Red Flag to whom? I'm going to reach here and guess that maybe you're thinking that the Smarts wanted LE to look at Richard as a diversion?
Not sure what you mean here. The list given police by Ed Smart? I don't know that he WAS the first guy, or was even on the first list of people they told police Elizabeth knew.
Remember, a parole/probation officer is not necessarily the enemy of his clients. You know they will often give a person a chance to clear up when he is slacking off on terms such as drug use. I've gotten them to give people another chance b/f filing a request that the people's probation/parole be revoked.
Who knows what Ed at first told police about Ricci, if he even mentioned him? Ed is so weird, he's going around thinking he and Ricci were on the best of terms, when he knows he fired Ricci and that Ricci later lied to him to get back working for Ed. That's why I'd like to know more about the relationship btw Ed and Rick.