Missing friend in Mammoth Lakes area

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tdg119

Social climber

Northampton, PA

Aug 23, 2013 - 03:23pm PT

Muzzy - Verizon has his phone showing as a Verizon Wireless Blitz model (this is what shows when I log in to his acct).

Text Messages (times listed in Eastern Time - this is just what I grabbed of most recent - there were others from earlier in month)

Date Time To From Direction
07/17/2013 5:53 AM Received
07/16/2013 11:34 PM Received
07/16/2013 11:09 PM Sent
07/16/2013 10:52 PM Received
07/16/2013 10:38 PM Received
07/16/2013 9:13 PM Sent
07/16/2013 8:57 PM Received
07/16/2013 7:40 PM Sent
07/16/2013 6:00 PM Sent
07/15/2013 10:38 PM Received
07/15/2013 10:36 PM Sent
07/15/2013 10:34 PM Received
07/15/2013 7:44 PM Sent
07/15/2013 3:21 PM Received
07/14/2013 5:50 PM Received
07/14/2013 5:24 PM Sent
07/14/2013 5:13 PM Received
07/13/2013 7:41 PM Sent
07/13/2013 7:21 PM Received
07/13/2013 7:15 PM Sent

Call log (shown in Pacific Time):

Date Time Minutes Rate
7/10 1:59 PM 15 Peak -- (parents)
7/10 2:26 PM 3 Peak --
7/12 5:10 PM 2 Peak -- (repair shop)
7/12 5:13 PM 1 Peak -- (repair shop)
7/14 8:03 PM 1 Off-Peak -- (voicemail)
7/15 5:04 AM 2 Off-Peak --
7/15 6:01 AM 2 Peak --
7/15 4:46 PM 1 Peak -- (voicemail)
7/15 5:49 PM 2 Peak --
7/15 6:34 PM 1 Peak -- (voicemail)
7/15 6:35 PM 7 Peak --
7/15 6:46 PM 1 Peak -- (voicemail)
7/16 8:12 AM 1 Peak -- (voicemail)
7/16 3:06 PM 24 Peak -- (parents)
7/16 4:29 PM 1 Peak -- (repair shop)
7/16 4:35 PM 2 Peak -- (repair shop)

Email from detective regarding phone trace (this is part of a String of communication, breaks are where we asked clarification/more info - tried to pull pertinent info but this is verbatim from the emails):

"Nothing has changed as far as the info I told you re: the telephone calls made/received on the 16th of July, last call made was at 4:35 pm. There are no other telephones calls made/received after that specific date and time. As far as any text messages, please ask the subject you mentioned what was the text message between him and Greene about. He should have some knowledge what they texted each other about.

Your answer to pinging “when you receive or send a text.”

Pinging a cell phone is finding out what cell tower their phone is in. This can be used to locate a person that you know has the cell phone. This is used by law enforcement on a regular basis. If a bad guy is carrying a cell phone the phone is constantly sending signals to the closest cell tower, even if the phone isn't in use. The location of the cell tower will tell you that the person is within a certain range. When the person moves they can be tracked by which cell towers the signal is bouncing to.

There were no more pings after the 16th of July at 4:35 pm.

I contacted Verizon re: text message retrieval. Verizon only holds that information for about 3 to 4 days. Per Verizon too much time has passed by.

I asked Bill Greene (SAR member) to come by the station this morning to review the Verizon information I had requested. We could not find any other information that would assist us in his exact last location.

I talked to the campers who camped on each side of Greene’s camp site 164. It was a family that paid for camp site 163 & 165. They left a few days prior to the 16th of July, and didn’t relay converse with Greene. They had no information.

I am sorry. I wish there was more that I could do to find Greene.

8:12 am to 3:06 pm, July 16, 2013 - Lat 37.638167 Lon -118.961611, 1601 Meridian Blvd, Mammoth Lakes, Ca. Directly south of the library. Directly north a mile or two is where Greene was camping.

