Just catching up with the last 24hrs worth of info.
First of all RIP David and condolences to the family.
Unfortunately this outcome was not unexpected.
BBM
IF the body has been there all winter, decomposition would have been slowed down by the cold/frost/snow/etc, so it's going to be critical that the ME (+/- forensic anthropologist +/- forensic entomologist) work to establish the estimated time of death from several different angles.
This is exactly why
Body Farms exist. To learn more and guide investigators to better understanding of the impact of the elements on a dead body.
JR's (or anybody else's) opinion matters zero. We shall see what the ME finds.
In some cases a medical episode may make you disoriented, confused or cause hallucinations. Drugs can also do that obviously.
If he was experiencing any of those symptoms he may have turned the wrong way, stop at random and took off running whilst he was hallucinating.
I can see many scenarios where this could happen.
I'm really looking forward to the results of this autopsy.
MOO