CLR: Renee Fox, 25, Found: Bones Identified as Hers

[Deepwater]

Family continues to hold out hope for Renee Fox, lost for 11 days in the desert

by Seamus McGraw

July 5, 2006

INDEPENDENCE,Calif. (Crime Library) — It had been a hard year for 25-year-old Renee Fox, what with the ordeal of her divorce, the pressure of completing school, the nerve damage she had suffered in her hands, not to mention the stress that her periodic use of meth had placed on her body and her mind.

But things seemed to be turning around. The pretty young mother of a 5-year-old had a new boyfriend and a new direction in life, and was, according to her brother, Reese Somes, looking forward to starting school in the fall at California State University in Northridge, where she planned to become a teacher. By all accounts she had given up the drugs, and was, by late June, in that emotional twilight between what was and what was to come.

Full article:

http://www.crimelibrary.com/news/ori...renee_fox.html

[RogerV]

I tend to be a pessemist by nature, but I have a hard time seeing how this case could have a happy ending. Authorities think she made it out to a main highway and now could even be in another state. Her family disagrees, saying she would have contacted them by now if this were the case.

If she didn't make it to the highway, that leaves her still in the desert, which is an even worse scenario. She had no water, gear, or other equipment. The two bottles of water she was given by two men she encountered would be barely enough to sustain her for one day. Her family fears she may have been abducted, but that's not a very hopeful situation either.

It would seem that she was somehow impaired, because her actions don't make a lot of sense. There's the fact that she took the wrong road in the first place, and the question of why she didn't just turn around when its hard surface ended. Even after getting stuck, the logical thing would have been to retrace her route along the road, but she apparently didn't do that either.

[SallyG]

Am I the only one wondering why the guys she encountered on their four wheelers did not assist her. If she was lost, why didn't they take her back to civilization, instead of just giving her a couple of bottles of water and letting her continue to wander in the desert? I'd love to hear their version of the encounter.

[MATTHEWsevenone]

Originally posted by SallyG
Am I the only one wondering why the guys she encountered on their four wheelers did not assist her. If she was lost, why didn't they take her back to civilization, instead of just giving her a couple of bottles of water and letting her continue to wander in the desert? I'd love to hear their version of the encounter.

No you are NOT the only one.

And LE forgot to get the fourwheelers numbers? What's that?

Do they use scent dogs in mines? The scent led to a mine shaft. A crew was called in. What exactly and how exactly did this crew search?

I am not only wondering about the fourwheelers but the search grid too.

[SallyG]

Originally posted by MATTHEWsevenone


No you are NOT the only one.

And LE forgot to get the fourwheelers numbers? What's that?

Do they use scent dogs in mines? The scent led to a mine shaft. A crew was called in. What exactly and how exactly did this crew search?

I am not only wondering about the fourwheelers but the search grid too.

I would think that if a woman is missing, and a couple of guys say "oh, yeah...we saw her wandering around....we gave her a couple of bottles of water and went on our way"....HUH???? I see red flags popping up all over the place. I mean, sure, they may have been just passing by and be totally innocent, but I would think the whole scenario would raise a few suspicions. I would think a second look at these guys would not be out of order.

[magpie1]

One of the reports - I believe one of the reports from the Crime Library, stated that the men who were four-wheeling gave her the 2 bottles of water and then the NEXT DAY found her purse with her credit cards and $900 in cash intact. The article states that it was then that they got suspicious and reported it to the authorities, who didn't get the names of the men.

The logical thing for the four-wheelers to do would be to have insisted on giving Renee a ride into town so she could get help - call her family to report what had happened.

If Renee was reluctant to go with strangers, the four wheelers should have gone into town, and reported to the authorities that a young woman's car had broken down and she was wandering alone out there in the desert. At that point, the police would have likely been able to locate and assist her.

I'm suspicious of the four-wheelers.

I'm also questioning how someone can walk into a sheriff's office with a found purse containing a sizeable sum of money, and the police not getting the names of the individuals who turned the purse in?

[SallyG]

Originally posted by magpie1
I'm also questioning how someone can walk into a sheriff's office with a found purse containing a sizeable sum of money, and the police not getting the names of the individuals who turned the purse in? [/b]

Exactly! It's always been my experience that when someone finds a purse, wallet, etc. and turns it into the police, they always get the name, address, and phone number of the person who found it. That way, if the owner wants to contact them and give them a reward, etc, they can find them.

