Hi I'm fairly new around here though I've posted a couple of time on other stories - but please forgive me if I don't quite follow the rules. I'm probably repeating much of what others have already said as I've read most of these threads. But this is what happened from my point of view.
My own initial thoughts were that it was either a drugs deal or hook up gone bad. I now suspect having read other non MSM sources that they did indeed know each other at HS and perhaps had a fling or relationship, though probably something fleeting and insubstantial. But maybe no contact but they'd definitely noticed each other and had some attraction.
I think that SW was wrestling with issues with regard to his identity, sexuality, not fitting in and was maybe bullied in early years (just 'a bit off' as many have said), who therefore used his politics and opinions to establish a rationale for why he didn't fit with a majoritively liberal culture at the arts based high school. It suggests to me that he has a struggle too with his sexuality which caused some internal and external conflict with how he saw himself and other homosexuals.
Blaze on the other hand looks like a confident and happy gay young man. On the path to success at a good school (in contrast to SW?). However good his relationship with his parents I suspect they would not have known about all his activities (possible membership of gay hook up sites and even use of drugs).
So I think after a lovely homely evening with parents and grandparents BB and SW got chatting on snapchat (maybe after seeing each other on a hook-up site or another social media site) and decided to meet - maybe just for a catch up or more. Both young men were attractive in an interestingly different way and I could understand that there was still a lingering attraction whatever the nature of their previous involvement. Potentially BB fancied a a brief hook up or he just went to talk, maybe he hadn't quite made up his mind but the hook up was certainly a possibility. For a quick hook up he didn't need money or ID for that, didn't take his glasses for vanity reasons, and certainly wasnt going to tell his parents that was what he was potentially popping out to do. (I think thats normal however liberal your parents!)
I think they probably ended up at the park for that hook up and either BB changed his mind, made SW feel inadequate or small in some unintended way, or SW simply couldn't deal with seeing himself in this compromised position and lashed out. SW was a beefier, taller, stronger guy and could easily overwhelm poor BB who put up a fight and potentially had SW's DNA under his fingernails as he desperately tried to claw him off him (leaving the scratch marks as testament). There may also of course, be other DNA traces elsewhere. SW disposed of the body and texted the friend on BB's 'loan' phone - as an attempt to divert suspicion towards BB getting himself into an alternative situation with a third person...
But SW was panicking and not thinking clearly about how to cover his tracks, explain away BB's disappearance and his own alibi. Later, at 4am he may have returned to check he had concealed the body well - having been in a panic earlier. He suspected this would be found out via CCTV or phone tracking so had to say he returned to the park looking for Blaze later.
I think SW was definitely in a panic state - I do not believe the murder was pre-meditated, so his movements and explanations were a bit off. For my own part I suspect he might have been quite infatuated with Blaze - the confident, happy and popular kid he half wanted to be at HS and half loathed too.
I don't think he set out intending to kill BB. I think his messy attempts to cover his tracks and divert attention show that.
There are a few things I don't fully understand yet though:
- how the family or police tracked down SW straight after BB went missing - this suggests they had some contact on more than one app - maybe spotting each other on one social media forum and then switching to snapchat or Whatsapp to arrange to meet. If it was, as I believe, the family who made contact with him when they discovered BB missing they must have been able to access one of these apps as BB's phone was missing. It is this access to the app that immediately brought SW into the frame. If they had only communicated on snapchat he would not have been easy to track down - it might have taken longer to trace cars, phones or CCTV to lead police to him.
- dirt under the fingernails several days in - its been said - strange that he hadn't managed to get rid of it (a guy not used to gardening!) but it again points to his panic and confusion - as you'd expect in a young man now finding himself a murderer.
- what did the parents know or suspect? - son is closely involved in a disappearance, being questioned by police, followed by reporters hovering outside your house and sitting at your table with dirty fingernails. His mother must have asked him the direct question.
- Cars - I'm not clear about where his car is and the rental car details - I didnt entirely catch up on the sources for this info - presumably more will come out later about that.
- Flight - did police arrest him because he was about to make a run for it? They were keeping him under surveillance and then had got the DNA results back. How can SW have thought he'd manage to run away? Not sure that any change of appearance/haircut was convincing!
We probably wont ever have all the answers with the possibility of a plea bargain.
Finally and I'm sure I shall be unpopular for saying this - please take as read I am of course desperately sorry for BB and his family. But I am also sorry for SW. I've now seen a number of pictures of him and frankly I don't think you can say he looks evil, hostile. Maybe blank and disconnected but actually there's a range of looks and pictures - like any young person. He is a good looking young man.
But clearly if he's prosecuted and convicted something has very badly gone wrong in his psyche and experience to bring him to this dreadful place, a suspected murderer, someone who has (if proved) snuffed out someone else's life and ruined many others including the victim's familly's, his own and his family's lives. We may never know the conflict, turmoil, regret or confusion in his mind since it happened - or the plain stupid defiance from someone who never felt like he fitted in. Whatever, the real truth he simply wasn't clever or calculated enough to cover his tracks.
How sad. Both Blaze and Sam started life with lots of advantages and opportunities to have good and happy lives. And its come to this.
