From the article quoted above:
Ahren... went missing December 4, 2004. He was last seen at the McDonald's on Cole and Overland at about 7 p.m. as he dropped off his 3-year-old son to his mother.
From there, he drove home and even took a phone call from his roommate at 7:15 p.m. Family members believe he made it home. His car was found in the driveway but he never picked up his young child as expected the next day.
BBM.
Has the roommate been questioned?
Answering my own question...
According to
this in-depth article, "At 7:15 p.m., Ahren received a call on his cell from his roommate regarding when he would be coming home. He reportedly told his roommate that he would be there soon. “
I’m only a couple blocks from home,” he told him."
Google Maps confirms that the route from the McDonald's near Cole and Overland back to his home near 4900 Sunderland Drive is about a 15-minute drive. This fits with the timeline of the shared custody meeting around 7:00pm and the call at 7:15pm.
The article suggests he made it home, adding that there was "no indication of a break-in. No signs of violence.
His two vehicles... are parked in the driveway. His motorcycle is in the garage. His pets, a dog and a cat, are found in the house."
Is it possible that whatever happened to him took place in the driveway? Like someone was waiting for him as he parked? His block
looks like a typical quiet suburban street, but in December it would've already been dark by 7pm, so someone could've easily been hiding behind bushes, fences, or cars. And if so, how would they have known he was returning home at that time?