Missing Blogger Esther Dingley

[Aliceboo]

I just wanted to say something about the PR agency, its actually a charity that helps with missing people abroad. They likely would have approached the family asking if they need any help and support.

So many things in this case just don't sit right.

An animal of some kind moved a part of her skull to another location, a location which is likely higher than where her body was found. Why? Why would an animal be solely interested in her skull, especially after so long.

What was in it for the animal? It couldn't have been food. So why would any animal expend energy on carrying a skull up a mountain? Animals are not stupid and putting this as delicately as I can, a skull would have no nutritional value after this time.

A mammal moved her skull from where her body has been for 9 months, up part of a mountain, and just happened to leave it somewhere visible. That just happens to have been instantly suspicious as being her due to the hair.

Animals usually carry things in their mouths, leaving teeth marks or some other evidence.

Murder gets mentioned for the first time after they have something that can be forensically examined.

Trying to be delicate again, I've heard vultures mentioned and that they drop bones to get at what is inside. There would have been nothing inside by that point so why would a vulture put the effort in? Can't be a mistake on the vultures part, with their super senses they would know there was no food source.

 

[Passive_Aggressive_Lemon]

Due to a bout of insomnia, I’ve just read through this whole thread in one sitting. A lot of interesting theories. It looks like the forensics will be key now.

The missing tent stands out to me. If her boyfriend or someone else was responsible then maybe the tent was used to move her body to an area where it looked like she’d fallen. Then the tent was taken away and disposed.
If it was an accident or suicide then you’d expect the tent to still be with the rest of her things that have been found.

Did you ever get any more information from the psychic lady @SummerSky ?
My initial thought was that she’d been murdered but not necessarily by the boyfriend but that he’d arranged it. Although the location probably makes that far fetched due to the terrain etc.

 

[SummerSky]

why would any animal expend energy on carrying a skull up a mountain? Animals are not stupid and putting this as delicately as I can, a skull would have no nutritional value after this time.

A mammal moved her skull from where her body has been for 9 months, up part of a mountain, and just happened to leave it somewhere visible. That just happens to have been instantly suspicious as being her due to the hair.

Animals usually carry things in their mouths, leaving teeth marks or some other evidence.

Murder gets mentioned for the first time after they have something that can be forensically examined.

Trying to be delicate again, I've heard vultures mentioned and that they drop bones to get at what is inside. There would have been nothing inside by that point so why would a vulture put the effort in? Can't be a mistake on the vultures part, with their super senses they would know there was no food source.

Yep. It's become a psychopath's playbook: blaming animals.

Mountain lion - Barry Morphew
Bears - Don Wells
Vultures - this case

Chris Mcdonough, an ex child homicide cop whose son was snatched ... (runs The Interview Room on youtube)... quipped to the FBI's go to analyst Steve Johnson this week:

Topic: Summer Wells

Steve: "he's inferring the bears took her" (paraphrasing)

Chris: "Mountain lion..."

Steve: "huh? Oh... (chuckles) you mean like Barry Morphew"

Due to a bout of insomnia, I’ve just read through this whole thread in one sitting. A lot of interesting theories. It looks like the forensics will be key now.

The missing tent stands out to me. If her boyfriend or someone else was responsible then maybe the tent was used to move her body to an area where it looked like she’d fallen. Then the tent was taken away and disposed.
If it was an accident or suicide then you’d expect the tent to still be with the rest of her things that have been found.

Did you ever get any more information from the psychic lady @SummerSky ?
My initial thought was that she’d been murdered but not necessarily by the boyfriend but that he’d arranged it. Although the location probably makes that far fetched due to the terrain etc.

You need to get some sleep

Due to a bout of insomnia, I’ve just read through this whole thread in one sitting. A lot of interesting theories. It looks like the forensics will be key now.

The missing tent stands out to me. If her boyfriend or someone else was responsible then maybe the tent was used to move her body to an area where it looked like she’d fallen. Then the tent was taken away and disposed.
If it was an accident or suicide then you’d expect the tent to still be with the rest of her things that have been found.

Did you ever get any more information from the psychic lady @SummerSky ?
My initial thought was that she’d been murdered but not necessarily by the boyfriend but that he’d arranged it. Although the location probably makes that far fetched due to the terrain etc.

I like the tent idea for transporting the body. Definitely possible.