4:29 pm to 4:35 pm, July 16, 2103 – Lat 37.630528 Log -119-033078, 5920 Minaret Rd, Mammoth Lakes, Ca, top of Mammoth Mountain.

2:48 pm, July 17, 2013, 39 Pinecrest, Mammoth Lakes, Ca, Verizon building and tower.

From July 17, 2013 to July 30, 2013, 39 Pinecrest, Mammoth Lakes, Ca

The only ping is what I indicated above.

That’s all I have and all I can retrieve from Verizon.

Verizon nor any other cellular service provider ping text, it pings the telephone when the telephone is on, not turned off.

2:48 pm, this address is the main Verizon building/tower in Mammoth Lakes. There is no activity after the 16th of July, as indicated on my Verizon emergency request re: Greene’s cell phone, his phone was turned off/powered off. The 2:48 pm is not a ping, because there is no Lat & Lon indicated. "

tdg119

Social climber

Northampton, PA

Aug 23, 2013 - 03:32pm PT

We were told the library deletes browsing history nightly for security purposes. From an IT standpoint it should still be there, but when friends double-checked (unsure of process) but conclusion was that it was unattainable.

Rite-Aid is going through video but apparently a slow process as undoubtedly there are lmited resources and each register is filmed separately. Plus we're unsure of time, just know that his CC reflects purchase on 16th.

I put the detective's note about neighboring campers in last post.

SplitPants

Social climber

Aug 23, 2013 - 03:50pm PT

tdg119
Thanks for the clarifications.
You are correct, from an IT standpoint there is a way to get the browser history even if it is automatically deleted on a nightly basis, however, this would take an law enforcement IT forensics unit with the proper "tools." Has anyone asked MLPD if they have the tools or perhaps can contact Mono County for assistance? Also if you can check Matts debit/credit card statements to see if there is a charge for a place called the Looney Bean. It is a coffee shop 2 doors down from the Rite Aid and they have free wifi/computer access. If he went there perhaps he used their computer.

Rite-Aid video-Maybe you can help them expedite the process. Perhaps if you can provide them with the last 4-6 digits of Matts debit/credit card they can search the cash register database and back into the register and timestamp of the transaction. I know for a fact that a database admin can back into a time, transaction number and register number if they have the last 4-6 digits of the cc/debit number. The database encrypts the cc/debit number for security, but usually unmasks the last 4 digits (make a credit/debit purchase and look at the receipt...usually you will see a bunch of X's followed by the last 4 digits of the card number).

Campers-thanks for the clarification, but did they speak to any other campers? Did they obtain a guest registry? Speaking to the sites on opposite sides is good, but if there happened to be any campers of "suspect" characters it would be an unknown so this is why I asked if the MLPD requested a list of registered campers from the site manager. The fact that they just put Matts stuff in storage when he didnt return and take any action is a bummer:(

Hope this helps somehow.......

SplitPants

Social climber

Aug 23, 2013 - 04:29pm PT

tiffany/ron

In a thread up above you mentioned

There were no more pings after the 16th of July at 4:35 pm.

Do you or any of Matts friends know his early morning/pre-climb habits? If Matt shut his phone off the evening of the 16th, woke up early the morning of the 17th to hike would he have likely powered up his phone to check messages and/or cell battery level before heading out?

I am asking because if this was his normal routine and the last ping was on the afternoon of the 16th then this is something that happened that is NOT his normal routine and is something that should be taken into consideration.

Also as MGuzzy asked is any friends/family representing Matt still in town?

Hope this makes sense...just thinking/writing out loud.......

MGuzzy

The first step to doing this is get a clone of the hard drives for later analysis. You my find a local IT person with the know how to at least get the drives cloned. The longer time that passes the harder it is to extract the information.

Exactly!

SplitPants

Social climber

Aug 23, 2013 - 04:34pm PT

If anyone knows specific gear details to search for I recommend a classified search engine.

