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And yeah, there's the whole question Suburban guy mentioned: why not celebrate a summer b-day by going to dinner, or spending a day at a water park, then going to dinner, or whatever. Where did they live? Heck, a drive to the coast would have been a GREAT b-day surprise, and very appropriate, instead of taking her into a known, life-theatening oven.
I used to take my twin daughters camping every year for their birthday. When they were about 12 or 14, we went to Joshua Tree hiking and camping. We found a little cave and had a great time spraying each other with silly string and eating cake. Our closest moment to a crises was one of the girls cut her arm on a sharp rock and then drew graphitti with her blood while her sister and I finished climbing the rock formation to look around. (Big risk there is she wrote her name - might have gotten cited). Hiking or camping at JT for a birthday is not out of the ordinary.
I took my 3 year old son on a long hike to an oasis in the desert at/near JT as well. I suppose there was some risk, I had to carry him most of the way back. We had enough water for the trip there and back. Not much extra. What if something had happened? CD people would be exclaiming how stupid it was to take such a risk. We could have stayed safely home and been hit by a car walking to a restaurant, or gotten some deadly bacteria infection at a waterpark (our doctor always told us to put the whole family on antibiotics before going to a waterpark - he said it is dangerous), drowned b a rogue wave while walking at the beach (happened twice to some kids when we lived at the beach in Balboa Village (part of Newport Beach - not far form Joshua Tree). Then people could exclaim how stupid were were to walk on the beach instead of doing something safe like hiking at Joshua tree. It is easy to second guess people from the position of a wise person sitting in a chair at home using hindsight. Or you can live a little.
Those risks are rare some would say. Is getting hit by a car less likely than getting lost in a national park? I doubt it. How many millions of people hike in national parks? How many get lost to the point of being in danger? It is very rare. I would bet getting a staph infection from the gross water at a water park is much more common, especially on a percentage basis. Swimming in thousands of unknown people's pee and other slimy effluvia is much more dangerous than hiking at JT.
Our whole family (and much of our church) was camping at JT once when it caught on fire. The rangers had us packed and ready to leave while the fire burned up the side of the hill about half a mile away. If it came over the crest, we had to leave (it didn't, and we went back to sleep). A stupid risk to take our family camping there when it was so dry? When we returned someone of our friends had been evacuated due to a wildfire raging through the outer edge of suburbia. They were in more danger by staying home than we were camping.
Last edited by Coldjensens; 10-30-2017 at 10:31 AM..
I'm not sure what camping has to do with a gun. Plenty of people take a gun hiking with them as protection against predators. Something like a rattlesnake is not going to leave you alone because you're on a "birthday hike".
Joshua Tree is a national park and a wildlife refuge. Hunting is illegal and use of firearms is prohibited. If you see a rattlesnake, you leave it alone and walk away. You don't kill it, with a gun or any other means. You can't just start shooting at snakes because you don't like them.
The only other animal that might conceivably hurt you out there is a mountain lion, and the chance of seeing one of those on a day hike is exceedingly remote.
By the way, I've spent lots of time in Joshua Tree. I've hiked, climbed, and camped there over a period of years. Never once have I or anyone I've been with wished we had a gun. If you are so nervous about being in the desert that you think you need a gun for protection against wildlife on a day hike, you really shouldn't go out there in the first place.
There is zero chance of protecting yourself by shooting a rattlesnake. More likely you will get hit by a ricochet when shooting right at the ground like an idiot. Now a walking stick - that is useful against snakes.
Guns are pretty much useful for humans, other animals, not so much, especially handguns.
One of the first reports said he brought the gun because she had been stalked by a guy. That was the reason he'd given a family member before setting out. Why would he think a stalker would know where she was going that day?
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 10-30-2017 at 12:30 PM..
Status:
"This too shall pass. But possibly, like a kidney stone."
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Originally Posted by Sundaydrive00
Not everything in life is a "true crime" story. And no, watching true crime stories does not make you better than the investigators of this case, who have said it was a mercy killing.
Everyone keeps claiming this is proof he murdered her, but no one is able to provide a link to the source of this information.
I'm getting a little dizzy from all the spin here.
I haven't seen the investigators say that. I've seen the family state that the investigators suggested that as a possibility.
And yes, that matters. It is generous and empathetic to tell a family member that maybe this was done as a kindness, rather than oh no, this jerk lured your daughter out to the desert to shoot her in the head.
They certainly aren't saying that to the media, from what I can tell. They're saying there is no evidence whatsoever to point in either direction.
Status:
"This too shall pass. But possibly, like a kidney stone."
(set 9 days ago)
35,953 posts, read 18,257,705 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth
One of the first reports said he brought the gun because she had been stalked by a guy. That was the reason he'd given a family member, before setting out. Why would he think a stalker would know where she was going that day?
And why would HE have the gun, rather than buying one for her?
With all the speculation and amateur sleuthing going on here, I was surprised to see no comments on the fact they apparently shared a room at the B & B. Maybe I missed that, did not read every post. Or maybe it says some where they didn't, but I think it said they failed to check out of their "room" at the B & B. No one wants to make up a story based on that?
Status:
"This too shall pass. But possibly, like a kidney stone."
(set 9 days ago)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coldjensens
With all the speculation and amateur sleuthing going on here, I was surprised to see no comments on the fact they apparently shared a room at the B & B. Maybe I missed that, did not read every post. Or maybe it says some where they didn't, but I think it said they failed to check out of their "room" at the B & B. No one wants to make up a story based on that?
Right. But sharing a room doesn't mean having sex, especially if she's made it clear she's not interested in more than a friendship.
One of the first reports said he brought the gun because she had been stalked by a guy. That was the reason he'd given a family member, before setting out. Why would he think a stalker would know where she was going that day?
A Freudian slip? If that's true he told them that seems like the guy she needed protection from was him, not some dark figure that somehow would know she was out in ththe desert-- if** it's true he told them that then now I officially completely believe he did it
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