Hi TJ. you may have missed my answer...several times
Review post #1785Originally Posted by Starfly
"Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011
So no, you didn't phone the State Police?Notified the warden service
Teej
"[ATers] represent three percent of our use and about twenty percent of our effort," retired Baxter Park Director Jensen Bissell.
TJ, I don't get your line of questioning of Starfly or why it's so important which agency he notified. Both the Wardens and the Troopers have been mentioned in multiple articles and notices as agencies to contact if you had information.
Examples of the Wardens asking anyone with information to contact them:
"Those with any information are asked to call Maine Warden Service dispatch center at 207-624-7076 or leave information on our website"
http://www.foxbangor.com/news/local-...ing-hiker.html
"Authorities said they have not set a date for future searches for Largay. Anyone who may have information about Largay is asked to call the Maine Warden Service at 207-624-7076."
http://www.scrippsmedia.com/newschan...263652891.html
"The ongoing search to find Gerry also defies everything in the long experience of the agency in charge of it, the Maine Warden Service."
https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine...TWM/story.html
There's plenty more examples.
TJ,
Why is it so important to you that Starfly contacted the Wardens and not the Troopers?
What difference does it make?
What point are you trying to make?
"Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011
He says the wardens never got back to him.
Laminated posters at the trailheads say to call the State Police.
If the wardens didn't respond, why not call the State Police?
Teej
"[ATers] represent three percent of our use and about twenty percent of our effort," retired Baxter Park Director Jensen Bissell.
Very easy for a tip to fall between the cracks if you don't contact the correct agency, or even the correct person at the correct agency.
What are everyones thoughts on how we could start to wrap up this 2 year 3 month thread? Wouldn't it be great to end in a positive fashion? I feel like its going to be closed pretty soon. With all due respect to new posters, some of the most recent replies are about the Stratton Hotel call and all that early stuff. How about some thoughts on what we can learn from all of this? Things like this will sadly continue to happen in our back yards around the country and others might be able to get something useful in all of this for their search. I'm probably going to write some sort of Blog or thesis on all the info I've gather just so its not wasted. Until then heres a start; Don't give up if you're searching for someone. Ask questions. Be transparent. When professionals make mistakes help to fix them. Make a webpage. Reach out. Stick to the facts.....
How about people shouldn't invent and promote conspiracy theories simply because the rational explanation isn't immediately evident? It's a start.
"That's the thing about possum innards - they's just as good the second day." - Jed Clampett
Dont know that it will ever be wrapped up without issuance of a full report.
While the med ex may or may not show anything, theres a lot of details from site investigation that could help piece together what happened in her last hours or days.
Did she have any written notes
What could be learned from her phone, was it on her? She likely tried to send text, even if no service, and it would be stored in phone.
Did she have any form of map at all
Did she have any food left
Was there evidence of fire at her location
Any of her belongings missing?
etc
Starfly,
My thoughts exactly. I have followed this thread for 2 1/2 yes trying to make sense of her disappearance. I relate to Inchworm. I'm an older female who loves to hike and most of the time I hike alone. I became much more cautious after her disappearance. I haven't stayed out at night since then. I'm hoping truth will help me come to terms with her loss so I can face the trail without fear. I admire Inchworm's determination. I feel her loss as a kindred spirit. I pray she went peacefully with joy in her heart.
This is my first and last post regarding Inchworm. I imagine her spirit soaring above the majestic mountains free to explore the mysteries of the universe.
Goodbye Inchworm. Wish I had known you.
Ya buzzard I totally agree. You could be thinking something else but let me add; Less than 1% of wilderness lost person scenarios are the result of foul play. What percent of posters here believe that foul play happened? Has to be 30-40%.... Thanks Tux great thoughts!!! Muddy - I doubt that we'll ever know and I highly doubt she lived long as she was very close to the trail, almost shouting distance and easily whistle blast range among other survival technics. But who knows? I would add that if a loved one of yours is lost and/or you are searching, validate physical descriptions. In this case Inchworm had blonde hair on the day she went missing, not brown, as the warden service and media reported. And don't post mainstream pictures of the missing with hats or beanies. It shrouds the missing's true appearance. Probably a big reason Ivanich was misidentified as Ichworm and the loss of 3000 man hours of searching 5 miles to the east.
"He says the wardens never got back to him."
True
"Laminated posters at the trailheads say to call the State Police."
True
"If the wardens didn't respond, why not call the State Police?"
Maybe because it was only three days from the time Starfly reported his find and the news hit that a forester had found remains in almost the same location. I know I wouldn't expect an immediate response to a tip.
The Wardens and Troopers have probably received hundreds of reports of "bones found" to their tip line. This tips are checked out as resources become available. That could take weeks.
Now a tip of "bones found in a tent or sleeping bag", that would illicit an immediate response.
It all seems logical to me.
"Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011
There is no reason for this thread to be wrapped up anytime soon. The official ME report and LE findings have yet to be released and after that I'm sure there will be a long reflection of the findings by WB members.
I hope you're right Redrowen. I'm worried someone will wander in with dark reflections about the departed or some other reason. I wonder if anyone after us will learn from this thread. Who has thoughts?
Pretty amazing to think she was in a tent and nobody could find her. Hopefully it was a peaceful passing.
also pretty amazing that professional bloodhounds and their handlers couldn't find her. that area would have been the first i woulda checked
Remember, they were steered wrong by some mistaken intel they gathered and focused their search, at first, along the AT corridor near Mts. Spaulding and Abraham. I'd be curious to know when they did the search(es) which came very close to where her remains ended up being found.
The more miles, the merrier!
NH4K: 21/48; N.E.4K: 25/67; NEHH: 28/100; Northeast 4K: 27/115; AT: 124/2191
There was a lot of rain during her disappearance, which typically makes it more difficult for the dogs to track the scent. Handlers also noted that wind currents in the area were moving around a lot due to the nature of the terrain and confusing the dogs to some degree. But, yeah, while I am one of the first to point out how difficult it is to find a lost person in the woods, I am a bit surprised that they didn't find her sooner. Maybe 99 times out of 100 they find someone within days or weeks. Maybe this was simply that 1 time out of 100 they didn't.
"That's the thing about possum innards - they's just as good the second day." - Jed Clampett
Both Driver and buzzard have a couple of the most important factors. The biggest, as Driver says, is that they were focused 5 miles or more north on the AT (actually due east). They wasted in the range of 3000+ (that's probably a conservative estimate) man hours bungling/misinterpreting what was pretty specific intel. Other than hasty searches, it doesn't seem as though a concerted effort was made near her PLS until the end of week 2, near the time the search was 'scaled back.' Keep in mind she was in the Navy base. We're not even sure anyone but the Navy personnel searched inside the base. As far as our dear K-9 friends, we've covered in this thread the limitations of using dogs for the free range scent. They're just not that good at it, or at least the ones they're using in Maine aren't. Since following this story I've been keen on the use of K-9s in other lost person scenarios in Maine. In almost every case they've been used, and in almost every case they've been near where someone was and were not effective, the victim being found later by other means. Anyway, its odd she was missed. I mean I'm an amateur and figured out that the area she was was a prime spot. How can the small team I was part of walk to a few hundred yards from her on purpose and the pros never figured it out even by accident?
Yea, but you and your partner missed her too.
So what if you found a small pile of bones (most probably animal bones)in the area.
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