[Jolly Green]

3. The abduction was not a kidnapping for ransom since there has been no legitimate ransom request or indication that Elizabeth is still alive.

You are assuming that an abductor wouldn't have backed off a ransom demand after the case received the immediate publicity and FBI involvement that it did. That changed the risk/reward dynamic considerably and the perp(s) probably decided that Elizabeth was a liability rather than an asset.

[TheDon]

That is a good point as well. Both scenarios give some hope for Liz being alive.