Was PhD Abandoned on Mount Aconcagua Murdered? | Janet Mae Johnson Case Analysis 

Aconcagua is a deceptively dangerous mountain. While, as you’ve pointed out it is not a technical climb, the effort, temperature and lack of oxygen make for a deadly combination. A friend of mine who was very fit and experienced, barely made it to its peak. He recounted the last part of the climb as littered with expensive cameras and other gear, anything to lighten the load. He also noted the frozen bodies. It is a brutal place and when climbing, there is neither surplus energy nor mental clarity to do anything else but look after one’s self. Cops and farmers are tough and used to dealing with adverse conditions and making life and death decisions under duress. That is what kept them alive; it is not a matter of teamwork.

Cerebral edema, lack of oxygen and hypothermia.... People don't make very good decisions in that state. They were in big trouble when the first guy decided to go back down after camping the night. They should have all gone back, but none of them were thinking clearly anymore. Just task orientated and delusional.

Nice synopsis! I'm one of the partners at the company that developed this this film - Film Rescue International. I do want to mention that the process to get these images from the film wasn't not at all like a normal film process. The film did in fact require a lot of special attention to get as good as images as we were able to salvaged from it. It did help that this film had the advantage of long term cold storage but on the other hand, the disadvantage of a lot of extraterrestrial radiation as would be found at these high altitudes and the fact it did experience some small amount of wet and dry cycling.

This format lends itself very well to listening as if it were an audio book, while doing other things.

It seems, the more I learn about mountain climbing and climbers, the less I like about both.

I gotta give it to people that like climbing, running and doing very physical stuff because I absolutely have no desire to do any of that. I see people running in the morning omw to work and it amazes me that people like doing that because for me it would be punishment lol

They sealed their fates when they decided to keep climbing without the equipment they needed and then to try to sleep overnight on space blankets.

Horrible ways to die. Hiking in certain areas, conditions, bad decisions make it more dangerous. Great points on a case never heard of. Thanks Dr G😊💓💓

Overconfidence and ego is very dangerous

I'm surprised people would even think she was murdered. A group of inexperienced hikers tried to climb a mountain and when their guide left, they died. That's not terribly surprising?

Thank you again Dr. Grande 🙏 This is off subject but I lost my grandmother two years ago. She was my best friend and my soul sister. Upon her passing the song "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" kept playing through my thoughts (though it wasn't a track that I'd ever frequently listened to.) Today I had one of those days where I missed her extra extra extra. Then tonight I was notified that you posted this video. A big, salty tear rolled down my cheek and onto my smile. I appreciate you Sir

Although "teamwork" in the technical sense may not be exactly what's needed on a non-technical mountain, team coordination is vital. For example, it is important that the team choose a pace that works for everyone. It is also important that team members are vetted for experience. It sounds like these people tried to ascend too quickly - at least too quickly for some - and that's what got them into trouble. Even if you take an every-man-for-himself approach, sick, lost and dying teammates are going to endanger everyone, as they did in this case. I would never climb a serious mountain with a bunch of strangers I met for the first time at the airport.

Yeah, I will stay home (safe) and not have bragging rights to climbing the highest mountain. I’m good with that.

Thank you Dr Grande for making my daily commute a little easier. I always put on your daily upload on my radio. Well done, I hope you get to 2M subs one day 🙏

It's not technically challenging, but it can be physically challenging due to high altitude and constantly changing weather.

I have understood the need to disturb a perfectly good mountain.

This shows the importance of teamwork.

Hikers/climbers die or disappear on the mountains in Colorado every year and the highest don't even reach 15,000 feet above sea level. Some of those victims are described as being very experienced, but sometimes even they make bad decisions or are just unlucky, stepping on the wrong rock or dealing with unexpected severe weather. People die on mountains! (Just like they die on the roads or falling down stairs.)

The mental health professional photographs like he's in need of a mental health professional.

i just realized the calming effect your voice has on my crazy brain.. nothing more relaxing than a good murder mystery

I must not know how to have fun. I've never been caving or mountain climbing 😒 (or sky diving)

No one murdered anytone at 2,0000 feet. They had other things to worry about

They remind you of the type of people that approach dangerous animals to get a selfie. Common sense is non existent which is the one thing they all had in common.

Hello Dr. Grande . I love your channel and i believe you have extremely good insight and analysis of the people involved in the case you cover at the time. Thank you ❤

I don't know why people just have to put themselves in mountains that are so dangerous. I have read many books on mountain climbing. The one book "High Crimes: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed" is an excellent read.

