"All of a sudden I received three texts in a row. One said 'Yes.' Then she sent another text that said, 'My phone's low. The battery's down, and I'll call you whenever I get signal.' And, then, straight back-to-back, I received a text that said 'Oh, I'm out drinking with some friends,'" he recited. "Beverly's not a drinker "
It seems to me that if the perp was trying to keep the husband from being alerted that she was in danger they would have sent the texts earlier, the fact that they were sent at 1AM is a major red flag.
Apparently the "yes" was a reply to his text asking if everything was alright. That would have been sent by him hours earlier.
Also, which was it...the phone battery was low or they were out of signal range? Why state both? Is the area where the house is within her signal area? Would the texts have been written earlier in the evening but sent from an out of signal area and then auto sent when the phone was back in a signal area? The phone pings should be a major clue to LE, correct?
Another thing I find strange is that it seems to me that a person wanting to abduct someone from an area with other homes around them would have closed the door. Even if their hands were occupied with a struggling victim, it seems they would have known leaving a door open would potentially alert a passerby and closed it with their foot. Especially if going to the trouble of sending out fake texts.
Do realtors typically leave the front door open when showing the house? If I am to try get inside the brain of an abductor, it seems I would leave with my victim through a back door or attached garage, not a front door where I could be easily seen. Although, if it were dark I guess it would not be as much of an issue.
I always enter through the front door and definitely leave the door open if I'm with an unfamiliar person... like someone else said, if there's a dead bolt, I turn it so the door won't shut all the way for a quick get-away... just in case. From this day forward, though, a pistol will also be within easy reach within my purse.