MS MS - Jessica Stacks, 28, missing from boat on Tallahatchie River, 1 Jan 2021

[imstilla.grandma]

View attachment 279520

 

[NervousNellie]

View attachment 279520

Thanks for all the information!

This link doesn't work for me. "the requested attachment could not be found"

 

[MimosaMornings]

I’m hoping her children are safe somewhere.

 

[Quill]

I’m hoping her children are safe somewhere.

I believe they are with her family, JMO, though.

 

[Kittybunny]

Here on Websleuths we hear a lot of implausible stories about missing women who go gallavanting about in the middle of the night without purses, keys, clothes, cars, etc...but this one tops them all! I can't even come close to trying to apply logic here, I'm just going to hope that they find her and the real investigation can begin.

 

[MimosaMornings]

I believe they are with her family, JMO, though.

Wonder when she dropped them off, maybe that was the last time her family saw her.

 

[Songbird1973]

I want to share my thoughts and images, hopefully (new phone ). To be clear, I'm not trying to discount the theories about foul play. But without really knowing the people, the local culture, the geography, etc., it's just not accurate to say "it can't have happened that way, because that's not how people do things, or that's not how nature works. I'm going to go through the story, as told by JB, whether or not I think it's true. So... the river. I lived in West Mississippi once, and because the rivers flow so differently than the ones I was used to that had more slope, I learned a lot about them. So for the Tallahatchie River at Etta, MS, I'm attaching a map. This one is oriented north. The red marker is the bridge on CR46 where the boat was put in the water. The white line above Etta in the upper left is where the Rocky Ford Bridge crosses the river on Hwy 30.


The next map has been turned to fit more in my screen. As part of a flood control effort at some point, the river has been re-dug so that it flows in a straight line. It's basically a canal now (light blue). The old, twisted riverbed is mostly on the west side of the new channel (red). There Is some old riverbed on the east side but I didn't mark it. These are the "serpentine ditches filled with brush" and/or water that the sheriff mentioned. Numerous man-made ditches are marked on the east side (blue). The deep ditch dug by a drag line is the orange line, which drains all of the little ditches that keep those fields dry enough for crops. The "river bottom" that was much discussed early on is between the yellow lines.


When the new channel was dug, the dirt was piled high on both sides. The bank on the east side can be seen in photos from this article Jessica Stacks missing ten days; Sheriff says “not ready to quit looking for her”


This website can be used to find the river depth at Etta. USGS Current Conditions for USGS 07268000 LITTLE TALLAHATCHIE RIVER AT ETTA, MS Some facts: The river has an average yearly depth of 12 ft deep. Flood stage (when the water would go over the high banks) is 25 ft deep. It floods about every other year. But... Remember that big drag line ditch that empties into the river. It will be at field level with no banks so the water on the fields can drain into it. And the field is possibly 5 or more feet below the top of the raised riverbanks. So whenever the gage hight (river depth) reaches the lowered area of the ditch, it overflows in that area. Last year the water rose near the top of the banks (20-25 Ft) 26 times, or basically every time it rains. It flooded once, in Feb 2020.

This is a video of that Feb flood, taken from the CR46 bridge.

. Notice from these two screenshots that you can still see the very top of the raised banks, I assume the water has already gone down a little.


From the website above, I copied this chart.

It shows that the water was around 23 ft deep on Jan 1st. So probably about 1 ft lower than in the flood video.

So now, on to the hunting story that has brought up so many questions. Being dropped off at the river: So JS's "stuck truck" video on her FB page shows them "mudding." It's huge part of a culture that involves old Broncos and Trucks, muddy river bottoms, getting stuck so you can winch yourself out, an' yer faithful buddys to go with you, take you there, or rejoice later over your story about mud up to the fenders. Having a buddy take you to the river isn't unusual, either to save all the back and forth and multiple vehicles for each end, or maybe because your truck is in the shop getting repaired from the last mudding trip. Also, Buddy's share everything, and I can totally see loaning a phone out (hey, JS would be glad to loan you her phone.) Maybe Buddy's phone fell in the mud while hooking up a winch, or he spent his paycheck on better mud tires and his phone is shut off.

