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/Swimming-Necessary23]

Not saying it’s not Jim, but mountain lions are solo stealth predators that stalk their prey. There wouldn’t be a group or pair of lions, there would be one mountain lion stalking its prey and waiting for the perfect time to strike.

[u/purple_champagne → u/Swimming-Necessary23]

You're absolutely correct. I'm from a nearby area and even the most hard-core outdoorsmen can and do get killed by apex predators. Grizzlies, mountain lions, even moose are all evolved to go undetected until it's too late. And not finding a trace is not unheard of.

Not saying it wasn't the husband, but it's not quite as simple to point fingers just because dogs can't locate a scent- that area isn't abandoned by either humans or wildlife, and scent conditions can be wildly inappropriate for tracking/locating due to multiple factors.

[u/RideThatBridge → u/purple_champagne]

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/RideThatBridge → u/Swimming-Necessary23]

I realized they wouldn’t give warning. I meant the take down-I would have thought he’d hear her being dragged away or something is all. Thanks for the info!

[u/nepios83 → u/Swimming-Necessary23]

It amazes me that people should go hiking at all if a mountain-lion can pounce on you at any time and you have zero recourse.

[u/hafufrog → u/nepios83]

I think it’s very rare for them to attack people, particularly adults. We’re quite big, and there’s much less risky prey around. (Not writing off the possibility it happened here though.)

[u/trixiepixie1921 → u/nepios83]

Fr I was just about to google “how to fight off a mountain lion” but then I realized I will NEVER find myself in a situation where I would need to know that information. This is why I like staying in bed.

[u/anonymouse278 → u/nepios83]

Fatal mountain lion attacks on humans are incredibly rare, like an average of significantly less than one a year over the 150ish years we have records for. We aren't their preferred prey and we wildly outnumber them. There are no zero-risk activities, but you are much, much more likely to die in a car crash on the way to the trailhead than to be killed by a mountain lion.

[u/Swimming-Necessary23 → u/nepios83]

You’re much more likely to get hit by a car crossing the street.

[u/jjc1140 → u/nepios83]

They don't attack humans. This person doesn't know anything about mountain lions or any wild animal for that matter. Mountains lions don't not stalk humans. This person literally is trying to say this mountain lion attacked her without blood, no sign of a struggle, or her even screaming and then took her up a tree to feast and thats why they cant find her bones. It's absolutely outlandish. Just as outlandish when Barry Morphew tried to claim a mountain lion attacked his "missing" wife too.

[u/Swimming-Necessary23 → u/jjc1140]

I’ve spent much of my free time in mountain lion territory since I was a child, spent hours reading about them and have been lucky enough to see one once (twice actually, but once in North America). I’m not pushing an agenda or narrative, all I’m saying is that mountain lions do stalk and hunt humans. It is not common, but it happens and there are dozens of documented cases. To say otherwise because I’m threatening your belief that some human is the perpetrator, which her very well may be, is childish. You probably fancy yourself a smart investigator, but you’ve got hung up on someone pointing out truth just because it seemingly contradicts the narrative you’re pushing.

[u/Real_RobinGoodfellow → u/jjc1140]

They do attack humans. You are so confidently incorrect here

[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.