School of Humans.

School of Humans.

On June twenty fifth, twenty twenty, fifty six year old James Escalante, who also went by Blackhawk, left home on a red Mountain bike. He was headed out to help a woman named Dee, a friend of his, and his girlfriend, Sherry's. Dee's truck had gotten stuck out in the desert near Wonder Valley, but he never made it back home, and no one reported him missing until September seventh. Heather Escalante and her husband, John, James's son, started their own search.

On June twenty fifth, twenty twenty, fifty six year old James Escalante, who also went by Blackhawk, left home on a red Mountain bike. He was headed out to help a woman named Dee, a friend of his, and his girlfriend, Sherry's. Dee's truck had gotten stuck out in the desert near Wonder Valley, but he never made it back home, and no one reported him missing until September seventh. Heather Escalante and her husband, John, James's son, started their own search.

After Heather started.

After Heather started.

Posting on social media and looking for information, she heard that remains were found in the desert on August eighth by a hunter. The body was a John Doe. Half his face was missing, he had long black hair, and there was no id found. Heather contacted the detective working on the case in September to say she believed that that body could be James. On on December fifteenth, the family's worst fears were confirmed. They got a call from the coroner James as Galante was dead. The cause and manner of his death were undetermined. What happened out there in the desert? I'm Catherine Townsend. Over the past five years of making my true crime podcast, Helen Gone, I've learned that there is no such thing as a small town where murder never happens. I've received hundreds of messages from people all around the country asking for help with an unsolved murder that's affected them, their families, and their communities. If you have a case you'd like me and my team to look into, you can reach out to us at our Helen Gone Murder Line at six seven eight seven four four six one four or five. That's six seven eight seven four four six one four five, or you can send us a message on Instagram at Helen gonpod. This is Helen Gone Murder Line. We got access to the coroner's report, which had some more details of what went down on the day that James's body was found and some details about.

Posting on social media and looking for information, she heard that remains were found in the desert on August eighth by a hunter. The body was a John Doe. Half his face was missing, he had long black hair, and there was no id found. Heather contacted the detective working on the case in September to say she believed that that body could be James. On on December fifteenth, the family's worst fears were confirmed. They got a call from the coroner James as Galante was dead. The cause and manner of his death were undetermined. What happened out there in the desert? I'm Catherine Townsend. Over the past five years of making my true crime podcast, Helen Gone, I've learned that there is no such thing as a small town where murder never happens. I've received hundreds of messages from people all around the country asking for help with an unsolved murder that's affected them, their families, and their communities. If you have a case you'd like me and my team to look into, you can reach out to us at our Helen Gone Murder Line at six seven eight seven four four six one four or five. That's six seven eight seven four four six one four five, or you can send us a message on Instagram at Helen gonpod. This is Helen Gone Murder Line. We got access to the coroner's report, which had some more details of what went down on the day that James's body was found and some details about.

The exact condition of the body.

The exact condition of the body.

According to the coroner's report, the hunter Kyle Gibson, was out in the desert off Highway sixty two when he saw a skeleton. He called the police, and Jason Board, a deputy from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, responded to the scene. The deputy found a skull with skin on the left side of the face and top of the head. Part of James's body was lying down with the legs spread wide apart. His head was pointed forty degrees northeast. He was wearing a pair of plaid shorts, a black sock, and a red and black Nike high top on his left foot, but James's right foot, his arms, and other body parts, including all of the organs in his torso, were missing. Detectives found signs of animal activity on the body, shoe marks and the hips, rib cage, and legbones. One of the deputies who arrived on the scene was Elizabeth Gonzalez. She noted in her report that she saw a stain in the dirt about forty feet south of the body, and three feet away she found another more faint stain. She also found a pocket knife and a lighter near James's body.

According to the coroner's report, the hunter Kyle Gibson, was out in the desert off Highway sixty two when he saw a skeleton. He called the police, and Jason Board, a deputy from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, responded to the scene. The deputy found a skull with skin on the left side of the face and top of the head. Part of James's body was lying down with the legs spread wide apart. His head was pointed forty degrees northeast. He was wearing a pair of plaid shorts, a black sock, and a red and black Nike high top on his left foot, but James's right foot, his arms, and other body parts, including all of the organs in his torso, were missing. Detectives found signs of animal activity on the body, shoe marks and the hips, rib cage, and legbones. One of the deputies who arrived on the scene was Elizabeth Gonzalez. She noted in her report that she saw a stain in the dirt about forty feet south of the body, and three feet away she found another more faint stain. She also found a pocket knife and a lighter near James's body.

According to the coroner's report.

According to the coroner's report.

He indicated that he was going to get it tested for fingerprints, but Heather said that this never happened. According to the autopsy report, a lot of tests could not be performed due to the condition of the body and the fact that James had been out in the elements for so long, but a drug panel showed he did test positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine at very high levels, which Heather said was not a surprise. She said that though police did do an investigation, she sometimes felt that due to James's drug use, that he was written off by law enforcement. His cause and manner of death were undetermined.

He indicated that he was going to get it tested for fingerprints, but Heather said that this never happened. According to the autopsy report, a lot of tests could not be performed due to the condition of the body and the fact that James had been out in the elements for so long, but a drug panel showed he did test positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine at very high levels, which Heather said was not a surprise. She said that though police did do an investigation, she sometimes felt that due to James's drug use, that he was written off by law enforcement. His cause and manner of death were undetermined.

I shouldn't neither one having to do this. No, I hear two one day at least done their due diligence, and I felt like they had at least done that much and just couldn't get anything. But like they've never looked at James, They've never looked at it, they've never been in it. When never going out there, how do you know that wasn't a crime thing you didn't want? Miyama don't know that he wasn't killed in there and dumped out in the desert. Like we have no idea because damn it looked.

I shouldn't neither one having to do this. No, I hear two one day at least done their due diligence, and I felt like they had at least done that much and just couldn't get anything. But like they've never looked at James, They've never looked at it, they've never been in it. When never going out there, how do you know that wasn't a crime thing you didn't want? Miyama don't know that he wasn't killed in there and dumped out in the desert. Like we have no idea because damn it looked.

