What I keep coming back to...is my doubt that either one of the weapons was in the interior of the house. Someone had to run to the garage and/or run outside to get them.
Even if somehow the bat had not been put away properly that night, it would not have been in either the guest bedroom or the master bedroom.
So if TM hears his daughter screaming, does it make sense that he takes time to run around first and get weapons?
He tried to cover this by lying that the bat was a gift. Why? Because his story is dependent on him reacting to an emergency. But the gathering of weapons shows he did not react to the "scene" of his daughter being choked and grab something handy to defend her.
No, he took time to arm himself first. To gather weapons BEFORE running to the room.
Who does that? Molly could have been choked to death while he was running around gathering weapons.
I still believe it was Molly who collected the weapons and hit Jason first while he was sleeping.
Yes the bat is puzzling. my theories on this:
1. If TM's story is to be believed and it was in fact a gift, he could have left it sitting out for jack to find when he got up the following morning and TM simply grabbed it enroute.
2. If it was a gift .. the second bat should have been located unless he bought the bat as a replacement for one that had perhaps got lost, stolen, damaged etc. If it was a gift, im sure he will have to provide a receipt or proof of purchase for it......
3. What bat did the bat cover that was left behind belong to? Why was this not removed in the search? If it belonged to the old bat TMs finger prints would have been on it when he picked it up. Did the police not think this was relevant to even check and take it away for fingerprinting when they went to the house to search it specifically for another bat and didnt retrieve one?
4. It just puzzles me as i would be very surprised at TM telling an outright lie that he could easily be tripped up with given his stellar career with Law enforcement. The man should have the knowledge of how to get out of any situation regardless of it being criminal or otherwise and also know how LE would go about looking for evidence either to support his claim or discount it.
If TM is telling the truth thenwhere is the previous bat ? LE did not retrieve it or indeed a gear bag but left the bat cover behind? was the gear bag there with no bat so they didnt bother taking it?
Or if he is lying and there is only one bat, why did the police not take the cover? The fact that the cover was left behind in the police search is strange and thats why I cannot think my way around this. I do believe that TM entered the room with the bat, he picked it up somewhere enroute to the room.