I believe hunting from the river it is a real thing people do. The sheriff seemed familiar with it saying he knew of people who hunted deer or hogs that way. Others have pointed out that it's not deer season, but hogs are such a problem that they can be hunted any time, so I think it's likely they were after hogs. But not hogs in the water. When river bottoms flood, animals move to high ground. They will have learned that the last high spot to get submerged is the top of those raised riverbanks, where they are exposed to to someone on the river. Although people do eat wild hogs, I imagine this was just for sport.

Many rivers are often either public property, or the owners don't fuss if people stay off their land. So usually people get in and out of a river at a public bridge so they aren't trespassing. I'm guessing the plan was to get out of the river at the Hwy 30 bridge by Etta, a distance of 4 miles.

But then then JS got out of the boat. We don't know why... Maybe they argued, maybe she didn't feel safe with the gun in the boat, maybe she wasn't thinking clearly (like some of her videos would appear), maybe she thought they were nearly to the end (even the sheriff inaccurately quotes the distances involved), maybe the boat seemed frighteningly low in the water or maybe it had a leak... She would have had to have gotten out onto the bank, not in the river. The side of the banks are too steep to walk out of the river on at near flood stage, as they were that day. This spot on the bank would be where the sheriff says they found prints. From the article below: "Foot tracks were also found in the area where she supposedly got out of the boat."

Then the sheriff is quoted as saying that JS intended to walk from there to Hwy 30. I have a theory about this. MSM articles give us the idea that she was planning to walk east to Hwy 30 where it runs parallel to the river, about a mile away, and would have been blocked by the big ditch between the two spots. But I think she was planning to walk beside the river along the top of that raised bank, thinking she would soon reach Hwy 30 where it turns west and crosses the river, where they were probably planning to exit the river. In this newer article, the sheriff words it that way, too.

"About two miles downstream, Baggett says Stacks got out of the boat, *walking along the riverbank toward Highway 30.* " Sheriff: No current sign of foul play in Jessica Stacks’ disappearance

But it was at least two miles to the bridge downstream. (See the blue mile markers on my map at the top.) And, the big ditch was in the way, at the spot where it flowed into the river. Maybe she even thought she could keep up with the JB on the water and she could get her purse out of the boat when they reached the Hwy.

Putting aside what actually happened to JS and how much JB knows about it, or was involved, I don't think things went well for JB afterwards. Search underway along Tallahatchie River for missing woman "The boat was found about a mile upriver from the Rocky Ford Bridge at Etta."

So for some reason about a mile downstream from where JS got out, JB got out of the boat also, abandoning it and at least some of what was in it (her purse and keys, for sure.). Then where did his son pick him up? On the west side of the river where he landed, there may be a little trail in the field at the base of the raised bank that he could have driven on. I can't tell for sure in the satellite images, but if it's there it may have been under water. So he may have had to walk on top of the bank to the bridge like JS thought she could. I don't see any deep ditch emptying into the river on that side so it's possible.

 

[Spider92]

@Songbird1973 - great great post. Thanks for the local color - love it!

 

[Quill]

I want to share my thoughts and images, hopefully (new phone ). To be clear, I'm not trying to discount the theories about foul play. But without really knowing the people, the local culture, the geography, etc., it's just not accurate to say "it can't have happened that way, because that's not how people do things, or that's not how nature works. I'm going to go through the story, as told by JB, whether or not I think it's true. So... the river. I lived in West Mississippi once, and because the rivers flow so differently than the ones I was used to that had more slope, I learned a lot about them. So for the Tallahatchie River at Etta, MS, I'm attaching a map. This one is oriented north. The red marker is the bridge on CR46 where the boat was put in the water. The white line above Etta in the upper left is where the Rocky Ford Bridge crosses the river on Hwy 30.
View attachment 279541

The next map has been turned to fit more in my screen. As part of a flood control effort at some point, the river has been re-dug so that it flows in a straight line. It's basically a canal now (light blue). The old, twisted riverbed is mostly on the west side of the new channel (red). There Is some old riverbed on the east side but I didn't mark it. These are the "serpentine ditches filled with brush" and/or water that the sheriff mentioned. Numerous man-made ditches are marked on the east side (blue). The deep ditch dug by a drag line is the orange line, which drains all of the little ditches that keep those fields dry enough for crops. The "river bottom" that was much discussed early on is between the yellow lines.
View attachment 279542

