First time posting- hello all! I have read every page and every comment on this forum since the beginning and finally feel compelled to jump in. Sorry in advance if this is too long.
Dani and I have mutual friends, are the same age, and grew up within a few miles of each other. Though I didn't know her personally, I feel a deep connection. She seems to be such a purely good person. I've lost sleep over this case, I toss and turn and think about her. My husband tells me to give it a rest so I don't have nightmares but I HOPE I'll have a nightmare about what happened to her so I can help in some way.
I now live on the East Coast, but I'm currently in Farmington Hills for the holidays (staying with family just a few miles from Met Life). We've driven past her work and IGA a few times whilst out and about and my heart just drops. I'm looking in every car that passes, all around every store I'm in- just in case. Where are you, Dani? What can I do to help you? And what's worse is that I know I don't even feel a fraction of what her family does. I cannot even imagine the agony, the limbo.
I also share mutual friends with FG (seen before he deleted his Facebook). These are NOT the same friends as DS. Also, FG lives about a block from my great grandma. I was in shock about him being a potential POI, he looks like a lot of my friends and just seems so "normal," but I know they often do. Very unsettling stuff.
Here are some of my opinions/queries (most assuming FG is the perp, too coincidental for me not to believe at this point):
1) I do NOT believe she had any sort of sexual relationship or affair with FG. Judging purely from her last few relationships, I feel like her type of guy is more hipster-y than FG. She likes mountain men, guys who camp, hike, eat healthy. From the (limited amount of) pics I've seen of FG, he didn't strike me as that type, but I could be wrong. Friendly, perhaps, relationship, no. JMO, obvi, and of course sometimes people venture outside of their "type." But it's my feeling if there was any sort of attraction, it was coming from him only.
2) This thought has been nagging at me and I think you guys can help put it to rest if it's completely implausible. Could FG be missing/hiding or is he definitely around? I know he has a lawyer but is it possible he's hired one as a sort of way to negotiate with police (if that is even necessary, considering they find something that pins him) while he figures out what to do? Sadly, I feel this is one of the only ways DS is still alive- if he has taken off with her. If he was really obsessed with her, I see this as a possibility. It's really significant, to me, that there haven't been major searches for her, and the social media stuff has been pushed SO hard.
3) Otherwise, the other way she could still be alive (I HATE saying it like that but don't know how else to put it) is if he trafficked her. I heard the the ice arena next door to him was becoming a hub for illegal activity (this could be a complete rumor though), so could he have snatched her and given her to someone to make some extra money?
4) My strongest theory, and I've thought this before FG came into the picture, is that she was buying some weed at her apartment complex. She strikes me as a casual smoker, like many of my friends. I've never smoked enough to have a dealer, but I've had stoner friends who LOVE having someone to smoke with, because they usually smoke alone. They'll practically beg you to hang out and smoke with them. I feel Dani is such a sweet girl that if, say, FG stopped by (in his car) to drop off some weed (which he had perhaps done many times before) and asked her to get in for a few either just for the transaction or to smoke a little too, she would. He has a sick wife, he is probably beyond stressed out, and lonely too. A few days ago I was at the Target in Farmington Hills (a few miles from IGA). We walked out at about 5:15pm, and it was still pretty light outside. I really can't imagine someone abducting someone violently before dark, in a (presumably) busy parking lot at the time a lot of people get home from work. So this leads me to thinking she went with him voluntarily. I am a little thrown off by the fact that the DEA didn't raid his house when LE had the warrant(s), but he could've been a casual dealer and not grower.
5) I find it super unlikely that he drove her car back to IGA, or "forced" her to drive. This just seems way too risky for him. Now his DNA is in her car, it's more likely he was caught on security cameras, etc. Of course, crazier things have happened, but he would either have to be an idiot or a genius to get her car back to IG without being seen, and put it in "her" spot without being seen- I haven't decided yet. I really believe he either followed her or was waiting there for her, whether it was weed-related, stalking, or something else.
With all this being said, and especially considering the way her family has been acting, I really think she could still be alive. Maybe it's just wishful thinking (on their part and mine too), but all the tattoo/marking pics, no searches, I have to believe there is good reason for this. I think it was just a follower of the FDS page who commented that people should be checking Backpage all over the US, but these comments haven't been deleted- which could mean something. The least we can do is check our local pages daily.
Again, sorry this is so long. This is what nearly 4 weeks of obsessive researching but no posting produces. I'm not the praying type but always sending love and positive thoughts to Dani and her family/friends, and you all too.