I really appreciate your analysis of the murders, Pua.
Your scenario and analysis of Charli and Joshua's deaths seems very possible/probable. I have forgotten too many details to do a thorough summary as you did here. I don't remember how close the spot was to the ocean or what the weather was like afterwards. I imagine it was rainy enough to flush their remains into the ocean.
It's all too sordid, senseless and tragic for me to "go there" anymore. I just hope the Scott family is able to occasionally, at least, lift their heads to catch some long breaths of fresh, clean air as they reconfigure their lives. This has been so very depressing.
Thanks for the response, MM
. I wanted to write down what I saw in a flash of apparent simplicity before it turned muddy again. I had not thought about all the evidence and theories for a few months, so my mind was in a somewhat blank slate mode as I listened to the judge talk about his summary of what Steven did.
And I just saw that stream in my mind, that spot with the blanket and clothes, and remembered the cadaver dog only alerted at two places: the tree where the cutting marks and maggots were found, and that spot on the stream. And the dog even went into the water to follow the smell, even though water is so good at neutralizing odor.
I tried to make a narrative that didn't ignore any pieces like that, and didn't add very much, just stuck to the track of where physical evidence was found. But I did not review the covering and uncovering timeline and that could need adjusting.
As for the location of the spot, it was a fair hike to the ocean and to the highway, sort of in the middle. Taking her to either extreme would have taken more effort and created more risk, especially if he loaded her into his truck. He may have done so, but I would think that instincts would make him seek cover and not exposure. We know he went from the sapling tree to the stream. There's no track or trace of evidence either direction from there.
The streams are fed by rains up the mountain where the rain is much heavier. It doesn't matter whether the Paraquat's area got rain if there was rain higher up, because that rain will send a big whoosh of water like a flush. Like those items they found embedded in the mud, probably washed down rather than from hikers in that desolate area.
I've lived on stream properties twice, for nine years, and I've heard many many times how the water comes through carrying branches and rocks and dead animals and pushing them into the ocean or to a point where they get lodged and stuck. It would be important to remove all clothing and to make small unrecognizable pieces, and those wouldn't get stuck, and they wouldn't keep integrity very long at all like big pieces would.
A couple of speakers at the hearing offered very graphic images of dismemberment to Steven. I would not write this if I didn't see that they have all grappled with what happened and no sugar-coating the horror. It is not something I ever mention or think of without being in touch with the horror that was done one way or the other, but certainly done in some vile way.
As you said, it is not. Pleasant to go back down that path, and I don't expect you to. I couldn't help but think about it while listening to the judge.