| Author | Thread |
|
|
08/05/2006 11:15:26 AM · #876 |
Originally posted by smilebig4me1x:
Originally posted by TerryGee:
Last IM was with me, on the 20th. It was very early in the am his time and sounded like a goodbye message. |
just something i thought when i read this:
has anyone thought to check places that would be close to his heart?
such as a place that has special meaning to him, like somehwere him and his son loved to go to together(fishing spot maybe), or a childhood favorite place(like where he grew up). maybe a place where him and orions mother met,married,or a place that the two of them loved to get away to be alone....just thinking out loud here. hopeing maybe this will help somehow. |
thing is those places are all back in Oregon and his car was spotted in Arizona on the 30th(?) showing he stayed in town. |
|
|
|
08/05/2006 11:23:22 AM · #877 |
Originally posted by TerryGee:
Originally posted by smilebig4me1x:
Originally posted by TerryGee:
Last IM was with me, on the 20th. It was very early in the am his time and sounded like a goodbye message. |
just something i thought when i read this:
has anyone thought to check places that would be close to his heart?
such as a place that has special meaning to him, like somehwere him and his son loved to go to together(fishing spot maybe), or a childhood favorite place(like where he grew up). maybe a place where him and orions mother met,married,or a place that the two of them loved to get away to be alone....just thinking out loud here. hopeing maybe this will help somehow. |
thing is those places are all back in Oregon and his car was spotted in Arizona on the 30th(?) showing he stayed in town. |
Maybe the family thats still there could check those spots out? might be a total waste of time but the more places we know he isnt is better. Maybe he was seen after he decided to go back to OR and was getting some sleep for the long drive ahead. I know when Im feeling down I feel the need to to home.
|
|
|
|
08/05/2006 12:06:07 PM · #878 |
Originally posted by TerryGee:
Originally posted by smilebig4me1x:
Originally posted by TerryGee:
Last IM was with me, on the 20th. It was very early in the am his time and sounded like a goodbye message. |
just something i thought when i read this:
has anyone thought to check places that would be close to his heart?
such as a place that has special meaning to him, like somehwere him and his son loved to go to together(fishing spot maybe), or a childhood favorite place(like where he grew up). maybe a place where him and orions mother met,married,or a place that the two of them loved to get away to be alone....just thinking out loud here. hopeing maybe this will help somehow. |
thing is those places are all back in Oregon and his car was spotted in Arizona on the 30th(?) showing he stayed in town. |
That worries me. You seem to know him well enough--was he deprssed? Did he go to a psychologist?
|
|
|
|
08/05/2006 12:46:14 PM · #879 |
Ok I may hit a nerve here but all questions have to be asked and answered. Has anyone check with all hospitals, especially mental hospitals, in the are to see if he check himself in. Depression is a mental health problem and he could of went to seek help. They will not call family and usually it's two weeks before he is allowed to call out at a hospital of that kind.
I am in no way implying that Steve is disturbed in any way. With the new information (IM message content) it is worth checking out.
Message edited by author 2006-08-05 12:47:25. |
|
|
|
08/05/2006 12:48:57 PM · #880 |
Originally posted by Southern Gentleman:
Ok I may hit a nerve here but all questions have to be asked and answered. Has anyone check with all hospitals, especially mental hospitals, in the are to see if he check himself in. Depression is a mental health problem and he could of went to seek help. They will not call family and usually it's two weeks before he is allowed to call out at a hospital of that kind.
I am in no way implying that Steve is disturbed in any way. With the new information (IM message content) it is worth checking out. |
he is has a missing report file. Unless he checked in as a John Doe, they would have contacted his family.
|
|
|
|
08/05/2006 12:58:38 PM · #881 |
Orion and myself spent the night out where his car was spotted last night. Other then a couple other people looking for a place to spend the night, nothing.
It was a beautiful place to spend the night. First couple hours the 3/4 moon lit up the mountain nicely. Once the moon ducked under the horizon the stars were amazing and we were treated to several meteors.
