You are right, and (again) h.c. is wrong. They lived in Frazeysburg in north central Ohio as well as Xenia and Milford Center. Timing is a little off as they last lived in Milford Center for three years before Otterbein.
I doubt she would go to Frazeysburg however because that wasn’t her favorite place of all that she lived in. Except for a basket factory, not much to see there. Also, if it were truly an afternoon trip, that would be much too far.
Although they had a full tank, I doubt they were planning too far as they left mid afternoon. Hard to go far, shop, eat and return before dark. Probably not anything that would keep them out after dark.
There is a chance they made it to the mall and were followed outside. With packages in their hands, they probably weren’t aware of their environment. Do they have a favorite store they like to visit? Or perhaps they stopped at an ice cream place in the mall and someone overheard their conversation, and decided they were easy marks? Could you check videos?
I see so many elderly people shopping by themselves and can only imagine how easy it would be for someone to hurt them. Creeps pray on the very young and old.
I didn’t know they left mid-afternoon. How long would it take to drive to Carrollton, Kentucky (80 miles?) by country roads? Two to three hours?