Where Is D.K.?

Above, D.K. sunning herself. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It has been about five or six days since I last saw D.K. (Dee Kay or Deck Kitty), the daughter of P.K.(Porch Kitty).

Usually, she comes around to eat at my front porch several times a day, but I haven't seen her and the food has been almost untouched, except for when a yellow tiger car (I call Big Guy) and a black cat shows up. I think the black cat was from a litter of D.K.'s of last year.

D.K. is four years old, feral and was from the first litter that P.K. had when I moved here. P.K. disappeared about three years ago. 

I hope she's all right.  

Missing Tennessee Woman Found Safe

The missing Tennessee woman case that had an eerie resemblance to the Gabrielle Petito case ended on a happier note.

From Fox 5 San Diego:

REDDING, Calif. (WKRN) – Police in Redding, California say they have found a Tennessee woman reported missing while she was on a cross-country trip with her boyfriend.

According to the Redding Police Department, police in Eureka, California contacted Nikki Alcaraz and confirmed she was safe.

Alcaraz was reportedly spotted in Eureka on Monday, nearly a month after she departed for a cross-country trip with her boyfriend, Tyler Stratton, and a dog to visit family in Orange County, California.

Early Tuesday morning, police responded to the area and determined Alcaraz and Stratton were “together and had been at the location.” Later in the day, someone reported seeing the vehicle Alcaraz and Stratton were believed to be traveling in. Officers found the vehicle and found both inside.

Alcaraz reportedly told Eureka Police she did not need any assistance, according to a release from the department. Stratton was taken into custody for his outstanding warrant from Tennessee for failure to appear on a theft-related offense.

To read more, go here. 

Missing Woman Case Has Eerie Similarities To Petito Case

Above, Nikki Alcaraz and Tyler Stratton. 

A missing persons case involving a Tennessee woman traveling cross-country with her boyfriend has eerie similarities to the Gabby Petito case of two years ago.

WJHL News reported:

CHEATHAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Cheatham County family is desperately trying to find their loved one after she disappeared while traveling across the country with her boyfriend, who is currently wanted out of Middle Tennessee.

It’s been nearly three weeks since Toni Alcaraz last spoke with her 33-year-old sister, Nikki Alcaraz, also known as Nikki Cunningham.

“I talk to her almost every day, so I am scared something happened to them,” said Toni.

Nikki had set out in her black Jeep with her boyfriend, Tyler Stratton, and a dog to visit family in Orange County, California.

“It’s a trip she’s done hundreds of times,” Toni explained. “Our uncle is still in Southern California, and she goes to see him often.”

During their cross-country trip, the couple had a run-in with law enforcement in Torrance County, New Mexico.

Nikki is 5’6″ with brown eyes and black/brown hair. She also has many tattoos.

The Jeep is a 2013 black Jeep Wrangler with tag BGL3539. The vehicle also has a “Mama Tried” sticker on it and camo seats.  

Anyone with information is asked to call Moriarty, New Mexico police at 505-832-6060 or 505-834-2705.

To read more, go here and here. 

At Six Mile Canyon Today

Above, at the corral. The road on the right goes into the canyon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today I went to Six Mile Canyon.

On the way, I stopped at the old corral at the canyon's entrance to take a few pictures. While there, a man drove up and told me his dog was with him in the canyon the day before and it spotted a rabbit and took off after it.

They couldn't get him back. So he spent most of the morning searching for his dog.

He described it as a small Labrador-type black dog named "Trigger" (just remember Roy Rogers's horse to remember the name). We exchanged phone numbers in case the dog is found. I suggested he notify the Mount Taylor Ranger and the McKinley County Sheriff as both patrol the canyon.

Above, from inside the entrance gate looking north. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I later posted a notice on our Jamestown Community Board on Facebook and one resident responded saying he saw a dog that matched the description on his property near the water tanks on Birch Road at 8:00 this morning. I passed this on to the owner.