When the new channel was dug, the dirt was piled high on both sides. The bank on the east side can be seen in photos from this article Jessica Stacks missing ten days; Sheriff says “not ready to quit looking for her”
View attachment 279552 View attachment 279553 View attachment 279554

This website can be used to find the river depth at Etta. USGS Current Conditions for USGS 07268000 LITTLE TALLAHATCHIE RIVER AT ETTA, MS Some facts: The river has an average yearly depth of 12 ft deep. Flood stage (when the water would go over the high banks) is 25 ft deep. It floods about every other year. But... Remember that big drag line ditch that empties into the river. It will be at field level with no banks so the water on the fields can drain into it. And the field is possibly 5 or more feet below the top of the raised riverbanks. So whenever the gage hight (river depth) reaches the lowered area of the ditch, it overflows in that area. Last year the water rose near the top of the banks (20-25 Ft) 26 times, or basically every time it rains. It flooded once, in Feb 2020.

This is a video of that Feb flood, taken from the CR46 bridge.

. Notice from these two screenshots that you can still see the very top of the raised banks, I assume the water has already gone down a little.
View attachment 279571 View attachment 279572

From the website above, I copied this chart.

View attachment 279574 It shows that the water was around 23 ft deep on Jan 1st. So probably about 1 ft lower than in the flood video.

So now, on to the hunting story that has brought up so many questions. Being dropped off at the river: So JS's "stuck truck" video on her FB page shows them "mudding." It's huge part of a culture that involves old Broncos and Trucks, muddy river bottoms, getting stuck so you can winch yourself out, an' yer faithful buddys to go with you, take you there, or rejoice later over your story about mud up to the fenders. Having a buddy take you to the river isn't unusual, either to save all the back and forth and multiple vehicles for each end, or maybe because your truck is in the shop getting repaired from the last mudding trip. Also, Buddy's share everything, and I can totally see loaning a phone out (hey, JS would be glad to loan you her phone.) Maybe Buddy's phone fell in the mud while hooking up a winch, or he spent his paycheck on better mud tires and his phone is shut off.

I believe hunting from the river it is a real thing people do. The sheriff seemed familiar with it saying he knew of people who hunted deer or hogs that way. Others have pointed out that it's not deer season, but hogs are such a problem that they can be hunted any time, so I think it's likely they were after hogs. But not hogs in the water. When river bottoms flood, animals move to high ground. They will have learned that the last high spot to get submerged is the top of those raised riverbanks, where they are exposed to to someone on the river. Although people do eat wild hogs, I imagine this was just for sport.

Many rivers are often either public property, or the owners don't fuss if people stay off their land. So usually people get in and out of a river at a public bridge so they aren't trespassing. I'm guessing the plan was to get out of the river at the Hwy 30 bridge by Etta, a distance of 4 miles.

But then then JS got out of the boat. We don't know why... Maybe they argued, maybe she didn't feel safe with the gun in the boat, maybe she wasn't thinking clearly (like some of her videos would appear), maybe she thought they were nearly to the end (even the sheriff inaccurately quotes the distances involved), maybe the boat seemed frighteningly low in the water or maybe it had a leak... She would have had to have gotten out onto the bank, not in the river. The side of the banks are too steep to walk out of the river on at near flood stage, as they were that day. This spot on the bank would be where the sheriff says they found prints. From the article below: "Foot tracks were also found in the area where she supposedly got out of the boat."

Then the sheriff is quoted as saying that JS intended to walk from there to Hwy 30. I have a theory about this. MSM articles give us the idea that she was planning to walk east to Hwy 30 where it runs parallel to the river, about a mile away, and would have been blocked by the big ditch between the two spots. But I think she was planning to walk beside the river along the top of that raised bank, thinking she would soon reach Hwy 30 where it turns west and crosses the river, where they were probably planning to exit the river. In this newer article, the sheriff words it that way, too.

"About two miles downstream, Baggett says Stacks got out of the boat, *walking along the riverbank toward Highway 30.* " Sheriff: No current sign of foul play in Jessica Stacks’ disappearance

But it was at least two miles to the bridge downstream. (See the blue mile markers on my map at the top.) And, the big ditch was in the way, at the spot where it flowed into the river. Maybe she even thought she could keep up with the JB on the water and she could get her purse out of the boat when they reached the Hwy.

