Don't forget about the live stream event and contest next week! Click here for more details: ruclips.net/channel/UCsrtvSjgVg8QgRJzysB55xAcommunity?lb=Ugkx1n9bRxoqgO6NiuxlmsIh-cdSh5oEB6_X Just a very sad tale. Seeing Joseph's dad search for his son was so heartbreaking. I hope these two families have found peace. RIP Joseph and Rachel I'm really shocked by the amount of people who believe it was other than a sympathetic murder suicide. There's nobody on earth that would go through all of that just to make a murder suicide look legit. Evidence clearly shows they survived for days. Being disoriented in a desert landscape is common. Gun was buried after being exposed to the elements for months. The injury on Rachel's head was from a fall. Coroners are really good. They can tell how someone died and from what. The Autopsy proved they only way she received the injury was from falling, not a blunt object. I get why people may believe its more than the official narrative. But the evidence was pretty clear they suffered together for days. And taking the easy way out rather than suffering more in a survival situation is something that does happen a lot. Plus, the investigation explained to the Nguyen family, the were led to believe this was a sympathetic murder-suicide. There was nothing in Joseph's past that would've would leave anyone to believe it was something other than a sympathetic killing after all hope was gone when lost and suffering in the desert. He dated Rachel at one time, so he wasn't "friend zoned".
I was the one who found them, there were 6 of us there that day. I was first on the seen. It weighed very heavy on my heart for I wasn’t able to go searching due to work. Every time I hear a helicopter fly over the house I think someone has gone missing again. It was two and a half months before I got out to look. There are some good questions here in the comments , how can you get lost on a 4 mile trip, super easily in that area they were in was pretty rugged, lots of switchbacks and rock piles for city folks that don’t know the desert, especially in the summer, 105 to 110, most people can’t walk several hundred yards in those temps. Searchers were falling out all over in the heat. Same with search dogs. Summer rains had covered them with sand a bit, they were laying in a narrow ravine in the soft sand. We found other bullet casings at a different location, a belt, water bottles, some with urine in them. Up wash,Found a vape case, then a shoe, radio can, bullet holder, an open bag of beef jerky, and then I saw them when I looked up about 15 feet away. Embraced kinda. I’ve tried to forget that part. I just called out to my buddy Mike who was logging item locations. He came up as I went to stop the dad from coming on the seen. Very heavy day . Y’all be careful out here especially in summer.
I'll be praying for the loved ones, searchers, and you. Especially you. I can't imagine how you felt then or how much you're reminded of it til this very day. God bless y'all. This is such a sad story.
Finally the itch is scratched. Excellent explanation. I'm still confused at how so many people could have searched so many hours and not covered that area. If you feel like expanding your comment further, that would be fantastic
@@Menstral the original searchers missed them by 100 yards. I’m not sure if they weren’t a skilled tracker or trackers. These kids were in a very strange area, it was void of animals for the most part. Just owls which is kinda creepy
@@Menstral the original searchers missed them by 100 yards. I’m not sure if they weren’t a skilled tracker or trackers. These kids were in a very strange area, it was void of animals for the most part. Just owls which is kinda creepy
@@tonysoaresnativeclays1434 I have been to the JTNP, mostly a drive-by day trip, but I was invited and did hike Mount Whitney, and I did hike the Grand Canyon (hike down, stay the night, hike back up). I did both of these hikes in good quality sandals, and made sure my footing was secure and carried shoes. I have been to Death Valley several times (with a new rental truck, 2 cell phones from 2 different providers, and 3 gallons of water even though I was not 1000 yards from the vehicle) I want to make your make sure that my voluntary choices do not cost the taxpayers money. I had a persistent feeling that many search and rescue missions that fail (when it seems like they should not fail) just contain the wrong caliber of people. I don't think they should send out search and rescue missions to be honest. The people saved don't really seem that worthy. They seem more worthy of a Darwin award.
@aceykrew5207 I don't think so. You seem young, & perhaps lacking in experience, so I'll humor you: Some departments are better than others, and are all made up of flawed human beings. No one's perfect. But for as long as they searched & as many searchers as they had, you'd think they'd have covered every foot within miles. I wonder about the decision-making by whomever headed it up--& their competence. Thats our right to do in this country, and it's a sacred right they dont have elsewhere. They may have had the best intentions. It's the competence of the leadership I'm questioning (and rationally so. And I'm not the only 'rude' one for asking a logical question... So ... we'll have to disagree on that. Wish you the best young sir
Similar to the story of the two young men who got lost very close to their car. Even more tragic he put his friend out of his misery just hours before he was rescued. Actually that case was a little suspicious imo.
I would never go hiking without am emergency locator beacon. I've seen enough stories like this, or stories of people falling down a canyon and breaking legs/hips and not being able to get back to a trail.
Amen. PLB’s have gone down in cost in recent years and they’re no longer the bone cracking price tag that they were 10 years ago. If you’re interested in hiking preparations I penned a signal kit inventory up-thread a bit. There’s some excellent low tech tools listed that most don’t typically think to carry.
Yep Ive looked up satellite phones and will spend the money for one if i were to ever go on a hike out in these places. Especially if camping out or for more than a couple miles and isolated.
I heard there is a Garmin device (not the Garmin 2/mini 2) entirely waterproof that makes an amazing beacon and you can text as well. A lot of divers wear them. Not sure of battery life. I would definitely choose a beacon with communication at the very least. Not sure about mapping due to accuracy issues.
MY COMMENT IS FOR THE NARRATOR OF OUTDOOR DISASTERS: I almost wish I never found you two days ago! I can’t stop. My two cats are lucky I got up to feed them. These videos are mesmerizing. You can’t do just one, you have to do them all! Thank you for such grand explorations of the many hazards of leaving your home, while I sit snugly in mine❤️
Thank you for telling Rachel and Joseph's story! It's incredibly sad and horrible about what ended up happening to them both in the end. I hope that their families will be able to find peace and comfort, and may Rachel and Joseph rest in peace 🕊️🙏 I look forward to seeing your next video!
She was my cousin’s ex-girlfriend. I’ve only met her once, but despite such a distant connection, we were still so shocked about the tragedy. I hope everyone involved finds peace, and is healing from such a terrible fate.
this one really got to me. i love going out to joshua tree and our other local parks/deserts. i always try to plan for the worst case scenario, but you just never know. may they both rest in peace. next time i'm in joshua tree i'll leave some flowers for them.
It is heartbreaking. I learned to climb in Joshua Tree. Growing up coastal SoCal, it wasn’t far. I went in cool seasons, but then you can face brutal cold. California deserts are unforgiving, punishing terrain, and oftentimes everything looks the same, sense of direction so easily lost. I was a child when I went, 11-13, so it was always a group with mentors, though at 13 there was some foolish shenanigans that could’ve ended with poor outcomes! The desert isn’t for me, I’ve survived it for many years and now live in the beautiful PNW, but Joshua Tree holds a special place in my heart, especially the endangered trees themselves. Leave 2 flowers for me?
Absolutely heartbreaking story. I can’t even imagine what those two went through. Or, what he had to have been thinking as he realized that his options were dwindling. So sad.
Ah man, when I was writing up the scenario, I started getting emotional. I couldn't imagine what was going through that young man's mind. But you have to get to a point of suffering where you'll do anything to escape the pain. So heartbreaking.