People do disappear out there in the desert, even people who know the area well. Like we said last week, this is a part of the country where a lot of people go missing for a lot of different reasons. Around nine days before James went missing, thirty seven year old Erica Lloyd also disappeared and Even though there's no official indication that Erica and James's deaths were connected, we wanted to see if anything about Erica's disappearance could help provide a clue about what happened to James. Family and friends say Erica had been going through a tough time. She was a single mother with a twelve year old son, and she had been battling depression. COVID had hit her hair dressing business hard. She was worried about money, though her mother, Ruth Lloyd, said that the family did not know the extent of Erica's mental health struggles until much later. Erica dropped her son off to stay in Walnut Creek, where they lived. I've seen some media reports that say she dropped her son off with a friend. Others say that her son was dropped with his father. Either way, he was staying there with someone. Walnut Creek is in northern California, between Sacramento and San Jose. She told people she was going on a pandemic road trip. Erica didn't seem to have an exact itinerary. The San Bernardino Sentinel newspaper reported that Erica may have been planning to see a friend someone who had reportedly moved to twenty nine Palms in April of twenty twenty, but so far that's unconfirmed. According to The Sentinel, Erica originally left on June eleventh. She drove straight over five hundred miles down the I five and her two thousand and six black Honda accord. Her destination was Joshua Tree National Park. She parked at the Jumbo Rocks campground and stayed there for two nights. While she was there, she wrote in her journal that she met two people named Christian and James. On Saturday, June thirteenth, she drove back home to Walnut Creek again in one single drive. She spent some time there with her son and her roommate. On June fourteenth, she left Walnut Creek to go back to that same campground. She did not appear to be in distress, though before she left she did delete her Facebook page. She was active on Instagram until the next day, June fifteenth. She told people while she was home that these people she met, James and Christian, were watching her stuff. On June fourteenth, when she got back to the Jumbo Rocks campground, apparently, James and Christian were no longer. There, she called her mother, Ruth, and according to the Sentinel, her mom said that Erica was talking really fast. She said she could tell by the background noises that Erica was driving her car. After that, Erica's family never heard from her again. Park rangers found the car and saw that there was damage to the rear window, windshield, and dashboard. Then, on Tuesday, June sixteenth, twenty twenty, surveillance video showed Erica's car leaving the north entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. Then later the car was seen on surveillance video at two fifty pm in the town of twenty nine Palms.

People do disappear out there in the desert, even people who know the area well. Like we said last week, this is a part of the country where a lot of people go missing for a lot of different reasons. Around nine days before James went missing, thirty seven year old Erica Lloyd also disappeared and Even though there's no official indication that Erica and James's deaths were connected, we wanted to see if anything about Erica's disappearance could help provide a clue about what happened to James. Family and friends say Erica had been going through a tough time. She was a single mother with a twelve year old son, and she had been battling depression. COVID had hit her hair dressing business hard. She was worried about money, though her mother, Ruth Lloyd, said that the family did not know the extent of Erica's mental health struggles until much later. Erica dropped her son off to stay in Walnut Creek, where they lived. I've seen some media reports that say she dropped her son off with a friend. Others say that her son was dropped with his father. Either way, he was staying there with someone. Walnut Creek is in northern California, between Sacramento and San Jose. She told people she was going on a pandemic road trip. Erica didn't seem to have an exact itinerary. The San Bernardino Sentinel newspaper reported that Erica may have been planning to see a friend someone who had reportedly moved to twenty nine Palms in April of twenty twenty, but so far that's unconfirmed. According to The Sentinel, Erica originally left on June eleventh. She drove straight over five hundred miles down the I five and her two thousand and six black Honda accord. Her destination was Joshua Tree National Park. She parked at the Jumbo Rocks campground and stayed there for two nights. While she was there, she wrote in her journal that she met two people named Christian and James. On Saturday, June thirteenth, she drove back home to Walnut Creek again in one single drive. She spent some time there with her son and her roommate. On June fourteenth, she left Walnut Creek to go back to that same campground. She did not appear to be in distress, though before she left she did delete her Facebook page. She was active on Instagram until the next day, June fifteenth. She told people while she was home that these people she met, James and Christian, were watching her stuff. On June fourteenth, when she got back to the Jumbo Rocks campground, apparently, James and Christian were no longer. There, she called her mother, Ruth, and according to the Sentinel, her mom said that Erica was talking really fast. She said she could tell by the background noises that Erica was driving her car. After that, Erica's family never heard from her again. Park rangers found the car and saw that there was damage to the rear window, windshield, and dashboard. Then, on Tuesday, June sixteenth, twenty twenty, surveillance video showed Erica's car leaving the north entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. Then later the car was seen on surveillance video at two fifty pm in the town of twenty nine Palms.

At four pm, a.

At four pm, a.

California Highway patrolman spotted a car parked on Shelton Road, just north of the intersection with Highway sixty two near twenty nine Palms.

California Highway patrolman spotted a car parked on Shelton Road, just north of the intersection with Highway sixty two near twenty nine Palms.

The car was blocking.

The car was blocking.

The roadway, so the Highway patrol called in nearby auto repair company to come and tow the car. News Channel three talked to the owner of that towing company. They said the windows of the car were busted out, the radio was shattered, and the air bag had deployed. And this is where the story takes a really tragic turn because This turned out to be Erica's two thousand and six black Hondo cord Ell. Lloyd's family reported her missing on June seventeenth. This was the day after a car had been towed off Shelton Road, the car that turned out to be Erica's, and even after she was reported missing, at first, no one connected the abandoned car with her. Since the California Highway Patrol didn't know that there was someone who had been.

The roadway, so the Highway patrol called in nearby auto repair company to come and tow the car. News Channel three talked to the owner of that towing company. They said the windows of the car were busted out, the radio was shattered, and the air bag had deployed. And this is where the story takes a really tragic turn because This turned out to be Erica's two thousand and six black Hondo cord Ell. Lloyd's family reported her missing on June seventeenth. This was the day after a car had been towed off Shelton Road, the car that turned out to be Erica's, and even after she was reported missing, at first, no one connected the abandoned car with her. Since the California Highway Patrol didn't know that there was someone who had been.