Also, finding a purse in the desert with a large amount of money, credit cards, license, etc.....wouldn't that at least raise some suspicions by the police? In a city, ok...I can see MAYBE someone losing a purse or wallet like that...but in the middle of the desert????? Come on...someone in the sheriff's dept needs to get on the ball.

[magpie1]

At this point in time, the police or private investigators might want to talk to the men who were four-wheeling, in hope of obtaining any additional clues to Renee's disappearance. But without an address or phone number, that avenue is lost.

The one thing that's really concerning about this case is Renee leaving her purse behind, with all her credit cards and a sizeable sum of cash. I can see a woman leaving other belongings behind, but not her purse.

[RogerV]

Originally posted by magpie1

The one thing that's really concerning about this case is Renee leaving her purse behind, with all her credit cards and a sizeable sum of cash. I can see a woman leaving other belongings behind, but not her purse.

Exactly. They didn't find either of the water bottles, and I'm now wondering if they even existed. Why would someone leave her purse with hundreds of dollars in it behind, but take empty water bottles?

There's still the possibility that she was impaired-- perhaps she fell off the wagon on drugs or alcohol. It's also possible that she was so disoriented and perhaps dehydrated to the fact that she wasn't thinking logically anymore.

Lots of questions here and few answers so far...

[RogerV]

I'd actually never heard of the town before this, and a Mapquest search proves that it is somewhat isolated. Its population is only about 800, but nonetheless it has motels, restaurants, shops, and the county courthouse. In other words, it would still be the first place you'd head if you were in trouble in the region and thinking coherently. Again, another piece of this puzzle that doesn't seem to add up.

[magpie1]

Roger,

I'm quite familiar with the town of Independence, having travelled through it on our way to Mammoth, June Lake, or other points north many many times.

It's a very small town, with fast food places, motels, and gas stations, and is basically a place to stop for gas or lunch on a long trip.

Independence is the Inyo County seat, and has a quaint old courthouse. The town was made famous in 1969, when the Inyo County Sheriff arrested hippies who were living in an abandoned ranch house out in the desert. Among those arrested was Charles Manson, who orchestrated the Sharon Tate and La Bianca murders in Los Angeles in the summer of 1969. Manson was housed in the local jail in Independence until he could be extradited to Los Angeles to stand trial.

Originally posted by magpie1
One of the reports - I believe one of the reports from the Crime Library, stated that the men who were four-wheeling gave her the 2 bottles of water and then the NEXT DAY found her purse with her credit cards and $900 in cash intact. The article states that it was then that they got suspicious and reported it to the authorities, who didn't get the names of the men.

The logical thing for the four-wheelers to do would be to have insisted on giving Renee a ride into town so she could get help - call her family to report what had happened.

If Renee was reluctant to go with strangers, the four wheelers should have gone into town, and reported to the authorities that a young woman's car had broken down and she was wandering alone out there in the desert. At that point, the police would have likely been able to locate and assist her.

I'm suspicious of the four-wheelers.

"But did not get the names of the men...." That is the craziest thing I've heard lately. I'm with you. What kind of PD wouldn't take down the names???

I'm also questioning how someone can walk into a sheriff's office with a found purse containing a sizeable sum of money, and the police not getting the names of the individuals who turned the purse in?

Well, I guess my other post went out to the Twilight Zone or something...but what I originally posted was the same concerns about the PD not getting the names of the guys on the 4 wheelers. That's just so hard to believe that no names or contact info was taken down. Something isn't right with this.

Would there be any way to obtain this info at this late date?

[magpie1]

The only way the police could possibly contact the men who were out four-wheeling, and who turned Renee's purse into the authorities, would be to make some sort of public plea for the men to contact the sheriff's office.

The local radio station could do a public service broadcast, asking that the men contact the sheriff, giving a number to call, and repeat the message during every commercial break throughout the day for several days.

The local newspaper could also print something on the front page in bold print asking the men who turned the purse into the sheriff to please contact the sheriff.

That's about the only way I can think of that the sheriff might be able to re-contact the two men.

Hopefully the two men were local to the area. If they weren't local, it might be impossible to re-contact them.

[RogerV]

Originally posted by magpie1
Roger,

It's a very small town, with fast food places, motels, and gas stations, and is basically a place to stop for gas or lunch on a long trip.

