Something IS stinky with this ring.
As you said, two reporters got it wrong?
Also, the investigators at the scene were damn sure it was her BEFORE the medical examiner compared the teeth to the dental records. Something was at that scene to make them pretty darn sure they found her. A t-shirt alone wouldn't do it. Her tatoo was long gone. No previous reports of a walkman being missing. Keys, bracelet, necklace, watch, NONE of them found. Two reports that her ring was found and then, oh no, it wasn't.
Look for the ring to show up in some poor schmucks belongings. Probably Cook since he has violently attacked/killed before, regardless of the fact that he had no transportation and that he had always attacked very close to home in the past. Or Ingmar, even though he didn't appear to have the cajones to actually finish an attack, only wave a knife and run away once the women fought back.
This really stinks. I'd sure like to find one of the reporters at the scene from the Washington Times and send them an e-mail or call them and ASK them if they saw the ring or who told them that the ring was found.
No way could they have known it was her that fast. Remember the buzz? It was very early in the day. Something was found at the scene that told them it was her.