Justice101
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Because of the use of "would" I am doubtful. If he wanted to convey that they did actually cross the creek he would have used the past tense (notice how I say he "would have used" in the same way?)
The interviewer posed the question as a hypothetical question. Would it have been difficult.....?
So I believe, if it had happened , the exchange would have been like this, (notice I use "would have been" for the hypothetical again)
A. I mean, WAS it difficult for the girls to (go) from where they were on the bridge to where they were found?
H: Yeah. Absolutely. I think it WAS difficult, obviously. They have to go through some pretty steep terrain in a wooded area, sticker bushes and things like that, so it's uh ... and then to cross the creek. The creek, and obviously it's February, it's probably not the warmest . The weather was a warm day that day, but still the water temperature is probably cooler than the air temperature. So yeah, it WAS difficult for ....
If just the three WAS words above replace the "would have been" and "would be" then the whole thing then becomes certain. If the reporter had just asked, "Did they cross the creek" we know what he would have answered right? Integrity, blah blah etc.
MOO
Somehow, someway.. I still don't think the girls were marched thru the creek.