[laconic]

The apparent truth is that he had been drinking and got out of the car and told MJ to drive over the bridge because he saw a cop. He walked back to the hotel in Edgartwon and didn’t realize that she had gone off the bridge until he got up for breakfast, got a newspaper that was reporting the accident on the headline, and turned white (according to other hotel guests at breakfast). Supposedly, he immediately made a call to his lawyer in New York, then cooked up the story with aides and cousin Gargan and Markham. He wore a neckbrace one day thereafter — when he appeared at the hearing/inquest where his license was suspended. A real hero.

[uncbob]

The apparent truth is that he had been drinking and got out of the car and told MJ to drive over the bridge because he saw a cop.

The driver whoever it was turned down the wrong road

Hard to believe he could have gotten out of the car in the water

[ml/nj]

He walked back to the hotel in Edgartwon and didn’t realize that she had gone off the bridge until he got up for breakfast, got a newspaper that was reporting the accident

He would have had to walk on water to get back to Edgartown. Records apparently show lots of calls to his lawyer friends before 4 AM when he supposedly asked the hotel clerk for the time, obviously to establish an alibi.

ML/NJ

[lacrew]

I think there are a few problems with that version of events. First of all, I do not think 'walking' back the Edgarton was an option - that's why there was a ferry service. Also, the bridge they drove off of was on the opposite side of the island - it went to a spit of land east of the island, and did not connect to Edgarton at all. Also, The Swimmer did several obvious things to establish an alibi (complaining about the loud party, ordering room service), which indicate that he knew about the accident well before he read the morning paper.

I think the sequence of events is simple: 1)Go to party with young women 2)Drive to secluded beach to fool around with young woman 3)Drive drunk butt off bridge 4)Go tell lawyer friends and swim off the island 5)simultaneously hope nobody finds the car, build an alibi, and make a few dozen phone calls to friends, lawyers, and fixers 6)the next day, discover the jig is up and admit to driving the car 7)bribe judges and prosecutors

[Mears]

It’s an island——he could NOT walk back to his hotel.