So, it seems that many (most?) people formed a (even more) negative opinion about Mark after watching the show. If Mark had not done the show, would more people still be on the fence? Obviously, there would still be the issue of "If your child is missing, why don't you publicize it?" but I don't think criticism of that would go on for that long...People would move on. But with the show, we now have thousands of posts talking about everything Mark said and did on it. Without the show, we would not have the polygraph drama. Would it have been smart for Mark to refuse to do the show?
MOO, of course, but I believe MR didn't really have a choice if he wants to keep promoting his innocence. If he had refused the show, then that would have been a checkmark in the "odd behavior" column for many. I don't think MR realized that he wouldn't be able to outsmart DP, but again that is MOO.
Admittedly, I was one who was very suspect of MR to begin with (after the first initial days, and esp. after the serving of the search warrant at MR's). Viewing the show - as you pointed out above - pretty much solidified what I previously suspected.
So, I guess to summarize would it have been smart to say no? If he is truly innocent then it would not have been smart at all.
If he knows more than he is telling (which seems pretty obvious to me), then it was very poor judgement on his part to think he could go on that show and face someone with as much experience in this area as DP, and get away with what I believe are outright lies, and that he thought perhaps he would be able to hide his strange emotional state and responses. Although I'm glad he did as it gave me a lot more insight to his behavior, mannerisms, and personality.
I think the worst decision he made on the show altogether was agreeing to take the Polygraph, but then making excuses for why he didn't feel up to it, instead of saying straight out that he didn't want to. MOO only, but I feel he totally chickened out as he wouldn't be able to fall back on the "possibly unqualified Polygraph operator" story to quash any negative or inconclusive outcomes as he has done in justifying his previous Failed/Inconclusive test.
Again, all of the above is MOO. :cow:
If I were MR, I would be consulting a lawyer at this point. Whether innocent or guilty. If he truly had no part in it he has definitely done himself a disservice, not to mention the disservice done to Dylan with his continuing vagaries and every-changing stories.
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As always, all of the above is MOO.