As to the central question of Did He Go Hiking: He lives within a short walk of an entrance to the park area and it is perhaps more reasonable to believe that he went hiking that day than that he went anywhere else that day without his wallet and cell phone. Although the state of the home is also consistent with a departure for a brief errand such as going out to the curb with a visitor to view a particularly interesting Saab, there are no indications that any such event actually took place. Waiting period for death declaration in California is eleven years which renders a conspiracy very unlikely.

To this day, no remains found in the rugged wilderness area.

I imagine we are left with the same situation as before: a man leading a generally satisfied and low-key lifestyle disappears under circumstances that are somewhat strange but not necessarily unusual for him in that little is known of his customary hiking habits regarding what items he would take with him. His friends and family and acquaintances all hold him in high esteem and do not think he is the type who would ‘go missing’ voluntarily and impose worry and risk to searchers. Some have doubts as to recent comments about society and the roles of lawyers, but others feel that a certain recent discontent with society does not mean there is a severe depression or intent to make a major lifestyle change. Many people express a doubt that he would go missing much less do so in a boorish manner but all those say that they would prefer to think he went missing than to think he died while hiking. None who think he died while hiking are quite able to resolve the utter lack of clues that would usually be left, even in an off trail incident. Inquiries into matters of a geographical relocation but a continuation of interests and lifestyle matters have not turned up any leads amongst hiking clubs or automobile clubs.
In short: no solution. Only a perplexing mystery.
Why were all those items left behind? Was that his usual routine? Why would he go missing if it was so contrary to what is thought to be his value system?

Anyone note the sequence there and think a voluntary ‘gone missing’ is not too likely despite some financial issues and dissatisfaction with lawyers in our society.

This case has been perplexing.

Right from the start there was a family and police ‘assumption of having gone hiking’ without any real indication of it and no particular reason to assume hiking over bowling other than the fact that a hiking area was nearby and a bowling area was not nearby.

Nothing at all was indicative of his having gone hiking and no one has come forward to say that he routinely hiked without the various debris that men lug around with them. No one seems to say he routinely left cell phone, wallet, watch and the like at home. He also left his passport at home and one wonders why it would have been found so promptly if it was left in a prominent location.

If hiking in a wilderness area, various threats such as snake or cougar should have left evidence of some sort and the attention of carion eaters should have been obvious to searchers.

I can not see how someone would decide to “walk out on his life” and embark on a new one if he literally had to WALK. Friend, taxi, something, but walk? To where? A busy highway so as to hitchhike?

Friends and family generally, though not universally, indicate he would not normally do something that would burden others such as the searchers. But would he normally go hiking without the usual ‘stuff’ either?