This is an excellent search engine I use to find things on most classifieds including Craigslist and it includes eBay and Amazon as well. Input the Mammoth zip code of 93546 and the search radius/miles. It is a lot faster than searching each city within Craigslist.

http://www.searchtempest.com

tdg119

Social climber

Northampton, PA

Aug 23, 2013 - 04:48pm PT

Go with what is on the Verizon statement "Verizon Wireless Blitz"

tdg119

Social climber

Northampton, PA

Aug 23, 2013 - 04:50pm PT

The phone in the picture is what shows on his account. I am guessing the other comment came from correlating a non smartphone to the old flip phones.

Thanks for the easy search link. I searched his pack (Mountain Hardware South Col) a few different ways with no luck. Phone shows on 2 posts; 1 looks like reseller, other a deleted post from 7/18 but @ Inland Empire area 175 miles away. Boots spark here and there but only remaining post is wrong size.

jeg

Social climber

center valley,Pa

Aug 23, 2013 - 04:58pm PT

some answers to some questions...

I think that was his phone but black. He could only call and text. No internet.

I spoke to rite aid myself when we went back out there. The person who can look at the video to see which register he was on is on vacation. In the mean time the manager is looking through each register(4 of them) to find the exact amount purchased. It is very time consuming and she is spending as much time as possible on it.

SAR searched Bloody Mt

Went to library myself, they insisted there is NO way to retrieve any information previously reserched on there 20 computers????

Detective stated he questioned the people in the campsites around Matt's campsite during that time.

No other items were missing. His full rack of gear were there.

He had 2 sets of crampons. His strap ons were with his stuff. The step in crampons he borrowed from my husband for the summer are missing.

When we were with him those 10 days, he only mentioned going to the library for research(which he did often). He never mentioned going to looney beans.

The question about "normal Routine" is hard. He was out of his normal routine without transportation and car charging capabilities for his phone.

Crazy Bat

Sport climber

Birmingham, AL & Seweanee, TN

Aug 23, 2013 - 05:03pm PT

This may have been covered up link, but did he have a way to charge his phone other than his car charger? If he did and was not in the habit of turning his phone off at night I would be looking at the roads around Mammoth. He may have been walking and involved in an accident that disabled his phone, such as a hit and run.

If he didn't the odd time (who goes to bed that early) makes me think the battery ran down.

Wish there was something I could do to help.

jeg

Social climber

center valley,Pa

Aug 23, 2013 - 05:15pm PT

He also had a electric charger which he would of charged his phone in the library on the 16th.
The Rite aid says they can find the transaction, they just need the time to look. We know the exact date and amount of the transaction and that is what they are looking for. When the guy returns from vacation that can look through the video they will be able to narrow it down to which register he was on and what time.

jeg

Social climber

center valley,Pa

Aug 23, 2013 - 05:17pm PT

Anyone climbing/hiking this weekend, please check the summit registries. We know he signed the one on Clyde Minaret. If we could just come across a signing on the 17th!!!

LAhiker

Social climber

Los Angeles

Aug 23, 2013 - 05:23pm PT

@jeg -- For the most likely peaks, it also might be good to know who else signed the registers on July 17th. If they could be contacted, they might have seen Matt at the trailhead or on the trail or on a particular shuttle, or they might be certain they did not see him.

(I admit this is a long shot, especially if most climbers sign the registers illegibly...)

ETA: if you're on a likely summit and have a smartphone or camera, it might be good to take a picture of any register pages for the time around July 17th in addition to jotting down some notes.

tdg119

Social climber

Northampton, PA

Aug 23, 2013 - 05:36pm PT

As Cragman pointed out. It is also important to know which peaks he did not sign. So as Jill said, anyone headed out this weekend let the forum know. -Ron

HighTraverse

Trad climber

Bay Area

Aug 23, 2013 - 06:05pm PT

photographing the most recent page or two of the summit registers is an excellent idea

mattyj

Mountain climber

Truckee

Aug 23, 2013 - 06:13pm PT

Went to library myself, they insisted there is NO way to retrieve any information previously reserched on there 20 computers????

