Found Deceased TN - David Riemens, 60, Watertown, 8 Aug 2012

[ginestra]

I thought it was odd too that the friend knew where the truck was, but said thought he was in Michigan. . The photograph of Burgess Falls, seemed strange.

 

[Midge Montana]

I thought it was odd too that the friend knew where the truck was, but said thought he was in Michigan. . The photograph of Burgess Falls, seemed strange.

Right! How in the WORLD did that photo get put into the sister's file at the doctor's office? And if I understand correctly, that photo was never in her possession, but taken by David. So weird.

 

[fasteddy8170]

Very interesting case. I had not heard of it before until I saw it on Disappeared. It's truly somewhat of a stumper. But I have just a couple things.

If it were me, and who knows--the police may or may not have done this, I'd go back and talk to about the last 10 customers David had. I'd do this because in the show it said that David didn't advertise his business. He got all his work from word of mouth and his reputation. Well then, if that's the case, then it would make sense that he got the lead for the "job with the bricks" from one of those other prior jobs.

However, as I sit here and write this, I wonder if the "job with the bricks" even existed. Why do I think that? First, the alleged location was never found. Second, if the "job with the bricks" job existed, wouldn't somebody come forward to say that he/she was the person who was going to hire David? I mean, surely the person at this point knows David disappeared. However, no one has come forward.

Third, who is going to have a stone job to then allegedly kill the guy who is supposed to do the job? That doesn't make any sense either. What disagreement could be SO BAD that somebody has to die? If, in fact, David is dead.

Given all that, I'd like to know if David ever met anyone in the Dollar General store before. Was it his custom to meet a potential client in a parking lot and ride with the client to the location? Or, did David normally drive to a potential job location himself? I realize in the episode they said David liked to drive himself. Then, once again, why meet somebody and jump in their car?

It also seems strange to me that David drove to the "job with the bricks" location at least once. However, on the day of the disappearance, he agreed to meet the "contractor" at the Dollar store. Why not meet the contractor where the work was going to actually be done? I'm not in the construction/home-building business, but it seems odd to me. We should also note: That mysterious contractor has never come forward. Nor has the owner of the building that was to be built.

Once again I'm wondering if the job ever existed. Even more so, when I write that I mean not just that the job was fake, but that David was lying to people about it as well. Because what I'm thinking is this: David was an experienced construction guy. Had been in the business for SEVERAL years. He was well-thought of. Did quality work. He was creative and didn't seem to lacking for work.

Given all that, why would he try to take a job while, at the same time, admitting to his friends and family that he couldn't even find out who the contractor was? Why would he do that? If he were desperate and new to the business, I could understand. But he wasn't. He was an established member of the construction community. After years of work David would've been able to smell a shady customer, right?

And the kicker, as some of you have already pointed out, is that the friend said David was in Michigan. But in the next breath the friend said David's truck was at the Dollar store. So exactly how was David getting to Michigan--flying or driving? I mean the friend's words are SO contradictory that I'm wondering if that is simply a mistake in the storytelling, and not exactly what happened. I wouldn't want to read too much into it until I got confirmation that that's actually what the friend said.

No matter what, I have a strong suspicion that the "job with the bricks" didn't exist and something else was going on with David.

 

[fasteddy8170]

I listened to the recording that David left on his brother's answering machine. I'm a writer by profession so words kind of "stick out" to me. And the ones he used in the message are interesting.

He specifically called the job that was delaying him a "rock job". NOT a brick job. I bring it up because HOW coincidental is that he was looking for bricks . . . and just happened to run into an older guy that had some. And then, when David shows up to look at these, I guess, very unique bricks, that there's a house going up and the owner is looking for rock work--something David does.

Can I just say that whole story sounds just a little TOO coincidental? I mean, David gets two things he wants in one trip?

Also, when I listen to that message I don't hear a guy who's waiting to lock up another job. Instead, just from the word usage and the inflection of his voice, I think he was waiting for money. The reason? Notice how he says, "I'm trying to get this rock job together, started." This sounds like a guy who is fishing for words. Why? Because "together" and "started" mean two different things. And if he'd truly been having a problem nailing a customer down like it seems he had been, David would've used exact language to explain his situation because it would be dominant in his mind.

