Lindsey Baum # 7 1/27/10 - 4/6/11

[KarmaRoundUp]

I just saw the tapes, and I am wondering if it is possible if mr. plaid shirt was involved, was he the guy in the white truck that goes to the back of the station, where the air and water are located, was driving lindsey back there to retrive her bike, fill the tires, or whatever.  My second question is why would this guy go in the store, and not buy anything? He didn't even look like he was looking for anything.  Why would he risk being video taped if he was involved.  More likely they are looking for him to see if he saw anything going on in the back of the station, viewing Lindsey...see who she was with at the station>? 

While looking at these video tapes over and over I see plaid shirt/baseball cap man walk into the store and it looks to me that he is asking something of the store clerk over to the right of the video he is on.
Maybe he came in to ask directions to somewhere?

[Tamikosmom]

I just saw the tapes, and I am wondering if it is possible if mr. plaid shirt was involved, was he the guy in the white truck that goes to the back of the station, where the air and water are located, was driving lindsey back there to retrive her bike, fill the tires, or whatever.  My second question is why would this guy go in the store, and not buy anything? He didn't even look like he was looking for anything.  Why would he risk being video taped if he was involved.  More likely they are looking for him to see if he saw anything going on in the back of the station, viewing Lindsey...see who she was with at the station>?
 

While looking at these video tapes over and over I see plaid shirt/baseball cap man walk into the store and it looks to me that he is asking something of the store clerk over to the right of the video he is on.

Maybe he came in to ask directions to somewhere?

 

[Sister]

I just saw the tapes, and I am wondering if it is possible if mr. plaid shirt was involved, was he the guy in the white truck that goes to the back of the station, where the air and water are located, was driving lindsey back there to retrive her bike, fill the tires, or whatever.  My second question is why would this guy go in the store, and not buy anything? He didn't even look like he was looking for anything.  Why would he risk being video taped if he was involved.  More likely they are looking for him to see if he saw anything going on in the back of the station, viewing Lindsey...see who she was with at the station>? 

While looking at these video tapes over and over I see plaid shirt/baseball cap man walk into the store and it looks to me that he is asking something of the store clerk over to the right of the video he is on.
Maybe he came in to ask directions to somewhere?

Karma, I wondered about that too -- I believe the air pump was behind the station, and behind the station, IIRC, is near the front of Lindsey's house.  Lord, so close.

[no rose colored glasses]

I just saw the tapes, and I am wondering if it is possible if mr. plaid shirt was involved, was he the guy in the white truck that goes to the back of the station, where the air and water are located, was driving lindsey back there to retrive her bike, fill the tires, or whatever.  My second question is why would this guy go in the store, and not buy anything? He didn't even look like he was looking for anything.  Why would he risk being video taped if he was involved.  More likely they are looking for him to see if he saw anything going on in the back of the station, viewing Lindsey...see who she was with at the station>? 

While looking at these video tapes over and over I see plaid shirt/baseball cap man walk into the store and it looks to me that he is asking something of the store clerk over to the right of the video he is on.
Maybe he came in to ask directions to somewhere?

Karma, I wondered about that too -- I believe the air pump was behind the station, and behind the station, IIRC, is near the front of Lindsey's house.  Lord, so close.

I wasn't aware the front of Lindsey's house was so close to the gas station  That is just frightening how close she was to being home.

[Basket Case]

There are no signs indicating gas or any other services.  Just roads names.  This highway is the connecting highway from i-5 to Ocean Beaches.  McCleary is not a common exit to use unless you are local when you are driving between Aberdeen/Montesano and Olympia.  Elma and Montesano have signs both directions, McCleary doesn't.

That Highway can get pretty busy on Friday and Sunday nights during the summer with people going to the beach, or going to the Olympics.  The one thing that has always bugged me was that if you didnt know the town and got lost pulling out from the Shell Station or turning too soon you could easily end up in the area that Lindsey was last seen.  What if someone saw her and asked her directions - she most likely would have tried to help them.