I lived in Joshua Tree when this tragedy took place. I went out hiking the very next morning after they did not return to their AirBnB. I saw their brown Lexus parked in the dirt pull off for The Maze. It was 6:00 am when I started and about an hour later, I returned to my car to find their Lexus was still there. I recall thinking that it was odd that the car was there so early and that it was still there when I finished my short hike. By 7 am it was already brutally hot. I also recall thinking that I hoped the owner of the car had not strayed very far, as that area can be tricky to navigate and the forecast called for temperatures to reach 100 degrees. However, I did not know they were two missing hikers at that point (I found out the next day). I also recall seeing 2 sets of tracks going down the wash when I started my hike and often wondered if those tracks belonged to them. This sad tragedy still haunts me to this day.
I love how he narrates everything. It's sagacious like an adage and sounds like a poem. I don't think they'd have made it out even if she didn't have an injury.
Until a year and a half ago we lived about an hour from Joshua Tree. We camped, hiked, bouldered, climbed and picniced all over it. However, living so close, in the unbearable heat much of the year, I was so very aware of the deadly potential and eerie ambiance of the park and was always hyper aware of having much more water than you think you need and not stepping off trail or road or route. I remember this case. So tragic.
I love Joshua Tree, and I camp there frequently. My family and I have done the maze loop trial a couple of times. It is not a very difficult trail, but I would never attempt that trail during the hot summer days bc the heat can be life-threatening. May they RIP 🙏
Thank You for sharing this sad story..!! It’s crucial to know what to bring with you when going hiking and important to be well prepared for any hiking in any national parks..!! You have a very soothing warm voice like Morgan Freeman, perfect to tell stories..!! 👍🏻 Thank You..!!
Your videos are so professionally done for free watching . Amazing work and quality! Thank you 🙏 I start following you from few days and I learned a lot from your videos . Appreciate you the time and effort you putting into ‘
I don't think you can even test living people for psyclobin, let alone identify it after death. Giving my conclusions as an old head and not a coroner, they went into the desert for a trip and that contributed mightly to their predicament. I know after a good mushroom trip, I could swig a gallon of water to replace all I've sweated out and I know not to wander in unfamiliar places because I could get lost in a phone booth on a good trip. Everybody has a bad trip now and then. Given their ages, these two were rookie tripsters, safety precautions may not have been known or followed.
They wouldn’t be the first people to get high at Joshua Tree, and they won’t be the last. What a tragic story, and sensitively told. They could be anyone’s kids.
This happened to a guy my brother knew about 2 years ago. It was in Northern California tho. They got high, went camping for the night but he was so high, they had to leave him at a ranger station with a ranger. The next day, the ranger was walking him down and he started yelling things and took off running. The ranger couldn’t stop him and he disappeared. They searched for him forever and couldn’t find him. It was a big story. Some of his friends from here in So Cal flew up to help. Some weeks later he was found dead.
Oh that’s terrible…..the biggest point I learned from Timothy Leary was ..set and setting…plan your mind trips accordingly….awful way to leave earth 🌍👀🕊
I lived in Joshua Tree and searched for them at night for nearly a month. I did my nightscape photography out there at night and I thought I might find them as I walked through the park at night calling out their name.
The warning to have reverence and be prepared are so timely. I've been to Valley of Fire in Oct and March and the heat got to me after a while. I can't imagine all these two suffered in the summer. Unbearable. May they rest in peace. What a tragedy. Well narrated as always!
I remember this story well and was not surprised at the outcome. I have lived in the High Desert for 59 years and am all too familiar with stories of people from the city coming to visit the desert and have it become their final resting place. Some fall in mine shafts, others die of dehydration, still others succumb to hypothermia. That’s right, people can freeze to death here; there is no marine layer in the desert to keep it warm in the winter. I always hate to hear stories of tourists dying in the desert because its so unnecessary. This young couple had a whole life ahead of them and died in one of the most tragic ways possible. My next goal is to share my six decades of living on the desert in a book of how to survive a visit to the desert.
Yeah, how did she fall so severely on flat terrain? Why three shots? And why was he huddled up to her? He put her arm on him before killing himself? Strange.
I knew right away it was a murder suicide at 2:27, the longer the video ran from that point the more red alarms that went off in my head. Reminds me EXACTLY of the "Loren Daniel Bunner" murder case. Going on a secluded hike with your friendzoned xboyfriend thats still deeply in love with you is such a bad idea. Once you leave an Xlover, just ghost them. I seen too much drama around me with xlovers, a friend of mine thats been seperated from his X for 2 years beat his X girlfriends new boyfriend into unconciousness when he seen them out together at a store; some people just cant let go.
And his mind, bent from a bad trip, had him take her with him forever.
15 дней назад
I lived a mile from Black Rock campground for five years. Never underestimate the need to stay well hydrated, even on a cool day. My voice croaked the first day of my arrival there due to the dry desert and mountain air. The beauty is captivating, and the stars are incredible at night. An occasional blanket of early spring snow adds to the charm and hides the sharp and dangerous things beneath it. Winter low temperatures average around 30F can dip into 15F with 45 mile per hour winds, as I discovered one night while capping freeze-burst sprinkler risers.
Just sad. I live an hour west of Joshua Tree and 3 hours south of Death Valley (equal distance from the Mt Whitney and the Eastern Sierra Nevadas). These places are huge desert and mountainous expanses with little water, shade or forgiving weather. Everyone, please take a Garmin Inreach Mini Satellite communicator with you. $300 to purchase or just rent one if you do not hike often. As proficient a hiker as I am . . . I carry one even on the simplest of hikes. Also, take a whistle, mini flashlight or headlight; a few glow sticks (not to mention water with electrolyte pack supplements). Other than the water, these items weight nothing (maybe a pound). A simple first aide kit wouldn't hurt either. I remember this story. The local media tried to make it seem like a planned murder/suicide but the evidence just didn't support that narrative . . . so sad 😞.
I agree i always tell my friends who hikes to take satellite communication device because youll never know and if something bad does happen at least you help the s and r find your body easily thus not prolonging the agony of your loved ones
This is a strange one... The approximate area where they were found in is right on top of the Boy Scout Trial. A popular trail that is not easy to miss if you come across it. In fact, any direction they walked would have put them on a trail within a few miles. Its also a relativity flat area with a few mounds of rock here and there. A simple hike to the top of one would reveal cars on the main park road to the south only a mile or so away. Especially at night. A suicide pact seems out of the question but durgs must have been a factor.
I don’t think anyone can rule out a murder suicide. He could have hit her on the head, immobilizing her. Then finished her and him. They could have found a trail or fired of the remaining bullets, leaving two left.
How likely is it y’all that someone hears a gunshot and goes looking where it came from? I’m from the south and we have gun shots all the time but we normally don’t go looking why or where they come from.
Actually they were found a good distance from the Boy Scout Trail and just about 2 miles as the crow flies from Route 62 (in The Maze Loop area). A friend and I hiked out from the neighborhood along Route 62 up the canyon systems and to the point where they were found. It is very rugged in that area with lots of rocks and boulders. I think unless you actually see the area where they were found, you wouldn't get the feel for the gravity of their situation, especially since they were likely wandering around for days and dealing with heat stroke.
