Replies

First, I agree that Ricci might have been muddy when at Moul's on June 8 b/c he'd gotten muddy at work--considering the type of work. But he wouldn't have gotten his jeep muddy at work, b/c I remember Mr. Mitchell said on TV that Ricci's job description was for work only at the nursery location, not out in the field or on errands.

I also agree with your assertion that the police must know of some time/opportunity when the large mileage could have been racked up, or they wouldn't have kept after Ricci for an explanation--they would have looked for some other possibility, presumably. You know, in spite of his day job, it's not unheard of for a guy who's done burglaries in the past to be going out at night. I guess he wouldn't get much sleep, but then he could have been "speeding" or whatever. That's strictly conjecture, of course.

What you said about the police being suspicious as to why he wouldn't know his own jeep was missing, and why he or his wife didn't seem to complain to Neth's about this "borrowing," is also accurate, IMO. Angela's and Richard's previous apparent lack of curiosity about the jeep absence is a red flag. The police could be expected to notice such flagrant absurdities.

I almost think the bit with the "stolen/lost keys" is not worth wasting time on, but some people buy it. I consider you rational for questioning it, though, considering that it just doesn't make sense that a guy would steal the keys in April, and know all about exactly when the jeep was in the shop in May-June. Seems this key-thief acquaintance would find it much easier to take the jeep from Richard's workplace or home or whatever.

Yes, if he had a place where he hid the jeep, chances are that's also a place Elizabeth was--if Ricci did it. How many great hiding places can one man have? So, back to the white mud...

I didn't think it was likely that a friend could have borrowed Rick's jeep and then used it for a crime, but now I do think it possible. In the caper where Ricci was convicted of receiving stolen food from the food bank, it was said he'd received this stolen food as a payment b/c the friend who stole it had borrowed Rick's vehicle to do the theft (or burglary.)