as trustee of the ranch and other estate properties was set for May 9, 2022 in Palm Springs probate court.

MOO I wonder what the heck happened at the probate court in Nov?? Everything except KH securing trusteeship is a win for the kids as they try and starve him out.

 

[Curious Me]

MOO I wonder what the heck happened at the probate court in Nov?? Everything except KH securing trusteeship is a win for the kids as they try and starve him out.

Well, the children must be delighted with more suspicious activity on the ranch connected to KH. In their past petition, they brought up everything they could dig up on KH to make him look like a RSO and untrustworthy.

(I always felt like not enough locals talked when Dia went missing. Plus her family didn't reach out for a whole year pleading for help finding her via the media. In my opinion, Dia's disappearance deserves more answers!)

Interesting tidbit from the sheriff’s office report:
. . . Hemet Station deputies responded to the 58000 block of Bonita Vista Rd., reference a suspicious death investigation initially believed to have been a traffic fatality. Upon arriving, deputies located a deceased female in the open area of a large private property with unexplained injuries.

No mention of an ATV or KH.

As you pointed out, I found this news article that doesn't mention the ATV either. It has a pic of the covered body by it looks like maybe a road. They initially thought she was a victim of a hit and run, then it turned into a homicide investigation. Hmm... I wonder if someone staged the scene to look like a traffic fatality. I hope LE can get more evidence to support whatever happened. She was a 46 yr. old woman, a local resident, so people may talk to help the investigation.

Remember, she worked on the ranch, KH was probably her boss on the ranch, and KH was the one to call it into responders.

Body of Riverside County woman found in open field, death probed as 'suspicious': Sheriff (msn.com)
The body of Jodi Newkirk, a resident of Mountain Center, was discovered at around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday in a large, open field near the intersection of Bonita Vista and Apple Canyon roads, according to Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Ed Baeza.

Baeza said investigators were under the impression Newkirk was struck by a hit-and-run driver and left at the scene. But upon further examination, her body appeared to bear “unexplained injuries” that raised suspicions of homicide.

 

[Curious Me]

Still thinking and trying to imagine the scene. It must've been dark at 5:00 p.m. when KH called in to report it. Why did the responders consider a hit and run when the body was laying in an open area. Where was the ATV? The woman had injuries that didn't seem to match an accident, and it went into a Homicide investigation.
I'm sure you all agree, it needs further explanation.

Press Releases • Riverside County Sheriff, CA • CivicEngage (riversidesheriff.org)
"Upon arriving, deputies located a deceased female in the open area of a large private property with unexplained injuries."
Body of Riverside County woman found in open field, death probed as 'suspicious': Sheriff (msn.com)
"Baeza said investigators were under the impression Newkirk was struck by a hit-and-run driver and left at the scene. But upon further examination,..."

 

[Gracey1820]

Could be completely unrelated, but upon basic background check, the victim of this latest incident had a laundry list of charges/arrests in Riverside County for controlled substances… could this have something to do with the grow operations on Dia’s other properties? Maybe, maybe not, but figured I’d share- maybe something to look into further. Is it confirmed she was actually working at the ranch? Doesn’t seem much is being reported out. I can’t find much else about her in my searches. Hoping this reignites Dia’s investigation as well.

 

[slowpoke]

^^^ Just a thought... if KH originally called on a landline then left to go out to the scene, maybe the landline phone is programmed to forward to his NM business. However, if he called from his cell phone, then it'd still be on him to answer further calls.

At about 3:40 in the video that is with the cbs8 article (which is “edited scanner audio”), a dispatcher says the only number inputted is one with a 970 area code.

I looked up that area code and it’s for the northern and western part of Colorado. So, seems like it is not a landline coming from Mountain Center, CA. IMO

 

[Desert Cruiser]

The update version identified the person involved....

 

[Desert Cruiser]

oops... read the prior post with a link

 

[Curious Me]

I had to call 911 for a neighbor who had fallen, and I have to say that if my dbf hadn't been with me to help with the the (99yo!) lady, I would have hung up with 911 and then let any calls go to vm. She was disoriented and scared, and it was all I could do to keep her from trying to get up, while I tried to hold her still. Turns out she had fractured two vertebrae in her neck, which may have paralyzed or even killed her, had she moved. She had all of my focus and attention until paramedics arrived and I was told to hang up with 911.

I don't think I read that KH wasn't there when help arrived, just that dispatch couldn't reach him because the reporting phone number had been forwarded to American Storage, where no one answered. IMO, that could be because he was busy with the injured party, as I was.

That his name is associated at all with the unexplained death of another woman from that ranch is chilling and ominous, IMO. I hope to hear he has been speaking with LE, and answering questions.

I looked up that area code and it’s for the northern and western part of Colorado. So, seems like it is not a landline...

Thanks. So, KH called for emergency help most likely using his cell phone, and then they tried to call him back and he didn't answer. I'm trying to take @coastal's post into consideration because, like she said, the person calling for help might have their hands full with an injured person. Or might be scrabbling to manipulate the (crime) scene.

I was hit by a car once, and I don't remember it, but I know I flew far and came skidding down quite far from the spot of impact. So, I guess I could understand how responders initially thought this 46 yr. old woman had been a victim of hit and run, or a ATV rollover. However, was the ATV there rolled over nearby? They see plenty of accident scenes. It wasn't long before they determined the injuries were suspicious, unexplained, inconsistent with a traffic fatality and it became a "homicide" investigation. That is a Big Deal!