You live near Coachella? I was at Morongo last week and it is F’n CRAZY out there at night. I can’t even believe I was in California. It was 3 in the morning and I couldn’t find ANYTHING to eat ANYWHERE. I was driving around aimlessly on the freeway and could never find a place to eat so had to drive back to the casino where everything was also closed so I had to go to sleep hungry.
Almost unbelievable to be ultimately found within 2 mi. of the trail head or their car. Although stories such as this are not uncommon. Perhaps investing in a fleet of drones would be more effective than search parties given the enormous amount of terrain they could see from an aerial vantage point as opposed to manual search parties that basically have to come almost right upon these individuals especially if they are weak or incapacitated in some way.
A lot of search and rescue teams do use drones as they cover vast areas faster, thereby saving critical time. They also can reach areas hard to get to or spots that are too danagerous to send humans into without a lot preparation and/or equipment. However, human search teams are still an integral part of search efforts for various reasons. For one thing, while some drones can broadcast messages and can have a mic attached, they aren't effective for two-way communication. Therefore, one reason human search teams are still needed is so they can call out to stranded hikers--listen for a response--and act accordingly should they hear anything.
That's a pretty fancy story, but we don't know any of it to be true. They were only two miles from the car? Why bring the gun in the first place? Did he convince her all was lost? He could easily have shot her and posed her body. I watch too much true crime.
Yeah, how did she fall so severely on flat terrain? Why three shots? And why was he huddled up to her? He put her arm on him before killing himself? Strange
I’ll be in Joshua again nxt month . Looking at the map / photos think we’ll skip the maze hike. Not enough time since we’re only planning to spend 1 day there before moving on .
Hopefully it cools down by then. I was in Coachella last week which is very near and it was hot AF. 90+ at least. I walked around an hour and when I got to the car, my temperature was up, was dehydrated and I was pounding water.
Your narriating is amazing, the words that you choose brings this story to my heart. Prayers to this couple and peace to their loved ones. I hope their story will teach others to neveunderestimate Mother Nature!
The gun sound would have gained some attention. They were only 2 miles from the trail. This honestly feels more like a murder suicide by an man killing his ex. It's too suspicious. RIP Rachel.
Did he have more bullets on him? Because not firing the gun to signal to rescuers is kind of weird. But based on the evidence, it does appear like they got lost by accident and just wanted to end their misery.
The area is super remote. The "trail" isn't traveled by weekend warriors but is a rarely used spot by hard-core mountain climbers. Probably why they chose it in the first place. So they could do their drugs in peace. There is nothing suspicious as it's the obvious conclusion that 2 inexperienced people with no hiking experience that are high on drugs will get lost in such a unforgiving place. Even the experts couldn't find them 2 miles away from the trail so that should tell you how easy it is to get lost it is.
They were not high on drugs she only showed marijuana use in her system and his was clean. He was experienced and so was she. He was a quasi survivalist according to his family and friends and an avid hiker. @@turkey2003
The dude murdered his girlfriend - whoever is stating the dude killed her to protect is (SUSPECT) Don’t buy thus backstory for a second - let’s entertain for a moment the girl fell and hit her head severely so he killed her “to put her out of he misery” WHY SHOOT HIMSELF ? NOPE BS BACK STORY
I never understand why people want to trip on hard drugs in the desert. Interesting the narrator mentioned the woman found a new man in her life. One could retell this story in a completely different way.
I remember my then boyfriend wanting to take me for a walk in the wilderness. I said "You must be a fool if you think I'm going to go out there. You can go if you want." But he never went. What a shame!
He had plans for u. Any type of trip out in the wilderness, out on a boat in the middle of nowhere, these are signs that the dude has plans for u with him and only him coming back. Red Flag
Nice romantic story about what MIGHT have happened, but I’m cynical. I thought right away it sounded fishy. Ex-boyfriend, but still friends? 🤨 He always carries guns? And she had her sights set on another guy. I think he killed her and himself because of that - if he couldn’t have her, no one could. ☠️
So you don't walk around in circles, you can tell where you are by the position of the Sun (telling you exactly if you're walking North, South, East or West), but then since when do humans have any sense?
Great ads, with a cool story every now and then too. Gotta love all those ads you shove in your videos. Can’t even put something on just to listen to anymore.
This case was such an emotional rollercoaster. I was shocked when it was declared a M-S and even more shocked when it turned out to be more like a mercy k*lling. That's heartbreaking.
Yeah! I mean, what's with this unsubstantiated backstory of heroism? If she was injured and could move you would think that you would leave everything you reasonably can and do everything you can to get help. If you were in the area for days some progress could have been made.
If I'm going hiking, it'll be where there are trees, shade and water. I cannot believe anyone would choose to go there. Im from the Gulf Coast. I'm trying to get away from the heat.
The narration is loaded with various spoken-English errors, like a non-native English speaker - or someone who does not speak English popat all) using text-to-speech. But the fascinating stories and the noticeable dedication to safety are enthralling amd commendable, respectively.
For being experienced hikers and him a quasi survivalist this never should have happened. So many apps to track your trail and look at a map of the area even when off line. Also the area they were found in was not far from the main road and had some small hills around it. A short hike to the top of any one of them would have given a decent view of the area and at night you could probably have seen cars on the road. Something just isn't right with this. The picture they have of where the bodies were found shows some high rocks that could have been climbed and gotten a good view of the area and maybe even cell phone service. The planes and helicopters would have covered that area in their search and seeing them he could have shot his gun 3 times which is the signal of distress. Gunshots can travel several miles in that flat terrain. He killed her then shot himself out of jealousy not to put her out of her misery. Being in law enforcement for 30 years and an avid hiker for the past 15 this raises so many red flags 🚩for me. Either way it's a sad story for the families.
Bullshit on the mercy killing. He murdered his ex girlfriend because if he couldn’t have her, no one could. The head injury - he deliberately hit her. To hell with those trying to pretend this wasn’t domestic violence and some creep thinking he was entitled to a woman, she was murdered.
Poor couple, I'm all for adventure but not in extreme situations of heat of cold. I understand their choice to take their own lives instead of continuing to suffer beyond any hope of being rescued, I'd likely make the same choice if forced to. So sorry for the families losses. I also don't think the drugs ( weed & mushrooms ) contributed to their deaths. Most likely just for recreational use and neither renders anyone incapacitated. RIP kiddos.
@@confusedoilpainter3294 People slip and fall on hikes all the time resulting in serious injuries. I disagree with your conspiratorial take and obviously so do the authorities. I doubt you know more than the cops and coroner. Between being injured and losing hope, the suicide pact seems completely logical to me. A mercy killing is NOT murder!
@@confusedoilpainter3294yes suspects boyfriend who stood her up. The property owner and staff, or an unknown...strange to suggest to someone to go with x instead of them. Super confident character to suggest this.