Putting aside what actually happened to JS and how much JB knows about it, or was involved, I don't think things went well for JB afterwards. Search underway along Tallahatchie River for missing woman "The boat was found about a mile upriver from the Rocky Ford Bridge at Etta."

So for some reason about a mile downstream from where JS got out, JB got out of the boat also, abandoning it and at least some of what was in it (her purse and keys, for sure.). Then where did his son pick him up? On the west side of the river where he landed, there may be a little trail in the field at the base of the raised bank that he could have driven on. I can't tell for sure in the satellite images, but if it's there it may have been under water. So he may have had to walk on top of the bank to the bridge like JS thought she could. I don't see any deep ditch emptying into the river on that side so it's possible.

Good scientific info. I'll just add in what I had noted earlier that hunting any game from a moving vehicle, including a boat is illegal in MS. The only game that can be hunted from a boat legally is birds if the motor is off.

What is your theory on how her boots came to be cut off and found with her coat and gloves?

 

[Songbird1973]

Good scientific info. I'll just add in what I had noted earlier that hunting any game from a moving vehicle, including a boat is illegal in MS. The only game that can be hunted from a boat legally is birds if the motor is off.

What is your theory on how her boots came to be cut off and found with her coat and gloves?

Ahhhh...I think I just learned why they took a boat without a motor for a hunting trip.

Hunting Regulations & Requirements | eRegulations

A. It is unlawful to shoot at any wild animal, or wild bird from a motorized vehicle [...] unless the progress from such vehicle [...] has completely ceased.

B. It is unlawful to hunt, chase, take, or pursue any wild animal other than squirrels and beaver from a motorboat or other watercraft having a motor, unless the motor has been completely shut off and its progress has ceased.

Sooo... No motor on boat = legal hunting vehicle.

Or maybe more like... Little boat - motor + 23 foot deep river x swirling floodwaters = somebody losing their life.

I don't really have a theory beyond thinking that each part of JB's story "could" have happened. The sheriff knows more than we do, and his tone seems pretty clear that the evidence doesn't line up with the story. MOO, I'd pry go with thinking he didn't plan the trip in order to murder her, but something did happen later and he tried to cover it up.

 

[Warwick7]

I want to share my thoughts and images, hopefully (new phone ). To be clear, I'm not trying to discount the theories about foul play. But without really knowing the people, the local culture, the geography, etc., it's just not accurate to say "it can't have happened that way, because that's not how people do things, or that's not how nature works. I'm going to go through the story, as told by JB, whether or not I think it's true. So... the river. I lived in West Mississippi once, and because the rivers flow so differently than the ones I was used to that had more slope, I learned a lot about them. So for the Tallahatchie River at Etta, MS, I'm attaching a map. This one is oriented north. The red marker is the bridge on CR46 where the boat was put in the water. The white line above Etta in the upper left is where the Rocky Ford Bridge crosses the river on Hwy 30.
View attachment 279541

The next map has been turned to fit more in my screen. As part of a flood control effort at some point, the river has been re-dug so that it flows in a straight line. It's basically a canal now (light blue). The old, twisted riverbed is mostly on the west side of the new channel (red). There Is some old riverbed on the east side but I didn't mark it. These are the "serpentine ditches filled with brush" and/or water that the sheriff mentioned. Numerous man-made ditches are marked on the east side (blue). The deep ditch dug by a drag line is the orange line, which drains all of the little ditches that keep those fields dry enough for crops. The "river bottom" that was much discussed early on is between the yellow lines.
View attachment 279542

When the new channel was dug, the dirt was piled high on both sides. The bank on the east side can be seen in photos from this article Jessica Stacks missing ten days; Sheriff says “not ready to quit looking for her”
View attachment 279552 View attachment 279553 View attachment 279554

This website can be used to find the river depth at Etta. USGS Current Conditions for USGS 07268000 LITTLE TALLAHATCHIE RIVER AT ETTA, MS Some facts: The river has an average yearly depth of 12 ft deep. Flood stage (when the water would go over the high banks) is 25 ft deep. It floods about every other year. But... Remember that big drag line ditch that empties into the river. It will be at field level with no banks so the water on the fields can drain into it. And the field is possibly 5 or more feet below the top of the raised riverbanks. So whenever the gage hight (river depth) reaches the lowered area of the ditch, it overflows in that area. Last year the water rose near the top of the banks (20-25 Ft) 26 times, or basically every time it rains. It flooded once, in Feb 2020.