In the car, they just towed the vehicle.

In the car, they just towed the vehicle.

They mailed the toe slip to Erica's apartment, which obviously she never received. Eventually, the Walnut Creek Police Department notified the Highway Patrol that Erica was missing, and they started to look for her. Erica's family flew out on the nineteenth. They started putting up flyers. They kept trying to call her cell phone. On June twentieth, finally someone answered, but it wasn't Erica.

They mailed the toe slip to Erica's apartment, which obviously she never received. Eventually, the Walnut Creek Police Department notified the Highway Patrol that Erica was missing, and they started to look for her. Erica's family flew out on the nineteenth. They started putting up flyers. They kept trying to call her cell phone. On June twentieth, finally someone answered, but it wasn't Erica.

It was a man.

It was a man.

Erica Lloyd's family was calling her cell phone in a desperate attempt to find her, and on June twentieth, someone picked up the phone, but it wasn't Erica.

Erica Lloyd's family was calling her cell phone in a desperate attempt to find her, and on June twentieth, someone picked up the phone, but it wasn't Erica.

It was a strange man.

It was a strange man.

He told Erica's family that he had found her cell phone on June eighteenth on Cottonwood Drive in twenty nine Palms, so they were wondering how did she get separated from her car and her phone. Some people suggested that Eric had been kidnapped or killed by a serial killer, but the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said no foul play was involved. Investigators pieced together a theory that Erica had crashed her car and left her vehicle, then she became disoriented in the desert heat. They believed this because there was also significant damage to the bottom.

He told Erica's family that he had found her cell phone on June eighteenth on Cottonwood Drive in twenty nine Palms, so they were wondering how did she get separated from her car and her phone. Some people suggested that Eric had been kidnapped or killed by a serial killer, but the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said no foul play was involved. Investigators pieced together a theory that Erica had crashed her car and left her vehicle, then she became disoriented in the desert heat. They believed this because there was also significant damage to the bottom.

Of her car. Underneath it, it looked like she had.

Of her car. Underneath it, it looked like she had.

Crashed into one of those berms out on the side of the road, the areas that kind of slope up on the side of the highway one of the natural barriers. Investigators thought that after she crashed, Erica might have seen the Marine Corps base in the distance and mistook it for the town of twenty nine Palms. This may have caused her to walk off of Highway sixty two to try and cut through there. This could have been a fatal mistake because that would have led her through miles of desert in sweltering heat and what no one knew at the time was that the spot where police found her car on Highway sixty two and Shelton was not the original crash site. Because shortly after Erica abandoned her car, two people, David Krow and Tila Campbell, saw it on the side of the road. They hooked it up to a big truck they had, and they started towing the car and driving south, But they only made it about two miles from where it crashed before the car overheated, so they detached Erica's vehicle and bailed. This means that when the search effort began for Erica, it started at the wrong spot. The police focused on the area around where the car had been dropped off by David and Tila, not the spot where Erica had actually crashed her car and started wandering around in a daze. There is no indication that David and Tela knew the car had been abandoned by someone who was in trouble, but they didn't call the authorities.

Crashed into one of those berms out on the side of the road, the areas that kind of slope up on the side of the highway one of the natural barriers. Investigators thought that after she crashed, Erica might have seen the Marine Corps base in the distance and mistook it for the town of twenty nine Palms. This may have caused her to walk off of Highway sixty two to try and cut through there. This could have been a fatal mistake because that would have led her through miles of desert in sweltering heat and what no one knew at the time was that the spot where police found her car on Highway sixty two and Shelton was not the original crash site. Because shortly after Erica abandoned her car, two people, David Krow and Tila Campbell, saw it on the side of the road. They hooked it up to a big truck they had, and they started towing the car and driving south, But they only made it about two miles from where it crashed before the car overheated, so they detached Erica's vehicle and bailed. This means that when the search effort began for Erica, it started at the wrong spot. The police focused on the area around where the car had been dropped off by David and Tila, not the spot where Erica had actually crashed her car and started wandering around in a daze. There is no indication that David and Tela knew the car had been abandoned by someone who was in trouble, but they didn't call the authorities.

We don't know.

We don't know.

If they saw the reports of Erica missing on the news, but if they had called, there's a possibility they could have saved her life.

If they saw the reports of Erica missing on the news, but if they had called, there's a possibility they could have saved her life.

Tragically.

Tragically.

Searchers might have been able to find Erica if they had just searched closer to where she actually left the car, but we will never know that for sure. We reached out to Erica's mother, Ruth Lloyd. She responded in an email. She said that she had been wary of some podcasts in the past that were, in her opinion, erroneously trying to make connections between Erica's case and a serial killer, or implying Erica and James Escalante's cases were connected.

Searchers might have been able to find Erica if they had just searched closer to where she actually left the car, but we will never know that for sure. We reached out to Erica's mother, Ruth Lloyd. She responded in an email. She said that she had been wary of some podcasts in the past that were, in her opinion, erroneously trying to make connections between Erica's case and a serial killer, or implying Erica and James Escalante's cases were connected.

Ruth wants to make it clear.

Ruth wants to make it clear.

She believes Erica crashed her car and succumbed to the elements, and that law enforcement did a good job. Her email reads quote, because especially in the first several years, we found that there were some crime podcasters and sluice that were looking to find entertainment and exploiting the tragedies of the victims and or their families. So we felt that you had better understand Erica's sudden mental health break. And it is sadly what caused Erica to be where she ended up in the desert that day, where her car crashed and got stuck on a sandburm in Wonder Valley, which getting stuck is not uncommon in the desert end quote. Ruth talked about going out to Wonder Valley and discovering the challenges of being in that part of the desert, which she described as a mix of homestead junkyards with the occasional Airbnb renovated with the hot tub. She wrote, quote, from everything we know, we don't believe Erica had any intention of being out where she was, and this was definitely an area she was not familiar with. Even for us being from Maryland, going out in the desert at that time of the year was like going to Mars end quote. Ruth talked about how going to the area in the intense heat, with the smoke and the ash from the California wildfires, how beautiful it was, but how it was ninety eight degrees even at night, it can be an unforgiving place. She said that the family got a lot of calls and texts from people who thought they saw Erica.