Independence is the Inyo County seat, and has a quaint old courthouse.

Yes... I think we agree that despite its small size Independence offers the things a person in trouble would need-- food, shelter, law enforcement.

So the question remains, why didn't Renee try to return to town? It would be a simple matter to follow the road she took out of town. Was she impaired in some way? Had her drug problem re-emerged? Was she injured?

[magpie1]

Roger,
The most logical thing to do in her situation with her car disabled would be to walk back to town - Independence, walking back on the road she had come in on. According to my map of the area, she was likely on Mazourka Canyon Road, and according to one article, she was about 12 miles from Independence.

According to my map book, Masourka Canyon Road passes through the very small town of Kearsage, which is about 12 miles east of Independence. On a satallite map, at close range, you can see that the pavement turns to dirt road right after passing thru Kearsage. It doesn't look like there's more than a handfull of structures in Kearsage (satallite photo), and all are off the main road. But, Renee likely could have gotten help from someone who lives in that area.

I feel Renee must have been disoriented, injured, or in some way impaired, that she couldn't reach help.

Here's a link to a satallite map of that area. You can move the image north, south, east, and west, and follow Mazourka Canyon Road from the town of Independence.

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=36.80...&spn=0.11,0.18

There are a few more things you folks might want to consider about this situation. Renee' was seen by more than one group on Saturday. We saw her a bit earlier than the four-wheelers, walking up into Mazourka Canyon, headed toward a van that was nearby. (We found out later she wasn't with that group, unfortunately.) I believe she was also seen a bit later in the day by another person.

My husband stopped and asked her if she was alright. She said "Yes." We offered her a bottle of water and she said "Thank you" and kept walking. As a family with a young daughter & dog in our truck, we were about as non-threatening as anybody she'd come across in that deserted area. If she wanted help, we gave her a chance to ask. Since we didn't force her to go with us, does this mean that we should be considered suspicious, just like the four-wheelers?

We reported seeing her to the ranger responsible for the area & he called in the report to the police as we were leaving. This means that more than one report was made about her.

The four-wheelers were probably from out of the area, and have no idea that Renee's still missing. There really is nobody that lives in this area, it's just desert and old mines. Since the dogs lost her scent, she's probably left the area with someone - willingly or not is the part that scares me.

Of course, the most important thing at this point is that Renee' is found. With luck and prayers, this will happen.

[RogerV]

Originally posted by Second Thoughts
We saw her a bit earlier than the four-wheelers, walking up into Mazourka Canyon, headed toward a van that was nearby.

We reported seeing her to the ranger responsible for the area & he called in the report to the police as we were leaving. This means that more than one report was made about her.

UP INTO Mazourka Canyon? By that do you mean that she was walking AWAY from Independence? If that is the case, then she truly was disoriented. If she stayed on the road and had the reserves and strength to do so, she would have eventually arrived at a locked gate at an elevation of over 9,000 feet. One would hope that at that point she'd turn around and retrace her steps, but that's hoping against hope that she had a huge reserve of strength and actually made it that far.

Another possibility is that she might have struck out across the desert hoping for a shortcut, which again is inadvisable.

You've also made a good point, and that is you can't FORCE someone to accept help. It's a free country and walking around the desert with no gear isn't a crime, though it is the height of foolishness.

It's really starting to look like she was suffering from some kind of dementia, and it's anybody's guess as to what might have caused it. The chances of this story having a happy ending are getting dimmer by the minute.

To top it all off, local officials seem to be convinced that she made it to the highway and hitched a ride somewhere... I think someone mentioned Oregon or Salt Lake City just to illustrate that she could have gone in any direction, and is now no longer their problem.

Roger,
Yes, INTO Mazourka Canyon, she was already far away from Independence, since she was on foot and the temperatures were over 100 that weekend. It sounds like you know this area, so you know how big & deserted this area is. We saw her right by the only house in the canyon, which has running water, and there are many old mines nearby.

The canyon was searched several times and the dogs lost Renee's scent at a mine... she wasn't in the mine, but she would have been able to cool off & hopefully regain her senses.

With the number of folks that visit this area from out of town, perhaps she asked for a lift wherever the next car was headed. If that's the case, she could be anywhere.

