Missing Blogger Esther Dingley

[AladdinSane]

From what I've seen, there was no mobile signal at the refuge. But if she had continued her planned route the next day, then within 30mins of leaving the hut, she would have reached an area with mobile coverage.

He will not have known the extent of the mobile signal coverage and it's not unfeasible that she could be walking in an area without signal for a day or two.

The past tense is probably a bit of a red-herring at this point. It was a good 2 weeks from her going missing, very unlikely anyone would survive that long. So he will have been dealing with the likely prospect she had perished on the mountain. If he'd referred to her in the past tense a day after she went missing, that would be different. The other possibility is he had fallen out of love with her a long time ago and it was just a truthful slip; that alive or dead, he didn't love her anymore.

I guess I'm thinking of it more from the perspective of someone who is so used to having phone signal, not hearing from someone for a day would send alarm bells ringing.
Maybe they were used to it having been travelling around Europe for so long?

It's such a sad scenario, whatever the final outcome.

 

[Lanie]

I just watched that for the first time. To me, he doesn’t come across as I would expect. Your partner is missing, you’re worried sick, you don’t sleep well, you’re helpless and vulnerable.., the last thing you want us to be interviewed because of the state you’re in. Ok, everyone’s different but he was calm enough to confidently correct his ‘I loved her’. He doesnt have the air of an anxious boyfriend, worried sick about the welfare of his girlfriend who could be trapped with broken limbs and starving to death. More like a man who is almost enjoying his interview and directing the situation.

He doesnt look shocked or even traumatised. If my husband went missing i would be talking like a robot. I dont think i could talk to anyone other than to put out a missing person update.

I wouldnt be just chatting to a telly programme. Id be searching and ringing there phone, giving the police everything to aid them in their enquires.

 

[PeggyHenry]

It is sad and heartbreaking for all those involved. I hope the police come to a conclusion soon as I guess dc is very likely totally innocent and speculation around him may end up being extremely unfair. The problem is that the case is intriguing and there are so many personal aspects that we’ve learnt about their lives.

 

[Agent Krycek]

I just watched that for the first time. To me, he doesn’t come across as I would expect. Your partner is missing, you’re worried sick, you don’t sleep well, you’re helpless and vulnerable.., the last thing you want us to be interviewed because of the state you’re in. Ok, everyone’s different but he was calm enough to confidently correct his ‘I loved her’. He doesnt have the air of an anxious boyfriend, worried sick about the welfare of his girlfriend who could be trapped with broken limbs and starving to death. More like a man who is almost enjoying his interview and directing the situation.

I agree with you 100%, for whatever reason he has sought to control the narrative from the beginning, but info from Esther's social media posts indicating a troubled mind, to the statements from the police and the new friend Esther made while hiking have really put his version of reality into question. Just goes to show that you can spin things via the media any way you want, but the truth will always seep through somehow. This doesn't mean he necessarily had anything to do with her death, but it would explain why she kept extending her time away, and her vague text messages where she seemed to be trying to be gently evasive - and perhaps why she didn't turn her phone on again after their final conversation.

Maybe he was just trying to protect their 'brand' which was heavily focussed on two soul mates travelling around together, and he didn't want the world to know that all was not as idyllic as their blog presented in the hope that she would return and they would be able to carry on

 

[SvenS]

He doesnt look shocked or even traumatised.

People deal with these things differently. He has managed to get it together emotionally in order to do the best he can to find her.

Part of that is raising public awareness, another part is physically searching by himself.

He has done everything he can to find her. I suspect if he just stayed silent and at home, leaving the search to the 'professionals', then he would be criticised for that too.

 

[Aliceboo]

I guess it is still possible for this to be an accident even though he may not have been a good partner.

What really concerns me is all the thanks she gives him in her facebook posts, giving the impression that without him she would not be able to do the hike. This happens on so many posts. Yet he never does the same in return.

The video when they are together talking about mountain rescue and he is talking over her, not to mention that she has to move to get back in the shot as it appears he only cares about having himself in the shot.

