The disappearance of Elizabeth Campbell - Page 6 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Huskerz85 · 09-14-2020, 10:34 AM

Every time I saw the segment, my initial reaction was yeah - she got kidnapped by a sick band of traffickers. Then I read CrystalDawn's blog post on the case (Link Here) and heard about the serial killer Robert Rhodes (AKA the "Truck Stop Killer").

Given where her purse was found and assuming the witness recollections from the segment were accurate (it was Elizabeth they saw and not another girl), then I'm inclined to believe that the traffickers eventually sold her to Rhodes, who then did all sorts of unmentionable things to her before leaving her body in some unknown location.

Clockwork · 01-04-2024, 09:12 PM

What is the thought people have with the two store clerks that claim they saw her? I find both of them likely legit. Both described her in the same manner. I guess you can say it is strange that the abductor would let her out in broad daylight like that but if she is that much under his thumb it probably doesn't matter. He could be making all sorts of threats to make sure she behaves. Everyone from Jaycee Dugaard to Elizabeth Smart were all threatened I am sure within an inch of their lives to behave in public or else.

My question is, at that time how many Asians were living in Texas? The reason being, you may not see an Asian couple for a while and then notice one and see them act strange and then assume it is Elizabeth. Because to be honest both clerks were very sure of themselves, and I tend to believe them.

I have to wonder too, the boyfriend Ricky, I know he is cleared, but is there some sort of guilt he has for fighting with her and having her storm off only to get abducted as she wanders off?

Or So It Seems · 01-08-2024, 02:33 PM

While I think the eyewitnesses meant well, I don't find them credible. I don't think many fans of the show do either. We know now that there is a common psychological effect called confirmation bias, where people want to help and their mind twists an unrelated sighting into the scenario.

The trafficking theory has also been discredited. There have been some articles and news stories about Elizabeth's case in the last few years and it's not being considered. I think the police view this as a stranger abduction.

I find it unfortunate how UM devoted so much time and energy to the trafficking scenario, when there was no evidence for it. It must have caused needless pain for her parents and I think it was based more on racist conceptions of Asian women, more than any factual basis.

Clockwork · 01-09-2024, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Or So It Seems

While I think the eyewitnesses meant well, I don't find them credible. I don't think many fans of the show do either. We know now that there is a common psychological effect called confirmation bias, where people want to help and their mind twists an unrelated sighting into the scenario.

The trafficking theory has also been discredited. There have been some articles and news stories about Elizabeth's case in the last few years and it's not being considered. I think the police view this as a stranger abduction.

I find it unfortunate how UM devoted so much time and energy to the trafficking scenario, when there was no evidence for it. It must have caused needless pain for her parents and I think it was based more on racist conceptions of Asian women, more than any factual basis.

I figure the two eye-witnesses who saw her with the Asian man and being sort of manhandled is what caused them to use the whole trafficking angle.

I don't know if I would debunk the whole trafficking thing though. Think about it, she gets into a fight with Ricky, storms off, clears her head seemingly and then calls him to come pick her up. They get into a fight again and she hangs up, presumably was going to call her parents according to the segment.

At this moment there is a guy who sees her and not only can make a clean and errorless kidnapping but can also make it that there is never a trace of her again for 35 years. That is quite convenient I would say. What are the odds that she meets an abductor who seizes the opportunity.

Or was she being followed and stalked for a little while? Maybe a few days, weeks, etc. Was this the moment of opportunity for her to be abducted and then sold off?

Or So It Seems · 01-09-2024, 09:49 AM

I think you just described what happened. Very similar to Carrie Lynn Nixon, Kathy Hobbs, Angela Hammond and others: a young woman is in a vulnerable situation at night and a POS male takes them, assaults and murders them. And it's not unusual that the human remains are never recovered.

The trafficking angle presented on UM was just a sick fantasy, promoted by the Children of the Night lady. From what we know from trafficked victims today it doesn't go down like she described it.

DALLASTEXAN!! · 01-09-2024, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huskerz85

Every time I saw the segment, my initial reaction was yeah - she got kidnapped by a sick band of traffickers. Then I read CrystalDawn's blog post on the case (Link Here) and heard about the serial killer Robert Rhodes (AKA the "Truck Stop Killer").

