Found Deceased TX - Sharla Shaffer, 48, went on bike ride, bike found, Stephenville, 29 July 2022

[JurassicParker]

Oh, maybe I'm judging her by by own standards then, but 100°F/38°C is too hot to be outside for me, let alone engage in sporting activity. I like it cool and crisp.

When you live in Texas for so long you do eventually, sorta, kinda, get used to it. Right now we are suffering from severe heat and drought. Every day has a heat index of 103 - 114. Plus humidity, which makes it worse. I'm much closer to the gulf so I don't think it's that bad in Stephenville but it's still there. The clothing she was wearing is not something you wear for a bike ride. She would have been sweating profusely the entire time. There is definitely something weird going on here.

 

[nannymo]

So did she leave her own home on her bike and the bike showed up later at her Mom's house? Or did she leave her Mom's house on the bike? I am a little confused. Do we know if she has other family? A husband? Other children?

 

[TGIRecovered]

When you live in Texas for so long you do eventually, sorta, kinda, get used to it. Right now we are suffering from severe heat and drought. Every day has a heat index of 103 - 114. Plus humidity, which makes it worse. I'm much closer to the gulf so I don't think it's that bad in Stephenville but it's still there. The clothing she was wearing is not something you wear for a bike ride. She would have been sweating profusely the entire time. There is definitely something weird going on here.

She would only be able to sweat for so long. A person gets dehydrated very quickly in 100° heat. Stephenville is about a seven hour drive north of the Gulf of Mexico. It’s not humid, it’s dry heat.

 

[KD5NRH]

When you live in Texas for so long you do eventually, sorta, kinda, get used to it. Right now we are suffering from severe heat and drought. Every day has a heat index of 103 - 114. Plus humidity, which makes it worse. I'm much closer to the gulf so I don't think it's that bad in Stephenville but it's still there. The clothing she was wearing is not something you wear for a bike ride. She would have been sweating profusely the entire time. There is definitely something weird going on here.

Not all jeans are made the same. I have some that might as well be sold as solar ovens, and others that aren't much warmer than some of my good technical fabric hiking pants. Without going through her closet, I have no idea what she buys, but considering how uncomfortable just pedaling in most of the heavier ones can be, I'd assume they were something soft and breathable.

And let's bear in mind there are roofers here who can spend all day up on a metal roof in this heat. Having been a solar power designer for a while, I've inspected a few of them, and it's miserable: any heat that missed you on the way down gets reflected right back at you. Those guys will spend hours in jeans, a t shirt and work boots doing heavy manual labor with no shade available,

So did she leave her own home on her bike and the bike showed up later at her Mom's house? Or did she leave her Mom's house on the bike? I am a little confused. Do we know if she has other family? A husband? Other children?

<modsnip - no link from an approved source> I'd guess she keeps the bike there so she can completely avoid riding in traffic in town. Between the college students who can't drive and the 975 year olds posting to Facebook while driving about how bad the college students are, traffic can be really infuriating on a bike.

 

[clorenc]

<modsnip>

From the time that she took off on her bike to the time she was noticed missing, was anyone at the house?

If she was seen on the bike — and it’s unlikely someone else returned it — then it does seem like she might have brought it back herself. I’d think under normal circumstances, she would’ve come inside for a bit before leaving again, to wash up, drink water, whatever. If someone were home, seems likely she would have casually mentioned where she was going next.

So I’d guess that either no one was home (hence her leaving the note?)…or if they WERE home, could that mean she deliberately avoided being seen?

The first scenario would have me believe nothing was out of the ordinary when she left again, and something happened to her after leaving.

The second makes me wonder if she might have gone missing intentionally.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Sharla’s Twitter and LinkedIn

https://twitter.com/SharlaShaffer?s=20&t=YVv4aTi0cfDl4r3aoZpdxA

https://www.linkedin.com/in/srbs

I would like to know if her counseling career included seeing clients. Concerned that she may have received a call from a client to meet. This could be a case of Sharla wanting time alone, or even self-harm, but I won’t lock into that theory until I hear foul play has been ruled out.

jmo

 

[clorenc]

Concerned that she may have received a call from a client to meet.

I’ve wondered if maybe she ran into someone she knew on her bike ride, and they decided to meet up again later, so she went back to the house to leave her bike.

BUT wouldn’t she have likely taken her car then? I presume her car was still at the house, otherwise why would it be suggested she took off again on foot?

 

[steeltowngirl]

I’ve wondered if maybe she ran into someone she knew on her bike ride, and they decided to meet up again later, so she went back to the house to leave her bike.