She believes Erica crashed her car and succumbed to the elements, and that law enforcement did a good job. Her email reads quote, because especially in the first several years, we found that there were some crime podcasters and sluice that were looking to find entertainment and exploiting the tragedies of the victims and or their families. So we felt that you had better understand Erica's sudden mental health break. And it is sadly what caused Erica to be where she ended up in the desert that day, where her car crashed and got stuck on a sandburm in Wonder Valley, which getting stuck is not uncommon in the desert end quote. Ruth talked about going out to Wonder Valley and discovering the challenges of being in that part of the desert, which she described as a mix of homestead junkyards with the occasional Airbnb renovated with the hot tub. She wrote, quote, from everything we know, we don't believe Erica had any intention of being out where she was, and this was definitely an area she was not familiar with. Even for us being from Maryland, going out in the desert at that time of the year was like going to Mars end quote. Ruth talked about how going to the area in the intense heat, with the smoke and the ash from the California wildfires, how beautiful it was, but how it was ninety eight degrees even at night, it can be an unforgiving place. She said that the family got a lot of calls and texts from people who thought they saw Erica.

She talked about how.

She talked about how.

They found five homeless women, all of whom looked a lot like Erica, and how many people are wandering lost in one way or another out there.

They found five homeless women, all of whom looked a lot like Erica, and how many people are wandering lost in one way or another out there.

She wrote, quote, we.

She wrote, quote, we.

Found many of these women and men live wherever they can find a place to stay, crawl into, or get under. So it makes you wonder when they are alone and die in the desert, who's looking for them? End quote. Ruth said that their family had a search team out on June twenty fifth. This was the day that James Escalante headed out to the desert to help de get her truck unstuck. The team stopped at noon that day when it got too hot. James was at the corner of Shelton in Highway sixty two when he made the call and then headed up Shelton Road. He would have had to carry his bike because of the loose sand. The bike was later found with some drug paraphernalia on the side of the road. It was found by the caving and mining expert who worked with Erica's family. But what happened to James after that? Did he stash the bike there or did someone else dump it out there. Erica's body was discovered by hikers near Danby Road and Amboy Road in Wonder Valley on January thirty first, twenty twenty one. In June of twenty twenty one, Tila Campbell and David Crowe were arrested. They were charged with stealing Erica's car. They admitted that they had seen the car out there in the sandburn got it off there, hauled it off and drove it until it overheated, then abandoned the vehicle. David Crowe was sentenced after a plea deal, but Tila Campbell's case is still going through the courts. According to Erica's mom, Tila's next hearing date is set for January twenty twenty five. Erica's family did travel to Joshua Tree to give a family impact statement in front of Tila and David.

Found many of these women and men live wherever they can find a place to stay, crawl into, or get under. So it makes you wonder when they are alone and die in the desert, who's looking for them? End quote. Ruth said that their family had a search team out on June twenty fifth. This was the day that James Escalante headed out to the desert to help de get her truck unstuck. The team stopped at noon that day when it got too hot. James was at the corner of Shelton in Highway sixty two when he made the call and then headed up Shelton Road. He would have had to carry his bike because of the loose sand. The bike was later found with some drug paraphernalia on the side of the road. It was found by the caving and mining expert who worked with Erica's family. But what happened to James after that? Did he stash the bike there or did someone else dump it out there. Erica's body was discovered by hikers near Danby Road and Amboy Road in Wonder Valley on January thirty first, twenty twenty one. In June of twenty twenty one, Tila Campbell and David Crowe were arrested. They were charged with stealing Erica's car. They admitted that they had seen the car out there in the sandburn got it off there, hauled it off and drove it until it overheated, then abandoned the vehicle. David Crowe was sentenced after a plea deal, but Tila Campbell's case is still going through the courts. According to Erica's mom, Tila's next hearing date is set for January twenty twenty five. Erica's family did travel to Joshua Tree to give a family impact statement in front of Tila and David.

Wrote quote.

Wrote quote.

At the hearing, they both appeared to understand the consequence of what their actions caused Erica that day end quote. Ruth said that the defendants appeared to be sorry and remorseful in court, and that the family felt a certain amount of peace and closure in being able to address both of them and let them know how they had devastated their family. Ruth said that they met the homicide detectives that handled Erica's case and James's case. She said detectives said they found no indication that the cases were connected. Erica's cause and manner of death has never been revealed, but Heather Escalante said she wonders about that and if it's possible that the James in the desert that Erica wrote about in a journal could be her father in law, James Escalante.

At the hearing, they both appeared to understand the consequence of what their actions caused Erica that day end quote. Ruth said that the defendants appeared to be sorry and remorseful in court, and that the family felt a certain amount of peace and closure in being able to address both of them and let them know how they had devastated their family. Ruth said that they met the homicide detectives that handled Erica's case and James's case. She said detectives said they found no indication that the cases were connected. Erica's cause and manner of death has never been revealed, but Heather Escalante said she wonders about that and if it's possible that the James in the desert that Erica wrote about in a journal could be her father in law, James Escalante.

I still think Eric Alloyd's what the narrative that has been put out. I'm gonna be honest with you. Please excuse my langage, but I think it's bullshit. Honestly, Yeah, I still think their cases are connected. There was a James and Christian holding her can fight for her. I get James as a common name, but that's a little wild. I also think I know who Christian is.

I still think Eric Alloyd's what the narrative that has been put out. I'm gonna be honest with you. Please excuse my langage, but I think it's bullshit. Honestly, Yeah, I still think their cases are connected. There was a James and Christian holding her can fight for her. I get James as a common name, but that's a little wild. I also think I know who Christian is.

And then Heather found even more inconsistencies in Sherry's story, inconsistencies that might connect him with eric A.

And then Heather found even more inconsistencies in Sherry's story, inconsistencies that might connect him with eric A.

Lloyd.

Lloyd.

