You posed an awesome question, so Thank You for you thoughtful post.
If you have anymore thoughts in this vein I would love to hear them. Gets us thinking.
Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
Glad it had that effect! The more I've been thinking about the time frame, location, video/audio capture... I have a really hard time believing in theories of a random act or stranger, or a drifter. Anything is possible, but given the short amount of time Abby and Libby were set to be there supposedly (is there a definitive time of pickup statement?), I just would find it to be a SK's or a drifters opportunity of a lifetime to happen upon the girls with absolutely no one around, like hitting the lottery. Which is totally and 100% a plausible theory and I am in no way discounting that. Just my own brain doesn't buy that, at least not at this point.
Going along with the local perp theory, which I believe in the most due to the terrain and location of the bodies:
I have also wondered about how many people live in the vicinity of the trail? How many homes, businesses etc are around that are within eye sight of the trail heads? Could someone have watched them go in, living close by they knew the activity on the trail that day was very low, knew they may not be out very long and now was the time to strike, gathered what they needed and off they went?
Perhaps leaving them on your neighbors property because you may be aware of his troubles with DUI, or know he has done things or owns things that violate his probation? It puts the spotlight on someone else, and if it's not RL, it's working to get people thinking it is.
...just things that wander through my thoughts. All MOO please don't take anything I say too seriously, all speculative.