BUT wouldn’t she have likely taken her car then? I presume her car was still at the house, otherwise why would it be suggested she took off again on foot?

True. Unless someone agreed to pick her up.

 

[clorenc]

True. Unless someone agreed to pick her up.

Good point. If someone were home, I’d think they’d see/hear a car drive up to pick her up. Unless she told the person she’d leave her bike at the house, then walk back out to the main road to meet them there. But would she have taken a cell phone?

MSM says she is “not known to have any electronic devices with her.” Does that mean it was found at the house, or that she doesn’t have one at all? Are her keys at the house?

Does she often take walks? Could she have walked over to a friend or neighbor’s house? Are there chores around the property she might’ve gone to tend to? Could she have seen something on her ride — like a hurt animal — she could’ve wanted to walk back to?

 

[Kemug]

Anyway, what is it with this weird modern obsession with exercise?

 

[steeltowngirl]

Anyway, what is it with this weird modern obsession with exercise?

I don’t think it will catch on..

 

[5W's]

Not all jeans are made the same. I have some that might as well be sold as solar ovens, and others that aren't much warmer than some of my good technical fabric hiking pants. Without going through her closet, I have no idea what she buys, but considering how uncomfortable just pedaling in most of the heavier ones can be, I'd assume they were something soft and breathable.

And let's bear in mind there are roofers here who can spend all day up on a metal roof in this heat. Having been a solar power designer for a while, I've inspected a few of them, and it's miserable: any heat that missed you on the way down gets reflected right back at you. Those guys will spend hours in jeans, a t shirt and work boots doing heavy manual labor with no shade available,



She drove to her mom's house with her son, and left on the bike from there. I'd guess she keeps the bike there so she can completely avoid riding in traffic in town. Between the college students who can't drive and the 975 year olds posting to Facebook while driving about how bad the college students are, traffic can be really infuriating on a bike.

BBM But the roofers have no choice as its they're job unfortunately they are used to it day in day out. IDK but I feel the comarison doesn't reflect Sharla's situatuation because it was her choice and she could refrain from a difficult workout if she wanted to. In her disappearance either she did or she didn't. We just don't know. If we knew we may be able to determine what happened maybe somewhat at least.

 

[JurassicParker]

She would only be able to sweat for so long. A person gets dehydrated very quickly in 100° heat. Stephenville is about a seven hour drive north of the Gulf of Mexico. It’s not humid, it’s dry heat.

Checking the weather for July 29th- At 6:00 pm the humidity was at 61% and temp high of 100….which makes it probably feel around 105 degrees if not higher. Stephenville is SW of Austin. Less time to the Gulf than actually. So I respectfully disagree. I agree that she can only sweat for so long long….so where is she? Foul play? Self harm? Accident due to elements?

Not all jeans are made the same. I have some that might as well be sold as solar ovens, and others that aren't much warmer than some of my good technical fabric hiking pants. Without going through her closet, I have no idea what she buys, but considering how uncomfortable just pedaling in most of the heavier ones can be, I'd assume they were something soft and breathable.

And let's bear in mind there are roofers here who can spend all day up on a metal roof in this heat. Having been a solar power designer for a while, I've inspected a few of them, and it's miserable: any heat that missed you on the way down gets reflected right back at you. Those guys will spend hours in jeans, a t shirt and work boots doing heavy manual labor with no shade available,



She drove to her mom's house with her son, and left on the bike from there. I'd guess she keeps the bike there so she can completely avoid riding in traffic in town. Between the college students who can't drive and the 975 year olds posting to Facebook while driving about how bad the college students are, traffic can be really infuriating on a bike.

I'm pretty sure I read that the missing person was wearing denim jeans and “denim“ shirt, which I took to be a chambray shirt, when she went missing. Did I miss something new? Chambray…Looks denim but is a thinner material. Still not biking/hiking material. Outdoor workers are conditioned to working outside. They follow all the necessary steps to stay hydrated, etc while continuously working outside. She works out but she gets to choose how much time she spends outside biking/hiking. I can't think of any form of denim being comfortable enough to ride a bike.

 

[SimplyCass]

<modsnip>

Fort Worth, TX Weather History | Weather Underground

It was 89F and 52% humidity at 6 p.m. in Stephenville on 7/29/22.

It also notes thunderstorms and clouds. Would that make it better or worse for exercising outdoors?

Edit: Wunderground put in the Fort Worth TX weather station by default when I entered Stephenville. Here's a closer one:

Stephenville, TX Weather History | Weather Underground

At 6 p.m. on 7/29/22, it was 98F, 21% humidity, and cloudy.