Heather eventually got access to James's call logs from his cell phone. When she went through them, she found that Sherry's timeline of James's location in the past month did not align with what she found in their text messages.

Heather eventually got access to James's call logs from his cell phone. When she went through them, she found that Sherry's timeline of James's location in the past month did not align with what she found in their text messages.

One of the things I found interesting was that Sherry had claimed that my James couldn't be the James that was with eric A. Lloyd that month because she was with him the whole month, or he was with her the whole month, but if you read through their text messaging lags, there's nothing like almost all their text messaging back and forth that month was like her saying are you ever coming home?

One of the things I found interesting was that Sherry had claimed that my James couldn't be the James that was with eric A. Lloyd that month because she was with him the whole month, or he was with her the whole month, but if you read through their text messaging lags, there's nothing like almost all their text messaging back and forth that month was like her saying are you ever coming home?

So he wasn't with her.

So he wasn't with her.

Heather said that Cherry actually mentioned eric A Lloyd in kind of a cryptic way, and Heather revealed something else. She said that Sherry is actually friends with the two people Tela and David, who had been charged with stealing Erica's car. The place where they dumped the car was also the exact same intersection where apparently they were hanging out and where James went missing days later. There are other unanswered questions from Erica's case, like who are Christian and James? Are those their real names? Then there's Erica's campsite. When the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department searched the Jumbo Rocks campground where Erica was that day, they did find her gear, but they found something else, an expensive, yeti cooler that Erica's family said they didn't recognize. Could someone else have been out there with her? Could it have been James Escalante? It may seem far fetched, but no one has ever found Christian or James. Signs may point to her car crash being an accident, but I wonder how do we know for sure that she was alone in that car or what caused her to crash. Erica's car ended up getting abandoned at Highway sixty two and Shelton Road. As we know, this is exactly the same area where James Escalante was headed nine days later on June twenty fifth, twenty twenty. It's where he stopped at that intersection and used his cell phone to call Sherry, telling her that he couldn't find d or her car. Now, the story that Heather and detectives were told was that Sherry made a three way call with James and D that D told him to honk his horn. He seemed to hear the horn and said I got it and hung up, but he never got to D. Eventually, she was rescued by two other friends. No one ever heard from James again. After James was found, searchers went back out to the area. We have filed multiple freedom of information requests with San Bernardino County. They first told us we would have a response by January ninth, The most recent date they have given us is January twenty first, so I will keep you updated.

Heather said that Cherry actually mentioned eric A Lloyd in kind of a cryptic way, and Heather revealed something else. She said that Sherry is actually friends with the two people Tela and David, who had been charged with stealing Erica's car. The place where they dumped the car was also the exact same intersection where apparently they were hanging out and where James went missing days later. There are other unanswered questions from Erica's case, like who are Christian and James? Are those their real names? Then there's Erica's campsite. When the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department searched the Jumbo Rocks campground where Erica was that day, they did find her gear, but they found something else, an expensive, yeti cooler that Erica's family said they didn't recognize. Could someone else have been out there with her? Could it have been James Escalante? It may seem far fetched, but no one has ever found Christian or James. Signs may point to her car crash being an accident, but I wonder how do we know for sure that she was alone in that car or what caused her to crash. Erica's car ended up getting abandoned at Highway sixty two and Shelton Road. As we know, this is exactly the same area where James Escalante was headed nine days later on June twenty fifth, twenty twenty. It's where he stopped at that intersection and used his cell phone to call Sherry, telling her that he couldn't find d or her car. Now, the story that Heather and detectives were told was that Sherry made a three way call with James and D that D told him to honk his horn. He seemed to hear the horn and said I got it and hung up, but he never got to D. Eventually, she was rescued by two other friends. No one ever heard from James again. After James was found, searchers went back out to the area. We have filed multiple freedom of information requests with San Bernardino County. They first told us we would have a response by January ninth, The most recent date they have given us is January twenty first, so I will keep you updated.

Commenters on Reddit who live.

Commenters on Reddit who live.

In the area talk about how the mob used to dump bodies out there in the desert and how people who use and deal methamphetamine are also around. The commoner on Reddit, who says they live nearby, kind of nailed the sometimes strange mix of people who populate the area when they wrote quote, I've heard the local meth heads make some comments about how easy it is to throw a body in a dryer, put the dryer in a wash, etc. However, it's become very popular among tourists, especially lately, and the sheer number of people is a newer development. Many of these tourists being folk who already live in southern California. I think that gives them a false sense of security. They think they know what the heat is like. They don't realize how vast the park really is, and the landmarks, while gorgeous, can easily all look the same end quote, and sometimes we discover the desert has become a dumping ground for killers hoping to cover their tracks. The desert where Erica Lloyd and James Escalante went missing is a spot where killers have been known to dump bodies. On June seventeenth, twenty fourteen, nineteen year old Aaron Corwin disappeared. Aaron was pregnant and she was married to a Marine who was stationed at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in twenty nine Palms. The case made national news and everyone was looking for Erica, and after two months, her body was found hidden in an abandoned mine shaft near Joshua Tree. I want to note here that the person who led the search that found Erin was not the police. It was Doug Billings, the same cave and mining expert who found James Escalante's bike. It turned out that Aaron was actually having an affair with another marine, twenty seven year old Christopher Lee. Christopher was also married to someone else. He and Aaron were neighbors. Christopher was obsessively jealous and controlling of Erin. He later confess that after meeting her on the night she disappeared, he strangled her and through her body head first down the one hundred and forty foot mine shaft. He first lied to investigators about the affair, but after Aaron's body was found along with some mountaineering rope and a propane tank that were similar to ones Christopher owned. Evidence kept piling up, and he confessed to strangling her in a jealous rage and hiding her body in the mind. He said that he was depressed because he was not being redeployed.