Then you have the books which are solely written by him, even if it was him that put the words onto paper, well laptop, she still should have been given equal credit.

I don't think her looks are relevant, she is a definite 10, and he was punching well above his weight, but I don't think her looks are the reason he thought he may lose her.

That he so vehemently denied any problems in their relationship is telling. When someone goes missing it is imperative you give all information, warts and all. I can remember reading a case about a child who was abducted in the USA, one of the first things the father told the police was that he was having an affair. This enabled the police to get on with the job in hand instead of wasting precious time by finding out he's having an affair and coming to the conclusion he is untrustworthy.

 

[Chilledcappucino]

People deal with these things differently. He has managed to get it together emotionally in order to do the best he can to find her.

Part of that is raising public awareness, another part is physically searching by himself.

He has done everything he can to find her. I suspect if he just stayed silent and at home, leaving the search to the 'professionals', then he would be criticised for that too.

Yes, I agree. To be honest, I thought his voice sounded as though he's on the verge of tears.

 

[BroccoliTreetops]

I'm very sorry if I've been saying all this nasty stuff about him and he's innocent, but the dead can't speak, so is there any evidence that they both went to that part of the mountain range previously? Esther has written about being there before, a year earlier (not sure if same exact places) but he says in that video about going there and realising the signal is good as though he has never been before.
Also when was she meant to climb that spot she is found dead by according to her planned route?

 

[LaurieLaurie]

I just watched that for the first time. To me, he doesn’t come across as I would expect. Your partner is missing, you’re worried sick, you don’t sleep well, you’re helpless and vulnerable.., the last thing you want us to be interviewed because of the state you’re in. Ok, everyone’s different but he was calm enough to confidently correct his ‘I loved her’. He doesnt have the air of an anxious boyfriend, worried sick about the welfare of his girlfriend who could be trapped with broken limbs and starving to death. More like a man who is almost enjoying his interview and directing the situation.

Whenever I watch interviews like this I always think it’s strange. I would have to be sedated if anyone in my family went missing, appealing would be the last thing I would ever do.

 

[Giggling Squid]

I'm very sorry if I've been saying all this nasty stuff about him and he's innocent, but the dead can't speak, so is there any evidence that they both went to that part of the mountain range previously? Esther has written about being there before, a year earlier (not sure if same exact places) but he says in that video about going there and realising the signal is good as though he has never been before.
Also when was she meant to climb that spot she is found dead by according to her planned route?

Re the signal comments, i go hiking a lot with my partner, and I couldn’t tell you where has good or bad signal as often our phones are off to preserve battery, and allow us to enjoy nature without notifications. If I was on my own, I’d have it on all the time, making sure I know when I did and didn’t have signal

 

[Tots]

Whenever I watch interviews like this I always think it’s strange. I would have to be sedated if anyone in my family went missing, appealing would be the last thing I would ever do.

I guess if you felt it would help find your missing loved one then you would find the inner strength to do it in the hope it might help find them. Hopefully none of us will find ourselves in that situation to find out. I can relate to a degree though....when my mum died, my son was only 2 and everyone said how strong I was being but I was only doing it for my son because he needed me, when he went to bed, I fell to pieces so I guess it’s that similar inner strength to control your emotions to do what needs to be done?

 

[Showmethemoonie]

Re the signal comments, i go hiking a lot with my partner, and I couldn’t tell you where has good or bad signal as often our phones are off to preserve battery, and allow us to enjoy nature without notifications. If I was on my own, I’d have it on all the time, making sure I know when I did and didn’t have signal

If she was doing a multi day camping trip with no means of charging I can imagine she may have had the phone on airplane mode/off to conserve battery, particularly if it was her sole means of navigation.

 

[Cady1954]

Was he in the the same country when she went missing?

 

[SvenS]

If she was doing a multi day camping trip with no means of charging I can imagine she may have had the phone on airplane mode/off to conserve battery, particularly if it was her sole means of navigation.

She had a battery power pack to charge her phone with, but even so, you would probably still put it in airplane mode to conserve power.

