Missing Blogger Esther Dingley

[AlanB]

On one hand I agree.. I was amazed he was allowed to search alone. But I can also see that it might have been their only chance to discover the truth. They have time constraints and only he could reveal the body. We also don’t know that they didn’t have some way of keeping an eye on him. Hmmmm.. all very puzzling.

Yes.
The other thing is that although he has been interviewed 3 times it is apparently by 3 different Police forces (Spanish/French/British). I don't know how they operate but I would have thought if he was a genuine suspect they would have brought him in again for follow-up questions just to see how he would react to that - but I admit that this is just specualtion on my part.

 

[Cady1954]

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

 

[Stimpii]

I personally think they need to look at the partner. Thought it from day one. The way he words things over on their joint Facebook page is very alarming to say the least. He’s gone quiet all of a sudden.

Wouldn’t his phone be able to be tracked to see his locations/if it was turned off at any point?

 

[Tots]

I find it inconceivable that many people would stay hidden this long knowing their families will be besides themselves thinking they're dead. To let her parents go through this for so long is indefensible to me, if she'd fled, there would be nothing anyone could do to bring her back so she could've told them just days later. Him 'resuming his search' for some reason makes me think he's returning to the scene of his own crime, he seemed like he was obsessed previously and is just as obsessed now

I agree, I don’t think she’s gone of her own accord for that very reason. She would know how much her parents were hurting due to the internet and world press. I don’t think anyone would do that on purpose. I think he was a bit of a control freak but I don’t think he was so bad that she feared for her life?

 

[Johara]

Honestly it seems unfathomable to me that it wasn't him or he at the very least had something to do with it. He's written loads of stuff about hating her or resenting her etc, spoke about her in the past tense when she went missing, went off on his own search (cannot even believe that was allowed - IMO clearly tampering w evidence, hiding the body, whatever). Combined with the fact that she did lots of uncharacteristic things that day and things that an experienced hiker wouldn't do, I don't find it convincing at all that she simply went missing, committed suicide, someone else pushed her. More likely, he's so experienced hiking etc that he's managed to cover it up very well.

One thing we know for sure. Whoever killed her is very experienced at covering their tracks in the hiking environment.

If it wasn't him then I'm looking at others she met on the mountain. That includes the very fit Mr Ballarin and the manager of the refuge not too far away.

I asked about the killer's age to narrow things down.

 

[Tilly3]

No I dont really understand how you can even live life if you are constantly getting the camera out and posting.


Yes I think you are right there - the trouble is many people get depressed thinking that these people with picture perfect lives are the norm.
Probably quite the opposite...

In fact I think I prefer reading about the people whose lives are imperfect -makes me feel normal

Yes indeed it does!!

 

[Johara]

I agree that it seems highly likely that she hiked up there that day in order to meet somebody. Your observations seem very spot on to me.

Johara,

Do you think he met her in a panicky state and it all got out of hand. Perhaps she didn't say the right thing which triggered an explosive action? Perhaps she wasn't able to give him the reassurance he needed. I find it hard to contemplate that he went up there with premeditated intent to do something terrible...

Will reply to your question soon.

Was on their Facebook page looking for the posts that bothered me most of hers.

 

[SvenS]

If you look at a map of the area, the border between Spain and France joins the Pic du Sav with Port du Glera and is marked with a dotted line. It looks like a great ridge walk, but it is not a path! The terrain is very difficult and dangerous to walk. I do wonder if she mistook it for a marked route and attempted to walk it in order to cut short the loop she had planned.

OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap is a map of the world, created by people like you and free to use under an open license.

www.openstreetmap.org

 

[Pippa M]

A while since the last comments...did you pursue with the questions? If there is helpful information I hope it narrows the field down and catches whoever was involved... I was hoping she had just gone to a new life of her own but it now seems less likely and is very saddening.

 

[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.

 

[Giggling Squid]

WS rules forbid members to speculate about missing peoples' partners so I'm amazed Koko got to see something before mods erased it. Their mods are gestapo-like.

I'm getting Chris Watts vibes. I wish it wasn't the case.

I was referring the the whole case, rather then specifically the partner although I do agree that there is someone odd

 

[TwooTwooTwitTwitTwoo]

A lady saw a light on in Esther's campervan after she had gone missing and took a photo. Apparently it was someone from the Forensic dept.

 

[tinkertailorsoldierspy]

The man who gave her a lift hasn’t been found yet has he.

No, he hasn't yet

 

[SummerSky]

=================================================

For me the bottom line is whether Mr. Colegate's credit card/laptop/phone has activity at the house-sit during the critical period of 22nd-25th, if it does then regardless of what some of us may think about his actions he is in the clear in my view - if not then for me he is stonewall favourite for what has happened.

People have talked about duplicating phones etc. but that would have been very difficult and besides, I'm sure Mr. Colegate would be supremely confident that once he was face to face with Ms. Dingley he could once again get her to do exactly what he wants.

I think there is now a high possibility that a troubled and emotional Ms. Dingley who wanted out of her relationship of 20 years was far less careful than she would normally be and it cost her her life. I believe her text messages were like her constant postponements of the end of her trip - trying to delay the final difficult conversation.

I do hope it wasn't suicide, because I think that would be worse, but it might be if she could see no way of extricating herself from the relationship.

Thoughts.

Credit card - you could use a burner phone & shop online and nobody could tell where you were.

Suicide - these controlling types target very strong people. That's what excites them. To break strong people.

Sure, they do end up breaking some who do commit suicide but the fact she was challenging him tells me she had plenty fight left.

* strong defined as full of life, love, empathy, self respect etc. But porous boundaries.

 

[Johara]

Ian Huntley is a particularly good example of such behaviour.

What did he do?

 

[Johara]

I have not seen any of the police state that DC has an alibi.

Also remember that the police have made this a CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.

That info was provided yesterday.

 

[Rhona]

Do you know it is his mum?

Could it be a step mum?

I just noted that in the media his dad went public & said I'm here for you son. No mention of his mum.

Usually a mother would be the first to show support publicly.

I assumed she could be deceased since both are very elderly

 

[SummerSky]

It sounds like he physically used his credit card in stores. Plus, the data use on a mobile would be quite hard to fake. It's one thing turning it off and leaving it. It's quite another having it browsing websites, streaming video and all the other things that would require physical interaction with the device.

We don't have the info the cops have so we can only look at feasibility.

It's feasible.

 

[BroccoliTreetops]

Anything along those lines is likely too. I just liked Lemon's idea neatly tying up with the missing tent.

Possibly did similar except throw her down the cliff - too risky for him.

Killed her near the hiding place/crevice then carted her body into it using the tent.

Yes. Maybe got her to go there in the dark to see sunrise at the viewpoint. Then killed and tent for short distance like you say.

 

[McNuggets]

Are there any more developments?