Also, regarding the word, "started", David was supposed to be going to MI for a week. So, "started" is an odd word to use since the job couldn't get "started" until he got back. So, to edit his statement, "I'm trying to get this job started." Well, no he wasn't because he wasn't going to be back in town for a week.

However, what I think I know about human nature is the only reason people delay going anywhere for a few days is not because of a possible job, but because of money. I'm wondering if David got stiffed on a job he did and was trying to get the money for it. And he concocted the "job with the bricks" story as a way to cover up he was having some problems with a customer. He sounds like a nice guy and might've been trying to protect his customer's reputation. And the dispute over money became violent.

A disagreement over money sounds much more plausible than one over a mysterious job.

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

I listened to the recording that David left on his brother's answering machine. I'm a writer by profession so words kind of "stick out" to me. And the ones he used in the message are interesting.

He specifically called the job that was delaying him a "rock job". NOT a brick job. I bring it up because HOW coincidental is that he was looking for bricks . . . and just happened to run into an older guy that had some. And then, when David shows up to look at these, I guess, very unique bricks, that there's a house going up and the owner is looking for rock work--something David does.

Can I just say that whole story sounds just a little TOO coincidental? I mean, David gets two things he wants in one trip?

Also, when I listen to that message I don't hear a guy who's waiting to lock up another job. Instead, just from the word usage and the inflection of his voice, I think he was waiting for money. The reason? Notice how he says, "I'm trying to get this rock job together, started." This sounds like a guy who is fishing for words. Why? Because "together" and "started" mean two different things. And if he'd truly been having a problem nailing a customer down like it seems he had been, David would've used exact language to explain his situation because it would be dominant in his mind.

Also, regarding the word, "started", David was supposed to be going to MI for a week. So, "started" is an odd word to use since the job couldn't get "started" until he got back. So, to edit his statement, "I'm trying to get this job started." Well, no he wasn't because he wasn't going to be back in town for a week.

However, what I think I know about human nature is the only reason people delay going anywhere for a few days is not because of a possible job, but because of money. I'm wondering if David got stiffed on a job he did and was trying to get the money for it. And he concocted the "job with the bricks" story as a way to cover up he was having some problems with a customer. He sounds like a nice guy and might've been trying to protect his customer's reputation. And the dispute over money became violent.

A disagreement over money sounds much more plausible than one over a mysterious job.

Lots of great insight in this post, FE, thank you. I, too, write. Language is power and the things you picked up on are very important IMO too.

 

[Sleuthster]

Very interesting case. I had not heard of it before until I saw it on Disappeared. It's truly somewhat of a stumper. But I have just a couple things.

If it were me, and who knows--the police may or may not have done this, I'd go back and talk to about the last 10 customers David had. I'd do this because in the show it said that David didn't advertise his business. He got all his work from word of mouth and his reputation. Well then, if that's the case, then it would make sense that he got the lead for the "job with the bricks" from one of those other prior jobs.

However, as I sit here and write this, I wonder if the "job with the bricks" even existed. Why do I think that? First, the alleged location was never found. Second, if the "job with the bricks" job existed, wouldn't somebody come forward to say that he/she was the person who was going to hire David? I mean, surely the person at this point knows David disappeared. However, no one has come forward.

Third, who is going to have a stone job to then allegedly kill the guy who is supposed to do the job? That doesn't make any sense either. What disagreement could be SO BAD that somebody has to die? If, in fact, David is dead.

Given all that, I'd like to know if David ever met anyone in the Dollar General store before. Was it his custom to meet a potential client in a parking lot and ride with the client to the location? Or, did David normally drive to a potential job location himself? I realize in the episode they said David liked to drive himself. Then, once again, why meet somebody and jump in their car?

