Just spent the better part of two hours reading through this thread. Admittedly, this case didn't spark my interest right away. Now I have some questions. I started typing out my thoughts before I was done going through the thread and whoa-the raid caught me by surprise! If there were kids taken out and they were in DS's family's care were they taken out because DS wouldn't give them up and Michelle's family wanted them? What kind of guy is DS's dad? Is there a Susan Powell/Josh Powell+creepy father thing going on there? And why is he past-tensing her that way? "He was here the whole time she was supposed to be gone." The wording is rather nefarious to me.
Why did Michelle drive a Hummer? I know that probably sounds stupid, but aren't they REALLY expensive to own let alone purchase? And how much money did she bring in? She's a hair dresser, has a "mobile spray tan business" (which, let's face it, probably isn't so much a business but something she did for extra cash) and bar tends but I can't seen any of these things bringing in a ton of money, not even combined. I've read that she moved home for financial reasons. To me it seems abstract. Maybe I'm just used to driving my cheap beater, but a H3 just sort of blares "affluent." If she were carjacked, even scouted out and abducted, could it have been her vehicle that attracted someone to her? I don't know about Florida, but where I am in NY there just aren't many young, pretty women driving those things.
I haven't seen The Peoples Court episode (and to be honest, I don't want to because I don't my view of her disappearance colored). Personally, I think it's a coincidence about the same day airing.
What are the cell phone laws in the area? I can't flesh it out on Google. Is Michelle an active texter while driving? Or was she like me who throws the phone in the center console and ignores it until destination is reached? (It makes people really itchy with me because I don't respond right away!) It's illegal to text and drive here. It's illegal to have your phone in your hand, actually. I guess I'm asking because I'm not sure if the texting is a great barometer of time without knowing what her usual habits with it are.
FWIW, as far as the removal of the decals and how hard it would be...if they were simple vinyl decals they'd pretty much just roll off and curl up. I had some decent sized vinyl stickers on my back window and when I anticipated them being ridiculous to get off but they weren't at all. However, they did leave an outline that wasn't hard to see close up. I think they were simply removed to avoid standing out.
Has any information come out regarding a relationship with Scientology? Has it been verified one way or the other? Maybe she just thought the cross was pretty and didn't know? If she was involved in it - how long? how deep? I think this is going to be an important point. Maybe not integral but it would shed some light on her habits and proximity (someone brought it up earlier that her vehicle was located sort of central to a church).