There is one small gas sign and a food sign (I believe for Subway) on 8 coming from Elma headed toward McCleary but I agree that it would be unlikely for someone not familiar with the town to stop there instead of the better marked exits. The ocean would be my guess for the biggest draw that time of year, the Off Road Vehicle Park and camping are also popular in the summer.

[Basket Case]

I was just thinking since it was a Friday night the casinos would have been busy too with people going to work there, and to gamble and what-not. The two around the area that come to mind are Little Creek in Shelton http://www.little-creek.com/contact_directions.html  and Lucky Eagle in Rochester http://www.luckyeagle.com/.

[Tamikosmom]

Expert: Missing girl likely went with someone she knew
09:58 PM PDT on Wednesday, July 1, 2009

A national expert helping in the search for 10-year-old Lindsey Baum says someone Lindsey knew might be responsible for her disappearance. Baum vanished while walking home from a friend’s house Friday around 9 p.m.

"Based on the information I have, it’s someone she possibly knows or is in the area, not outside the area," said Henry Schmidt, with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children..

Schmidt, a retired sheriff from Wyoming, arrived in McCleary to assist with the search Sunday.

http://www.nwcn.com/statenews/washington/stories/NW_070109WAB-mccleary-KS.260ea8b9.html

[Tamikosmom]

There is a payphone and some parking off to the left. You can play around with this google map by using the arrows to get a grasp of what's around there. (The parking is hard to see but it's right by the big sign with the gas prices.)

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=140+s++3rd+mccleary&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=140+S+3rd+St,+McCleary,+Grays+Harbor,+Washington+98557&t=h&layer=c&cbll=47.054361,-123.265023&panoid=asYmWTgLbxAtAWzJMx958w&cbp=12,90,,0,5&ll=47.054445,-123.265028&spn=0.000515,0.001206&z=20

I'm hoping this is going to be ok to put on here -- it's a photo I found by a person on another forum (websleuths) named Mike. It shows the Shell from above.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7814456@N08/3856824413/sizes/l/in/set-72157622145620046/

BUMPED

[KarmaRoundUp]

I just saw the tapes, and I am wondering if it is possible if mr. plaid shirt was involved, was he the guy in the white truck that goes to the back of the station, where the air and water are located, was driving lindsey back there to retrive her bike, fill the tires, or whatever.  My second question is why would this guy go in the store, and not buy anything? He didn't even look like he was looking for anything.  Why would he risk being video taped if he was involved.  More likely they are looking for him to see if he saw anything going on in the back of the station, viewing Lindsey...see who she was with at the station>? 

While looking at these video tapes over and over I see plaid shirt/baseball cap man walk into the store and it looks to me that he is asking something of the store clerk over to the right of the video he is on.
Maybe he came in to ask directions to somewhere?

Karma, I wondered about that too -- I believe the air pump was behind the station, and behind the station, IIRC, is near the front of Lindsey's house.  Lord, so close.

Hi Sister
I'm not good with getting the images off of google maps but when I vied the google maps of the Shell station(a couple of pages back)it looked like the air pump was actually at the front of the station,where the station comes to a point almost.

[KarmaRoundUp]

There is a payphone and some parking off to the left. You can play around with this google map by using the arrows to get a grasp of what's around there. (The parking is hard to see but it's right by the big sign with the gas prices.)

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=140+s++3rd+mccleary&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=140+S+3rd+St,+McCleary,+Grays+Harbor,+Washington+98557&t=h&layer=c&cbll=47.054361,-123.265023&panoid=asYmWTgLbxAtAWzJMx958w&cbp=12,90,,0,5&ll=47.054445,-123.265028&spn=0.000515,0.001206&z=20

I'm hoping this is going to be ok to put on here -- it's a photo I found by a person on another forum (websleuths) named Mike. It shows the Shell from above.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7814456@N08/3856824413/sizes/l/in/set-72157622145620046/

BUMPED

Thank you Janet
In the google map in the above link,now station doesn't look like it comes to a point.But look at that little square awning at the end of the parking lot.Is that an air pump?I know behind the station is a park~n~ride where I guess you would park your car and hop on a bus or carpool to your job in another city.