It also seems strange to me that David drove to the "job with the bricks" location at least once. However, on the day of the disappearance, he agreed to meet the "contractor" at the Dollar store. Why not meet the contractor where the work was going to actually be done? I'm not in the construction/home-building business, but it seems odd to me. We should also note: That mysterious contractor has never come forward. Nor has the owner of the building that was to be built.

Once again I'm wondering if the job ever existed. Even more so, when I write that I mean not just that the job was fake, but that David was lying to people about it as well. Because what I'm thinking is this: David was an experienced construction guy. Had been in the business for SEVERAL years. He was well-thought of. Did quality work. He was creative and didn't seem to lacking for work.

Given all that, why would he try to take a job while, at the same time, admitting to his friends and family that he couldn't even find out who the contractor was? Why would he do that? If he were desperate and new to the business, I could understand. But he wasn't. He was an established member of the construction community. After years of work David would've been able to smell a shady customer, right?

And the kicker, as some of you have already pointed out, is that the friend said David was in Michigan. But in the next breath the friend said David's truck was at the Dollar store. So exactly how was David getting to Michigan--flying or driving? I mean the friend's words are SO contradictory that I'm wondering if that is simply a mistake in the storytelling, and not exactly what happened. I wouldn't want to read too much into it until I got confirmation that that's actually what the friend said.

No matter what, I have a strong suspicion that the "job with the bricks" didn't exist and something else was going on with David.

I agree with this. My father was a general contractor and got most of his jobs by word of mouth. He reminded me of David. Matter of fact, my dad moved up to Tennessee a few years before he passed away, outside of Knoxville where people are just like this documentary portrayed Watertown. Somehow I can't picture Watertown being hillbilly small town backwoods. It's not that far from Nashville. Anyways, the whole job thing did seem bizarre and who does business in front of Dollar General? Like I said, it does not seem that small town.

 

[Sleuthster]

I'm curious about the couple who owned the property where his treehouse is. If you think about it, they where the ones who gave most of the info; the phone call to the friend, the bricks, being told the truck was at DG? To be blunt I wonder if the property where David lived was ever searched, including the rock storage building that he had built.

 

[lucymoosey]

I watched the Disappeared episode, and couldn't help but think.....
They showed that David had the antique bricks already in his truck. They mentioned on the show that the bricks were in a pile, partially buried/underground, i.e. difficult to excavate (hence why he only had a few of them). I just kept thinking about that pile of bricks, which David seemed really excited about getting, and what was buried under there? Maybe there was something (someone?) buried under there that the person didn't want him finding. That was the only sense I could make of this case. I definitely don't see him walking away from his family, his life. The couple whose property he lived on seemed to care for him very much, very genuine (to me at least). What a shame they can't find those bricks, and that they don't have any information to go on! I liked what someone else wrote about David's notepad being in the truck- why would that be in the truck (if that is factually correct) if he was out to give an estimate, square away details on a job?

 

[cutter99]

I live about a half hour away from Watertown, and while it is tiny, it is not hillbilly. Last census in 2010 put the population at less than 1500 residents. It has several restaurants, some more upscale and progressive. There is a small market/ gas station, the Dollar General, some small antique dealers/ stores, and a drive-in movie theater. Watertown is so small that it does not even have a chain grocery store or drug store. There is a population of people who would fit the artsy, eclectic description, and there are many transplants, such as myself, from out of the area.

I would be absolutely shocked if the people David lived with had anything whatsoever to do with his disappearance. They have been the driving force behind finding him and were the ones to initially alert LE that he was missing. They personally have started and maintained the Facebook page, as well as arranged and paid for the aerial searches.

While less than an hour from Nashville, while this area is NOT hillbilly, there are some other interesting aspects to it. The area can become EXTREMELY rural very quickly. Brush and undergrowth can be very dense and thick. The geography is very hilly with creeks, bluffs and rock formations. Sink holes are very common, and can be large enough to hide a full grown cow and her calf. There are rattlesnakes, as well as cotton mouths, which are also poisonous.

Building permits are not necessarily a "must have" here. We gutted a house two years ago, and replaced every system, basically rebuilding a brand new house on the original foundation. The only inspection we were required to have in our county, which adjoins the one David disappeared from, was an electrical inspection before we were hooked back into public electric. The area is such geographically that you could renovated a house, or build one, and no one may be any the wiser as many properties cannot be seen from the road.

