I seem to have a foggy recollection of a manhunt in the late 60's or early 70's in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico for one of the enforcers who killed a cop. I think the cop tried to stop the enforcer, who had just committed a string of widely dispersed murders, on an unrelated traffic issue. As I remember it, the enforcer paniced and shot the cop who had already radioed in his tags. In looking for a reason for the cop shooting, they began to suspect him in the other murders which were business related.
“I would be concerned that the State is using that remote possibility to sway public opinion about their actions.”
Of course. Politics in involved, so there is a lot of CYA going on.
There are ‘too’ many other people, and other entities that have a ‘stake’ in what happens at the YFZ Ranch, not to think that there isn’t a lot of misdirection coming from all sides.
That is what makes cases that make the headlines for months at a time so controversial.
And this case has everything. Every hot button issue you could imagine.