[Rob]

I've been thinking about the new video and have some random thoughts. So, I'll just throw 'em out there.

I think we always wonder why the police hold these videos. It's happened before in many cases. If a bank was robbed - the police released that video that night, but missing people do not get that consideration. I have to admit it's rather perplexing and makes me scratch my head. Wouldn't the police rather identify the person on the video while the memories are fresh in someone's mind? That makes the most sense, but I think there is also another explanation. Perhaps, the police were hoping the man in the white Honda pick-up would return and the clerk would call the police, or maybe the station was being staked out. I think it's more than safe to assume the clerk was interviewed many times.

Maybe they thought this person might return, who knows. IIRC this white pick-up is the truck with the man and the little boy. I think it would be nearly impossible to abduct a little girl with a little boy in tow. There are certainly some extremely diabolical people out there - but this guy and little boy would really stretch my imagination.

That leaves us with "plaid shirt guy". As others have noted - maybe he was just asking for directions. This makes sense, and anyone who has been in a mini-mart, shell station, BP, AM-PM, etc - knows that these things are magnets for directions. I always end up in line behind someone asking for directions and have to stand there while the clerk repeats them 8 times. It's maddening. I could never do this job. I don't have the patience to repeat myself 8 times. It also seems like I am always in line behind some 90 year old that wants 60 lottery tickets, but can't remember his numbers. Oi vey.

"Plaid shirt guy" seems to be in and out of the store rather quickly. Perhaps he encountered Lindsey AFTER he was in the store. It doesn't seem to make sense that he would abduct her and THEN enter the store. I guess this seems like the best interest currently. Maybe there is nothing here, or maybe there is - I don't know.

I read some posts about getting off this exit - it would seem remote and maybe the person was familiar with it. My thoughts have always been a random abduction, and I think that's probably what really happened. After-all, the police have interviewed everybody in the town and don't seem to have a focus on anyone. I think the release of the video sort of confirms it's not a local. In the past - I have been low on gas and see an exit and at the bottom of the ramp - make a decision - right or left. I try to look down the road and see if there is a station nearby, but when I don't see one - I guess take a stab at it and drive a few miles in hopes of finding one. If I don't, I turn around and go the other way. Coming off of RT 8 it's not far to the Shell Station. Maybe it was a random event that led to another random event. In looking at this logically, "random" seems to be written all over it. But that's just my opinion.

[Roxie]

this link to the videos shows a little more length and detail.
http://www.helpfindmychild.net/lindsey-baum

[Basket Case]

DOC Assists With Search For Missing McCleary Girl
By Maria Peterson, Communications Consultant


Last week dozens of law enforcement officers from federal, state and local agencies pooled their resources for an investigative surge to find clues about the disappearance of Lindsey Baum, the 11-year-old McCleary girl who has been missing since June. Department of Corrections staff members are a key part of this task force and were with Gray’s Harbor County Sheriff deputies each step of the way.

Baum’s case gained national interest when she vanished from the small town in Grays Harbor County. Baum was walking home from her friend’s house when she disappeared. 

“Her disappearance shocked the consciousness of everyone here,” said Gray Harbor County Undersheriff Rick Scott. “It’s a tragedy no matter where it happened, but it’s one thing to have something like this happen in a high–risk area where violence and crime are common. It’s another to have it happen in a little bedroom community like McCleary.”

Soon after her disappearance, Scott said their search area grew to Mason and Thurston counties and it became obvious they would need to partner with other agencies to expand their resources. DOC staff members who are specially trained in child abduction cases were among the first to be involved in what eventually became the official search task force.

Hearings Officer Paul Ockerman is a trainer for Washington’s Child Abduction Response Team. He has traveled across the state teaching federal, state and local law enforcement agencies including Community Corrections Officers how to search for missing children. He and three other DOC staff members have been involved in the search for Baum since the task force was created.