If Renee' or someone that knows where she is reads this, please contact her family - it doesn't matter why she left or where she is right now, they just want to know she's safe. Even the people that saw her out in the desert that day are concerned for her and want her to return home safely. My daughter has learned a valuable lesson about asking for help, always letting someone know where she's headed, and being prepared for possible problems.

My prayers go out to all the families that are in this situation - not knowing is one of the worst tortures for a parent.

[magpie1]

Second Thoughts,

You did the right thing, reporting that you had seen Renee to the ranger. There really wasn't anything more you could do. If she needed a ride into town, then a family with a child and a dog would have been the safest.

Did she seem okay? By that, I mean did she seem confused or disoriented? Was there anything that seemed out-of-the-ordinary, or did she seem fine? Did you notice if she had her purse with her at that time?

The fact that when you saw her, Renee was walking AWAY from Independence, puts a different light on this situation. If she knew she was walking away from Independence, then it would appear that she wasn't trying to find help.

I feel badly for her family as they're left not knowing what happened, where she is, or even whether she's still alive. I hope, for their sake, Renee's disappearance is resolved. A very sad situation.

[cabojenn]

Originally posted by MATTHEWsevenone


No you are NOT the only one.

And LE forgot to get the fourwheelers numbers? What's that?

Do they use scent dogs in mines? The scent led to a mine shaft. A crew was called in. What exactly and how exactly did this crew search?

I am not only wondering about the fourwheelers but the search grid too.

The 4-wheelers are kind-of still a myth. Some people say there were 2 guys, some say 4 guys, and one web site there was a woman saying SHE was with them.

Our family appreciates your concern. More than you know.

[baambaam82]

[magpie1]

Originally posted by cabojenn


The 4-wheelers are kind-of still a myth. Some people say there were 2 guys, some say 4 guys, and one web site there was a woman saying SHE was with them.

Our family appreciates your concern. More than you know.

cabojenn,

I presume you are a member of Renee's family. I'm very sorry you and the other family members are having to go through this terrible situation. I pray that Renee is returned to her family safe and sound.

[GetTheTruth]

Every news story I read has something different, little tid-bits changed here and there, like playing the "telephone game". Things get changed everytime someone else tells the story. You can't believe word-for-word every story you see on the news or read in the paper. Second Thoughts would be my husbands step-mother & my mother-in-law. As she stated in her comment, Saturday afternoon, June 24th, we were headed down the hill, on Mazourka Canyon Rd., passed a van going up the hill with an older couple in it, then saw Renee walking UP the hill. Dad gave Renee a bottle of water, asked her if she was ok, Renee said yes, and we drove on. This was approximately 4:00pm. There were three vehicles in our group, two of which had children, so for Renee to feel unsafe asking for help would be crazy. We immediately reported to the CDF who were at the bottom of the hill that we had seen a woman by herself and had given her water, and that they might want to send someone to check it out. They replied they would inform the Sheriff, who did not start searching untill Sunday. I don't know if there is any truth to there being men on four-wheelers or not. According to the investigator, the couple that we passed in the van Sat. afternoon found her purse Sunday morning as they were coming down from camping overnight. We have been in contact with the authorities since the day we saw Renee, hoping to help in any way possible.

For the people who looked at satallite images, Kearsage is not there. It was a small mining town in the late 1800's, and there are NO structures there what-so-ever. You would never know there was a town there just by looking at it. No one lives in Kearsage. When we saw Renee, we were at least 8-12 miles from Independence, which would be the closest homes. Our family frequents the area often, as we have property in Lone Pine, which is 10 miles before Independence.

As Second Thoughts stated, even though we don't know her personally, we are very concerned for Renee, and have hope that she will be found, and found safe. She is a beautiful girl, and has her entire life to look forward to--with her son and family. Please continue to pray for her and her family, who I'm sure are going through hell right now.

[magpie1]

Get The Truth,
Thanks for posting and for your input. It dismaying that the sheriff didn't act promptly when notified on Saturday, and waited until Sunday to start searching.

It was my mistake, looking at the satallite images, that I thought I saw what looked like the roofs of a few structures, all off of Mazourka Canyon Road, and in the area where Kearsage would be.

We've travelled through Independence many times on our way northward or returning from a trip north. It's always been a rest stop for us, a place to stop for lunch or to get gas. We've never ventured off of 395.

This is a terrible tragedy for Renee's family. I pray there will be positive resolution soon.

