[MadisonA]

The mechanic could be lying. This should be easy to prove one way or the other, since the mechanic said the guy waiting for Ricci was using the pay phone across the street and the police are solicitng the phone records for the phone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~

Yes good point. The cops will find out who's lying soon enough.

[philomath]

The cops will find out who's lying soon enough.

what's important enough about the jeep that the ricci clan will risk being caught in a complex lie?? somewhere in 500 miles someone had to see something, there will be phone records to comfirm or refute the mechanic's story. ES dna could be explained away by prior ownership. that leaves: fresh ES blood, something tell-tale about the mud or tire tracks if they find a body, they know they were seen and are desperately weaving plausible deniablility, or???
this is a big break for the case.