IT WAS Murder. I actually know more than the cops and the coronor. The bodies were found less than three and a half miles from my house. I've talked to individual JOSAR members and the JTNP Superintendent the day the bodies were found. The authorities are going in line with the two families stories because there's enough strife already. That couple could have been in contact with civilization with twenty minutes - all downhill to the major Park road. My wife and I hiked that area extensively BEFORE they made the "maze trail". For the last 35 years, we traveled that wilderness because it was literally OUR BACKYARD. From the Maze trailhead, you can walk to our house in an hour (we've done it). This was a chosen murder/suicide. Who takes a gun into Joshua Tree National Park? Don't make excuses like he was "security agent" - there's no reason to take a gun into the park hiking into wilderness. He had an agenda, she said no - now they're a 'couple' forever. @@laurie1536
I don't care how bad things get. Youi never even think about shooting your girl in the head. This story has so many holes in it. His actions tell a different story.
@@kendallevans4079 im sure parents dont want him for her daughter kind of thing. so there's two hypothesis they romeo and juliet. or he did the if I'm not gonna have you no one will thing
Yeah, how did she fall so severely on flat terrain? Why three shots? And why was he huddled up to her? He put her arm on him before killing himself? Strange
This incident happened several years ago when I lived in Yucca Valley, which is adjacent to Joshua Tree. I remember it very well. It certainly did not transpire '2 Weeks Ago', as indicated.
How did you make up and tell that story of a mercy killing and keep a straight face? Absolutely absurd. Trying to help out the families? Or filling a time slot?
I’ve been on countless hiking trails here in Southern California, including Joshua Tree, I’m baffled every time I see people that not even wear a backpack or proper Footwear. Please People, be aware of what you’re getting yourself into!
If someone shoots themself how do they bury the gun?
15 дней назад
I can't imagine the horror of seeing a loved one suffer slow death from organ failure without hope of rescue. Worse, knowing that your own circumstances are no better. This was no murder. Rest in Peace Joseph and Rachel.
A lot of strangeness in this story. The Maze Loop is only a 4.9 mile trail and they entered the park at 6:45am. They could have easily finished this hike within 2 hours and before the main heat of the day, although we don't know if they did another hike before starting the Maze Loop. Why bring a handgun on a hike in the desert? There are no large predators out there. Was it a factor that she was interested in another guy and he might have been jealous and wanted her back? Maybe he thought, if I can't have you, then nobody can? It's possible that they could have taken too many psychedelics and became disoriented and made a series of bad decisions, coupled with not having enough water. You don't hike in the desert when it's 100 degrees, unless you stay very close to your car or shelter. Also the statement that the gun was 'buried in the sand' sounds suspicious and maybe misleading. You can't bury a gun in the sand after you've shot yourself in the head. I'm thinking it's most probable that they just made a series of really bad decisions and got lost. It doesn't sound 'compassionate' to me. If Rachel was injured, Joseph could have tried to hike out and get help rather than shooting both of them dead.
I agree with you on everything but the handgun. In 2023 I would not go camping or hiking anywhere without weapon. Not for animals but deranged, dangerous wacked out humans.
Anyone who hikes in a remote place should take adequate precautions. They should always let someone know of their plans and what time they will be returning. The first item that they should have is a satellite phone or locator beacon. They should also be sure to carry water, food, first aid supplies and protective clothing. If they are hiking in a place with dangerous animals such as mountain lions or bears (or people, unfortunately), a firearm is a good idea. Bear spray is not a bad idea, but it isn't always effective.
As a SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA native, I would never hike in Joshua tree national park from April thru October...the desert heat is Unforgiving.. growing up in Palm Springs we know this stuff .
Don't forget about the live stream event and contest next week! Click here for more details:
ruclips.net/channel/UCsrtvSjgVg8QgRJzysB55xAcommunity?lb=Ugkx1n9bRxoqgO6NiuxlmsIh-cdSh5oEB6_X
Just a very sad tale. Seeing Joseph's dad search for his son was so heartbreaking. I hope these two families have found peace. RIP Joseph and Rachel
I'm really shocked by the amount of people who believe it was other than a sympathetic murder suicide. There's nobody on earth that would go through all of that just to make a murder suicide look legit. Evidence clearly shows they survived for days. Being disoriented in a desert landscape is common. Gun was buried after being exposed to the elements for months. The injury on Rachel's head was from a fall. Coroners are really good. They can tell how someone died and from what. The Autopsy proved they only way she received the injury was from falling, not a blunt object. I get why people may believe its more than the official narrative. But the evidence was pretty clear they suffered together for days. And taking the easy way out rather than suffering more in a survival situation is something that does happen a lot. Plus, the investigation explained to the Nguyen family, the were led to believe this was a sympathetic murder-suicide. There was nothing in Joseph's past that would've would leave anyone to believe it was something other than a sympathetic killing after all hope was gone when lost and suffering in the desert. He dated Rachel at one time, so he wasn't "friend zoned".
So excited for the live stream and contest this coming Saturday!
Subscribe, like boton, and share 🎉
Why to bring a handgun to a hike? 🧐
I was the one who found them, there were 6 of us there that day. I was first on the seen. It weighed very heavy on my heart for I wasn’t able to go searching due to work. Every time I hear a helicopter fly over the house I think someone has gone missing again. It was two and a half months before I got out to look. There are some good questions here in the comments , how can you get lost on a 4 mile trip, super easily in that area they were in was pretty rugged, lots of switchbacks and rock piles for city folks that don’t know the desert, especially in the summer, 105 to 110, most people can’t walk several hundred yards in those temps. Searchers were falling out all over in the heat. Same with search dogs. Summer rains had covered them with sand a bit, they were laying in a narrow ravine in the soft sand. We found other bullet casings at a different location, a belt, water bottles, some with urine in them. Up wash,Found a vape case, then a shoe, radio can, bullet holder, an open bag of beef jerky, and then I saw them when I looked up about 15 feet away. Embraced kinda. I’ve tried to forget that part. I just called out to my buddy Mike who was logging item locations. He came up as I went to stop the dad from coming on the seen. Very heavy day . Y’all be careful out here especially in summer.
I'll be praying for the loved ones, searchers, and you. Especially you. I can't imagine how you felt then or how much you're reminded of it til this very day. God bless y'all. This is such a sad story.
Finally the itch is scratched. Excellent explanation. I'm still confused at how so many people could have searched so many hours and not covered that area. If you feel like expanding your comment further, that would be fantastic
@@Menstral the original searchers missed them by 100 yards. I’m not sure if they weren’t a skilled tracker or trackers. These kids were in a very strange area, it was void of animals for the most part. Just owls which is kinda creepy
@@Menstral the original searchers missed them by 100 yards. I’m not sure if they weren’t a skilled tracker or trackers. These kids were in a very strange area, it was void of animals for the most part. Just owls which is kinda creepy
@@tonysoaresnativeclays1434 I have been to the JTNP, mostly a drive-by day trip, but I was invited and did hike Mount Whitney, and I did hike the Grand Canyon (hike down, stay the night, hike back up). I did both of these hikes in good quality sandals, and made sure my footing was secure and carried shoes. I have been to Death Valley several times (with a new rental truck, 2 cell phones from 2 different providers, and 3 gallons of water even though I was not 1000 yards from the vehicle) I want to make your make sure that my voluntary choices do not cost the taxpayers money.
I had a persistent feeling that many search and rescue missions that fail (when it seems like they should not fail) just contain the wrong caliber of people.
I don't think they should send out search and rescue missions to be honest. The people saved don't really seem that worthy. They seem more worthy of a Darwin award.