[GetTheTruth]

magpie1,
There are a couple of hoppers used in mining in the area, most are at, or just above, the base of the hill/mountain. So it's completely understandable to think they were houses or something else when you are looking at a satellite.

When we travel to the area, we tend to be just the opposite of what you described yourself to be. We spend most of our time exploring the mountains on each side of the valley, trying to get AWAY from others!!

We have to stay positive and keep up hope that Renee will be found unharmed.

[RogerV]

I actually don't know this particular area, but I am somewhat familiar with the area around Bodie, which is similar. I knew about the locked gate at the end of Mazourka Canyon Road and the elevation thanks to an up to date web page maintained by the BLM.

I also found some pictures posted on the web that give an idea of just how bleak and rugged the terrain is:

http://www.virtualguidebooks.com/Sou...nge_FSTOC.html

NOT the sort of place for wandering around alone with no supplies or gear.

I also wonder about the four-wheelers, as I seem to remember that the BLM site said that "off-roading" was forbidden. However, I understand that some of the roads may be so bad that you need 4WD to negotiate them.

It now seems that enough people saw Renee headed AWAY from town and the main highway to discount the alleged sighting near the highway. I only hope the authorities can come to the same conclusion.

[RogerV]

Here is another link to a site that helps explain the region's popularity. It also illustrates that there are so many nooks and crannies that even the most careful search could miss something:

[magpie1]

Roger,
Thanks for the links. From looking at the second link, it looks like there's a few trees to seek shade from the sun, and a few caves that would be cooler.

I hope the searchers checked out the caves and mine shafts thoroughly.

[GetTheTruth]

I would like to know if there are any "missing person" fliers or posters for Renee that are on the internet that I can copy, download, print, etc... If anyone knows where I could find such a thing please share!!!

[magpie1]

Originally posted by GetTheTruth
I would like to know if there are any "missing person" fliers or posters for Renee that are on the internet that I can copy, download, print, etc... If anyone knows where I could find such a thing please share!!!

Get The Truth,
I haven't seen any missing person posters for Renee on any of the websites.

Several years ago a friend who's sister was carjacked from a parking lot in South Carolina, posted pictures of her sister and her sister's car on various websites. People on those websites copied the pictures and made up their own flyers. They posted the flyers at truck stops on major highways, and also sent them online to "Internet Cafe's" used by truckers. In that case, it was hoped that truckers, being on the highways, would spot the car.

In this case, posting flyers with Renee's picture and a brief description, the date and place where she was last seen, in gas stations, fast food establishments, cafes, rest stops, etc., all along 395 would be great. They should also be posted in Mazourka Canyon, if there's any place where the flyer could be posted.

[cabojenn]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,202234,00.html

http://www.cbs2.com/video/?id=21263@kcbs.dayport.com

I have her grad picture that one of our cousins emailed me last night, but I am unable to include it in this forum. Does ANYONE on here except emails? Because her pictures are so pretty and she has changed a bit in the last year. Shorter hair, and a bit aged.

OH! There IS a flyer on a soap message board. Still not the most current of pictures but it's the one I think everyone in the family is using.

http://groups.msn.com/BANNEDT0GETHER...79670119514854

If the link doesn't work or if they put the board on private sorry. It's a msn group called Bannedtogether for General Hospital. The girls can be ruthless, so if you go there I suggest only look for the link that I posted under Cabojenn and the subject is Email. I have an attachment (pdf) on the thread.

[cabojenn]

http://groups.msn.com/BANNEDT0GETHER...D_Message=4278

[GetTheTruth]

Cabojenn,

You can e-mail me or send "private messages" on here. Just click on pm under my comment. I was asking about fliers or pictures because I wanted to post a bulletin on MySpace and have other people pass it on...the more people that know, the better the chances!

[GetTheTruth]

Or click on "profile" under my comment--then you can e-mail me

[cabojenn]

As of yesterday, as major search was to begin no later than this morning. Will let you all know if they find anything.

[cabojenn]

http://www.texasequusearch.org/index.html

These are the people out there doing the search. And they also have a flyer.

[ConcernedCousin]

In an effort to help we've created this page.






Help Find Renee Fox www.myspace.com/helpfindreneefox

[ConcernedCousin]

Here it is again.


In an effort to help we've created this page.


Help Find Renee Fox

Thanks.