I don't want to sidetrack things with an argument over this, but I think that you got some technically true but misleading information upthread. When a file gets deleted the data on the disk doesn't disappear, and it's still possible to recover the contents up until something new gets stored in the same spot. A month later, there will have been so much disk activity that the odds of successfully reconstructing the browser history are slim. It's technically possible, but trying to do this across 20 computers is a staggering amount of work for a very low chance of success.

If this is an avenue you want to explore, you may have better luck trying to get server logs from sites like Summitpost. It's reasonably possible to determine the library computer's IP from Matt's known post about water intoxication and then use that to determine what if any peak/route pages he looked at on the afternoon of the 16th. I'd be willing to help with this, however I don't want to oversell the odds of anything useful coming of it. It's likely that nothing will, even if they still have the logs.

Edit: Banner had no entries for +/- 2 days, but I did photograph the relevant pages of the Ritter register. Didn't add it to the trip report as Mono SAR had already followed up on it and I didn't want a well-meaning mob trying to track down the signees.

x1n54n3x

Boulder climber

mammoth lakes

Aug 23, 2013 - 07:22pm PT

Tiffany, my name is Alex. First, I am very sorry for your family and loved ones, this must be extremely difficult for all involved.

I live in town and have been following this thread closely. I have one question after reading your post about the psychic. What kind of glasses did Matt have?

I read that post and only ONE area came to mind. I've been there several times and while a longshot, and I can't say I 100% believe in psychics, the correlation between the description and my knowledge of the area had me quite literally shaking.

The Inyo Craters is a short self-guided tour of two volcanic craters very slightly north of town off of the Scenic Loop road. This is very much within 1 mile of the village, easily walkable. The trail itself is easy and opens up to the two water-filled craters, one of which is surrounded partly by a railing. There are rattle snakes in the area (I've witnessed them myself) and the crater that is railed has some tempting rock features (I am not an experienced climber, but could imagine they wouldn't be hard to solo). Having been to the bottom of this crater, I know that it is extremely difficult to get out without rope, especially if a fall rendered any sort of injury.

I went to the crater about an hour ago and found these at the trailhead. I've been looking at photos on facebook to try and analyze for similarities and the shape and frame look similar to me, though the resolution of the facebook photo once downloaded, combined with the angle of the shot, make this process difficult.

Once inside the crater, I noticed what I would believe to be fairly recent rockfall- though I am not an expert. I am currently analyzing photos of the area I took this past spring, with the ones I took today.

I realize this is a long shot and I don't mean to blow any whistles, but the feeling I got when I read your post this morning was very distinct- the glasses at the trailhead solidified that feeling.

I hope with all my heart that I am wrong and evidence points to a Matt who has been surviving in the wilderness, but I CANNOT ignore my trip to the craters this morning.

If there are any other shots of Matt with his glasses, or information that would identify his glasses, this could be a serious lead.

tdg119

Social climber

Northampton, PA

Aug 23, 2013 - 08:03pm PT

Did you take the glasses with you or leave them there? Can you get more photos?

x1n54n3x

Boulder climber

mammoth lakes

Aug 23, 2013 - 08:14pm PT

They are at the trailhead in case they were not Matts. I can grab them in a 25 minute round trip if need be though. Hikers around here are careful not to disturb "lost and found" items as we've all lost something and had it waiting for us at the trailhead at some point or another.

Here are all the pictures I took of the glasses:

I was unable to identify a brand other than the markings in white in the photos. The model appears to be identified by the markings "CC0912 FERRIX BLK".

Attached to the glasses is a set of Chums eyewear retainers that looked much newer than the glasses themselves. Perhaps those who were with him can verify if he owned/bought them while here in town? Maybe a rite-aid purchase?

[EDIT] I've identified the brand as "Personal Optics" after searching real quick.