 

[PineappleQueen19]

Going by the tone of this article, we aren’t the only ones with suspicions. I hope the media keep the pressure up as it may help prevent the case going in the ‘too hard’ basket as sometimes happens when someone dies or is a victim of crime in a foreign country

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-clues-Esther-Dingleys-remains-boyfriend.html

 

[toffeejelly]

I don't get how Dan could have found the body, surely it would be nothing but bones by this point?

 

[Lanie]

I don't get how Dan could have found the body, surely it would be nothing but bones by this point?

It says in that report she was found in a natural cave. Why didnt the police look there, also why would you have the boyfriend look for her in the first place. He shouldnt be there.

 

[SvenS]

It looks like her partner was searching in the wrong place. In the The Times article, there is a screenshot of his GPS tracks. The location confused me at first, as it's google earth with south up, rather than north up. But it shows he has concentrated his search in the forest areas on the lower slopes of the French side (perhaps this was all he could do, given the winter conditions and Covid restrictions).

The more I look at this, the more I think it's just a tragic accident.

• Her partner has an alibi of phone data records and credit card use placing him at his home at the time. The police have fully ruled him out.
• She was an experienced hiker, but perhaps not a mountaineer:
  • Says "I'm on a col/peak" in a message (a col is a pass, not a peak).
  • No ice axe, crampons or rope in kit list.
  • Hiking alone, but no flares, smoke, or GPS beacon.
  • Did not inform anyone of intended route (we only know due to chance conversation).
  • Starts ascent late in the day.
  • Asks for food on the way up - should have been fully stocked up that early in trek.
  • Is unsure of the suitability of the Refuge Venasque for cold weather use "I hope it has a winter room".
  • Has to turn back due to snow and is helped off the mountain by another hiker a couple of days prior.
• The area she was found in would be a short-cut between the two mountain passes her planned route was to take in. It is dangerous terrain.

 

[Agent Krycek]

If she was found in an inaccessible cave/crevice that was not near the path she was intending to take, does this not strongly point to suicide? Perhaps she chose a quiet beautiful place to end her life. In those sub zero temperatures one could go to sleep and be pretty sure hypothermia would take them.

 

[Giggling Squid]

If she was found in an inaccessible cave/crevice that was not near the path she was intending to take, does this not strongly point to suicide? Perhaps she chose a quiet beautiful place to end her life. In those sub zero temperatures one could go to sleep and be pretty sure hypothermia would take them.

I think it’s much more likely to point to a tragic accident

Perhaps she wasn’t making as much progress as she thought so tried to find a short cut, and got stuck

Perhaps she fell, and tried to find shelter. Even a small stumble, especially when carrying a heavy bag can make you fall, and the momentum is hard to stop.

Whatever happened, I lean much more towards tragic accident that led to her succumbing to hypothermia than her committing suicide

 

[SvenS]

If she was found in an inaccessible cave/crevice that was not near the path she was intending to take, does this not strongly point to suicide? Perhaps she chose a quiet beautiful place to end her life. In those sub zero temperatures one could go to sleep and be pretty sure hypothermia would take them.

Whilst certainly a possibility, I think this is unlikely. She would have been well aware that going missing would cause a search and rescue effort. Previously, they posted a video where they talk about their respect for the volunteer mountain rescue teams. Even in the depths of despair I don't think a conscientious person, like she appears to be, would want to put others lives at risk.

 

[PineappleQueen19]

If I were LB Trust, what would concern me the most in today’s coverage is references to Esther as an ‘experienced’ hiker. Especially in headlines, it speaks volumes. So if it were me, I would spend the next few days, starting this morning, discrediting this. Yes she did a lot of hiking but what about decisions x, y, z. Why didn’t she do this, have that equipment etc. And if news articles were not accepting comments or heavily moderating I would look for other platforms to try to course correct the messaging

 

[Harrigan]

It says in that report she was found in a natural cave. Why didnt the police look there, also why would you have the boyfriend look for her in the first place. He shouldnt be there.

Yes I don’t understand the fact the boyfriend was able to search for her. From what I read it said he knew the routes she took so why didn’t he pass on this information? I thought in any crime scene you couldn’t go back to it in case you contaminated any evidence etc? It’s all very strange.