 

[windrower]

Well, the children must be delighted with more suspicious activity on the ranch connected to KH. In their past petition, they brought up everything they could dig up on KH to make him look like a RSO and untrustworthy.

(I always felt like not enough locals talked when Dia went missing. Plus her family didn't reach out for a whole year pleading for help finding her via the media. In my opinion, Dia's disappearance deserves more answers!)

As you pointed out, I found this news article that doesn't mention the ATV either. It has a pic of the covered body by it looks like maybe a road. They initially thought she was a victim of a hit and run, then it turned into a homicide investigation. Hmm... I wonder if someone staged the scene to look like a traffic fatality. I hope LE can get more evidence to support whatever happened. She was a 46 yr. old woman, a local resident, so people may talk to help the investigation.

Remember, she worked on the ranch, KH was probably her boss on the ranch, and KH was the one to call it into responders.

Body of Riverside County woman found in open field, death probed as 'suspicious': Sheriff (msn.com)
The body of Jodi Newkirk, a resident of Mountain Center, was discovered at around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday in a large, open field near the intersection of Bonita Vista and Apple Canyon roads, according to Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Ed Baeza.

Baeza said investigators were under the impression Newkirk was struck by a hit-and-run driver and left at the scene. But upon further examination, her body appeared to bear “unexplained injuries” that raised suspicions of homicide.

Underlined by me.

The pic of the blanket-covered victim does not look like she is lying in a “large, open field” to me.

Did this newest victim have any ties to Dia when Dia was alive?

 

[Fate--]

Where did she last eat?

 

[Curious Me]

What do you think? JMO here-- even if this was an
actual accident, like this on the property, it's going to have repercussions. I think it's still going to fall back on KH, and his Trustee responsibilities. Not sure, it's likely this woman's family might decide to sue, and the property insurance will also want to investigate. Would a judgment against KH be placed, and then I question if a lien will be placed on the property? Can it be sold with a lien on it, or would it prohibit it being sold pending investigation? It takes lots of money to keep the ranch going. Unless Dia's children want to help with money, it's possible this may force KH to let go of his hold on the ranch. It was messy and expensive before for KH, and it just got messier.

Whose ATV was it?
Was she on the clock working when it happened?
Did she have permission to be riding an ATV there?
What was her connection to the ranch and the boss KH?

 

[coastal]

What do you think? JMO here-- even if this was an
actual accident, like this on the property, it's going to have repercussions. I think it's still going to fall back on KH, and his Trustee responsibilities. Not sure, it's likely this woman's family might decide to sue, and the property insurance will also want to investigate. Would a judgment against KH be placed, and then I question if a lien will be placed on the property? Can it be sold with a lien on it, or would it prohibit it being sold pending investigation? It takes lots of money to keep the ranch going. Unless Dia's children want to help with money, it's possible this may force KH to let go of his hold on the ranch. It was messy and expensive before for KH, and it just got messier.

Whose ATV was it?
Was she on the clock working when it happened?
Did she have permission to be riding an ATV there?
What was her connection to the ranch and the boss KH?

Good questions, Curious Me! I agree that Dia's ranch might have some liability for an employee's death, especially if said death happened during their shift, and that the fallout will most likely hit KH and his (apparent) trusteeship hard. I have other questions about that: is KH still acting as trustee of the ranch? What is the status of the court case about this? What about the other case, between Dia (or her estate) and her children? Would the fact of a suspicious death investigation by homicide detectives, even factor into either of these ongoing cases, since each of them also feature KH? Where is DIA?

So many questions, Curious Me! I hope one day we'll get some answers.

Thanks to @David Gotfredson at News 8 for continuing to report on missing Dia Abrams, and to @tvscum for the heads up to the latest tragic death on Dia's ranch. We appreciate you!

 

[stuntpuppy]

I hope the new case only adds steam to the old one. I don't want Dia to be forgotten or even put on the back burner more than she already seems to have been. Her death needs to be solved and those involved need to be held 100% accountable. It needs to be treated as if it happened yesterday!

 

[Sun Spot]

...There are no landlines on the ranch and the cell service is sketch unless you have a satellite patch like Hughes etc.. I do know that fire had radios that worked at places on the ranch. My guess is KH had to travel to call service to call out.
Where is it mentioned in concrete that this woman was an actual employee? Or is there any other relationship mentioned?
My thought after reading that she was a local person in the canyon...plus her record thst this may be unrelated to the property and it was a drug deal gone wrong.. maybe a hit on the property or dumped on the property to make appear like an accident. At this point it could be suspect of almost anyone involved etc.
Much stuff goes on in that canyon and anything is possible..

 

[Curious Me]

This is just MOO. We must keep in mind that this woman is considered a victim and WS is a victim friendly site. Some of those charges happened nearly ten years ago. Were there current ones? It's just that the internet has made it impossible for people to live down their past. You know I'm curious, sure I want to know everything, but this woman lost her life and we really don't know how or why, maybe not anything to do with those old charges. It says in the news article she worked on the ranch.

ATV fatality reported at Idyllwild ranch of missing woman, Abrams | cbs8.com

"Insiders told News 8 the woman involved in the reported ATV incident worked as a ranch hand at the Bonita Vista Ranch, once owned and operated by Dia Abrams, 65, until she went missing in June 2020."

[...]

A hearing on a request to remove Harper as trustee of the ranch and other estate properties was set for May 9, 2022 in Palm Springs probate court. BBM