“DOC has been invaluable,” said Scott. “The CCOs brought to the table resource we didn’t have access to such as the knowledge of the offenders in the area. They were able to contact the offenders and go to their homes to conduct the interview about their activities and possible involvement at time she disappeared.”

In March, the sheriff’s office coordinated a two-week investigative surge involving more than 80 officers that garnered many leads. The team headed back out in the community last week to follow up on leads and conduct more interviews. Scott said the goal of the operation was to talk to people in a much detail as possible.

“Initially in the investigation there is a sense of urgency to find the child and get as much information as you can as quickly as possible,” said Scott. “After nine months the need to be thorough takes on a more important role.”

During the operation federal and local officers, including DOC staff, work in teams to interview citizens in the community. Ockerman’s primary role is to coordinate DOC resources such as its offender database to aid in the investigation while officers Colby Karlson, Steve Valley and Jeff Frice, Antony Nisco, Evan Brady, Mike Poston, and Christina Horn teamed up with law enforcement officers conducting interviews.

“DOC has been very supportive of this effort and stepped up to allocate quite a few resources including our staff time all in the interest of public safety,” said Ockerman. “That’s what every agency that is participating is about and it’s nice to be on the front line again.”

Ockerman said DOC’s Information Technology department and research department also played a critical role in support of the project working behind the scenes to provided critical data and data entry.

 Scott said there may be another operation planned in the future if necessary.  There is a $25,000 reward for information leading to Baum’s whereabouts.

http://www.doc.wa.gov/news/stories/2010/051010mcclearysearch.asp

[Basket Case]

There are so many LE, FBI, Task forces, CARD teams, etc. working on finding Lindsey and solving this mystery that it amazes me it hasn't happened yet.  Everyday I think "Today's The Day!", we're going to hear someone has been caught and she's been found. Please may tomorrow be that day.

[Sister]

There are so many LE, FBI, Task forces, CARD teams, etc. working on finding Lindsey and solving this mystery that it amazes me it hasn't happened yet.  Everyday I think "Today's The Day!", we're going to hear someone has been caught and she's been found. Please may tomorrow be that day.

Yes, I agree and hope today and if not today, then tomorrow she will be found.
The tone of the statements from Scott do not sound hopeful in finding her alive.
 

[canadianmonkey]

There are so many LE, FBI, Task forces, CARD teams, etc. working on finding Lindsey and solving this mystery that it amazes me it hasn't happened yet.  Everyday I think "Today's The Day!", we're going to hear someone has been caught and she's been found. Please may tomorrow be that day.

Yes, I agree and hope today and if not today, then tomorrow she will be found.
The tone of the statements from Scott do not sound hopeful in finding her alive.
 

I agree, I check in everyday and hold my breath that today is the day it will say FOUND next to her name.  If not that then ARREST MADE would be acceptable as well.  It's good to know that there is some movement in the case, for so long there was nothing.

[Heart]

Missing girl's mom now homeless

By KOMO Staff

The mother of Lindsey Baum has new troubles, as not only has she lost her daughter; now she's lost her home. And she and her son can't afford another night in the motel they've been staying.

Story Published: May 12, 2010 at 4:31 PM PDT

TUMWATER, Wash. -- The mother of missing girl Lindsey Baum has new troubles, as not only has she lost her daughter; now she's lost her home.

"I never thought we'd be homeless, and we are," said Melissa Baum. She and her son can't afford another night in the motel they've been staying.

"We have truly lost everything," she said.

Paralyzed by pain, Melissa Baum hasn't worked since her daughter Lindsey disappeared from McCleary while walking home last June.

"You feel like you're being suffocated every waking moment," Melissa Baum said.

She's survived on her son's Social Security, but that wasn't enough to remain in the home they rented before Lindsey vanished.

"What if she gets away and comes home... and we're not there?" Melissa Baum worried. "As hard as it was to walk by bedroom and see police tape and not go in there, she still had a room."

But Baum says her son with special needs could no longer cope in McCleary.

"He has horrible nightmares every night," she said.

Josh expresses guilt over fighting with Lindsey before she disappeared and not walking her home. His behavior problems have escalated and Baum says that prompted a relative who took them in to lock them out.

