TX TX - Caleb Harris, 21, Texas A&M University student, Corpus Christi, 4 Mar 2024 #3

[SMK777]

Exactly.

I think whoever took Caleb must have gone to great lengths to cover their digital footprints.

I believe it is someone who has likely done this before, sadly.

It sounds like it, yes. In the ‘70s and ‘80s there were the interstate highway killers who preyed on young males hitchhiking. Now the highways are internet apps.

Caleb may have been targeted by someone experienced at getting away with this type of crime and concealing their identity.

I remember reading about Randy Kraft and another gay serial killer. It was chilling how they got away with it: Kraft may have had over 60 victims. He was educated and successful.

We shouldn’t be surprised if history repeats itself, but transferred to the digital age.

 

[EllaMae]

What do you think they mean? “Baffling” to me would mean you can’t make heads or tails of it. Maybe the assistant Chief of Police used the wrong word….

Their words are carefully chosen most of the time. They try not to say too much. I believe they are focusing in on someone or a specific something.... but they certainly aren't going to say that yet. They're possibly buying more time with the public and protecting their investigation by using that word. It always complicates the search when a missing person has been taken by a stranger, and it looks like that's probably what happened here. There's no starting point like there is when a suspect is known to the victim. There's also no body yet.....no crime scene discovered either.
LE had to widen their search after eliminating family,friends and more distant contacts like the UE driver and the guy seen driving out of the complex. Caleb didn't seem to have any real enemies to investigate, as far as we know.
The digital trail is the obvious one to follow given Caleb's age,and the absence of other immediate suspects, but it's not going to be unraveled easily or quickly.
Baffling seems to be the all-encompassing word without saying much at all.

 

[SMK777]

Does anyone know if a search was ever conducted in the water?

They were definitely searching the waterways and marshes at nature preserves; I was following the search and rescue reports.
And they were also using boats and dive teams:

 

[SMK777]

Their words are carefully chosen most of the time. They try not to say too much. I believe they are focusing in on someone or a specific something.... but they certainly aren't going to say that yet. They're possibly buying more time with the public and protecting their investigation by using that word. It always complicates the search when a missing person has been taken by a stranger, and it looks like that's probably what happened here. There's no starting point like there is when a suspect is known to the victim. There's also no body yet.....no crime scene discovered either.
LE had to widen their search after eliminating family,friends and more distant contacts like the UE driver and the guy seen driving out of the complex. Caleb didn't seem to have any real enemies to investigate, as far as we know.
The digital trail is the obvious one to follow given Caleb's age,and the absence of other immediate suspects, but it's not going to be unraveled easily or quickly.
Baffling seems to be the all-encompassing word without saying much at all.

Good observations, thanks.

 

[charminglane]

If all our wishes came true, Caleb would be home by now.

 

[Muddy K]

It sounds like it, yes. In the ‘70s and ‘80s there were the interstate highway killers who preyed on young males hitchhiking. Now the highways are internet apps.

Caleb may have been targeted by someone experienced at getting away with this type of crime and concealing their identity.

I remember reading about Randy Kraft and another gay serial killer. It was chilling how they got away with it: Kraft may have had over 60 victims. He was educated and successful.

We shouldn’t be surprised if history repeats itself, but transferred to the digital age.

BBM just because I admire your succinct clarity in six simple words.

But I still don't think there had to have been a digital connection in this case. There is no prerequisite that there be prior contact between murderer and murderee.

Maybe the other serial killer you read about was Larry Eyler?

IMO, killers want/need to kill, and so they kill. And, like everybody else, they evolve just as ways and means evolve.

Some predator could have met Caleb on line and engineered an encounter, yes. I realize that many sleuthers believe it was something along these lines and I understand why. However, to date, virtually no factual evidence to support this scenario has been made public. That may be because there is none. We'll see.

Or... some predator in the wider vicinity of The Cottages apartment complex could have noticed Caleb and bookmarked him for future reference.

Or... some predator could have been out night-trawling and seized the perfect opportunity presented by a barefoot young man apparently loitering near a fog-shrouded bridge in the middle of the night.

Or... some cruiser could have presumed that loitering barefoot young man to have been a rent boy.

My point is, there are alternative scenarios here that require no digital access whatsoever.

Just because it's hard to believe that Caleb was randomly grabbed and killed by a stranger doesn't mean he wasn't. I happen to think he was. JMO, of course.

 

[SMK777]

BBM just because I admire your succinct clarity in six simple words.

But I still don't think there had to have been a digital connection in this case. There is no prerequisite that there be prior contact between murderer and murderee.

Maybe the other serial killer you read about was Larry Eyler?

IMO, killers want/need to kill, and so they kill. And, like everybody else, they evolve just as ways and means evolve.

Some predator could have met Caleb on line and engineered an encounter, yes. I realize that many sleuthers believe it was something along these lines and I understand why. However, to date, virtually no factual evidence to support this scenario has been made public. That may be because there is none. We'll see.

