I remember watching a TV special about the profile of Jack the Ripper (the majority of the murders were all in the same area much like the all the incidents on Joy's blog). Just a brief snippet "offenders, like the rest of us, rely on mental maps, which include both time and place. We choose to travel in familiar areas because it is comfortable to do so. Offenders typically choose their hunting grounds because they are familiar with them. This is especially noticeable when the crimes occur in such a confined geographic area as do these".
The theory presented suggested the offender (Jack The Ripper) was comfortable and familiar with the area as he probably lived and/or worked there. In addition, living or working in the area offered the offender a potential legitimate cover if stopped and questioned by authorities about what he was doing in that neighborhood. I know this is stating the obvious.
I also know there are a slew of potential perps that have been discussed in this forum regarding Jacob's abduction. Did any of them specifically reside or live in the Paynesville area?