All avenues posted here have been or are being investigated, unfortunately some things take time. Physical search operations are limited right now because we have no clue where to look. He could be anywhere in the country. Steve is very resourceful so we can't assume anything. If we get any clue as to his location I assure you I'll be among the first out there, I'll be calling in a lot of favors, and all resources will be utilized.
|
|
|
|
08/05/2006 01:13:26 PM · #882 |
I just want to let you know that I believe everyone is trying to help. I live in Georgia and when I see a silver late model accord I purposely slow down or speed up so I can see the plates. I know its a long shot but like you said he could be anywhere. Everyone in every state just be on the lookout. The more eyes we have the better.
SDW |
|
|
|
08/05/2006 01:30:29 PM · #883 |
| Has anyone considered the Sedona area? I know he loved to shoot there at West Fork Trail and Devil's Bridge. |
|
|
|
08/05/2006 01:42:16 PM · #884 |
I'm confused, are the police positive that it was Steve's car that they viewed the person napping? I'd hate for it to not be an accurate lead?
Saying my prayers. |
|
|
|
08/05/2006 02:20:33 PM · #885 |
Originally posted by dassilem:
I'm confused, are the police positive that it was Steve's car that they viewed the person napping? I'd hate for it to not be an accurate lead?
Saying my prayers. |
I asked the same thing the other day. I'm still not sure. There are a lot of silver Honda/Honda-looking cars out there. I was wondering if the license plate was confirmed to indeed be his.
|
|
|
|
08/05/2006 02:23:04 PM · #886 |
| Can't they use his cell phone to triangulate his position? (I guess that wouldn't work if it was off.) |
|
|
|
08/05/2006 02:44:06 PM · #887 |
Neil, I think they've discussed that before but his phone is older an they aren't sure it's set up for GPS. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
Another thought I had last night. If indeed his IM sounded strange, like he was leaving or depressed, why on earth would he take time to set up the bug bomb?? If someone's just going to walk away they wouldn't be concerned with fumigating their home. That would be the furthest thing from their mind. My feeling is that he DID/DOES plan to return.
|
|
|
|
08/05/2006 02:48:32 PM · #888 |
Checked in to see if there was good news and am more concerned than ever that there is no further news.
I think this may have been mentioned before, and if so I apologise for re-hashing old ideas, but has anyone contacted the flying schools in the area and asked them to keep a watch out for the car?
The link below lists many of those operating in the area:
//www.private2atp.com/fbo/AZ.html
Just a thought that might or might not be helpful. |
|
|
|
08/05/2006 03:20:54 PM · #889 |
Another thought. Has anyone considered retaining a Private Detective. They have the means to check accounts, DMV records, Personal records, Membership records, and much more. And usually quicker than the PD.
That way you can see what the last cell tower received his ESN# from his phone. And you can see if there have been any banking (CC or debit) transactions.
Just a thought. |
|
|
|
08/05/2006 03:57:24 PM · #890 |
| adding my hopes and prayers for Steve's safe return. if there is anything i can do here in Louisiana, please let me know. |
|
|
|
08/05/2006 04:24:52 PM · #891 |
(Reminder - I'm speaking personally here and not on behalf of the Site Council)
Hey everyone,
I want to extend my personal thanks to everyone here who is helping to find Steve. Whether you're coordinating the efforts, out looking for Steve, or offering suggestions, prayers, financial or emotional support, you're doing a lot of good and I owe each of you my gratitude. Each of you is helping not out of some sense of obligation nor for any reward, but because simply each of you feels it's the right thing to do. You all should be proud of yourselves and each other for that. Once again, you all have reminded me why I value this community so much.
When I visited Arizona last year, Steve was kind enough to help show me around, so needless to say he has been dominating my thoughts lately, as he has the thoughts of many here. I totally understand, then, when I see signs that some people are starting to grow frustrated, and even when the occasional "heated exchange" happens. Still, we're all working toward the common goal of getting Steve back home safely to his friends and family, so with that in mind I'd like to offer a couple parameters that might help us reach our common goal.
