Good thinking. Makes sense to me.
But you don't think Edmund is the perp, do you? I do not.
I don't know. He could be, or their overt interest in him could be a ruse.
Unfortunately for him, he looks like a cross between Son of Sam and Elvis. If the allegations about his long-term presence in the area and sudden absence the day of the abduction are true, I would say it is likely that he is the perp.
Unfortunately for us, much of what is being released to the media is disinformation, so we could easily be led to the wrong conclusions.