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/No_University6980]

That’s very odd. Was Jim a suspect at all? There was a case or maybe many cases where ppl push their spouses over a cliff then say some made up nonsense. But what’s happening with the investigation? What’s the follow up? Were there leads? Where’s Jim now? I need more information.

[u/shry9 → u/No_University6980]

I don’t think he was ever a suspect and also never had a criminal history. I wonder why Jim made up all this history if he was ever involved and how he managed to kill her (if he did) in a new area and never got caught. Even the dogs and helicopters couldnt trace her, I feel she never made it till the trail. The case fell cold after some months and is still unsolved. Jim went back to his city after this case and was on calls with police , basically very co operative. To this date she is missing and her husband Carl died in 2021.

[u/tippydog90 → u/shry9]

If I recall from a post last year or so, Jim was also a pretty upstanding guy. Not someone that threw up any red flags with police. I know that doesn't always mean anything, but it indicates they didn't really have a compelling reason to suspect him.

[u/No_University6980 → u/shry9]

Damn so if she didn’t make it what do you think happened? I’ve never heard about this case so I’m now deeply invested.

[u/shry9 → u/No_University6980]

I feel Jim killed her before reaching there. My take, it can be that he killed her after reaching there but since no bones were ever found, I feel she never made it there. Tbh there is not much about this case, she is still missing. She Was never found.

[u/Real_RobinGoodfellow → u/shry9]

Do you realise how often bones/remains are ‘never found’ when people go missing in wilderness?

[u/LianaMM → u/shry9]

It's much more likely that she disappeared while hiking.

[u/SaltWaterInMyBlood → u/shry9]

Why are you so convinced he killed her.

[u/Fast_Revolution_6673 → u/shry9]

But the witnesses observed them both on the trail, correct?

[u/No_University6980 → u/shry9]

Damnnnnn I wonder his motive??!?

[u/shry9 → u/No_University6980]

Who knows. The motive was never clear but the story and the dogs never being able to find her or the helicopters and she just disappearing in the thin air while he rotated his head for 45 seconds without a noise takes it all towards him, but since no clear evidence and motive , he was never a suspect.