Skigirl
Verified expert in neuroscience & psychology
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DS's mother was asking if anybody had seen her driving in reference to possible abduction, which is why her demeanor was mentioned. Nothing DS did before she disappeared was out of normal according to friends and family. Mother was looking for witnesses after the disappearance time, because the parents first were concerned she picked somebody up to give them a ride due to her kind nature. That line of questioning ended early on, probably due to LE evidence like security cameras at the office or a POI.
The family was fixed on an abduction, because they did not believe voluntary disappearance or suicide was an option. They apparently still had the courage to investigate a potential suicide in the first few days, if only to rule this out. LE now apparently is in agreement with the family on these points.
LE has mentioned via the media searches in several areas including the Berkley house. They are specifically discouraging "ground searches" while specifically encouraging everybody keep an eye out for the listed missing items, and DS herself. This is still being communicated via MISSING posters. Nobody wants a bunch of yahoos prowling through every known area while LE is investigating. If they need a ground search, they will ask, and the family will ask.
While the media provides available information, be cautious not to label that information as "facts" as the media is prone to error, sloppiness, and usually seems to stick to repeating what it is told by LE. One such non fact, for example, which keeps getting into print is that her truck is gray, and it is actually black with mud splashes.
I totally agree that they may not be wanting searches because they probably do not want every Tom, Dick and Harry prowling around, messing up potential evidence and getting themselves into trouble (as is happening in another case I'm following, where the LE is having to rescue rag-tag independent searchers who have been taking absurd risks, like going into the woods after dark to look for a kid in random locations with no evidence at all of where the kid is).
My take on what the family was saying early on is a little different. I watched the uncut press conference and I feel that LE and the Stislickis discussed what would and would not be said and what observations would be specifically requested. That is the press conference where the parents asked if anyone had seen her in her car, and what was her demeanor, and was anyone in it with her. I think at that point, there was alignment between LE and the family that she had been abducted. If you watch the press conference, DS parents are clearly taking cues from LE, and picking their words carefully, asking if they can say things, etc. If anything, I think LE was a little worried that they would say too much, but I did not get the sense that DS' parents were saying things that LE had simply dismissed. I do think that LE wanted to know if anyone had seen her in her car with someone else.
I think the "we believe foul play" talk happened after they found evidence that she was taken to a location where LE searched, but did not find her there. Not that they doubted that she had been abducted, before that, but that they actually found physical evidence in one of their searches. JMO, could all be wrong.
Also, within the last few days, family has been saying that the "5 facts" article is one with accurate info. They have pointed to other, specific articles as being accurate. So, I agree that media can be pretty sloppy, but at least some of the reports gel with what DS family already knows.