 

[SummerSky]

It looks like her partner was searching in the wrong place. In the The Times article, there is a screenshot of his GPS tracks. The location confused me at first, as it's google earth with south up, rather than north up. But it shows he has concentrated his search in the forest areas on the lower slopes of the French side (perhaps this was all he could do, given the winter conditions and Covid restrictions).

The more I look at this, the more I think it's just a tragic accident.

• Her partner has an alibi of phone data records and credit card use placing him at his home at the time. The police have fully ruled him out.
• She was an experienced hiker, but perhaps not a mountaineer:
  • Says "I'm on a col/peak" in a message (a col is a pass, not a peak).
  • No ice axe, crampons or rope in kit list.
  • Hiking alone, but no flares, smoke, or GPS beacon.
  • Did not inform anyone of intended route (we only know due to chance conversation).
  • Starts ascent late in the day.
  • Asks for food on the way up - should have been fully stocked up that early in trek.
  • Is unsure of the suitability of the Refuge Venasque for cold weather use "I hope it has a winter room".
  • Has to turn back due to snow and is helped off the mountain by another hiker a couple of days prior.
• The area she was found in would be a short-cut between the two mountain passes her planned route was to take in. It is dangerous terrain.

The police have never ruled DC out.

Step 1 in investigations is to quietly watch persons of interest but not to declare anyone a POI until they have evidence.

Step 2: only when they have evidence do they declare a POI.

Nobody has yet been declared a POI.

Nobody gets ruled out till they have 1st been declared a POI.

 

[Giggling Squid]

Yes I don’t understand the fact the boyfriend was able to search for her. From what I read it said he knew the routes she took so why didn’t he pass on this information? I thought in any crime scene you couldn’t go back to it in case you contaminated any evidence etc? It’s all very strange.

Is it a crime scene if there’s no evidence of a crime? You can’t turn such a large area of mountain into a crime scene

 

[SummerSky]

Is it a crime scene if there’s no evidence of a crime? You can’t turn such a large area of mountain into a crime scene

Great question.

When someone goes missing the environment is not treated as a crime scene... until police notice anomalies.

Only then do they start sealing the area off.

 

[Aliceboo]

Her yellow tent is missing. If she has had an accident, what happened to it?

If she's succumbed to hypothermia the investigators will be able to tell as she will have removed clothing.

The tent would be a wealth of forensic information.

 

[SummerSky]

Something that bothers me:

Why would a woman send a photo of a peak she had summited to her bf when:

- she had posted a pic the day prior of the same peak on instagram/facebook

- she had summited it twice in 2 days so it wasn't a "wow look I got here" achievement

Why would he even be interested in seeing the same peak pic twice?

Did he ask her for proof of location eg Are you really there right now?

 

[SvenS]

The police have never ruled DC out.

I guess nobody is ever fully ruled out of anything - they're just words really. But if you read the times article, the police turned over his house and went through all his digital devices early in the investigation. It seems that his alibi is established.

 

[SummerSky]

Her yellow tent is missing. If she has had an accident, what happened to it?

If she's succumbed to hypothermia the investigators will be able to tell as she will have removed clothing.

The tent would be a wealth of forensic information.

Yep. Surely we are supposed to believe vultures tossed the bright yellow tent down the mountain.

And it miraculously vanished rather than be spotted by helicopters or searchers.

I guess nobody is ever fully ruled out of anything - they're just words really. But if you read the times article, the police turned over his house and went through all his digital devices early in the investigation. It seems that his alibi is established.

If you go back through the thread you'll find a discussion of how he could get around that.

Several possibilities:

- leave phone at the house sit

- very fit runner so it's possible to shorten an ascent up a mountain

- he had 2-3 days to clean up as he only reported her gone 2-3 days later

- devices only assist if a perp keeps them with them

It is possible to clone sims & have both on separate phones. Only one can make calls etc. The other can't.

 

[SvenS]

Her yellow tent is missing. If she has had an accident, what happened to it?

Even a lightweight tent is one of the bulkier pack items, so it's often strapped to the outside. Her pack was 58L, which is a fair size, but not as big as the usual 70L packs for multi-day trekking. So it's possible the tent was knocked off the pack in a fall.

The other possibility is it was abandoned as the terrain got challenging. It's very difficult to navigate steep terrain with a heavy pack. So it's possible she chose to remove some non-essential items from the bag. The options for pitching a tent in such terrain would be extremely limited, so it would really have been quite useless.