I proceeded into the canyon and was on the lookout for the dog. But I didn't see him.

Hopefully the dog will be found soon. 

Gabby Petito and Why It Was Absolutely Everywhere, Explained

Above, Gabby Petito and "person of interest" Brian Laundrie.

Several days ago, when news of finding a body near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming hit, interest in the Gabby Petito case exploded.

At the same time, I saw several Twitter Tweets by liberals (the usual suspects) complaining that this was another case of "missing white woman syndrome" where the interest is race-related and ignoring non-white missing women cases.

An interesting and fair article has been posted on Vox that discusses the interest generated and true crime amateur sleuthing.

It begins with:

The entire internet was looking for her.

In the days before FBI officials on Sunday announced — and on Tuesday confirmed — that the body of 22-year-old Instagrammer Gabby Petito had been found near Grand Teton in Wyoming, her status as a missing person had gone massively viral. For the past week, the story of Petito and her boyfriend Brian Laundrie, 23 — who had returned home from a heavily chronicled #VanLife road trip without her — dominated social media, mesmerized true crime communities, and led the nightly news around the country. When news broke that Laundrie, amid intense public scrutiny, had fled authorities and gone on the run, the saga became one of the most viral news stories of 2021.

A coroner for Teton County in Wyoming confirmed after an autopsy conducted on Tuesday that Petito’s cause of death was homicide. Currently, Laundrie is the only known person of interest in the case.

On one level, Petito’s case is typical of true crime cases where a victim of alleged domestic violence goes missing. Too often the partner simply clams up, as Laundrie did, impeding investigation into the person’s disappearance. But the case of Petito and Laundrie garnered so much attention so rapidly that an extraordinary amount of public effort went into finding her — with the internet and social media platforms from TikTok to YouTube playing a major role in the search efforts.

 To read more, go here.

Brian Laundrie In Hiding...Or Dead

Above, Brian Laundrie from the Moab police body cam.

Michael Reagan, the son of "The Gipper", Tweeted:

 Gabbys boyfriend is probably also dead… His family is a shit show

I opined the same the other day and I agree with his view of the Laundrie family. This raised a question in my mind a little while ago: Does Brian Laundrie own guns and are any of them missing? So far, Laundrie has not been found and the authorities have stopped searching the area he was supposedly was backpacking in. The Laundrie family has been less than cooperative with investigators despite pleas from the Petito family. That certainly sends up quite a number of red flags.

According to Fox 13 in Tampa Bay:

Laundrie was named a person of interest in the case earlier this week. However, despite pleading with the family and their attorney, investigators had not heard from the Laundrie family at all until Friday night, when they told investigators their son had actually been missing since Tuesday. Investigators spent two hours at the Laundrie home collecting things they say may help them find Brian and hopefully get answers. An attorney for the Petito family says Brian is not missing but rather on the run, adding that the Laundrie family’s request to have the North Port police look for their son but not for Gabby is "reprehensible and hypocritical."

Investigators are asking the public for help in locating Laundrie. They say he is a white male, 5-foot-8 and weighing 160 pounds. He has brown eyes, very short brown hair, trimmed facial hair, and was last seen wearing a hiking bag with a waist strap. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-Call-FBI.

With his face plastered all over the place on social media, he won't be able to hide for very long. If he's dead, I guess they'll have to watch for buzzards in the area.

To read more, go here. 

Body Found "Consistent" With Missing Gabby Petito

The missing person investigation has turned into a homicide investigation involving Gabrielle Petito of Florida.

Human remains "consistent" with descriptions of Petito were found yesterday near Spread Creek Dispersed Campground near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

Reuters reported:

Sept 19 (Reuters) - Police and FBI agents searching a national park in Wyoming have found a body "consistent" with missing Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old woman whose disappearance has captivated the United States.

The body was discovered on Sunday in a remote area of the Bridger-Teton National Forest, near the Spread Creek Dispersed campground where law enforcement officials had directed their search, FBI spokesman Charles Jones said.

