I believe that was Steve Thomas who wrote the book. His theory of what happened that night makes the clearest sense of this odd case. Most people who don't accept it do so on the belief that "a Mom doesn't kill a daughter she loves dearly". If only this were true.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I stick with Occam's Razor when analyzing this case: the simplest answer is most often correct. O.R. also states that "one should not increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything".
In order to make the Intruder Theory work, we have to increase the entities to an almost absurd level, beginning with the ransom note. No killer sits down, in the house of the victim, and writes a 2-and-a-1/2 page ransom note WITH A PEN FOUND IN THE HOUSE ON A NOTEPAD ALSO FOUND IN THE HOUSE.
On a side note, my family and I were living in Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1996 and my folks had come out for Christmas. We all remember how much fun we had that Christmas Eve and morning, followed by the feeling of sickness that came over us as we watched this case begin to unfold later that day. Boulder isn't that far from Cheyenne. As we were celebrating a joyous Christmas, just south of us a young girl's life was being brutally ended.
I meant to say the feeling of sickness that came over us the NEXT day, as the case first hit the airwaves.
[ In order to make the Intruder Theory work, we have to increase the entities to an almost absurd level, beginning with the ransom note. No killer sits down, in the house of the victim, and writes a 2-and-a-1/2 page ransom note WITH A PEN FOUND IN THE HOUSE ON A NOTEPAD ALSO FOUND IN THE HOUSE. ]
Kidnappers usually snatch and grab first, then the ransom note comes back later several hours or even a day later. Or if it is preplanned the note is written ahead of time and left at the site of the abduction.
This was a GIANT red flag concerning this and pointed to it being a sloppy attempt at the perp who was an insider trying to cover their arse.
[ In order to make the Intruder Theory work, we have to increase the entities to an almost absurd level, beginning with the ransom note. No killer sits down, in the house of the victim, and writes a 2-and-a-1/2 page ransom note WITH A PEN FOUND IN THE HOUSE ON A NOTEPAD ALSO FOUND IN THE HOUSE. ]
Kidnappers usually snatch and grab first, then the ransom note comes back later several hours or even a day later. Or if it is preplanned the note is written ahead of time and left at the site of the abduction.
This was a GIANT red flag concerning this and pointed to it being a sloppy attempt at the perp who was an insider trying to cover their arse.
You’re correct. It was Steve Thomas. It’s a pretty good book. I didn’t follow the case too closely at the time. It was *always* on the news it seemed and I kind of tuned it out (I was in my mid-20’s, self absorbed, etc.). But I find it so sad and curious a case now. I can see how tragic it was at the time, as you so aptly described your experience, now that I’m older.
You are so correct on Occam’s Razor! I believe the pen was capped and put back, too. What kidnapper does that?