Moral of the story: Don't go climbing unless you have been climbing already.

I always appreciate your amazing investigative analysis. Thank you Dr. Grande, always.

Dr. Todd Grande - can you please review the case of Shanda Van Ark?

Here I am... Once again... A Dr Grande speculation analysis, his humor, and his thumbnails fan. Have a great weekend, y'all❣️👏 🙌 👌 👍 😎 😀 👏

“Arnold made better time than he thought”!!😂🤭

Your sense of humor is delightful!

I recently went through a graveyard and seen a monument that must have cost a lot of money. It told of the life of a man who climbed mountains. I assume it was expected to impress the brain of those who read the monument. His body was still on the mountain at the bottom of a cravass where he had fallen with his climbing partner.

Thank you for this and all your other videos. I always enjoy your take on these interesting episodes. Many of them I've never heard of, such as this intriguing case. I hate heights, so I could never go climbing, and admire anyone who can go on this type of adventure. :)

I really enjoy this show!!! 😊

Me: Why on earth would you climb a mountain? Adventurous people, with swagger: Because it’s there Me: No but seriously, why? Adventurous people, profoundly:Why not? Me: I have compiled my top 500 reasons….

Hi Dr Grande, excellent analysis. Sounds like what happened at Mt. Everest in May of 1996. As always I learn something new from your videos.

Morning from 🇦🇺 Dr Grande. Have a wonderful day ! Thank you for another great vid 🎉

They haven't been murders. What would the motive be? If people go mountain hiking, they should not expect others to put their lives on the line for them. Every mountaineer is on their own. That should be stated on paper and signed by everyone going on such a hike.

Fascinating story. Wow. Great job Dr. Grande.

Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann Summers on Gilligan's Island, went to school at Stephens College (back in the day) which was about a block away where I lived at when I went to Mizzou for grad school. Those found cameras with undeveloped film are mysterious! It's easier to build a mystery in one's head when the potential suspects are in a location that is completely out of sight.

"A Peak Too High"- A Set Theoretical Contribution to the Death of JMJ Nothing is more important than facing a challenge. Some challenges involve watching all of Dr. Grande's videos. Another challenge is getting enough exercise. Other challenges include reducing harm, learning Polish, getting a massage in Thailand and settling the question whether a cute sweater for one's cat is an appropriate gift to one's cat. Some argue that a sweater might overheat a cat, maybe my cat or your cat, and if so, placing said mammal in harm's way. Finally there is story of Mount Aconcagua and its victims. Let's investigate these challenges through a set theory approach: Set theory is simply the recognition that elements can be identified as belonging to a class of objects. For example "Polish" belongs to a set that includes "Slovak," but not to the class of "polish." Janet no longer belongs to the class of those who scale high peaks. But she does belong to a class that includes those who die in Argentina. And as a subset, we can say that "Americans who die trying to summit Mt. Aconcagua" is not so big. Thank you.

I feel it's suspicious that they both were found in close proximity. In saying that, maybe one was trying to help the other and lost their footing? 🧚‍♀

I'm surprised that the leader telling everyone that they were responsible for their own conditioning not working out.🤔

Good one....thanks for the chuckles.

I think it was a high risk activity and the deaths were accidental.

When I flew into Kathmandu one summer, I sat next to a mountaineering woman. Her ex husband was a hedge fund guy aka criminal which she fully supported and encouraged. Anyway, according to her, she had no idea what drove her to pursue this fruitless, life threatening, yet exorbitantly expensive hobby. A person dies in this pursuit. That falls under the category of, So What? Or And Your Point Is?

Almost first! Love Dr Grande! 😘❤️

That was one rough looking group.

Things I'll never aspire to do: go on a ocean cruise, parachute from anything, become a prison guard, join a climbing expedition.

I always say, don't go to high places.

I love the deadpan humour. The mathematician joke was pretty good.

Incredible story!! This has become one of my favorite videos. Mother Nature is a beast.

Thank you king for going off!

Physiological challenges of oxygen & cold = death.

Would you please give us your take on the case of Shanda Vander Ark and Paul Ferguson?

Maybe you could consider doing a vid on the circumstances surrounding the recent TNFlyGirl youtuber crash.

Are you repeating their professions in order to stress they should have been smarter in their decisions? Up on the mountains where survival becomes the issue, it's each man for himself.

Murder…?…they literally just died from ignorance & inexperience …

Very strange outcome for what should have been a great adventure.