Crazy to think all of those people searched, and they were two miles from the trailhead. Shows how unyielding the terrain is. Sad, sad story.
Really hard to believe. I wonder how competent the search was.
@@jamesarnold6059rude af to assume of search & rescue!
@aceykrew5207 I don't think so. You seem young, & perhaps lacking in experience, so I'll humor you:
Some departments are better than others, and are all made up of flawed human beings. No one's perfect. But for as long as they searched & as many searchers as they had, you'd think they'd have covered every foot within miles. I wonder about the decision-making by whomever headed it up--& their competence. Thats our right to do in this country, and it's a sacred right they dont have elsewhere. They may have had the best intentions. It's the competence of the leadership I'm questioning (and rationally so. And I'm not the only 'rude' one for asking a logical question... So ... we'll have to disagree on that. Wish you the best young sir
Similar to the story of the two young men who got lost very close to their car. Even more tragic he put his friend out of his misery just hours before he was rescued. Actually that case was a little suspicious imo.
That's a problem with that. They are bound to a certain rule and action. Which have greatly missed a lot of people when searching for missing people.
I would never go hiking without am emergency locator beacon. I've seen enough stories like this, or stories of people falling down a canyon and breaking legs/hips and not being able to get back to a trail.
Amen. PLB’s have gone down in cost in recent years and they’re no longer the bone cracking price tag that they were 10 years ago. If you’re interested in hiking preparations I penned a signal kit inventory up-thread a bit. There’s some excellent low tech tools listed that most don’t typically think to carry.
Yep Ive looked up satellite phones and will spend the money for one if i were to ever go on a hike out in these places. Especially if camping out or for more than a couple miles and isolated.
I heard there is a Garmin device (not the Garmin 2/mini 2) entirely waterproof that makes an amazing beacon and you can text as well. A lot of divers wear them. Not sure of battery life. I would definitely choose a beacon with communication at the very least. Not sure about mapping due to accuracy issues.
@@DesireLL-l3z Every iPhone since iPhone 14 is able to send Emergency SMS via Satellite for free.
@@maximumeffort78 Every iPhone since iPhone 14 is able to send Emergency SMS via Satellite for free.
MY COMMENT IS FOR THE NARRATOR OF OUTDOOR DISASTERS: I almost wish I never found you two days ago! I can’t stop. My two cats are lucky I got up to feed them. These videos are mesmerizing. You can’t do just one, you have to do them all! Thank you for such grand explorations of the many hazards of leaving your home, while I sit snugly in mine❤️
I'm happy you found this channel as well! Welcome aboard! More great content is on it's way! Thank you for the kind words.
@@outdoordisasters I don’t know how I lived without you!
@@AdrienneMint 🤭
Sounds like AI morgan freeman 😂
Girl, tell me about it! 😂 I am trying to work from home but this is all I want to consume!
Thank you for telling Rachel and Joseph's story! It's incredibly sad and horrible about what ended up happening to them both in the end. I hope that their families will be able to find peace and comfort, and may Rachel and Joseph rest in peace 🕊️🙏 I look forward to seeing your next video!
Two kids went unprepared into some of the most dangerous wilderness in America. Tragic.
They were also possibly high as well. Either way, it’s a sad way to go and I hope they’re families are able to find some piece now.
With 4 types of hallucinogens. No wonder they were walking in circles.
@@krystlshipsJebus... what were they taking?
They were probably taking mushrooms
@@1800ssounds like a terrible idea…..hiking in the desert high…..nope stop it kids👀🇺🇸
She was my cousin’s ex-girlfriend. I’ve only met her once, but despite such a distant connection, we were still so shocked about the tragedy. I hope everyone involved finds peace, and is healing from such a terrible fate.
this one really got to me. i love going out to joshua tree and our other local parks/deserts. i always try to plan for the worst case scenario, but you just never know. may they both rest in peace. next time i'm in joshua tree i'll leave some flowers for them.
That's awesome 🙏
It is heartbreaking. I learned to climb in Joshua Tree. Growing up coastal SoCal, it wasn’t far. I went in cool seasons, but then you can face brutal cold. California deserts are unforgiving, punishing terrain, and oftentimes everything looks the same, sense of direction so easily lost. I was a child when I went, 11-13, so it was always a group with mentors, though at 13 there was some foolish shenanigans that could’ve ended with poor outcomes! The desert isn’t for me, I’ve survived it for many years and now live in the beautiful PNW, but Joshua Tree holds a special place in my heart, especially the endangered trees themselves. Leave 2 flowers for me?
@@maximumeffort78 i will do!
I go there a lot too and do the same, always prepare for the worst. Btw I’m a also a Cuban girl who loves to hike❤
@@sheilax89 oye hermana!
Absolutely heartbreaking story. I can’t even imagine what those two went through. Or, what he had to have been thinking as he realized that his options were dwindling. So sad.
Ah man, when I was writing up the scenario, I started getting emotional. I couldn't imagine what was going through that young man's mind. But you have to get to a point of suffering where you'll do anything to escape the pain. So heartbreaking.
I lived in Joshua Tree when this tragedy took place. I went out hiking the very next morning after they did not return to their AirBnB. I saw their brown Lexus parked in the dirt pull off for The Maze. It was 6:00 am when I started and about an hour later, I returned to my car to find their Lexus was still there. I recall thinking that it was odd that the car was there so early and that it was still there when I finished my short hike. By 7 am it was already brutally hot. I also recall thinking that I hoped the owner of the car had not strayed very far, as that area can be tricky to navigate and the forecast called for temperatures to reach 100 degrees. However, I did not know they were two missing hikers at that point (I found out the next day). I also recall seeing 2 sets of tracks going down the wash when I started my hike and often wondered if those tracks belonged to them. This sad tragedy still haunts me to this day.
John 3;16
I love how he narrates everything. It's sagacious like an adage and sounds like a poem. I don't think they'd have made it out even if she didn't have an injury.
I cried.. thanks for sharing their story in such a heartfelt way. The poor family and honestly those poor kids. Rest easy Rachel and Joseph
Cry-Baby
Until a year and a half ago we lived about an hour from Joshua Tree. We camped, hiked, bouldered, climbed and picniced all over it. However, living so close, in the unbearable heat much of the year, I was so very aware of the deadly potential and eerie ambiance of the park and was always hyper aware of having much more water than you think you need and not stepping off trail or road or route. I remember this case. So tragic.
Why would anyone go hiking in a desert in July? Nuts
It's okay as long as you bring a gun.
It's about impossible, I tried and got about 100 yards with no shade and knew I would die.
The one place never to be under the influence is the desert, especially in the summertime. Very sad story.
Wow what a video, hit me pretty hard. Excellent job narrating the hypothetical final moments. Harrowing
I love Joshua Tree, and I camp there frequently. My family and I have done the maze loop trial a couple of times. It is not a very difficult trail, but I would never attempt that trail during the hot summer days bc the heat can be life-threatening. May they RIP 🙏
Thank You for sharing this sad story..!!
It’s crucial to know what to bring with you when going hiking and important to be well prepared for any hiking in any national parks..!!
You have a very soothing warm voice like Morgan Freeman, perfect to tell stories..!! 👍🏻 Thank You..!!