Given where her purse was found and assuming the witness recollections from the segment were accurate (it was Elizabeth they saw and not another girl), then I'm inclined to believe that the traffickers eventually sold her to Rhodes, who then did all sorts of unmentionable things to her before leaving her body in some unknown location.

Interesting that Rhodes left one of his murder victims in the same small texas town that Elizabeth's purse was found. Rhodes was later caught and arrested along the IH 10 near Phoenix, caught during the act of an assault. He also abducted 2 other victims from the Houston area. he would be a good suspect for Elizabeth's disappearance if he could be traced to that area in the time that she went missing. In all of the murders that he confessed to it appears that he offered them rides.

DALLASTEXAN!! · 01-10-2024, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Or So It Seems

While I think the eyewitnesses meant well, I don't find them credible. I don't think many fans of the show do either. We know now that there is a common psychological effect called confirmation bias, where people want to help and their mind twists an unrelated sighting into the scenario.

The trafficking theory has also been discredited. There have been some articles and news stories about Elizabeth's case in the last few years and it's not being considered. I think the police view this as a stranger abduction.

I find it unfortunate how UM devoted so much time and energy to the trafficking scenario, when there was no evidence for it. It must have caused needless pain for her parents and I think it was based more on racist conceptions of Asian women, more than any factual basis.

This is a good point. if there was one thing that eye witnesses from UM segments were good at, it was mistaken ID regardless of how a person looked. it just goes to show we all have other people that look like us. I don't think that Elizabeth was actually ever in Waco or DFW given that her purse was found along the IH 10 in west texas. I do think she was abducted by someone. perhaps a serial killer or someone who gave her a ride and expected too much in return and when rejected they got violent with her. that seems to be like the common motive for creeps that can't handle being rejected.

Elizabeth was a military brat. I think her dad met her mom overseas and they got married and later settled in central Texas near Fort Hood. I'm not saying the abduction involved a military member, but I wouldn't rule it out either. It's not something I recall anyone talk about and it should be discussed since she was abducted in the Copperas Cove/Killeen area. Fort Hood has its fair amount of violent crime in and around the base. abductions and violent crime have been happening there for years. For the "military/govt" conspiracy people out there, Fort Hood and other bases like it around the country, are actually good examples where crimes happen and sometimes military members are involved. sometimes these crimes are more difficult to solve because people are always coming and going in and out of the area. Fort Hood also has a well earned reputation for being non-transparent with their own local community regarding base criminal activity.

Or So It Seems · 01-10-2024, 10:42 AM

It's sad, I don't see Elizabeth's case ever having a conclusion. There's no DNA, no forensic evidence, and that's how cases get solved after decades have passed. I wish UM had presented information about the car she was last seen getting into instead of focusing on the trafficking angle to sensationalize the story for TV.

TheCars1986 · 05-20-2026, 08:36 AM

UM really did a disservice to Elizabeth's disappearance with their segment. They touted the theory that she could still be alive in captivity with an Asian man. In reality, the last reported sighting of Elizabeth was shortly after 11:00 p.m. at a 7-Eleven store getting into a silver or white vehicle with a maroon top. We know that prior to getting into the vehicle, she made a call from a pay phone to her boyfriend asking him for a ride. He confirms this in his UM interview and the clerk working at the 7-Eleven confirmed it because they remember her saying she didn't want to use the store's phone because she intended on calling her brother and he lived out of the area so it would have been a long distance phone call. What we don't know is if she called someone else after speaking with her boyfriend. And that could make or break the case, because this whole time the prevailing theory was that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and an opportunistic predator harmed her. But what if she called another person who she did know for a ride?

Street Novelist · 05-20-2026, 04:09 PM

A moderator should probably update the first post, as the two links provided no longer work.

EighthStreet · 05-20-2026, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Street Novelist

A moderator should probably update the first post, as the two links provided no longer work.

Good luck with that, dead links are part of the charm of posting on a forum that goes back 20+ years.