While the people are nice and very kind, as well as accepting of outsiders, there is a much darker elements in the form of meth and various other drug related issues. We routinely have TN Highway Patrol helicopters performing flyovers to check for marijuana farms and the local paper in my county is covered weekly with news of meth and prescription drug busts.

If you talk to locals about what they think happened to David, the most popular response is they believe he saw something he was not intended to see and someone harmed him because of it. What that could have been could be anyone's guess, but most theories lean towards drugs.

While David had a very established life here, it was not one that was extremely restricted by commitments. If he wanted to take off and leave, there was nothing stopping him from leaving if he chose to. He did have a dog, and I have heard people say he would not have left the dog. He also kept in touch regularly with his family, even when traveling, and would mail postcards to loved ones. If he were still alive, why would he not have continued to do so?

 

[mtnlites]

Right! How in the WORLD did that photo get put into the sister's file at the doctor's office? And if I understand correctly, that photo was never in her possession, but taken by David. So weird.

I actually don't find this to be the more unusual part of the story. I figured that his sister had the picture in her purse, in a back pocket, etc. and it simply fell out during her visit. Office staff picked it up and slipped it into her file, figuring they'd give it to her the next time she returned.

I have kids. This has happened to us on occasion-child has left something behind in the office and they put it up for us to return on our next visit.

Now, I DO think it might have been a "sign" of sorts. I totally believe in that. Appearing when it did, the dreams,the name "Burgess" continuing to show up...I think those were signs he was sending his sister. I don't necessarily think they pertain to the road name or falls, however. Could be a guy's first name, last name, etc.

 

[TexasT]

The two men at the job site that acted weird may have been Afraid of him talking their jobs .

The fact that the contractor never came forward just shows they have something to hide .

This hobo theory is ridiculous , no way he would leave his dog behind ? That's part of the experience and why not sell or even Give away the truck .

Day laybors should know where construction was goin on even if no permits were filed . SOMEONE was building .

TT


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mtnlites]

Notice how he says, "I'm trying to get this rock job together, started." This sounds like a guy who is fishing for words. Why? Because "together" and "started" mean two different things. And if he'd truly been having a problem nailing a customer down like it seems he had been, David would've used exact language to explain his situation because it would be dominant in his mind. .

I am a writer. (A published author, actually, and one of the top-selling ones in my genre.) I am wondering if his word choice and phrasing isn't just something that's unique to him. I do think that sometimes we get so involved in breaking these cases down that we start losing sight of the forest for the trees.

Before my own books took off, I was a ghostwriter. I bid for jobs, much like contractors bid for jobs. If we were getting ready to go out of town for vacation or whatever I always liked to get the details of a job under wraps so that it wasn't hanging over my head while I was gone. I'd usually try to peg down the job, get the contracts signed, and get escrow funded before I left-even if the job wasn't slated to start for a week or two. I just hated traveling with all of that up in the air. I absolutely would've used that phrasing "trying to get this writing job all together" or "trying to get this project started." That's just the way I say things.

Still, there are many things that are suspicious in this case. The landowners, for instance, seem like lovely people. I didn't get any weird vibes from them whatsoever. And yet...almost everything we know about his last few days came from THEM. That, in and of itself, makes me leery.

And, as others have pointed out, the guy saying that he was in Michigan but then volunteering that David's truck was at the Dollar store. How the heck did he think he got to Michigan? That was odd.

Someone above my comment asked "who does business at the Dollar General"? I live in a small town. It's probably about the size of Watertown. It's a rural town about an hour from a larger city. The Dollar store is kind of the hub. Everyone goes there several times a week. Around here, people buy and sell stuff on Craigslist all the time. They often meet in the Dollar store parking lot. It's central and public.