 

[KD5NRH]

My gut feeling is that someone is helping her, or thinks they are, by providing transportation and a place to stay.

Realistically, we're at ten days here; unless she cached a lot of supplies, including clean clothes and enough water for daily washing, and found a cave or empty house with the power still on somewhere, even at her heat tolerance, it's got to be pretty miserable. After three days backpacking in summer, I'm way past ready for a good shower, even if I'm cleaning up a couple times a day with wet wipes and/or quick water bottle showers.

It feels far more likely that she got a ride out of the area. Maybe staying with a friend in DFW or San Antonio, where she could move around freely with way less chance of being recognized. Or maybe she's just holed up somewhere not that far away, reading and birdwatching on some friend's rural property. Out of area seems to match up better with the bike coming back, though; if she's staying local and hidden, she could easily keep it with her until she's ready to return. Or maybe the undamaged bike was just her way of letting us know she didn't get run over and I'm reading too much into it.

I still can't imagine anyone with nefarious intent getting the bike back into that carport without getting caught. That does give me substantial hope that she hasn't fallen in with anyone intending her harm.

Of course, I can't say she's thinking entirely, or even mostly rationally at the moment, especially considering the obvious pain this is causing family and friends; <modsnip> The big problem with an irrational thought process is that it's extremely hard for reasonable people to follow, and pretty much by definition, impossible to predict. At this point, all we can really do is keep reaching out to friends and acquaintances, hoping and praying that either someone will find her, or whoever is helping her will talk her into coming home.

 

[Kemug]

I am reminded of the Queen of Sleuths, ie Agatha Christie, who once went missing herself. Did Sharla possibly have a particularly stressful event in her life before she went missing, I wonder.

 

[5W's]

<modsnip> I take it that Sharla is well set in her counselling position (perhaps an own practice) if she is well set (her pracice is going well) then career concerns shouldn't really facor in. Afterall she has managed until now and doing well within her practice. I can see a dispute with collegues or an aim by someone to jeapordize her practice as unsettling so in that instance I can see her stress could be a problem for her. But anything less serious shouldn't cause a break in terms of her worklife. <modsnip>

 

[Knitty]

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[#JUSTICE4WILDER]

Are the children's father, Sharla's former husband, in the picture as far as visitation and support of the son and daughter?

 

[5W's]

My gut feeling is that someone is helping her, or thinks they are, by providing transportation and a place to stay.

Realistically, we're at ten days here; unless she cached a lot of supplies, including clean clothes and enough water for daily washing, and found a cave or empty house with the power still on somewhere, even at her heat tolerance, it's got to be pretty miserable. After three days backpacking in summer, I'm way past ready for a good shower, even if I'm cleaning up a couple times a day with wet wipes and/or quick water bottle showers.

It feels far more likely that she got a ride out of the area. Maybe staying with a friend in DFW or San Antonio, where she could move around freely with way less chance of being recognized. Or maybe she's just holed up somewhere not that far away, reading and birdwatching on some friend's rural property. Out of area seems to match up better with the bike coming back, though; if she's staying local and hidden, she could easily keep it with her until she's ready to return. Or maybe the undamaged bike was just her way of letting us know she didn't get run over and I'm reading too much into it.

I still can't imagine anyone with nefarious intent getting the bike back into that carport without getting caught. That does give me substantial hope that she hasn't fallen in with anyone intending her harm.

Of course, I can't say she's thinking entirely, or even mostly rationally at the moment, especially considering the obvious pain this is causing family and friends; <modsnip> The big problem with an irrational thought process is that it's extremely hard for reasonable people to follow, and pretty much by definition, impossible to predict. At this point, all we can really do is keep reaching out to friends and acquaintances, hoping and praying that either someone will find her, or whoever is helping her will talk her into coming home.

On WS we have seen people who intentionally walk away from their lives and start new ones but it takes a lot of effort to do so. I suppose with help it would be easier. Looking at this case its really tough to say what happened. All the neighbors in the vicinity to her family home would have checked their properties by now so I suppose we could say that she isn't in those places. I'm sure video surveillance has been checked also. Either she is seen somewhere nearby or she isn't. If it was that simple I think LE would have said something by now and case closed (if they had confirmed she was alright). I believe generally either LE makes a statement publically saying the person is fine or they tell the family and not the public she is fine. As Sharla is still being searched for I think LE doesn't know. I'm no sure how old Sharla's son is I thought he is 10 or 12 years old (I could be wrong, sorry) at such a young age LE would be concerned for him as well not having his mother so LE and other appropriate authorities would privately deal with her family and the child's father or legal guardian.