In the area talk about how the mob used to dump bodies out there in the desert and how people who use and deal methamphetamine are also around. The commoner on Reddit, who says they live nearby, kind of nailed the sometimes strange mix of people who populate the area when they wrote quote, I've heard the local meth heads make some comments about how easy it is to throw a body in a dryer, put the dryer in a wash, etc. However, it's become very popular among tourists, especially lately, and the sheer number of people is a newer development. Many of these tourists being folk who already live in southern California. I think that gives them a false sense of security. They think they know what the heat is like. They don't realize how vast the park really is, and the landmarks, while gorgeous, can easily all look the same end quote, and sometimes we discover the desert has become a dumping ground for killers hoping to cover their tracks. The desert where Erica Lloyd and James Escalante went missing is a spot where killers have been known to dump bodies. On June seventeenth, twenty fourteen, nineteen year old Aaron Corwin disappeared. Aaron was pregnant and she was married to a Marine who was stationed at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in twenty nine Palms. The case made national news and everyone was looking for Erica, and after two months, her body was found hidden in an abandoned mine shaft near Joshua Tree. I want to note here that the person who led the search that found Erin was not the police. It was Doug Billings, the same cave and mining expert who found James Escalante's bike. It turned out that Aaron was actually having an affair with another marine, twenty seven year old Christopher Lee. Christopher was also married to someone else. He and Aaron were neighbors. Christopher was obsessively jealous and controlling of Erin. He later confess that after meeting her on the night she disappeared, he strangled her and through her body head first down the one hundred and forty foot mine shaft. He first lied to investigators about the affair, but after Aaron's body was found along with some mountaineering rope and a propane tank that were similar to ones Christopher owned. Evidence kept piling up, and he confessed to strangling her in a jealous rage and hiding her body in the mind. He said that he was depressed because he was not being redeployed.

He was due to head back to his home state of Alaska.

He was due to head back to his home state of Alaska.

He also stated he believed that he might be the father of Aaron's unborn baby. He said in court that he was angry with Aeron because he believed that she had molested his other daughter, which, by the way, is the first time he ever said that.

He also stated he believed that he might be the father of Aaron's unborn baby. He said in court that he was angry with Aeron because he believed that she had molested his other daughter, which, by the way, is the first time he ever said that.

Investigators say this.

Investigators say this.

Is obviously a lie, something he made up to try to get sympathy from the jury, but it was a justification that the jury did not buy. In twenty eighteen, he was convicted of Aaron's murder. But I wonder if air Ar wasn't living on a military base, if she was someone who had a more nomadish life, and if the whole community hadn't rallied around a look, would they have ever found her. Erica Lloyd was totally unfamiliar with the location where she was found, but James Escalante was not. He had lived there for decades. He knew the desert like the back of his hand. Would it really be possible for him to get that disoriented? I look for similar cases and that led me to the disappearance of another person who went missing while on a short hike. Paul Miller was a fifty one year old man from Canada. On July thirteenth, twenty eighteen, he was on a bucket list road trip to the area with his wife, Stephanie Miller. They were staying at a hotel in twenty nine Palms. They had already been in Joshua Tree for several days. They were having a great time. They were hiking, They were checking out scenery. They were due to check out that day at eleven am and fly back to their home in Ontario. Since I know we're all true crime listeners here, I should say front they had a very happy marriage. They had grown children. They had been married for over twenty five years. There is no indication there was any trouble in their marriage. They went to several destinations, including the Grand Canyon, and were ending their trip at Joshua Tree before flying home. Stephanie told reporters as they were packing up, kind of on a whim, Paul said he was going out for one more quick hike to the forty nine Palms Oasis.

Is obviously a lie, something he made up to try to get sympathy from the jury, but it was a justification that the jury did not buy. In twenty eighteen, he was convicted of Aaron's murder. But I wonder if air Ar wasn't living on a military base, if she was someone who had a more nomadish life, and if the whole community hadn't rallied around a look, would they have ever found her. Erica Lloyd was totally unfamiliar with the location where she was found, but James Escalante was not. He had lived there for decades. He knew the desert like the back of his hand. Would it really be possible for him to get that disoriented? I look for similar cases and that led me to the disappearance of another person who went missing while on a short hike. Paul Miller was a fifty one year old man from Canada. On July thirteenth, twenty eighteen, he was on a bucket list road trip to the area with his wife, Stephanie Miller. They were staying at a hotel in twenty nine Palms. They had already been in Joshua Tree for several days. They were having a great time. They were hiking, They were checking out scenery. They were due to check out that day at eleven am and fly back to their home in Ontario. Since I know we're all true crime listeners here, I should say front they had a very happy marriage. They had grown children. They had been married for over twenty five years. There is no indication there was any trouble in their marriage. They went to several destinations, including the Grand Canyon, and were ending their trip at Joshua Tree before flying home. Stephanie told reporters as they were packing up, kind of on a whim, Paul said he was going out for one more quick hike to the forty nine Palms Oasis.

According to a blog.

According to a blog.

Post later made by Paul's mom, at around nine am he went out. He left his cell phone behind, which was not out of character for him. Maybe he was also thinking about the fact that a lot of areas around Joshua Tree have zero reception For an experienced hiker like Paul. This trail would have been a fairly easy hike. It had a rank of moderate, it had a three hundred foot elevation game, It's a mile and a half in and a mile and a half out. He should have been back within an hour. It was a trail that he had actually been planning to hike together with his wife, but apparently it was raining on the day they planned to try it, so he just wanted to do one more thing before they left. At first, his wife thought maybe he was taking pictures or got caught up, but when he wasn't back by checkout time, she immediately contacted the authorities and they immediately started looking for him. Paul Miller was just gone. His family tried everything they could think of to look for him. They had drones go up via a nonprofit called Western States aerial search. They looked through thousands of images. Finally, on December twenty third, twenty nineteen, they found his body crouched behind a large boulder.

Post later made by Paul's mom, at around nine am he went out. He left his cell phone behind, which was not out of character for him. Maybe he was also thinking about the fact that a lot of areas around Joshua Tree have zero reception For an experienced hiker like Paul. This trail would have been a fairly easy hike. It had a rank of moderate, it had a three hundred foot elevation game, It's a mile and a half in and a mile and a half out. He should have been back within an hour. It was a trail that he had actually been planning to hike together with his wife, but apparently it was raining on the day they planned to try it, so he just wanted to do one more thing before they left. At first, his wife thought maybe he was taking pictures or got caught up, but when he wasn't back by checkout time, she immediately contacted the authorities and they immediately started looking for him. Paul Miller was just gone. His family tried everything they could think of to look for him. They had drones go up via a nonprofit called Western States aerial search. They looked through thousands of images. Finally, on December twenty third, twenty nineteen, they found his body crouched behind a large boulder.

