OK...I generally am a person is who is the last one to fall off the fence and after watching this, I must say that I am still actually on the fence. I am eager to see the results of the poly-or if he actually went through with it. That will really say a lot to me, although poly's don't mean everything. But I do believe DP probably has the best of the best administering them.
Just a few thoughts from watching the show:
Anti-DR:
1.) My 8 and 10 year olds watched it with me (I allow them this stuff as they are quite mature and I like them to be aware of dangers out there.) They both are adamant that the dad did it.
2.) He doesn't answer questions directly. He tends to be more concerned with winning an argument with ER.
3.) No emotion - mom is crying and in his face and nothing. Stoic.
4.) He says he thinks ER could have done it. While I can see that as a possibility in the early stage, he can't possibly think that any longer, with how outspoken she is.
5.) He talks about Dylan in the past tense - a lot
6.) DR, CR and his ex-wife talk about him being a bad parent/abusive husband. No one stood up for DR other than the mail carrier.
Pro-DR:
1.) No emotion - doesn't fly off handle, get pulled into the fray as much as ER wants to get to him. (not sure if that's good or bad, so I have it on both sides.)
2.) I don't see Dylan not texting after 9:30 p.m. as odd after a long trip, hadn't slept the night before and his plans seem to have solidified by that stage.
3.) Dylan seemed OK at the airport and at WalMart.
4.) If I came home and my almost 14 year old son wasn't home, I wouldn't think much of it either-especially in the afternoon. I would figure he got picked up. I wouldn't panic at all and I might even just go ahead and take a nap. (this might also be anti-as why did he need a nap? Late night?)
5.) If it is true that ER is an alcoholic, etc..and that is why he took the kids that night? Not saying that she is guilty, but if any of what he said is true about her-it does kind of soften the stance that ER is a saint and MR is a devil.
6.) She never called him??? Or tried calling him??? Phone records can clarify this one way or the other. But she should have been calling and calling and calling and calling, etc... If she never tried, he's got a point...
7.) I don't think it is fair to say that a parent "loses" a child simply because they are the last to see them. I realize there is more to the story, but Dylan was not a baby-he was almost 14 years old! 14 year olds are pretty independent. You don't watch them like you do a toddler. Sometimes they wander off or get bored and do stuff and get themselves into trouble all on their own. If I left my 14 year old son home alone to run errands, came back and he was gone, I don't consider that "losing" my son.
8.) My almost 13 year old watches Nickelodeon. ER says he doesn't watch it at all. He watches MTV. I know a lot of kids watch it, but I don't let my kids watch it, nor are they all that interested in it. My kids watch Disney Channel and my almost 13 year old leans more toward Nick and mystery type shows like Psych and Monk. I almost applauded MR when he said he guarantees that Dylan doesn't watch MTV at his house and watches Nick. It never really went there, but he did seem "genuine."
9.) MR didn't seem to have a problem answering questions-he seemed to have a good story and was consistent with it.
10.) The mail carrier says she saw Dylan that day and seemed pretty ready to stand up for him.
11.) MR doesn't seem bright enough to pull off the perfect crime. But you never know.
So anyway-I seem to actually have more proMR than antiMR points here. Ultimately, the results of the poly and whether or not he takes it will tell me a lot more.