The Problem Solvers have paid for Baum to stay another two weeks at the motel. The extended stay gives Baum time to send her son back East for the summer to stay with his dad while she looks for work, a place to live, and her missing daughter.

"I would live in a hotel or car the rest of my life if it would bring my daughter home," she said.

Baum is working with the housing authority in Thurston County to find a subsidized apartment but says she's told there's little hope of an opening before July.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/93633999.html

[Basket Case]

Oh Geez this is so sad. Why isn't she living with family?! 

[Tamikosmom]

Oh Geez this is so sad. Why isn't she living with family?! 

Missing girl's mom now homeless

By KOMO Staff

But Baum says her son with special needs could no longer cope in McCleary.

"He has horrible nightmares every night," she said.

Josh expresses guilt over fighting with Lindsey before she disappeared and not walking her home. His behavior problems have escalated and Baum says that prompted a relative who took them in to lock them out.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/93633999.html

[Wyks]

I don't want to 'appear' unsympathetic, cuz I have sympathized and empathized with the mom from the start.  Until I realized that it seemed she thrives on folks feeling sorry for her. 

And again I don't want to be mean, am trying to be realistic. 

The latest article says they were living with family.  Now they are locked out.  Think of how bad things must have been for family to need to do something like that.  Having a son with behavioral problems, my guess is that she is welcome, but not her son, so she went with her son.  Am thinking her family has had to pull a 'tough love' stance with her son, and that's likely the best they can do. 
 
From what has been reported early on, by family, friends, neighbors etc, her son had behavior problems long before Lindsey went missing.  So to blame those behavior problems due to the trauma he has suffered in the loss of his sister is wrong, IMO.  To be sure having experienced this has likely made the problems he already had even worse, yes I can understand that, yet whatever caused those was long ago already in place.  It sounds to me like Lindsey herself suffered trauma to some extent at the hands of her brother.  IMO. 

The whole tone of the latest article sounded to me like a whiny pity party from the mom.  I'm sad for her that the situation has reached this point, yet being realistic, she *could have* seen this coming a LONG time ago.  Had she not simply sat on the porch doing nothing, this might have been prevented.  *Now* she sees the need for getting off her butt, getting a job, and trying to get on the housing list. 

And in the meantime, she 'reaches out' to the world for help, because her daughter is missing.     The sad thing is, there likely will be folks who fall for this sympathy ploy, help her out for another length of time, and this will just prolong her having to knuckle down and stand on her own two feet.  IMO. 

There are likely several reasons her son has been acting out, to the point that family won't even let them live with em.  This includes the following, but likely much more as well. 

*His own guilt due to the fight he and Lindsey had just prior to her having gone missing.  (something we all would likely have to deal with in a similiar situation, in some measure). 

*His likely having a sense of 'survivor guilt', that he is there and Lindsey isn't.  (and we don't know what the mom/family/others have said to him, how they have treated him... and... what he has said to himself and how he treats himself).  Does anyone, including himself, say to him something like, 'if it wasn't for you, she'd still be here'.  If so, that is killing his spirit, what's left of it.  We don't know what all went on, what was said, in that last fight between he and Lindsey.  I truly hope it didn't include words/actions that Josh wishes now he could take back.  Cuz he can be his own worst enemy when it comes to something like that.  (so could anyone else).  Even worse if someone else is also saying the same things to him. 

*There is a saying ~ "The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live".  When someone dies, goes missing, gets divorced etc... the partner/parent can begin acting as if they also have died (or gone missing) inside.  The mom has shown a great deal of this since the very beginning.  My thoughts and prayers went out to her, and even more when I realized it seemed she was going to remain sitting on that porch forever.  She needed help, she refused some help at that time, not sure how much help she actually refused.  However.......... how much of that has affected Josh?  I am not sure if at any point after Lindsey went missing, if the mom was able to rally enough to continue being a loving parent to Josh.

IMO the mom and for sure Josh, need to be in therapy.  This may be what they need the most, and then other important things in life will likely fall into place.