09-14-2020, 10:34 AM	#76
Huskerz85 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 31, 2006 Location: Westeros Posts: 740	Every time I saw the segment, my initial reaction was yeah - she got kidnapped by a sick band of traffickers. Then I read CrystalDawn's blog post on the case (Link Here) and heard about the serial killer Robert Rhodes (AKA the "Truck Stop Killer"). Given where her purse was found and assuming the witness recollections from the segment were accurate (it was Elizabeth they saw and not another girl), then I'm inclined to believe that the traffickers eventually sold her to Rhodes, who then did all sorts of unmentionable things to her before leaving her body in some unknown location.

01-04-2024, 09:12 PM	#77
Clockwork Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 30, 2022 Location: Canada Posts: 461	What is the thought people have with the two store clerks that claim they saw her? I find both of them likely legit. Both described her in the same manner. I guess you can say it is strange that the abductor would let her out in broad daylight like that but if she is that much under his thumb it probably doesn't matter. He could be making all sorts of threats to make sure she behaves. Everyone from Jaycee Dugaard to Elizabeth Smart were all threatened I am sure within an inch of their lives to behave in public or else. My question is, at that time how many Asians were living in Texas? The reason being, you may not see an Asian couple for a while and then notice one and see them act strange and then assume it is Elizabeth. Because to be honest both clerks were very sure of themselves, and I tend to believe them. I have to wonder too, the boyfriend Ricky, I know he is cleared, but is there some sort of guilt he has for fighting with her and having her storm off only to get abducted as she wanders off?

01-08-2024, 02:33 PM	#78
Or So It Seems Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 06, 2002 Location: Western Massachusetts Posts: 196	While I think the eyewitnesses meant well, I don't find them credible. I don't think many fans of the show do either. We know now that there is a common psychological effect called confirmation bias, where people want to help and their mind twists an unrelated sighting into the scenario. The trafficking theory has also been discredited. There have been some articles and news stories about Elizabeth's case in the last few years and it's not being considered. I think the police view this as a stranger abduction. I find it unfortunate how UM devoted so much time and energy to the trafficking scenario, when there was no evidence for it. It must have caused needless pain for her parents and I think it was based more on racist conceptions of Asian women, more than any factual basis.

01-09-2024, 09:49 AM	#80
Or So It Seems Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 06, 2002 Location: Western Massachusetts Posts: 196	I think you just described what happened. Very similar to Carrie Lynn Nixon, Kathy Hobbs, Angela Hammond and others: a young woman is in a vulnerable situation at night and a POS male takes them, assaults and murders them. And it's not unusual that the human remains are never recovered. The trafficking angle presented on UM was just a sick fantasy, promoted by the Children of the Night lady. From what we know from trafficked victims today it doesn't go down like she described it.

01-10-2024, 10:42 AM	#83
Or So It Seems Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 06, 2002 Location: Western Massachusetts Posts: 196	It's sad, I don't see Elizabeth's case ever having a conclusion. There's no DNA, no forensic evidence, and that's how cases get solved after decades have passed. I wish UM had presented information about the car she was last seen getting into instead of focusing on the trafficking angle to sensationalize the story for TV.

05-20-2026, 08:36 AM	#84
TheCars1986 #VLSKMS Forum Fanatic Join Date: Nov 22, 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 8,594	UM really did a disservice to Elizabeth's disappearance with their segment. They touted the theory that she could still be alive in captivity with an Asian man. In reality, the last reported sighting of Elizabeth was shortly after 11:00 p.m. at a 7-Eleven store getting into a silver or white vehicle with a maroon top. We know that prior to getting into the vehicle, she made a call from a pay phone to her boyfriend asking him for a ride. He confirms this in his UM interview and the clerk working at the 7-Eleven confirmed it because they remember her saying she didn't want to use the store's phone because she intended on calling her brother and he lived out of the area so it would have been a long distance phone call. What we don't know is if she called someone else after speaking with her boyfriend. And that could make or break the case, because this whole time the prevailing theory was that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and an opportunistic predator harmed her. But what if she called another person who she did know for a ride?

05-20-2026, 04:09 PM	#85
Street Novelist Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Sep 03, 2015 Location: Bay Area Posts: 77	A moderator should probably update the first post, as the two links provided no longer work.