Unless new details become available about the case, this is my last planned post on Christine Walters.
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Case Summary
On November 12, 2008, twenty-three-year-old Christine Lindsey Walters was transported to a nearby hospital after being found nude and confused on the doorstep of a rural home in Arcata, California.
Evidently, Christine would not disclose any details to police as to her previous whereabouts, but did contact her mother in Wisconsin stating that she had been involved in a "ceremony", and believed that someone was following her.
She was treated medically, allegedly tested negative for drugs, and released from the hospital.
Christine, with the help of her parents, rented a room at a local hotel. Once she was settled, her parents then began arranging for a flight back to her home in Wisconsin.
On November 14th, Christine retrieved some paperwork at a local copy center that her mother had faxed to her. Workers described her behavior as paranoid.
Christine left the copy center and has not been seen since.
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Last week, I made suggestions, based on the information available, regarding what aspects of the case would be worth additional study. Today, I'll speak on two theories used to explain Christine's disappearance.
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Two Indicators of a Voluntary Absence
1)
What the Police Must Know
From the media reports, investigators have hinted that Christine chose to disappear. To support this, authorities offer her:
--interest in finding the meaning of life;
--new friends, association in fringe groups, and participation in "ceremonies;"
--travels from Wisconsin to Oregon to California; and,
--decreasing lack of contact with family and friends.
To refute any of the crime theories related to Christine's case, authorities simply say that no evidence exists that indicates Ms. Walters fell victim to a crime.
In other words, one can believe that the investigative folder on the case contains lots of information on why Ms. Walters would have left her life situation voluntarily.
2)
The Tribe
Prior to disappearing, Christine was associating with persons who like to keep the specifics of their gatherings secret. It seems plausible that she could hide from the world in one of these groups, and not be noticed by anyone from the outside.
With that in mind, it is essential that as many people as possible who Christine associated with in California and Oregon be spoken to--as it could result in new leads.
What can be learned?
For instance, fourteen days after Christine's disappearance,
a woman posted a message on a bulletin board site of the "Ayahuasca Tribe" trying to find information about Ms. Walters' whereabouts (for more information on Ayahuasca,
go here). The woman provided her email address for direct responses.
The poster referred to Christine as a "star sister of our family," and included details of the case (name of the hotel, coffee shop involved, and that she had participated in a "gathering") that were likely obscure at the time--as widespread coverage of the disappearance came later.
The poster also added a
photo of Christine, but no replies were made to either post (the original poster did make one comment, and I am guessing that it was to clarify information that she had received from readers through some other means).
Did this woman learn anything about Christine's disappearance from the "tribe?"
If so, it could mean that Christine is safe.
Sites like Tribe.net are important in understanding Christine's activities prior to vanishing as she had
a profile there (under the name Airystar), and last updated her page about 16 days prior to disappearing.
Note: Ok, so I was curious and tried to contact the woman, but unfortunately I have not received a reply yet.
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Why Does the Voluntary Absence Not Quite Make Sense?
Her Mental State
I believe one of the most problematic issues with a "she walked away" theory is Christine's apparent mental condition prior to vanishing.
Several different witnesses (including her parents after speaking with her by phone) described Christine's behavior as paranoid. Paranoia is not what one would anticipate from someone who is making a life-changing decision to join an underground movement or fringe group.
In contrast, paranoid behavior is what I would expect to cause Christine, standing outside the copy shop, to accept a ride from someone she barely knew in order to avoid seeing persons that she feared were following her; hence, making a crime victim scenario a plausible alternative.
I did find it interesting on the Tribe.net board that a
current discussion topic involves a male "shaman" or spiritual advisor who allegedly solicited/coerced sex from female gathering participants involved in the ceremonies--while these women were under the influence of the schedule narcotic.
I am sure the accused shaman is not the only one using such an approach.
This sounds like the type of situation that would cause a young woman, believing that her life was in jeopardy, to run naked through the woods.*
Perhaps, Christine's paranoia was not based on fiction.
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*Note: Though news sources stated that Christine was tested for drugs by the hospital and none were found, I was curious if the hallucinogenic chemicals of an ayahuasca concoction would even show-up on a standard test.
Can any of the medical professionals shed some light on this issue? Thanks.
To view all posts in this series on Christine Walters Missing Person go here, and the photo was used from this site.
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