A formal identification of the remains has not been made and the cause of death is yet to be determined.

Members of Petito's family reported Petito missing on Sept. 11, 10 days after her 23-year-old boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, returned home from a months-long cross-country trip in the van without her.  

Laundrie has been named a "person of interest" in the case but has not been seen since leaving his family's home in North Port, Florida, last Tuesday. North Port is on the west coast of Florida, some 70 miles (112 km) south of St. Petersburg.  

Before disappearing, Laundrie had refused to speak with investigators and retained a lawyer.

It would not surprise me at all that Laundrie would be found dead of suicide. That's the gut feeling I have. I suspect that a quarrel gone very bad led to Petito's death. 

Above, Gabby Petito from police
 body cam video in Moab, Utah. 

The pair had a quarrel August 12 in Moab, Utah and the police investigators posted body cam footage of them during questioning. There were no charges but the police had the two separate that night. 

To read more, go here.

Missing Person From Coolidge, New Mexico

This hits a little too close to home.

A 20-year-old woman has been reported missing. She is from Coolidge, New Mexico, which is a village between Jamestown and Continental Divide. Coolidge is about 8 miles east of Jamestown off Interstate 40.

The McKinley County Sheriff posted on Facebook:

Deputies are currently looking for RAELENE CHARLEY (20years old) she was last seen this morning leaving her residence on County Road 27 in Coolidge. She was leaving to attend classes in Albuquerque NM. She was last seen driving a 2017 maroon Ford Fusion (like the one pictured below) with NM plates AYRD02 and tinted windows. RAELENE was last seen wearing light blue medical scrubs and a black Nike shirt. Her left forearm does have a butterfly and Bible scripture and her right forearm has a quote. 

Please contact Metro Dispatch (505)722-2002 if you see her or her vehicle.

If you know anyone in New Mexico, particularly the Gallup area, please pass this blog post to them.

UPDATE (7/6/21):

The McKinley County posted the following:

UPDATE!! RAELENE has been found and is back home with her family. 

Trump Administration Establishes Cold Case Task Force For Missing and Murdered Native Ameicans

The Trump Administration is establishing the first cold case task force to investigate missing and murdered American Indians and Alaskan Natives.

Seven offices are being established to handle Indian Country cold cases, with the first in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Indian Life reported:

BLOOMINGTON, Minn.-In late July, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt, Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump and Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney established the first of seven offices dedicated to solving cold cases involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The first office is located in Bloomington, Minn. 

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Crime Information Center, there are more than 1,400 unresolved American Indian and Alaska Native missing person cases in the U.S. Of that, 136 cases are in Minnesota. 

To address this crisis, President Trump signed Executive Order 13898 on November 26, 2019. 

"President Trump created a task force to support Tribal communities, reduce the staggering number of violent crimes committed against American Indians and Alaska Natives and close out hundreds of cold cases," said Secretary Bernhardt. "The Trump Administration is committed to justice and working alongside these Tribal communities to restore peace and prosperity." 

"While visiting the great state of Minnesota with Secretary Bernhardt, we are advancing two top priorities for the Administration: The Pledge to America's Workers and supporting American Indian and Alaska Native communities," said Advisor to the President Trump. "We are furthering President Trump's commitment to forgotten men and women across our country and the Administration's efforts to ensure that all Americans can live with dignity and the promise of a brighter future." 

President Trump's executive order established the Operation Lady Justice Task Force, a multi-agency effort co-chaired by Secretary Bernhardt and U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr. Its purpose is to enhance the operation of the criminal justice system and address the staggering number of missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Natives in Tribal communities.

To read more, go here. 

Mushroom Picker Rescued At Crater Lake National Park

Above, Crater Lake. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I visited Crater Lake National Park last year during my Great American Eclipse trip, I didn't notice any mushrooms there. I wasn't exactly looking for them. But, then again, I was not anywhere near Mount Scott.