Or... some predator in the wider vicinity of The Cottages apartment complex could have noticed Caleb and bookmarked him for future reference.

Or... some predator could have been out night-trawling and seized the perfect opportunity presented by a barefoot young man apparently loitering near a fog-shrouded bridge in the middle of the night.

Or... some cruiser could have presumed that loitering barefoot young man to have been a rent boy.

My point is, there are alternative scenarios here that require no digital access whatsoever.

Just because it's hard to believe that Caleb was randomly grabbed and killed by a stranger doesn't mean he wasn't. I happen to think he was. JMO, of course.

True. Until the law enforcement agencies have spoken, we really don’t know how this person happened upon Caleb. It was a dangerous time to be outside.

The scenarios you are proposing would explain why the digital trail has thus far not amounted to a suspect or arrest.

 

[SMK777]

My point is, there are alternative scenarios here that require no digital access whatsoever.

Snipped for focus:
If something of this nature did occur, what are the chances that the person will be caught? It would probably have to be something like getting caught in the act with another crime, and then an investigation leading to Caleb and maybe other victims. This is what occurred with gay serial killer Randy Kraft.

 

[Imvp2]

<modsnip - quoted post was removed for discussion of non-approved source>
I'm thinking it was a repeat hook-up. They had been grooming caleb into feeling safe with them. And they knew what they had planned along all along. Serial

 

[branmuffin]

Has anyone else gone missing in CC during the same time frame of Caleb's disappearance? I've checked and there are a few people and I can't say whether or not they 'fit' the profile of a vulnerable person or one who engages in risky behaviors since CH doesn't 'fit' that profile either.

 

[MsKitty]

Looking over the ring cam footage it doesn't appear that Caleb is wearing his iwatch.

Do we know that for a fact?

If he was wearing it there would be a lot of useful data on it.
(Location, changes in heartrate, walking vs running, and access to emergency services).

I’ve read that his watch (I think it was an Apple) was found and is with his other digital devices being investigated

 

[SMK777]

I'm thinking it was a repeat hook-up. They had been grooming caleb into feeling safe with them. And they knew what they had planned along all along. Serial

That’s certainly possible.

 

[SMK777]

Has anyone else gone missing in CC during the same time frame of Caleb's disappearance? I've checked and there are a few people and I can't say whether or not they 'fit' the profile of a vulnerable person or one who engages in risky behaviors since CH doesn't 'fit' that profile either.

Yes, people have mentioned these missing young males and wished law enforcement would explore the possibility of a connection. Of course, we don’t know if LE has or not, or what they think or what they have or have not ruled out, because the investigation is kept private.

I remember with the serial killer of young males, John Wayne Gacy, a few of the missing that were NOT viewed as having any connection to his case, later proved to have been his victims. Same with the serial killer Randy Kraft.

 

[SMK777]

<modsnip - quoted post was removed for discussion of non-approved source>
As someone has pointed out, Caleb would have possibly felt comfortable getting in a car with someone because he’d met with him at other times with no problems. And of course not knowing what the person may have been plotting…..just a thought.

 

[MassGuy]

I'm thinking it was a repeat hook-up. They had been grooming caleb into feeling safe with them. And they knew what they had planned along all along. Serial

I think if it was a repeat hookup then there would be a much higher likelihood of a digital trail. I think this would have been solved by now.

Obviously it makes more sense for it to be a repeat if he did get into a vehicle, as it appears, but I think he was engaged in risky behavior (in part) in order to keep this all a secret.

 

[SMK777]

I think if it was a repeat hookup then there would be a much higher likelihood of a digital trail. I think this would have been solved by now.

Obviously it makes more sense for it to be a repeat if he did get into a vehicle, as it appears, but I think he was engaged in risky behavior (in part) in order to keep this all a secret.

Good point.

 

[Imvp2]

I think if it was a repeat hookup then there would be a much higher likelihood of a digital trail. I think this would have been solved by now.

Obviously it makes more sense for it to be a repeat if he did get into a vehicle, as it appears, but I think he was engaged in risky behavior (in part) in order to keep this all a secret.

I'm thinking there is a digital trail of sorts . The criminal mind has learned ways around it. Have Caleb's watch or phone ever been found?
Have they identified the deleted reddit acct owner?

 

[Imvp2]

Just thinking...did caleb have a cash app?
I'm not really keeping up with this case sadly

 

[Teche]

In this day and age when a missing/endangered individual, LE should be able to receive data pronto once a warrant is received. I understand privacy issues but the process takes an incredibly long time.

 

[SMK777]

In this day and age when a missing/endangered individual, LE should be able to receive data pronto once a warrant is received. I understand privacy issues but the process takes an incredibly long time.

Yes, it’s surprising, because if a life is in danger, time is of the essence.