For lack of any more likely ideas (and not a lot of less likely ideas), I've decided for now that my thought on how he got away is fairly simple. He could have parked at the Baptist church on W200N. He could have taken what looks to be a trail from about 1500 ft. east of there to the south end of the bridge to get there, and then taken it back again when he was done. It doesn't appear to be well traveled since the official trail ends at the north end of the bridge, and it would probably have taken a while for anyone to check that area. I'm really lousy when it comes to anything connected to geography, but it looks to me like it would only be about a mile walk. He could have even dropped of a bag of clothes (at least a different jacket and hat) along the way in case someone did see him. Since the church isn't open on Mondays, there wouldn't be a lot of people t notice his vehicle there; if he was driving something that looked like a service truck, it probably wouldn't attract a lot of attention from passing cars either. MOO
I think that is an excellent observation. The trail on the old tracks is right there. And there is an unofficial dump at the back of one of the farms along the way.
My only reservation about parking in that particular lot is that churches can be unpredictable - being closed still could mean 25 people showing up to do something in the kitchen etc.
Still that parking place is actually perfect to walk to and from the trail undetected.
IMHO the mismatch between the crime in the efficient way he fled the scene that might help find him.
I mean that planning to park in a hidden area doesn't seem to match the boldness of the crime. Was he hoping to commit rape on the trail and it all went wrong. He thought there was one girl and then there were two girls, and then they fought for their lives? Did he kill them because they didn't follow direction? Then fled to his hidden car back down the track?
IMHO, sad as the families are - if the girls fought to prevent him from raping them and they paid for it with their lives, you have to admire them. Its brave and who they were. Strong and not going to bow down to a creep.
If this was a disorganized impulse crime why was he there, where did he go after?
IMHO he doesn't look homeless, so why was he there on the trail? He looks belongs at a bar, not a nature trail. His gun (assuming it s a gun) is weirdly holstered and not concealed - you can see the shape through his windbreaker. IMHO Most men (truckers too) opt for a traditional belt holster - not a gun banging against their stomach. And the gun looks like a cannon, meant for intimidation not just protection.
Maybe he was there for a drug deal, then his arranged business didn't go as planned, mad he then impulsively decided to lord over two girls who happened to be on the trail.
Since his original business was illegal he had taken precautions with his parking.
And the person that was supposed to meet him has not come forward.