Oregon Live (The Oregonian) reported:

A southern Oregon man was rescued after spending four days lost in the wilderness while wearing a T-shirt and jeans, and sleeping inside a hollowed-out log and under brush to shield himself from rain, authorities say.  

Marty Holloway, 56, was first reported missing Thursday by relatives when they hadn't heard from him after he'd gone picking mushrooms earlier that day near the base of Mount Scott near Crater Lake, according to the Klamath County Sheriff's Office.  

A hiker happened upon Holloway on Sunday afternoon near the Pinnacles Trail in the Crater Lake National Park south of the mountain and called 911 after he asked for help. Holloway was cold, tired and had several blisters on his feet but was otherwise OK, the sheriff's office said.

To read more, go here.

Remains Found Near Joshua Tree National Park

Above, the General Patton Memorial Museum in Chiriaco Summit. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is a weird feeling to learn that a murder victim is found at or near places I've been to. I was last there two years ago.

Such is the case of a missing San Diego woman and here dog.

The Los Angeles Times reported:

A search for the body of a San Diego woman who is thought to have been killed and buried in the desert turned up human remains Friday in the “Cactus City” area south of Joshua Tree National Park, authorities said. 

The remains, suspected to be that of Julia Jacobson and her dog, Boogie, were found in a shallow grave near the 10 Freeway and Box Canyon Road, the Ontario Police Department said.

It appears that Cactus City is about 14 miles west of Chiriaco Summit on Interstate 10. Chiriaco Summit is home for the Gen. Patton Memorial Museum.

To read more, go here.

Joshua Tree Hikers' Deaths From Murder-Suicide

Above, a rock formation at Joshua Tree National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Law enforcement has determined that the deaths of the two missing Joshua Tree National Park hikers were from a murder-suicide.

According to the San Bernardino Sun:

Officials now believe that one of the missing hikers found dead in Joshua Tree National Park may have shot and killed the other before turning the gun on himself, according to a San Bernardino County sheriff’s news release. 

Authorities on Tuesday identified the two hikers whose bodies were found Sunday afternoon in a remote part of the park as Joseph Orbeso and Rachel Nguyen who went missing in late July. Also recovered was a handgun, officials confirmed Friday. 

“Based on evidence located at the scene, detectives believe Orbeso shot Nguyen, then shot himself,” the sheriff’s release states. “The investigation into Orbeso’s actions remain under investigation.” However his ultimate motive may never be known. 

One would like to think that the murder-suicide was from an act of kindness to spare suffering in one-hundred degree temperatures in the desert. But the reason for the act will never be known.

To read more, go here.

Joshua Tree Hikers: Bodies Locked In Embrace

Above, the south entrance sign to Joshua Tree National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

More details on the finding of the two missing hikers at Joshua Tree National Park were reported by the Daily Mail (U.K.)

They reported:

Two bodies were found in Joshua Tree National Park, locked in an embrace, nearly three months after a southern California couple vanished while hiking nearby.  

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said the bodies were found Sunday. Officials have not confirmed the identities of the bodies. 

Rachel Nguyen and Joseph Orbeso, 20 and 21, were reported missing July 28, after they failed to check out of their accommodations near the park.

To read more, go here.

Bodies Found In Joshua Tree National Park

Above, the south entrance into Joshua Tree National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Two bodies were found today in Joshua Tree National Park that may be of the two missing hikers.

According to KESQ news:

Joshua Tree National Park, Calif. - BREAKING: The discovery of two bodies in Joshua Tree National Park on Sunday may finally give some answers to the families of a pair hikers who have been missing for nearly three months.  

A source close to the investigation confirmed the news to I-Team Investigator Karen Devine. 

21-year-old Joseph Orbeso and 20-year-old Rachel Nguyen were last heard from on July 27.  Their car was found in the park near the Maze Loop trailhead. Their last known contact was a cell phone ping in the area; their belongings were still at the rented home they never checked out of. 

