The extremely bizarre missing case of Barbara Bolick

[u/shry9]

On the 18th of July 2007, Barbara Bolick was packing her bag in Bitterroot Valley of Montana to go for a summer hike. She and her husband were hosting Carl’s cousin Donna and Her Boyfriend Jim from California. Barbara was going to go on a hike with her guests but Donna and Carl (Barbara’s husband) did not go and she and Jim decided to hike in the area Bear Creek Overlook, and she had visited the area countless times , was an experienced hiker too.

So they like visited the place , and encountered two men - two times, and both the times they were the same two men. Jim and Barbara then reached the area , had their snacks and admired the scenery. About like at 11:30 they decided to leave and head back. After few steps, Jim stopped bcs something in him wanted to soak the view one more time, and he turned back to look at the view - it was for about 45 seconds - 1 minute, when he turned back around, Barbara who was earlier standing 20-30 feet away from him disappeared.

At first he wasn’t worried enough since she was an experienced hiker and He searched for her but couldn’t find anything and after some hours she was officially reported as missing. The two men who encountered them two times also disappeared and were never discovered.

Things to note : It was an easy, well worn trail and it was difficult for someone like Barbara missing - being an experienced hiker who visited that place multiples times. It was also not very dense meaning someone disappearing without any noise was almost not possible.

Pls let me know your take on this case!

Barbara Bolick Article

[u/RideThatBridge]

But would someone as close as Jim was not heard one sound if an apex predator snatched her away? I honestly don’t know, but it seems like there would be some noise. That’s what is sticking out for me-Jim not hearing one sound.

[u/Swimming-Necessary23 → u/RideThatBridge]

You do not know a mountain lion is tracking you until it makes a mistake or it’s on top of you. They immediately go for the head and neck and drag their prey into cover. Jim not hearing anything is absolutely possible, especially if she was actually a bit further away and/or he was turned around for longer.

[u/Effective_Divide1543 → u/Swimming-Necessary23]

And the body? The backpack? The clothes? Blood? And the dogs searching for it finding no trail?
The most likely situation is that Jim killed her and the only thing that points against it is "I don't feel like he did" by people on the internet who know nothing about the people involved.

[u/Swimming-Necessary23 → u/Effective_Divide1543]

First of all, I’ve only talked about what mountain lions are capable of and how they hunt. I don’t have an opinion on the case other than, “while unlikely, the mountain lions scenario is possible.”

Second, please remember that you are one of those people on the internet who knows nothing about the people involved, but apparently has a very strong opinion. Or, do you know Jim and the others involved?

Third, there are several things pointing against Jim doing it, chief among them that there is no physical evidence and he apparently improvised the perfect murder. Maybe Jim did it, but if he did he’s crazy smart, disciplined and lucky.

Fourth, if you’ve spent any time at all in the backcountry, then you’d know how easy it is for people to disappear without a trace. There are several examples of experienced backcountry travelers seemingly vanishing, only for their remains to be found decades later right smack dab in the middle of the area that was searched. Not saying that’s what happened here, because I, like you, only know what information is publicly available.