This is a video of that Feb flood, taken from the CR46 bridge.

. Notice from these two screenshots that you can still see the very top of the raised banks, I assume the water has already gone down a little.
View attachment 279571 View attachment 279572

From the website above, I copied this chart.

View attachment 279574 It shows that the water was around 23 ft deep on Jan 1st. So probably about 1 ft lower than in the flood video.

So now, on to the hunting story that has brought up so many questions. Being dropped off at the river: So JS's "stuck truck" video on her FB page shows them "mudding." It's huge part of a culture that involves old Broncos and Trucks, muddy river bottoms, getting stuck so you can winch yourself out, an' yer faithful buddys to go with you, take you there, or rejoice later over your story about mud up to the fenders. Having a buddy take you to the river isn't unusual, either to save all the back and forth and multiple vehicles for each end, or maybe because your truck is in the shop getting repaired from the last mudding trip. Also, Buddy's share everything, and I can totally see loaning a phone out (hey, JS would be glad to loan you her phone.) Maybe Buddy's phone fell in the mud while hooking up a winch, or he spent his paycheck on better mud tires and his phone is shut off.

I believe hunting from the river it is a real thing people do. The sheriff seemed familiar with it saying he knew of people who hunted deer or hogs that way. Others have pointed out that it's not deer season, but hogs are such a problem that they can be hunted any time, so I think it's likely they were after hogs. But not hogs in the water. When river bottoms flood, animals move to high ground. They will have learned that the last high spot to get submerged is the top of those raised riverbanks, where they are exposed to to someone on the river. Although people do eat wild hogs, I imagine this was just for sport.

Many rivers are often either public property, or the owners don't fuss if people stay off their land. So usually people get in and out of a river at a public bridge so they aren't trespassing. I'm guessing the plan was to get out of the river at the Hwy 30 bridge by Etta, a distance of 4 miles.

But then then JS got out of the boat. We don't know why... Maybe they argued, maybe she didn't feel safe with the gun in the boat, maybe she wasn't thinking clearly (like some of her videos would appear), maybe she thought they were nearly to the end (even the sheriff inaccurately quotes the distances involved), maybe the boat seemed frighteningly low in the water or maybe it had a leak... She would have had to have gotten out onto the bank, not in the river. The side of the banks are too steep to walk out of the river on at near flood stage, as they were that day. This spot on the bank would be where the sheriff says they found prints. From the article below: "Foot tracks were also found in the area where she supposedly got out of the boat."

Then the sheriff is quoted as saying that JS intended to walk from there to Hwy 30. I have a theory about this. MSM articles give us the idea that she was planning to walk east to Hwy 30 where it runs parallel to the river, about a mile away, and would have been blocked by the big ditch between the two spots. But I think she was planning to walk beside the river along the top of that raised bank, thinking she would soon reach Hwy 30 where it turns west and crosses the river, where they were probably planning to exit the river. In this newer article, the sheriff words it that way, too.

"About two miles downstream, Baggett says Stacks got out of the boat, *walking along the riverbank toward Highway 30.* " Sheriff: No current sign of foul play in Jessica Stacks’ disappearance

But it was at least two miles to the bridge downstream. (See the blue mile markers on my map at the top.) And, the big ditch was in the way, at the spot where it flowed into the river. Maybe she even thought she could keep up with the JB on the water and she could get her purse out of the boat when they reached the Hwy.

Putting aside what actually happened to JS and how much JB knows about it, or was involved, I don't think things went well for JB afterwards. Search underway along Tallahatchie River for missing woman "The boat was found about a mile upriver from the Rocky Ford Bridge at Etta."

So for some reason about a mile downstream from where JS got out, JB got out of the boat also, abandoning it and at least some of what was in it (her purse and keys, for sure.). Then where did his son pick him up? On the west side of the river where he landed, there may be a little trail in the field at the base of the raised bank that he could have driven on. I can't tell for sure in the satellite images, but if it's there it may have been under water. So he may have had to walk on top of the bank to the bridge like JS thought she could. I don't see any deep ditch emptying into the river on that side so it's possible.

