So many questions.
I understand DS and Ben were longtime friends but why would DS have Ben's condo key and his Apple password? Why would DS be trying to get into Ben's iPad?
If Ben had been driving Thursday night from northern AZ why would he have planned to meet DS for early breakfast? Seems more reasonable he would have crashed and slept in.
With ZERO leads, why would DS instantly start looking around hotels? Just seems so random. But then, he almost instantly finds Ben's car - not out in an open parking lot but on the 4th floor of a hotel's parking garage?!!
And DS somehow also had the VIN / license plate / other pertinent info to give to Lexus, even though he was not the car's owner nor a family member? Why would he take that action without first contacting Ben's family, most especially his aunt, the OWNER of the car?!
When DS first spotted Ben's car + the three people why didn't he immediately dial 911 to get cops on their tail (that's kinda what they do) before running after them himself?
Obviously I don't have all the facts but given the reporting we do have to date, too many WTF's in this story.
JMO
1. I don't see any problem with a close friend having a key to Ben's condo. Friend also has my key. D guessed the password.
2. Breakfast was planned for 9:30 am. We don't know when he arrived home from up north, and I read the drive was just 2 hours.
3. D managed to get the zip code location of where the car was from Lexus. The group went to the area, first to the Super 8 motel.
Businesses were closed in the area so they decided to check out hotels, finding the car at that Sheraton.
4. Aunt contacted D because Ben didn't show up to her home to install lamps. Not showing up was very uncharacteristic. Maybe she gave D the license #.
VIN was figured out online from the license plate #. There's a way to do this.
Also later on it was determined that was indeed the aunt's car because the Sheraton had good video, of the car's license plate # and the three individuals.
5. They did call LE, but they did not show up in time to find the car.
Ben's phone was also turned off which according to D he never did, further alarming D and friends.
D was also confused by the state of the condo, given that Ben was extremely tidy. It seemed that Ben may have left in a rush.
By 6:30 pm, they were all worried, mostly because it was all so unusual for Ben...phone off, no show to aunt's home, no contact, could not be reached, car not at home, home not in order, wet towel on bed, clothes on kitchen floor etc, lights still on (according to friends, Ben was a stickler for turning off the lights)