JB,
I'm quoting your post because it made me really think about something that could be very important!
The victim from the Cold Spring Case was driven around at some point by police to see if he could identify any of the area in which his attack took place. He identified a specific light or something (might have been a silo?). I cannot recall what it was unfortunately. The point is though, that whatever he recognized I think was NEAR to DR's property if I recall correctly.
If he did recognize any of the surroundings near DR's property, it would be easy for people to assume that DR must therefore be the abductor / involved in this child's case, and/or JW's case.
BUT:
Your post made me question whether it COULD have been a priest from St. Johns. The perp in THAT case was concerned about being recognized, as he pulled the kid's hat or shirt or something over his eyes to obstruct his view. Further, he kept asking the boy if he recognized him etc.
If it was a priest, and if the attack DID happen in the general vicinity of DR's property, it could just be because the perp was familiar with the area, knew that it was a generally quiet area, with little to no traffic - perfect for an assailant to accomplish his crime. It might even have demonstrated some degree of planning ahead, as the perp in the cold spring case might have realized that if the boy recognized the surroundings, he might be more likely to assume it was someone other than a priest as St. Johns was not (?) clearly visible?
I'm not sure if I'm making much sense here. I'm having a terrible time articulating my thoughts (exhausted from a long day!) but I do hope someone understands what I'm getting at!