I have a few thoughts about this one.
1. My initial thought was robbery. When you pick up people at a Hookah bar and start buying multiple vehicles, it's a recipe for disaster. Let's face it, his new "friends" weren't in it for the game nights. People have screwed over other people for much less money in the past.
2. Then I went to depression. You can have all the money in the world but a hell of a lot of good it does you when your chronic illness makes it impossible to live a normal life. (But I might be bitter. I have a chronic illness and it's been a bad week for it.) I realize that he initially had strong feelings against suicide but those feelings can change in a heartbeat. There are people that get so sick, and so depressed, that suicide often feels like the only way "out", especially if they feel like they might be a burden on others. Plus, you CAN get to the point where the mental illness takes over and you're not even in control over your own thoughts anymore.
3. However, most people that wander out into the desert to commit suicide don't take their flat screens for comfort.
4. So then I returned to robbery.
5. Once the other dude was introduced, I started thinking about cults. I definitely don't think "Eli" was the same Elijah, since I don't see Bear being physically able to hike up the mountain. But the cult thing could still apply. Sick kid, few friends, pondering the meaning of life, lots of money...those things would ALL appeal to a cult. However, killing people is not usually the way a cult works. They like the numbers, the body count. Plus, they'd want the cash flow to keep moving. Since he hasn't picked up his checks, seems unlikely that it's a cult.
6. Where was the step dad in all of this? Why was he never interviewed?
7. I ended back on suicide again. Sick, missing his step brother, co-dependent relationship with his mother, feeling bleak about his future, etc. Perhaps a friend assisted in it and, in return, Bear gave him some things for their trouble (like the TV). I know that on a lot of these specials the friends and family will say "he/she would NEVER kill themselves." But unless you're inside that person's head, you have no idea what they're thinking. When I was at my sickest and actually suicidal, I put on a darn good front for everyone in my life and was able to convince everyone that I was fine. You get good at it.
8. And then I fell back on robbery.
Wherever the poor feller is, I don't think he's breathing. I feel very sad for this family. Bear seemed like a good guy and, as a mother that has lost a child herself, I feel for his family.
(All of this is IMO, of course.)
Based on the little I read here I am completely baffled. No theory seems to make any sense.