1. I think we all trust that Orion, Iva, Daryl, Tina and Terry G. are operating with Steve's best interests at heart, and that they are in a better position than any of us to gauge those interests. With that in mind, we should take our cues from their reactions and from the information they provide. If they believe, for example, that the police are doing everything they can and should be doing at this point, then I think the rest of us need to accept that at face value. It's helpful to offer suggestions for possible further action, but it's not our place to second-guess decisions that those closest to Steve have stated were satisfactory.
2. We need to remember that Steve has certain rights which must be protected. As an adult, Steve has a right to take off and not tell anyone. The fact that we miss him does not diminish his rights, and in particular does not give the police or Steve's friends and family an automatic right to his medical or financial records, unless there is evidence of foul play or that Steve presents a danger to himself or others. In fact, there are laws preventing medical (HIPAA) and financial services (GLBA) providers from disclosing that information to third parties without a valid subpoena. Yes -- I know about Steve's heart condition, but again, we need to trust that Steve's close friends and family are in the best position to gauge the existence and level of danger that presents.
Put yourself in Steve's shoes here for a moment -- let's say that, for whatever reason, you needed to get away from everything for a couple weeks, and you came back to find out that the police had turned given copies of your medical and financial records to your family. Might you feel that your rights had been violated in some way? In any case, the fact that the police have not sought (or the courts have not granted) a subpoena of those records actually tells us something. It indicates that there's no evidence that Steve is in danger. That's great news.
3. When offering suggestions, we need to make sure we use available resources in the most efficient way possible. This includes taking into account the geography of the area, costs, time commitments necessary and what other options might be more productive.
Some facts that might be helpful:
- Phoenix (Mesa is a suburb of Phoenix) is the 5th most populous city in the United States. It passed Philadelphia in population in 2005.
- The Phoenix metropolitan area is the 14th most populous in the United States.
- The city of Phoenix covers 475 square miles of land (1230.5 km²), making just slightly larger (in terms of land area) as Los Angeles.
- Mesa itself, though a suburb of Phoenix, has a population of about 452,000 -- larger than the cities of St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Miami.
- Mesa covers 125 square miles of land (324 km²), slightly larger than the land area of San Francisco.
- Only 15% of Arizona's land area is privately owned. The remaining 85%, nearly 100,000 square miles (259 000 km²), consists of government forest and park land, recreation areas and Native American reservations.
As an example, someone suggested talking to people at the gas stations in the area. A phone book search returns 668 results for "Gas Station" within 25 miles of Mesa, AZ, or 811 within 25 miles of Phoenix. Expanding to 50 miles yields about 890 results. When one adds in the fact that "pay at the pump" means most gas station customers are never seen, other options start to look more productive. If one figures an average time of only 10 minutes per station (to talk to employees, post flyers, and drive between them), it would take over 100 hours just to hit the stations within 25 miles of Mesa. It's a noble suggestion, but other courses of action might be more productive.
Likewise, I looked into the cost of renting a helicopter for an aerial search. I had difficulty finding prices listed online, but one place I did find cost $220 per hour for a helicopter with pilot. We might find airplanes for half that. If we knew a general area to look, an aerial search might be an option. Right now, though, all we'd probably accomplish is blowing through a lot of money without yielding any meaningful results. Even if we can find someone willing to donate prop time, it might be better to call in that favor when we have information suggesting that we search a specific area.
Another suggestion I saw was a reward fund. I suggest we take a cue from Steve's closest friends and family on this. Right now they are requesting donations for a search fund, and not for a reward fund. This suggests that they feel that committing funds to a search will be more productive than committing them to a reward. I trust their judgment and suggest that we hold off on that idea, unless and until it's requested.
I'm not looking to single anyone out here, but I use these merely as examples.
With that in mind, I'd like to offer a couple suggestions:
1. Coordinate with Daryl and Tina as much as possible. If you're going to go out looking for Steve, they know his favorite places and might be able to suggest some places to check.