What I can't understand, is why you wouldn't invest in something like a FindMeSpot GPS tracker. It doesn't rely on mobile phone signal, it connects directly to a satellite, pings your location at regular intervals, and has an SOS button which is equivalent to dialling 999. It's not expensive either.

 

[BroccoliTreetops]

Re the signal comments, i go hiking a lot with my partner, and I couldn’t tell you where has good or bad signal as often our phones are off to preserve battery, and allow us to enjoy nature without notifications. If I was on my own, I’d have it on all the time, making sure I know when I did and didn’t have signal

Yes but I'm assuming you didn't possibly plan and pull off a flawless murder of your partner using hikes as cover?

 

[PeggyHenry]

If DC was involved in foul play he could use Esthers phone to manipulate narrative.

 

[chartilbury]

It's all possible sadly. Murder / accident by going the wrong way. It's all still up in the air. So many unanswered questions. I just hope the police and forensics are able to solve it one way or the other. I hope they don't take the easy way out and just put it down to an accident because they can't be bothered to do the hard yards. I will say, right from the get go my instincts were up about Dan. It's that gut feeling you get. And I felt it immediately when I read the headline that he was the one who found her body. I had that same feeling when I read about the murdered girl in Greece, and I had it a few weeks ago when that woman in Wales claimed her back door was open and someone had taken her son.

Without wanting to sound crass, me too! I straight away thought all those cases were suspicious. I know they say Dan’s got an alibi but they also haven’t totally ruled him out so I’m guessing perhaps they know more than they’re letting on but don’t want to say it just yet until they’ve got enough to charge him OR they’re giving him enough rope to let him finish himself off which by ‘finding’ the body he may well have just done

I agree, but the Police apparently have all the information on his cell/laptop/cc and are STILL not treating him as a suspect, allowing him to roam all over the mountains ! They clearly think he's innocent.

But if they thought he was a suspect they might not outwardly say so. They might not want to give the game away

 

[SummerSky]

Watching Steve Jackson (FBI consultant) analyse statements by Wells at the Interview Room makes me wish he and Chris McDonough were on Esther's case.

I'd give anything to hear them assessing the peculiar behaviour and disturbing elements in this case.

I trust in forensics too and am sure the French "Criminal Investigations Technicians" will do a great job.

Esther Dingley: Forensics scour spot where British hiker’s body found

Specialist crime investigators were on Wednesday carrying out forensic examinations of the isolated spot in the Pyrenees where the dead body of British hiker Esther Dingley was found.

www.standard.co.uk

 

[chartilbury]

The one thing I struggle with re the boyfriend is he mentioned they spoke every single day. However their last contact was the 22nd November according to newspapers and he didn't report her missing at all until the 24th November. Everything I've read suggests if she made it to the refuge she was trying to reach, the signal would have been fine to send a message.

As a partner, if my boyfriend was up hiking alone and I didn't hear from him one day when we had been communicating regularly, I wouldn't even give it a night. I would be reporting that straight away.

I also notice he talks about her in the past tense a lot. Could be a coincidence but...


This was where he first publicly talks about her in the past tense. It was just a few days after she went missing and although he corrects himself and carries on talking, he seems to be trying hard not to smirk, and is very calm and matter of fact about the fact she is missing. Although I suppose the calmness could be numbness, and the smirking could be trying not to cry? If the police have really ruled him definitively out then we are completely barking up the wrong tree with our armchair analysis of his behaviour and it was either a tragic accident or suicide.

He can’t maintain eye contact. He keeps looking to his left just like Ian Huntley did in his interview and we all know how that ended

 

[SummerSky]

To quote a sharp observer of geographic locations in news reports on a forum:

"She was found near a path on the French side of port de la glere... at 2200m"

Let's remember this:

Her skull fragment was found by a Spanish hiker.

Then the body by Dan. They're 100m apart as the crow flies & 600m scrambling over terrain.

They are in a hiking - not cliff climbing - area.

Thus it is feasible she was deposited there.

I personally don't believe she was "spotted" naturally.