I am leaning heavily towards accident. I believe he is dead, but don't think it was premeditated. If the person(s) were going to kill him, they wouldn't have met him such a public place-someplace where others could have easily seen him and witnessed him getting into another vehicle. And I get a strong feeling that it was someone he knew. The job may or may not have been legit-or even existed. But it seems unlikely that he willingly got into someone else's vehicle to drive to a job site he was already familiar with. My other idea is that he didn't actually leave the truck parked there-that he went somewhere, got killed, and whoever felt responsible drove his truck back there and left it. (Although, again, that was awfully risky and relied heavily on luck.)

I've watched all the DISAPPEARED episodes. Even based one of my books off of one of the cases. This one, however, has bothered me more than any of them. He seemed like a nice man. I got a very good vibe from him. Loved the tree house and "Hobbit house." I really hope someone comes forward with information.

 

[TexasT]

SEATTLE, Sept. 28 — No one had heard from Tanya Rider for more than a week. Her husband, having already opened up their bank and phone accounts to investigators, was just sitting down to take a polygraph test to prove that he had not harmed her.

Then they found her, alive.

Twenty feet down a roadside ravine, still strapped into the front seat of her Honda Element, Ms. Rider, 33, responded faintly when rescuers called her name through the blackberry bushes that had helped conceal her since her car ran off the road near the Seattle suburb of Renton on Sept. 19. Her kidneys were failing from dehydration and a buildup of toxins caused by muscle damage. Her clavicle and ribs were broken, her shoulder dislocated, her left leg severely hurt.

It was the signal from her cellphone that finally led investigators to Ms. Rider on Thursday, after what her husband of eight years, Tom, said Friday were days of futile efforts to have her disappearance investigated as a missing person case.



The Problem is they HAVE Davids car.
TT

 

[cutter99]

I think the problem is, even though they have David's truck, no one else or their vehicle has been reported missing. Only David.

And in response to mtnlites post above- my county is so rural that we have no chain grocery or drug stores, except for a Walmart Super Center, but we have at least 3 Dollar General stores. Here they are VERY common and sometimes the closest option as far as a good place to meet someone.

 

[mtnlites]

And in response to mtnlites post above- my county is so rural that we have no chain grocery or drug stores, except for a Walmart Super Center, but we have at least 3 Dollar General stores. Here they are VERY common and sometimes the closest option as far as a good place to meet someone.

Yep, us too, only we don't even have a Walmart in our county. We're REALLY kind of out in the middle of nowhere. The Dollar General, and your various gas stations, are kind of the local meeting places: they're public, have good visibility, easy access, and you can always pop in and do a little shopping while you wait.

 

[ginestra]

The fascination with the hobo lifestyle makes you wonder. There was mention of losing a sister, and the pain they felt, that I feel he would of just told him if he was doing that. . He was pretty free spirited, I doubt his family would of been able to stop him, but he wouldn't want them to worry.

 

[alreetlike]

I just watched his Disappeared episode this morning. It's a pretty interesting case. I can't help feeling that the whole job with the bricks could be a red herring and in fact something totally different happened to David. Like the detective though, I'm struggling for a gut instinct on what happened.

Did anyone else hear in the beginning that his bestfriend, when called to see if he had seen him, first said he thought he left for Michigan but also told them where the truck was. It puzzles me why he would think David was in Michigan if his truck was in front of Dollar General.

I thought that was pretty weird too. Unless it was just badly worded on the show, and the friend thought he was in Michigan but then found out he wasn't and said "oh well I did see his truck at Dollar General.." rather than saying for certain that his truck was still there.

 

[ZaZara]

Hiya, does anyone have a working link for this episode of Disappeared about David?

Many Youtubes with this episode have been suspended, and others inform me that I cannot watch this because I'm outside the USA.

And I would so love to see this!

:banghead:

 

[ginestra]

try googleplay.

 

[EdinburghLass]

Hiya, does anyone have a working link for this episode of Disappeared about David?

Many Youtubes with this episode have been suspended, and others inform me that I cannot watch this because I'm outside the USA.

And I would so love to see this!

:banghead:

I'm in Australia and this link works for me- https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HrE5F4YqyOI

The format isn't 100% amazing, but it's watchable.