Thanks for covering this story. I remember reading about it. How sad & tragic.
Your videos are so professionally done for free watching . Amazing work and quality! Thank you 🙏 I start following you from few days and I learned a lot from your videos . Appreciate you the time and effort you putting into ‘
Awesome, thank you!
For free? Nothing is free. You've already paid for it
Great channel BTW, very sad stories some of them. I like to think that we are remembering these people by watching them. They will not be forgotten ❤
Well said
I remember visiting the park at this time and seeing their car on the side of the road taped off by police. What a tragic story!
Remember this … Devastating sadness … Lived there then .. Sad situation … May they Rest In Peace 🙏🙏❤️❤️🌹🌹
I don't think you can even test living people for psyclobin, let alone identify it after death. Giving my conclusions as an old head and not a coroner, they went into the desert for a trip and that contributed mightly to their predicament. I know after a good mushroom trip, I could swig a gallon of water to replace all I've sweated out and I know not to wander in unfamiliar places because I could get lost in a phone booth on a good trip. Everybody has a bad trip now and then. Given their ages, these two were rookie tripsters, safety precautions may not have been known or followed.
They wouldn’t be the first people to get high at Joshua Tree, and they won’t be the last. What a tragic story, and sensitively told. They could be anyone’s kids.
This happened to a guy my brother knew about 2 years ago. It was in Northern California tho. They got high, went camping for the night but he was so high, they had to leave him at a ranger station with a ranger. The next day, the ranger was walking him down and he started yelling things and took off running. The ranger couldn’t stop him and he disappeared. They searched for him forever and couldn’t find him. It was a big story. Some of his friends from here in So Cal flew up to help. Some weeks later he was found dead.
Oh that’s terrible…..the biggest point I learned from Timothy Leary was ..set and setting…plan your mind trips accordingly….awful way to leave earth 🌍👀🕊
@@superstringsbroThis would be an interesting story for Outdoor Disasters. I'm intrigued.
Your videos seem to be making it to the fyp a lot more lately. Although, that may be because I’m subscribed.
🙏
I lived in Joshua Tree and searched for them at night for nearly a month. I did my nightscape photography out there at night and I thought I might find them as I walked through the park at night calling out their name.
That's great. Your help I'm sure was much appreciated. BTW, your content looks awesome! subbed!
I am curious to know what you carry as a safety precaution if you are stranded there for days
@@happilysmpla satellite location device. There are many options on the market. I wish you well.
RIP to both and peace for the families and friends.
Subscribed and followed! Thank you for this post!
Thanks for subbing!
Thank you for another intriguing video!! You're channel's the best!!!!❤
You are so welcome!
How do you know what they were thinking, if they didn’t survive to tell you?
Ikr. I hate that aspect.
He said it was hypothetical
The warning to have reverence and be prepared are so timely. I've been to Valley of Fire in Oct and March and the heat got to me after a while. I can't imagine all these two suffered in the summer. Unbearable. May they rest in peace. What a tragedy. Well narrated as always!
I remember this story well and was not surprised at the outcome.
I have lived in the High Desert for 59 years and am all too familiar with stories of people from the city coming to visit the desert and have it become their final resting place.
Some fall in mine shafts, others die of dehydration, still others succumb to hypothermia. That’s right, people can freeze to death here; there is no marine layer in the desert to keep it warm in the winter.
I always hate to hear stories of tourists dying in the desert because its so unnecessary. This young couple had a whole life ahead of them and died in one of the most tragic ways possible.
My next goal is to share my six decades of living on the desert in a book of how to survive a visit to the desert.
Waiting for that book
Excellent narration of a very sad story. Glad they were together in the end.
I hope they investigate this further. I'm curious as to how Rachel got that head injury.😢
I am too, but the case is closed. There just wasn't enough interest on LE and the public which is sad.
Yeah, how did she fall so severely on flat terrain? Why three shots? And why was he huddled up to her? He put her arm on him before killing himself? Strange.
Weapon was buried at his feet?@@pria7538
Another great one thank you👏👏❤️
I knew right away it was a murder suicide at 2:27, the longer the video ran from that point the more red alarms that went off in my head. Reminds me EXACTLY of the "Loren Daniel Bunner" murder case. Going on a secluded hike with your friendzoned xboyfriend thats still deeply in love with you is such a bad idea. Once you leave an Xlover, just ghost them. I seen too much drama around me with xlovers, a friend of mine thats been seperated from his X for 2 years beat his X girlfriends new boyfriend into unconciousness when he seen them out together at a store; some people just cant let go.
And his mind, bent from a bad trip, had him take her with him forever.
I lived a mile from Black Rock campground for five years. Never underestimate the need to stay well hydrated, even on a cool day. My voice croaked the first day of my arrival there due to the dry desert and mountain air. The beauty is captivating, and the stars are incredible at night. An occasional blanket of early spring snow adds to the charm and hides the sharp and dangerous things beneath it. Winter low temperatures average around 30F can dip into 15F with 45 mile per hour winds, as I discovered one night while capping freeze-burst sprinkler risers.
That trip. Nature is pretty awesome without doing drugs.
Holy shit dude you sound like James Earl Jones or some shit 😂 instant sub
Awesome! Welcome my friend!
Just sad. I live an hour west of Joshua Tree and 3 hours south of Death Valley (equal distance from the Mt Whitney and the Eastern Sierra Nevadas). These places are huge desert and mountainous expanses with little water, shade or forgiving weather. Everyone, please take a Garmin Inreach Mini Satellite communicator with you. $300 to purchase or just rent one if you do not hike often. As proficient a hiker as I am . . . I carry one even on the simplest of hikes. Also, take a whistle, mini flashlight or headlight; a few glow sticks (not to mention water with electrolyte pack supplements). Other than the water, these items weight nothing (maybe a pound). A simple first aide kit wouldn't hurt either. I remember this story. The local media tried to make it seem like a planned murder/suicide but the evidence just didn't support that narrative . . . so sad 😞.
I agree i always tell my friends who hikes to take satellite communication device because youll never know and if something bad does happen at least you help the s and r find your body easily thus not prolonging the agony of your loved ones
Also carry mint candies , it makes water so much cooler to drink and a strong laser flashlight.
This is a strange one... The approximate area where they were found in is right on top of the Boy Scout Trial. A popular trail that is not easy to miss if you come across it. In fact, any direction they walked would have put them on a trail within a few miles. Its also a relativity flat area with a few mounds of rock here and there. A simple hike to the top of one would reveal cars on the main park road to the south only a mile or so away. Especially at night. A suicide pact seems out of the question but durgs must have been a factor.
I don’t think anyone can rule out a murder suicide. He could have hit her on the head, immobilizing her. Then finished her and him. They could have found a trail or fired of the remaining bullets, leaving two left.
I was thinking it looks flat and they could just go to a high point. Yeah, something isn't right.
How likely is it y’all that someone hears a gunshot and goes looking where it came from? I’m from the south and we have gun shots all the time but we normally don’t go looking why or where they come from.
@@gnatanderson5536 agreed, it’s crazy how the family built this narrative to help process and deny what happened
Actually they were found a good distance from the Boy Scout Trail and just about 2 miles as the crow flies from Route 62 (in The Maze Loop area). A friend and I hiked out from the neighborhood along Route 62 up the canyon systems and to the point where they were found. It is very rugged in that area with lots of rocks and boulders. I think unless you actually see the area where they were found, you wouldn't get the feel for the gravity of their situation, especially since they were likely wandering around for days and dealing with heat stroke.
