I did some research on those electronic phone accessed lock boxes and they are extremely secure (as in very difficult to remove without the code or card to remove it.) If the home she went missing from had the updated fancy phone accessed lock box it would have taken taken a lot to remove it. Also, I read that most access codes that are given out to access properties are only good for 24 hours and then they expire at midnight.
At first, Voice4theSilent, I thought, that is RIGHT!!!!! That may be why the door was open. Then........
So, let's assume the front door was left wide open due to the fact the actual door lock had been removed at some point. How or why would that happen?
#1. Beverly uses her access to get them inside. Something occurs. Why remove the door lock at this time? Beverly would have to have been restrained (by some means or someone) or incapacitated in some way. Removing the door lock at any time would be simple. Break in and remove it; but, why? - particularly the front door - visible to neighbors and passersby. Dumb.
#2. AL arrives at the home first (prior to Beverly). His is able to remove the door lock from the outside or has previously/already broken in and removed it. Ambush, perhaps? Beverly (for some reason) does not hesitate to enter. ?????
Feel free to punch holes in this. Any other scenarios?
So, we are still left with the question of why was the door left standing wide open? Since AL is such a sloppy dumb criminal, I could see this happening if he was struggling getting Beverly out of the house and into a vehicle alone. If he had an accomplice at the scene, then both are stupid. Well, they
are stupid anyway.
Thoughts swirl in my addled brain about the motive for this crime. LE says robbery. Robbery of what? Whatever jewelry Beverly was wearing? How much could that be? Years back, in my working life, I wore diamond earrings daily and a large carat ring. At the time, all that was worth north of $20K. My internet searches reveal that pawn shops would pay him less than 40%, so $7K+. He could have robbed her, tied her up and left. No kidnapping, no murder. People have been murdered for less; but, that doesn't seem to be the case here. He could have made that amount of money quickly with his expertise in theft of anything locked down in a store that sold videos, tech equipment, etc.. What else could it be?
I guess I am really trying to stay away from the ransom theory and grasping at straws to find another motive for this heinous crime. As I said before, maybe his only motive was a thrill - which is more terrifying than any other motive to me.