Almost 3 months after they disappeared on July 27th, the bodies of Joseph Orbeso, 21, and Rachel Nguyen, 20, were found by search and rescue workers in Joshua Tree National Park in the California desert. It marked the end of a long and difficult journey for their families and searchers who had been looking for the missing hikers for months in temperatures well over 100 degrees. Hope of finding the couple alive in the park had faded in the days after the search began given that the exceedingly hot and dry environment of Joshua Tree N.P. makes scavenging for food and water nearly impossible.
Joseph Ortega, left, and Rachel Nguyen, right. Image courtesy of usatoday.com
The couple, who were from Westminster, CA, had made the trip to Joshua Tree National Park in celebration of Nguyen's 20th birthday. Orbeso and Nguyen had rented an AirBnb near the park and were reported missing on July 28th by the owner when they didn't check out as scheduled. The owner found that they had not taken their belongings. It was also reported that at least four types of hallucinogenic drugs were found with their possessions. Video was obtained showing them entering the park in their car.
Their car was quickly located near the Maze Loop trailhead, but the hikers themselves were nowhere to be found. Ortega's cell phone transmitted a ping indicating that it was inside the park boundaries, but they were unable to triangulate its exact location. Search and rescue teams were dispatched and all possibilities were considered, from being lost or injured to having eloped. Foul play was also considered, and a $10,000 reward was announced for their safe return.
The couple's car was located near a trailhead. Image courtesy of thedailymail.uk
True to its name, the Maze Loop is a 7-mile trail that can be difficult to navigate as it winds along boulders and scrub brush in a sandy wash marked by cairns (stacked rocks used as trail markings). It nominally takes 4 or 5 hours to complete the loop, but the terrain can quickly become overwhelming for the unprepared hiker as a toppled cairn can easily be missed and there is little shade to be found. During the summer months, the heat can become unbearable.
However, Ortega's friends said that he was a "survivalist" and always carried knives on hikes. They believed he was equipped to handle what they might find in the park. Official search operations ceased on August 6th, although searchers and family members continued to comb the park in their free time for any sign of the couple.
The Maze Loop, Joshua Tree N.P. Image courtesy of backpackers.com
On October 17th, the news broke that two bodies had been found in a remote canyon in the park but stopped short of identifying them as the missing hikers. Law enforcement officers were flown in by helicopter because of the inaccessibility of the location. Recovery of the remains was completed the next morning.
Searchers had been canvassing an area north of the Maze loop when they came across signs of human activity including food wrappers and clothing. When the remains were located, the searchers described the bodies as being in an "embrace" and appeared to be seeking shade under some brush or a small tree while using clothing to protect their lower extremities from the sun. Nguyen had her shirt wrapped around her head like a bandage, raising the possibility that she had been injured. It also appeared that they had been rationing the small amount of food that they brought with them but had no water remaining. While official confirmation had not yet been made, Ortega's father, Gilbert, who was present when the remains were found, was certain that it was his son who had been located.
Days later, their identities were confirmed after a delay; the conditions of the bodies made them not immediately identifiable. However, the plot once again thickened when the San Bernadino county coroner announced that both bodies had gunshot wounds and ruled it a murder-suicide in which Ortega had shot Nguyen and then himself.
Those hoping for an understanding of what went wrong once the remains were located were suddenly left with more questions than answers. Did the couple having an explosive argument leading to Nguyen's murder? Had Ortega taken her to the park with the intent of ending both of their lives? Were the drugs found at the Airbnb a factor? Was there a suicide pact, or was the murder simply an act of mercy to end the suffering that accompanies a death from exposure and dehydration?
Ortega and Nguyen's friends and families, however, don't think there is much of a mystery. They believe it was a tragic end committed out of desperation rather than anger. Ortega and Nguyen's relationship had no history of violence, and they believe the couple simply became lost and when their food and water supplies dwindled along with their hope of rescue, they used Ortega's gun to end the ordeal. Nguyen's family has publicly stated that they don't hold any ill will toward Ortega or his family.
A spokesman from Joshua Tree N.P. stated that it appeared it was simply a case of two inexperienced hikers who underestimated the hazards of the park. They weren't "desert rats," he explained.
Joshua Tree N.P. Image courtesy of nps.gov