A lot of people will probably disagree with what I’m about to say. Let me preface it by saying that I think AWP is a wonderful organization which does a phenomenal job.
However, being involved in an active investigation is very different from searching for someone in a cold case, which is what AWP had done prior to becoming involved in Kiely’s case.
We do not know what LE knows or doesn’t know about the night KR disappeared. We don’t know what evidence has been collected. We do know that in parallel investigations like this LE is 1) trying to find the missing person, and 2) trying to find out how or why they disappeared. #2 is extremely important because if it turns out the cause of the disappearance is foul play, they want to have gathered all evidence they can so that they can use it at trial.
AWP are highly trained at what they do. Remember, they started out looking for salvage and became very proficient at finding vehicles under water. However, they are not trained investigators. They are not forensics experts. They are not under oath. They should not be leaking things that have anything to do with the scene of KR’s demise. The should not have mentioned the condition of the car, if the windows were broken or up or down, or where the body was positioned in the car. To say that they thought the vehicle might have been in neutral is highly irresponsible and only contributes wild theories and speculation.
By calling the parents before LE, it reminds me of the guy, or gal, who always wants to be the first one to announce the bad news, or the reporter who wants to break the story before they verify the facts.
I am thrilled AWP found Kiely. The resulting publicity will be huge for their organization. However, they would get the same publicity without making public statements that could jeopardize an ongoing investigation. I still believe this is likely an accident, but if it isn’t? And what about the next case?
If AWP wants to continue to work with LE agencies on open cases, they will have to step down with the big announcements to gain publicity and stop divulging confidential information about evidence found. MOO