I remember following this story. I live like 45 Min west of joshua tree, rip to both
You live near Coachella? I was at Morongo last week and it is F’n CRAZY out there at night. I can’t even believe I was in California. It was 3 in the morning and I couldn’t find ANYTHING to eat ANYWHERE. I was driving around aimlessly on the freeway and could never find a place to eat so had to drive back to the casino where everything was also closed so I had to go to sleep hungry.
Excellent presentation! Ty!
Thank you 🙏 ❤
I honest don’t believe it was a murder suicide being only two miles away from their parked car. Something doesn’t add up. RIP
I like your videos and your voice its nice and has some hook, i feel that if you improve the microphone it would be amazing :)
I'm going for the rustic feel, old school feel. Appreciate your feedback!
JTree in the summer is no joke, you have very little margin for error when the temps get to 100+.
Almost unbelievable to be ultimately found within 2 mi. of the trail head or their car. Although stories such as this are not uncommon. Perhaps investing in a fleet of drones would be more effective than search parties given the enormous amount of terrain they could see from an aerial vantage point as opposed to manual search parties that basically have to come almost right upon these individuals especially if they are weak or incapacitated in some way.
A lot of search and rescue teams do use drones as they cover vast areas faster, thereby saving critical time. They also can reach areas hard to get to or spots that are too danagerous to send humans into without a lot preparation and/or equipment.
However, human search teams are still an integral part of search efforts for various reasons. For one thing, while some drones can broadcast messages and can have a mic attached, they aren't effective for two-way communication. Therefore, one reason human search teams are still needed is so they can call out to stranded hikers--listen for a response--and act accordingly should they hear anything.
That's a pretty fancy story, but we don't know any of it to be true. They were only two miles from the car? Why bring the gun in the first place? Did he convince her all was lost? He could easily have shot her and posed her body. I watch too much true crime.
Yeah, how did she fall so severely on flat terrain? Why three shots? And why was he huddled up to her? He put her arm on him before killing himself? Strange
@@pria7538was the terrain flat? Much of Joshua Tree NP is boulder outcroppings.
RIP...so sorry for the couple and their families 😢
Joshua Tree is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Avoid the summer or winter months unless you are accustomed to extreme temps.
I remember hearing about the couple found locked in an embrace. So sad!
Thats beautiful
What was her injury.? Autopsy can’t say?
I’ll be in Joshua again nxt month . Looking at the map / photos think we’ll skip the maze hike. Not enough time since we’re only planning to spend 1 day there before moving on .
Hopefully it cools down by then. I was in Coachella last week which is very near and it was hot AF. 90+ at least. I walked around an hour and when I got to the car, my temperature was up, was dehydrated and I was pounding water.
What a tragic story. That could be any hiker. I hope the families have found peace
Your narriating is amazing, the words that you choose brings this story to my heart. Prayers to this couple and peace to their loved ones. I hope their story will teach others to neveunderestimate Mother Nature!
Thank you so much for the kind words
The gun sound would have gained some attention. They were only 2 miles from the trail. This honestly feels more like a murder suicide by an man killing his ex. It's too suspicious. RIP Rachel.
Did he have more bullets on him? Because not firing the gun to signal to rescuers is kind of weird. But based on the evidence, it does appear like they got lost by accident and just wanted to end their misery.
The area is super remote. The "trail" isn't traveled by weekend warriors but is a rarely used spot by hard-core mountain climbers. Probably why they chose it in the first place. So they could do their drugs in peace. There is nothing suspicious as it's the obvious conclusion that 2 inexperienced people with no hiking experience that are high on drugs will get lost in such a unforgiving place. Even the experts couldn't find them 2 miles away from the trail so that should tell you how easy it is to get lost it is.
It does seem suspicious to me too. Glad I'm not the only one.
Exactly! The last time we were at Joshua Tree a group of people having a good time about 1/2 a mile away sounded like they were right next to
us.
They were not high on drugs she only showed marijuana use in her system and his was clean. He was experienced and so was she. He was a quasi survivalist according to his family and friends and an avid hiker. @@turkey2003
The dude murdered his girlfriend - whoever is stating the dude killed her to protect is (SUSPECT) Don’t buy thus backstory for a second - let’s entertain for a moment the girl fell and hit her head severely so he killed her “to put her out of he misery” WHY SHOOT HIMSELF ? NOPE BS BACK STORY
Agree! He was the typical immature young guy who could not deal with her moving on and friend zoning him. The old "if I can't you, then no one will"
"let’s entertain for a moment the girl fell and hit her head severely" You imagined that.
I never understand why people want to trip on hard drugs in the desert. Interesting the narrator mentioned the woman found a new man in her life. One could retell this story in a completely different way.
What a drastic solution . I cannot imaging giving up. I've been lost hiking, t'was scary.
I remember my then boyfriend wanting to take me for a walk in the wilderness. I said "You must be a fool if you think I'm going to go out there. You can go if you want." But he never went. What a shame!
He had plans for u. Any type of trip out in the wilderness, out on a boat in the middle of nowhere, these are signs that the dude has plans for u with him and only him coming back. Red Flag
Nice romantic story about what MIGHT have happened, but I’m cynical. I thought right away it sounded fishy. Ex-boyfriend, but still friends? 🤨 He always carries guns? And she had her sights set on another guy. I think he killed her and himself because of that - if he couldn’t have her, no one could. ☠️
Everything adds up to that. They could have contacted civilization within twenty minutes EASY.
My thoughts exactly! Many young, emotionally immature guys don't handle being friend zoned very well.
Something must have gone horribly wrong. Vietnamese don't simply get lost. We navigate jungles, this is just a desert.
Looks like they took drugs in hope of having psychodelic trip in the desert and something went wrong.
Don't do drugs in the desert or anywhere in the wilderness. Especially if you're not use to the area
Yes good advice
So you don't walk around in circles, you can tell where you are by the position of the Sun (telling you exactly if you're walking North, South, East or West), but then since when do humans have any sense?
Great ads, with a cool story every now and then too. Gotta love all those ads you shove in your videos. Can’t even put something on just to listen to anymore.
This case was such an emotional rollercoaster. I was shocked when it was declared a M-S and even more shocked when it turned out to be more like a mercy k*lling. That's heartbreaking.
Mercy killing? He took her out there with the intention of killing her.
Yeah, mercy is bullshit, like "Sympathetic murder" drugs caused the death, perhaps by drawing out his deep subconscious.@@halfdome4158
Yeah! I mean, what's with this unsubstantiated backstory of heroism? If she was injured and could move you would think that you would leave everything you reasonably can and do everything you can to get help. If you were in the area for days some progress could have been made.
Tripping while hiking sounds like the summary
NEVER HIKE TRIPPING !!!! Trust me !!!!
you will get lost on the simplest of hikes.
God bless their souls
RIP
Check the weather often
Never be ashamed to quit
I’ve quit so many adventures
If I'm going hiking, it'll be where there are trees, shade and water. I cannot believe anyone would choose to go there. Im from the Gulf Coast. I'm trying to get away from the heat.