2. If possible, avoid posting private or sensitive information. If you have any such information that might be valuable, contact Daryl and Tina directly. Along with Steve's family, they can make the decision whether to post it.
3. Understand that we (Site Council) may use our ability to hide or edit posts somewhat differently than in "typical" DPC threads. This thread is insanely long, and a user who sees a post containing incorrect information might not see a later post correcting it. Since it is critical that we ensure everyone is working with accurate information, we may edit out or delete posts containing any such incorrect information, especially if Daryl, Tina, or Steve's immediate family requests that we do so. In the context of this thread, a deleted or edited post does not imply that you violated the site rules in any way. If you have a question about why whe edited or deleted any post, please do not sidetrack this thread with a discussion of it, but rather go to Help/Contact and submit a ticket there asking for clarification.
4. Stay positive! There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that any harm has come to Steve. Let's have faith that Steve is perfectly fine, and keep his family focused on a positive outcome.
Thanks,
Terry
Message edited by author 2006-08-05 16:26:19.
|
|
|
|
08/05/2006 04:47:23 PM · #892 |
| Thanks Terry. After my booboo's before I have just been reading the thread and praying for a safe return. Everything you said is the truth about the situation and can't be changed even though we wish it could. Best of luck to all the people that are there and can do what they can to bring this to a happy ending. |
|
|
|
08/05/2006 04:51:03 PM · #893 |
Thank you very much Terry!
|
|
|
|
08/05/2006 06:33:15 PM · #894 |
Like everyone else here at DPC, I constantly have Steve on my mind, tring to figure where he could be and what might have happened. So , I looked backed to see what he did photographically in past years during this time of year.
It was interesting to note that in 2005 he did not post an entry to DPC for 5 months, between May and October. In 2003, the picture posted at this time of year was of a foggy stroll through a giant forest.
Did he usually take trips duing this time of year?
Message edited by author 2006-08-05 18:42:04. |
|
|
|
08/05/2006 06:38:23 PM · #895 |
Originally posted by ButterflySis:
I was wondering if the license plate was confirmed to indeed be his. |
Yes, the license plate has been confirmed to be his... |
|
|
|
08/05/2006 06:39:18 PM · #896 |
Originally posted by ButterflySis:
why on earth would he take time to set up the bug bomb?? |
We don't know when those were set off, they could have been there for awhile... |
|
|
|
08/05/2006 06:45:39 PM · #897 |
Thank you Terry. Kudos for a very well written post with a lot of great facts accurately describing what we are up against in this search.
Just another opportunity to say thank you to the DPC community for all the thoughts, ideas, suggestions and support you are providing. I can't think of a better online community in the world - you are all awesome! |
|
|
|
08/05/2006 07:01:38 PM · #898 |
Originally posted by tfaust:
Originally posted by ButterflySis:
why on earth would he take time to set up the bug bomb?? |
We don't know when those were set off, they could have been there for awhile... |
Possibly the property management passed out the bug bombs to the renters to do a general fumigation-just a thought! Besides it was my understanding that the bombs were short lived so he would have only been gone for a few hours under normal conditions. |
|
|
|
08/05/2006 08:22:21 PM · #899 |
Thank you Terry (Club Juggle) for the excellent recap of the situation to date. I too would suggest that everyone tuning in read this fine summary. It was posted at: 08/05/2006 04:24:52 PM
I am not going to clutter up the forums by quoting it in full here. |
|
|
|
08/05/2006 09:01:36 PM · #900 |
Originally posted by tfaust:
Originally posted by ButterflySis:
I was wondering if the license plate was confirmed to indeed be his. |
Yes, the license plate has been confirmed to be his... |
Great! I was concerned that they just assumed it was him because of the similiarities. That makes me feel much better that it was definitely his car.
Any chance the family could get another spot on tv, perhaps to plead with him to return if he is out there watching. Reminding him of the new grandbaby on the way and that everyone is concerned. That you don't care why he left that you just want him home?
Still trying to scratch for ideas...
|
|
