I think emotions are just running high, right now. This little girl was the definition of innocence and sparked the protective instincts in any/all parents worth a hill o’beans.
The fact that the mother was out partying vs. grieving or even showing any fear of being found out had this been an accident/cover-up, was shocking to a lot of people.
It’s good that she gets some additional time for the lies. I guess she will not spend any time in prison, only jail at this point, which is a far easier venue.
It’s too bad that LE were not able to get to the truth at the beginning of this investigation, but I doubt they understood the dynamics of this family and what all could disappear if this turned out to be a murder vs. a missing child. The one person who probably had the strongest misgivings, insured that possible evidence would be destroyed in that car when she claims to have cleaned it and other items that existed in that car, because it “smelled”. (I believe all that “alleged cleaning” took place before LE could secure the car.)
LE can’t unring that bell. Going forward, that same person kept insisting that the little girl might be found (at least for a while), but still seemed to try to protect the “suspect”.
It’s a wierd case. It was a wierd defense. It worked for them (at least temporarily). I doubt there will be another case similar to this one; this was a unique family and situation.
What an excellant and articulate post!
You have really given an overview that is sensitive and well thought out. You present us with ‘reality” and I think that the emotional responses are also about the fear that this could happen and we can not protect ourselves or children. The police do the best they can so often, but they are human too.
You point out how shocked people were at the mother partying...that also enrages people who are so connected to their loved ones, they could not have behaved this way. It really does to most of us, just seem inconceivable. But, that is reality in this case. And the emotions are of our helplessnes to save this child....the reality is there are many such situations and we know that and yet we don’t want to know that.