He still had water and food with him. They believed that he.

He still had water and food with him. They believed that he.

Was hiking and headed back when, possibly due to the heat, he suffered some kind of physical collapse, maybe a heart attack or heat stroke. He probably just wanted to get to the shade, so he found the boulder and sat down there. Unfortunately, he never got up. They also think that after he at the forty nine Palms Oasis and was coming back, he might have seen something either a wash or an animal trail, something that looked like part of the regular trail. He might have gotten confused and wandered a little bit off course. They don't know if he had some kind of heart condition or felt sick, or why he headed to that shaded area.

Was hiking and headed back when, possibly due to the heat, he suffered some kind of physical collapse, maybe a heart attack or heat stroke. He probably just wanted to get to the shade, so he found the boulder and sat down there. Unfortunately, he never got up. They also think that after he at the forty nine Palms Oasis and was coming back, he might have seen something either a wash or an animal trail, something that looked like part of the regular trail. He might have gotten confused and wandered a little bit off course. They don't know if he had some kind of heart condition or felt sick, or why he headed to that shaded area.

He might have even had hyperthermia.

He might have even had hyperthermia.

This can cause dizziness, weakness, nausea, and can incapacitate someone very quickly, especially if there's something else going on physically. Even a seasoned hiker on a short, easy route can be at risk of death.

This can cause dizziness, weakness, nausea, and can incapacitate someone very quickly, especially if there's something else going on physically. Even a seasoned hiker on a short, easy route can be at risk of death.

If they get turned around.

If they get turned around.

I want to just take a second here for anyone who's a hiker or even headed out to an area with no cell reception, please let someone know where you're going. Remember there is no cell surface in a lot of these places. Officials recommend that you carry a minimum of one gallon of water per person per day. They recommend hikers carry two gallons per person per day. They recommend avoiding strenuous activity when there's extreme heat, wearing sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat, and one of the most important, in my opinion, consider hiking with another person. They also warned that quote dramatic weather changes can occur with little to no warning end quote. Joshua Tree National Park is huge, over three hundred miles. Weather can turn on a dime. Whatever happened to Paul Miller probably happened very quickly. We may never know exactly what happened, but it wasn't foul play. It does go to show even with a lot of help and searchers, even when they knew the exact area he would be in, finding people in that desert can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Stephanie Miller said after Paul's remains were found, she realized they'd been searching very close to where he was, within twenty one yards close enough so if he had been conscious, she believes he would have heard them screaming his name. I want to add when the family was trying to do everything they could to get searchers out there, they contacted the company I mentioned that had drones. Now, apparently there are rules about where drones can fly to national parks. Stephanie Miller has said she wants to make it easier for families to be able to get drones in to national parks to search for their missing loved ones. She hopes that Paul's death will help to make changes on that front, which I think is a very good cause. Then there was Patrick Wells, a thirty eight year old man who left his home in twenty nine Palms on June fifth, twenty twenty one. He was headed to see his dad, who lived in Riverside, California, but he never got there.

I want to just take a second here for anyone who's a hiker or even headed out to an area with no cell reception, please let someone know where you're going. Remember there is no cell surface in a lot of these places. Officials recommend that you carry a minimum of one gallon of water per person per day. They recommend hikers carry two gallons per person per day. They recommend avoiding strenuous activity when there's extreme heat, wearing sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat, and one of the most important, in my opinion, consider hiking with another person. They also warned that quote dramatic weather changes can occur with little to no warning end quote. Joshua Tree National Park is huge, over three hundred miles. Weather can turn on a dime. Whatever happened to Paul Miller probably happened very quickly. We may never know exactly what happened, but it wasn't foul play. It does go to show even with a lot of help and searchers, even when they knew the exact area he would be in, finding people in that desert can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Stephanie Miller said after Paul's remains were found, she realized they'd been searching very close to where he was, within twenty one yards close enough so if he had been conscious, she believes he would have heard them screaming his name. I want to add when the family was trying to do everything they could to get searchers out there, they contacted the company I mentioned that had drones. Now, apparently there are rules about where drones can fly to national parks. Stephanie Miller has said she wants to make it easier for families to be able to get drones in to national parks to search for their missing loved ones. She hopes that Paul's death will help to make changes on that front, which I think is a very good cause. Then there was Patrick Wells, a thirty eight year old man who left his home in twenty nine Palms on June fifth, twenty twenty one. He was headed to see his dad, who lived in Riverside, California, but he never got there.

No one ever heard from him again.

No one ever heard from him again.

Then on June eighteenth, park rangers found his pickup truck in Ridlesnake Canyon at the Indian Cove Campground. Again, in Joshua Tree National Park, they found a human arm sticking out from under a large Boulder and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue cave unit came to the scene. The coroner later issued a press release confirming the body was Patrick Wells. No cause of death was listed. They have stated that there was no reason to suspect foul play in that case either, just another mysterious death in San Bernardino County. In the summer of twenty twenty, Heather Escalante and her husband, John, James's son, flew out to Wonder Valley, California, from their home in South Carolina and started their own investigation. They met up with Kyle Gibson, the hunter who found James's body, and he took them out to the exact location where he had found james skeleton.

Then on June eighteenth, park rangers found his pickup truck in Ridlesnake Canyon at the Indian Cove Campground. Again, in Joshua Tree National Park, they found a human arm sticking out from under a large Boulder and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue cave unit came to the scene. The coroner later issued a press release confirming the body was Patrick Wells. No cause of death was listed. They have stated that there was no reason to suspect foul play in that case either, just another mysterious death in San Bernardino County. In the summer of twenty twenty, Heather Escalante and her husband, John, James's son, flew out to Wonder Valley, California, from their home in South Carolina and started their own investigation. They met up with Kyle Gibson, the hunter who found James's body, and he took them out to the exact location where he had found james skeleton.