Cry for Mae Argentina .

Dr. G, awesome title...70 in Hawaii 🌴🌺

No disrespect intended, but I feel good that I can walk and talk at the same time. I’m a champion of a sort.

Please do one on Elijah McClain!

I had hoped Everest was the only high mountain in the world known for Darwin awards.

Most people now days live their lives wrapped in cotton wool then when the shit hits they die. Happened here people went and seen an active volcano then get upset when it goes BOOM

Thanks for the upload, Dr. Grande! Your true fans love your humor and sarcasm. December 15 is National Wear Your Pearls Day, National Lemon Cupcake Day, International Tea Day (gotta have some President's Choice green tea later!), Bill of Rights Day, National Cupcake Day, Stupid Toy Day (Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster), National Gingerbread Latte Day, Zamenhof Day, National Regifting Day, and Cat Herder's Day.

I’m picturing Reeboks, Wallabees, & Birkenstocks. No Globetrotters? Sigh.

PhD is a qualification, not a job

I appreciate the time put in to research this. Nice analysis. I agree that head injuries are suspicious, but if there had been a killer on the mountain from outside the team, that would be known. As far as one of the team members committing murder, there is zero motivation or evidence. So the conclusion would be that it was in fact a very difficult mountain to climb and ultimately that difficultly resulted in deaths. Personally, before I would be tempted to climb over 22,000 feet, I would absolutely be carrying oxygen. If not, and you make it up to 22,000 feet and then get sick from the lack of oxygen, death could be right around the corner. My life is worth more that the thrill of a climb. So I would have protected it.

Is it just me or do all these climbers look alike in those side-profile photos?

Personally, I think 🤔 Frosty the Snowman ⛄️ did it. 😳

Don’t spy on me Argentine…Dr Grande…you gave me a chuckle

Interesting story

Not sure WHY anyone would jump to the conclusion of murder, as only two of the four returned. Maybe AFTER finding the condition of the bodies one might think that, but murder is a serious and rare occurrence. Was there extreme ill will among the climbers beforehand? That is what should be investigated.

It is typical of mountaineering expeditions that the members are not very familiar with each other and that they are all trying to get to the summit in competition with each other. Read any book of a mountaineering expedition and it is filled with accounts of disagreements and rivalry. Expeditons are made up of people who are very success oriented.

Please analyze the case of Kodak black

As argentinian I could say that most often than rarely we hear about people losing their life in Aconcagua. I guess it seem dangerously easy for hikers, and that is what end costing their lives. It looks "easy", it is not.

🎶🎵Don’t Spy on Me Argentina…🎶🎵

Ridiculous expedition Most in the climbing party were not experienced & the guide had only been on the Polish route once Despite it being a non technical mountain it's still exposed & challenging given the altitude & temperature Still tragic & the precursor of Janet being sent to a hospital because of sexual orientation is terrible & she likely suffered significantly because of it

All of them were in 'control' of their individual enthusiasm to 'conquer.' Possibly, the success of that goal, seemed inevitable to them - but, it was not based on any concrete footing...

Falling on your sword...down the mountains

So many John’s

The guy that did the autopsies on the 2 found dead said they were murdered, there were signs of this on her face with broken bones.

The farmer and the cop got the furthest. Who would've guessed the most discounted by the toughest were the two working class men 😂

Always interesting Thank you

I wouldnt rule out murder. 1 head injury...possible. 2 head injuries...extremely unlikely.

Can you analyze the relationship between Donna (mother) and Charlie (son) ‘s relationship please?

Was that a Madonna reference? My dad used to play her a lot when I was younger.

Hmmm. Our doctor called homosexual Janet "gay". I wonder when he'll start calling schizophrenics "crazy". Just as professional and politically correct.

It was just a 3 hour tour

In the pic at 1:10 she looks suspiciously like Dr. Grande

Seems like accidents to me

Can you analyze RU-vidr TNflygirl just died about a week ago ?

This is very American behaviour

Dont Spy on Me Argentina! You know! I've got too much to hide from You! All the faces I beat in!,All the ladies I abandoned, dont look too close! You know I'm trying to distance myself so I dont expire in Argentina Prison 🎵

Algorithm!! 🎉🎊💜💜

New tv show. Gilligans Mountain

If you think you understand trekking and mountains then that is a sure sign that you don't.

Olympus camera, early OM series model, not a Nikon.

Stereotypes abound in these people's lives.