BBM

Although I appreciate all your work, I'ld like to go back to what I had emboldened. The word "story."

A story told by JB.

I believe also it was a story.
Because, in MOO, I don't believe she was ever on that boat to begin with.

 

[Songbird1973]

BBM

Although I appreciate all your work, I'ld like to go back to what I had emboldened. The word "story."

A story told by JB.

I believe also it was a story.
Because, in MOO, I don't believe she was ever on that boat to begin with.

That very well could be. I'm not insisting she was on the boat. I'm just saying it "could" have happened based on what I know about the local culture.

 

[Warwick7]

That very well could be. I'm not insisting she was on the boat. I'm just saying it "could" have happened based on what I know about the local culture.

As sad as it is...I just don't believe that.
:0(

 

[Quill]

Ahhhh...I think I just learned why they took a boat without a motor for a hunting trip.

Hunting Regulations & Requirements | eRegulations

A. It is unlawful to shoot at any wild animal, or wild bird from a motorized vehicle [...] unless the progress from such vehicle [...] has completely ceased.

B. It is unlawful to hunt, chase, take, or pursue any wild animal other than squirrels and beaver from a motorboat or other watercraft having a motor, unless the motor has been completely shut off and its progress has ceased.

Sooo... No motor on boat = legal hunting vehicle.

Or maybe more like... Little boat - motor + 23 foot deep river x swirling floodwaters = somebody losing their life.

I don't really have a theory beyond thinking that each part of JB's story "could" have happened. The sheriff knows more than we do, and his tone seems pretty clear that the evidence doesn't line up with the story. MOO, I'd pry go with thinking he didn't plan the trip in order to murder her, but something did happen later and he tried to cover it up.

Yeah, I had mentioned that earlier but I think that mainly applies to game birds. Now, depending on how bad the hog population is I don't know how often enforcement might "turn a blind eye" to shooting hogs from a boat, but I know they are very strict when it comes to deer.

 

[MimosaMornings]

I’m not sure how excited I would be to get up early and be on a little jon boat at daylight - all day shooting at wild hogs on a riverbank - if I had been up late celebrating New Years Eve.
JMO

 

[alexwood]

I’m not sure how excited I would be to get up early and be on a little jon boat at daylight - all day shooting at wild hogs on a riverbank - if I had been up late celebrating New Years Eve.
JMO

Yes. A hangover -- combined with sea sickness.

 

[MimosaMornings]

Yeah, I had mentioned that earlier but I think that mainly applies to game birds. Now, depending on how bad the hog population is I don't know how often enforcement might "turn a blind eye" to shooting hogs from a boat, but I know they are very strict when it comes to deer.

In Texas with the wild hog population tearing up property - usually traps/pens are set up. You don’t sit in someone’s field or back acre shooting at them. Or waste the meat. JMO

 

[Quill]

In Texas with the wild hog population tearing up property - usually traps/pens are set up. You don’t sit in someone’s field or back acre shooting at them. Or waste the meat. JMO

Agreed that the traps/pens is the most effective way used here as well, but I guess there are those that do go out and shoot at them since the sheriff mentioned it in his statements. I have wondered it about it because it is not like you can just walk up on them. They are pretty dangerous and you better be a real good shot. Maybe that's the reason for doing it from the water?

 

[Spider92]

I feel like emailing Hank at the Chickasaw Journal and asking the source of the report that the boots "had been cut off her". How does he know that? If I read that phrase literally, it means that the boots were cut while she was wearing them for the purpose of removing them. How can that be known? Was there blood, skin or clothing embedded in the cut of the boot? Or did they just look cut up after slipping on sharp rocks and debris? Was this fact reported elsewhere? Like I said, I'd email the reporter Hank, but I'm just not the nosey type.....

 

[Hexe]

I feel like emailing Hank at the Chickasaw Journal and asking the source of the report that the boots "had been cut off her". How does he know that? If I read that phrase literally, it means that the boots were cut while she was wearing them for the purpose of removing them. How can that be known? Was there blood, skin or clothing embedded in the cut of the boot? Or did they just look cut up after slipping on sharp rocks and debris?

I thought the boot laces were cut, instead just untied, but I may be wrong.