This is going to probably be my last response on this thread for awhile... I'm getting way too emotionally invested and the similarities between AC and myself at that age 10 years ago - especially after the second FB post - are too uncanny and are triggering a lot of not so great memories.
What I am going to say about the Ashleigh Banfield coverage and the new LJ info is this (I'm not claiming to be an expert, but most of this is FME as a masters student who's taken advanced psych classes and as someone who's lived in areas that are on their potential routes):
- If they are headed to North Dakota as the photographer post hints at, the usual route from OH to ND is through Columbus, Indianapolis, then Chicago, Milwaukee, cross the Minnesota border in Rice Lake or Black River Falls, then on through the Duluth area and straight through to Grand Forks. If they were indeed spotted in Youngstown, they might be taking the roundabout way through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to avoid the tollways in Illinois and Indiana.
- If they are trying to cross the border, one of the easiest places to cross is in rural Vermont into Quebec. I highly doubt they are taking that option, especially given what has happened to the last few missing fugitives who have tried to cross the border.
- About the little tidbit about AC identifying as bi on FB: this could definitely be the source of not only some family issues but a potential reason for the whole statement from the mom saying that the pastor is "not a good guy". I'm not sure what her church's general stance on homosexuality is, but it appears that she stopped attending the youth group around the same time that she posted that status stating that she is bi.
- Adding to the above point, that could very well be yet another reason (as if we needed more) for LJ to take advantage of her. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 74.9% of bi women report being sexually assaulted at least once in their lifetime, which is almost 30% higher than the rate of straight women or lesbians saying the same. I know FME that coming out as bi or even questioning while in a relationship, especially one that is abusive and controlling, just the fact that you have the potential to be attracted to the same gender your abuser is attracted to gives them another potential weapon at their disposal to use against you.
- It appears that it's been confirmed that AC has been diagnosed with Aspergers or she at least has acknowledged that there was some kind of diagnosis. The video I posted three or four pages back has it exactly spot on. I know quite a few women that are in that spot on the spectrum and they are witty, sarcastic and you would NEVER know about their diagnosis unless they told you about it. There is this tendency (which I've noticed a lot with AC's SM posts) to overshare and ESPECIALLY to be overly trusting. Her other diagnoses of anxiety and ADHD go hand in hand with Aspergers (see video), and congenital heart conditions are often comorbid with ASD.
- In regards to the heart condition/surgery, I wonder if Mom didn't mention it because she didn't want it to appear that AC had TOO many issues - eg. pregnant and autistic is already a lot in many people's eyes. Given the other stuff that I've already mentioned above, there are many layers to both AC and Mom (and the sisters but I really don't want to get into that because we aren't supposed to sleuth them) that make this a lot more concerning than it was even earlier today.
Sorry this is super long winded, but I wanted to make sure everything I was thinking about was said before I close out this thread for awhile!