I believe he claimed it was the result of him pulling the blankets. I didn't think he or anyone claimed that a dead body just rolled onto the floor on its own.
That was one of his stories.
Imagine, he can accidentally flick her body off the bed by rolling in bed and tugging the sheets. While he is lying next to her and creating a huge crater on the bed, even, so gravity would pull towards him further on the bed. Chad is not a little guy.
Then, a few minutes later, he is unable to lift the body without Garth's help.
I wonder what that man did to Garth. Prior (who could be lying about this detail) asserted in phrasing a question that Garth had brought Tammy a McMeal on his way home from work. I think it might be a lie to suggest that Garth was home before Tammy spontaneously died, making murder seem less achievable. Are fast food restaurants in that area open at midnight? But it does seem credible that Garth would say hello to his mother if she were awake when he got in. And it seems possible that a mother would wait up for him often, encouraging him to check in with her before going to bed.
I think it is most likely that Tammy was dead by midnight to one AM. I think it is likely true that Garth saw her dead around this time because Chad's lies seem to build this timeframe into his stories.
In addition. Garth places himself on scene finding his mother dead at nearly the same time as Chad when he tells his version to 911 and 48 hours.
I think somehow, Chad talked Garth into delaying the 911 call, in addition to talking him into moving the body. IIRC, Garth doesn't claim during the call that he just found his mother. Without indicating it was immediately before, he does say he found her "on the ground." Chad may have assumed Garth would not provide that detail, and imply she died in bed. So, Chad built into his various versions strained explanations for how her body got on "the ground."
If my theory is correct, what was Garth thinking all those hours!
Here is my theory. Alex and Chad murder Tammy around midnight. Alex leaves. Chad does whatever Chad does around the house. Garth comes home. Chad had assumed Garth would just go to bed, but he checks to see if Mom is awake to say good night/chat about work/inquire how she's feeling if he were really called and told she was sick. He finds her dead on the ground somewhere. Chad makes up a story about how evil spirits will attack her if he does not watch over her with his priestly powers, and the 911 people will just take her away too soon. Then, in the morning, Chad declares her safe and asks Garth to help him move her to her bed. Chad tells Garth to say they just found her because the government people don't understand about spirits, and will not understand why they were not called sooner. However, Chad forgets to instruct Garth to notmention she was moved. About the first thing Garth mentions is Tammy frozen on the ground. Chad grabs the phone.
Because Garth saw Tammy dead around midnight and saw her on the ground, Chad has to put those details into the stories he tells others.
I would love to hear what narratives Garth told his friends.
MOO
Edited to add: I think she was probably killed in bed, given her relatively uninjured body, but moved off because of the fountain of foam coming from her lungs. Chad was probably hoping it would stop before he had to call 911. He wanted her to be found at peace, not in a frothy, bloody puddle he caused by obstructing her airways.
MOO