Heather said that.

Heather said that.

When she mentioned some of the inconsistencies in Sherry's story to detectives, she asked that James's case be transferred to homicide. She said detectives were resistant to do that, and she said while she accepts that James may have died of natural causes or overdosed, or something else that did not involve foul play, she just wants to believe that detectives investigated the case thoroughly before coming to that conclusion. Everyone, even people who weren't their quotes perfect victims, deserve justice.

When she mentioned some of the inconsistencies in Sherry's story to detectives, she asked that James's case be transferred to homicide. She said detectives were resistant to do that, and she said while she accepts that James may have died of natural causes or overdosed, or something else that did not involve foul play, she just wants to believe that detectives investigated the case thoroughly before coming to that conclusion. Everyone, even people who weren't their quotes perfect victims, deserve justice.

When I raised such a think about James's case being transferred over to homicide, had got a very strange phone call because I would say it, I would email it, and then nobody would respond, so I'd email again and put somebody higher up on the email chain rankfully. Detective Halloway called me, and I'd taught them so much at this point, like I kind of felt like I knew him. I immediately knew something was off by his tone and he said, you know, hey, Heather, Detective Halloway. I was like hey, and he's like, so we got your emails and I'm like yeah, and he said, well, my superior, my superior, my boss was on the email and he after reading your email, he personally went through James's file. At this point tells me, oh, I'm sorry. He started off by telling you that I was on speaker phone and he was not alone. Yeah, somebody sitting there who never spoke the whole time we were talking, and he had me on speaker that said okay. He tells me that his boss looked at the file and not only did he get basically his wrists flapped for how much information he actually gave me about James's case throughout the whole thing, but he also got in trouble for spending too much time investigating it. He tells me that at that point, his boss is staying that unless they get a viable lead, not some tweaker taale with his exact words, that they can follow up on, that basically they're done investigating his cakes. And I said, so, let me get this straight. Everybody involved don drugs, but you don't want to hear what they have to say. But they're the only ones who don't know anythings. They were the ones that falls right right, And he just sat there. He wouldn't even answer me. Then I found this one even weirder because at the end of the conversation they're basically telling me there's nothing they're going to do. That was what that was the just for the conversation, that is, drop it. And I was like, yeah, y'all will know me that. Well, apparently I'm not dropping it. Yeah, so looks like that might work on other people. You got the wrong ones today.

When I raised such a think about James's case being transferred over to homicide, had got a very strange phone call because I would say it, I would email it, and then nobody would respond, so I'd email again and put somebody higher up on the email chain rankfully. Detective Halloway called me, and I'd taught them so much at this point, like I kind of felt like I knew him. I immediately knew something was off by his tone and he said, you know, hey, Heather, Detective Halloway. I was like hey, and he's like, so we got your emails and I'm like yeah, and he said, well, my superior, my superior, my boss was on the email and he after reading your email, he personally went through James's file. At this point tells me, oh, I'm sorry. He started off by telling you that I was on speaker phone and he was not alone. Yeah, somebody sitting there who never spoke the whole time we were talking, and he had me on speaker that said okay. He tells me that his boss looked at the file and not only did he get basically his wrists flapped for how much information he actually gave me about James's case throughout the whole thing, but he also got in trouble for spending too much time investigating it. He tells me that at that point, his boss is staying that unless they get a viable lead, not some tweaker taale with his exact words, that they can follow up on, that basically they're done investigating his cakes. And I said, so, let me get this straight. Everybody involved don drugs, but you don't want to hear what they have to say. But they're the only ones who don't know anythings. They were the ones that falls right right, And he just sat there. He wouldn't even answer me. Then I found this one even weirder because at the end of the conversation they're basically telling me there's nothing they're going to do. That was what that was the just for the conversation, that is, drop it. And I was like, yeah, y'all will know me that. Well, apparently I'm not dropping it. Yeah, so looks like that might work on other people. You got the wrong ones today.

Heather claims there are a lot of people out in the desert who the police have not talked to. So in next week's episode, we are going to focus our search in Wonder Valley, California and see if we can find some of these people and try to get answers about what actually happened to James Escalante on the day he disappeared. I'm Catherine Townsend. This is Helen Gone Murder Line. Helen Gone Murder Line is a production of School of Humans and iHeart Podcasts. It's written and narrated by me Catherine Townsend and produced by Gabby Watts. Special thanks to Amy Tubbs for her research assistance.

Heather claims there are a lot of people out in the desert who the police have not talked to. So in next week's episode, we are going to focus our search in Wonder Valley, California and see if we can find some of these people and try to get answers about what actually happened to James Escalante on the day he disappeared. I'm Catherine Townsend. This is Helen Gone Murder Line. Helen Gone Murder Line is a production of School of Humans and iHeart Podcasts. It's written and narrated by me Catherine Townsend and produced by Gabby Watts. Special thanks to Amy Tubbs for her research assistance.

This episode was sound design and mixed by Noah Kamer.

This episode was sound design and mixed by Noah Kamer.

Our theme song is by Ben Sale, Executive producers of Virginia Prescott, Brandon Barr, and LC Crowley. Listen to Helen Gone ad free subscribing to the iHeart True Crime Plus channel on Apple Podcasts. If you were interested in seeing documents and materials from the case, you can follow the show on Instagram at Helen gonepod. If you have a case you'd like me and my team to look into, you can reach out to us at our Helen Gone Murder line at six seven eight seven four four six one four five. That's six seven eight seven four four six one four five.

Our theme song is by Ben Sale, Executive producers of Virginia Prescott, Brandon Barr, and LC Crowley. Listen to Helen Gone ad free subscribing to the iHeart True Crime Plus channel on Apple Podcasts. If you were interested in seeing documents and materials from the case, you can follow the show on Instagram at Helen gonepod. If you have a case you'd like me and my team to look into, you can reach out to us at our Helen Gone Murder line at six seven eight seven four four six one four five. That's six seven eight seven four four six one four five.

School of Humans,

School of Humans,