The remains were found today on the north side of the Maze Loop trail. Joseph Orbeso's father Gilbert was with members of Joshua Tree Search and Rescue when the bodies were found.

To read more, go here. 

Hundreds Have Vanished from National Parks. Is Bigfoot to Blame?

Above, Yosemite National Park has had the largest number of missing persons, about 40
to 45, since  the National Park Service was established in 1916. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This past summer, I have read many news reports of people getting killed, in one way or another, in our national parks from coast to coast.

One thing we rarely hear about: people who have vanished in our national parks without a trace.

How Stuff Works has an article about how people have visited a national park, but never seen again. Its title: "Hundreds Have Vanished from National Parks. Is Bigfoot to Blame?"

It begins with:

National parks are a source of pride for Americans. They provide beautiful, wild places to explore and reconnect with nature. But unfortunately, sometimes there's a dark side to these historic places. One of those is that since the National Park Service was established in 1916, more than 1,000 visitors have disappeared while visiting a park, often without a trace. And because there is no federal-level database tracking how many people have gone missing from these federal lands, it's very difficult to pin down an exact number of the missing.

To read more, go here. 

New Twist In Case of Missing Joshua Tree Hikers

Above, the south entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The investigation of two missing hikers in Joshua Tree National Park may be taking a different twist.

They were reported as being seen outside of the park after they were reported missing.

KESQ reported:

JOSHUA TREE, Calif. - The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department confirms to News Channel 3's I-Team Reporter Karen Devine that there is an on-going investigation outside of Joshua Tree National Park in the search for Joseph Orbeso and Rachel Nguyen.  

One man has come forward telling Karen Devine that he believes the pair along with another couple were actually staying at a different Airbnb across from his house in Joshua Tree after they had been declared missing. 

To read more, go here.

Reward Offered For Joshua Tree National Park Missing Couple

Above, Joshua Tree National Park. The missing couple is somewhere out there. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A couple, thought to have been hiking in Joshua Tree National Park, has been missing for a month. 

Now, a reward of $10,000 is being offered.

The Los Angeles Times reported:

A $10,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the safe return of a couple reported missing in July in Joshua Tree National Park. 

The reward was announced Saturday as crews continued to their methodical search for Rachel Nguyen and Joseph Orbeso, said Jennifer Albrinck, spokeswoman for Joshua Tree National Park. 

Using a specific grid pattern, she said, volunteers have been searching in and around the Maze Loop trail where the couple are believed to have vanished.

According to the article, a ping from Orbeso's cell phone was picked up yesterday.

To read more, go here. 

Remains Positively Identified As Kara Kopetsky's

Above, Kara Kopetsky.

A ten-year mystery I've followed from the beginning has finally been solved.

The Kansas City Star reported:

Ten years after Kara Kopetsky walked out of Belton High School and was never heard from again, her remains have been identified. 

DNA tests have confirmed that the second set of human bones found in early April in Cass County belonged to Kopetsky, the high school junior whose 2007 disappearance captured — and has kept — the community’s attention. 

Police officials from Belton and Cass County went to the home of Kopetsky's family Wednesday afternoon to tell them what the parents have said they already knew in their hearts.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article167627987.html#storylink=cpy

Couple Missing In Joshua Tree National Park

Above, the area near Cottonwood Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A young couple from Southern California have been missing in Joshua Tree National Park for six days. A search is being conducted.

According to WTNH:

(ABC News) — Rescue teams in Southern California have resumed their search for a young couple who went missing last week at Joshua Tree National Park, according the National Park Service. 

The couple, who were in their 20s, failed to check out of their nearby bed and breakfast Friday morning, Brian Rennie, a team member for the Joshua Tree National Park Search and Rescue, told ABC News.

Authorities believe the couple vanished on Thursday night, he added. 

To read more, go here. 

Jamie Sheets, 16, Missing Since May 18

This was passed on by Greg Smith, Kansas House Representative and father of Kelsey Smith:



To see a .pdf of the above flyer, go here.