I was just thinking that. From the Tampa area. Give me an unspoiled barrier island, or a forested mountain stream any day.
The narration is loaded with various spoken-English errors, like a non-native English speaker - or someone who does not speak English popat all) using text-to-speech. But the fascinating stories and the noticeable dedication to safety are enthralling amd commendable, respectively.
So heartbreaking they were only 2 miles from their car!
i wonder the phone signal active in the park?if so,why dont call when you get lost..?
Omg 😢so bloody sad
Great voice
For being experienced hikers and him a quasi survivalist this never should have happened. So many apps to track your trail and look at a map of the area even when off line. Also the area they were found in was not far from the main road and had some small hills around it. A short hike to the top of any one of them would have given a decent view of the area and at night you could probably have seen cars on the road. Something just isn't right with this. The picture they have of where the bodies were found shows some high rocks that could have been climbed and gotten a good view of the area and maybe even cell phone service. The planes and helicopters would have covered that area in their search and seeing them he could have shot his gun 3 times which is the signal of distress. Gunshots can travel several miles in that flat terrain. He killed her then shot himself out of jealousy not to put her out of her misery. Being in law enforcement for 30 years and an avid hiker for the past 15 this raises so many red flags 🚩for me. Either way it's a sad story for the families.
He murdered her then killed himself. No dude is going to blast his gf in the head with a gun. That is some demented stuff right there.
Bullshit on the mercy killing. He murdered his ex girlfriend because if he couldn’t have her, no one could. The head injury - he deliberately hit her. To hell with those trying to pretend this wasn’t domestic violence and some creep thinking he was entitled to a woman, she was murdered.
K IDIOT!
Poor couple, I'm all for adventure but not in extreme situations of heat of cold. I understand their choice to take their own lives instead of continuing to suffer beyond any hope of being rescued, I'd likely make the same choice if forced to. So sorry for the families losses. I also don't think the drugs ( weed & mushrooms ) contributed to their deaths. Most likely just for recreational use and neither renders anyone incapacitated. RIP kiddos.
@@confusedoilpainter3294 People slip and fall on hikes all the time resulting in serious injuries. I disagree with your conspiratorial take and obviously so do the authorities. I doubt you know more than the cops and coroner. Between being injured and losing hope, the suicide pact seems completely logical to me. A mercy killing is NOT murder!
@@confusedoilpainter3294yes suspects boyfriend who stood her up. The property owner and staff, or an unknown...strange to suggest to someone to go with x instead of them. Super confident character to suggest this.
IT WAS Murder. I actually know more than the cops and the coronor. The bodies were found less than three and a half miles from my house. I've talked to individual JOSAR members and the JTNP Superintendent the day the bodies were found. The authorities are going in line with the two families stories because there's enough strife already. That couple could have been in contact with civilization with twenty minutes - all downhill to the major Park road.
My wife and I hiked that area extensively BEFORE they made the "maze trail". For the last 35 years, we traveled that wilderness because it was literally OUR BACKYARD. From the Maze trailhead, you can walk to our house in an hour (we've done it). This was a chosen murder/suicide. Who takes a gun into Joshua Tree National Park? Don't make excuses like he was "security agent" - there's no reason to take a gun into the park hiking into wilderness. He had an agenda, she said no - now they're a 'couple' forever. @@laurie1536
I don't care how bad things get. Youi never even think about shooting your girl in the head. This story has so many holes in it. His actions tell a different story.
Agree. I still hold to the murder/suicide theory. He just couldn't stand being "friend zoned".
@@kendallevans4079 also - they said the gun was buried next to the boy, but how could it be buried if one commits suicide?
@@kendallevans4079 im sure parents dont want him for her daughter kind of thing. so there's two hypothesis they romeo and juliet. or he did the if I'm not gonna have you no one will thing
@@iyot1020 I'd go with the latter. He was out of his league and knew it.
Yeah, how did she fall so severely on flat terrain? Why three shots? And why was he huddled up to her? He put her arm on him before killing himself? Strange
This incident happened several years ago when I lived in Yucca Valley, which is adjacent to Joshua Tree. I remember it very well. It certainly did not transpire '2 Weeks Ago', as indicated.
Very sad indeed
How did you make up and tell that story of a mercy killing and keep a straight face? Absolutely absurd. Trying to help out the families? Or filling a time slot?
I grew up in Riverside, not too far down the freeway from Joshua Tree. However, since Aug' 04 to present, I've lived here in ABQ, NM.
I’ve been on countless hiking trails here in Southern California, including Joshua Tree, I’m baffled every time I see people that not even wear a backpack or proper Footwear. Please People, be aware of what you’re getting yourself into!
If someone shoots themself how do they bury the gun?
I can't imagine the horror of seeing a loved one suffer slow death from organ failure without hope of rescue. Worse, knowing that your own circumstances are no better. This was no murder. Rest in Peace Joseph and Rachel.
A lot of strangeness in this story. The Maze Loop is only a 4.9 mile trail and they entered the park at 6:45am. They could have easily finished this hike within 2 hours and before the main heat of the day, although we don't know if they did another hike before starting the Maze Loop. Why bring a handgun on a hike in the desert? There are no large predators out there. Was it a factor that she was interested in another guy and he might have been jealous and wanted her back? Maybe he thought, if I can't have you, then nobody can? It's possible that they could have taken too many psychedelics and became disoriented and made a series of bad decisions, coupled with not having enough water. You don't hike in the desert when it's 100 degrees, unless you stay very close to your car or shelter. Also the statement that the gun was 'buried in the sand' sounds suspicious and maybe misleading. You can't bury a gun in the sand after you've shot yourself in the head. I'm thinking it's most probable that they just made a series of really bad decisions and got lost. It doesn't sound 'compassionate' to me. If Rachel was injured, Joseph could have tried to hike out and get help rather than shooting both of them dead.
Maybe the gun was for rattle snakes.
I agree with you on everything but the handgun. In 2023 I would not go camping or hiking anywhere without weapon. Not for animals but deranged, dangerous wacked out humans.
@@kendallevans4079 Maybe the guy with the gun was the deranged whacked out one in this case?
Swing and miss. Re-read with comprehension this time
I always hike with a gun. I’ve run across weird people that scared me more than animals but I don’t hike in a desert just a forest
Nice video
The narrator on point
I live a mile from JTNP, and this is not a forgiving environment. The desert will kill you. Always be prepared.
*we live out here... don't play around in the summer out here... be SAFE*
The whole thing sounds fishy.
There are no fish in the desert
@@adambane1719ha ha
Anyone who hikes in a remote place should take adequate precautions. They should always let someone know of their plans and what time they will be returning. The first item that they should have is a satellite phone or locator beacon. They should also be sure to carry water, food, first aid supplies and protective clothing. If they are hiking in a place with dangerous animals such as mountain lions or bears (or people, unfortunately), a firearm is a good idea. Bear spray is not a bad idea, but it isn't always effective.
ALWAYS take a personal locater devise...otherwise you're asking for trouble.
Who buried the gun?
I would like to believe what the family believes.
As a SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA native, I would never hike in Joshua tree national park from April thru October...the desert heat is Unforgiving.. growing up in Palm Springs we know this stuff .