"We don't want to mess this up for the officers they're doing a lot more than anybody knows and I'll tell you right now thumbs up O.K. [...] tell everybody to be patient," said De Keado.
Some have taken that comment personally and Id like to remind them that we are not the only ones in the world concerned with, and discussing, Stephanie. Chuck De Keado lives in Ruch. In a small town where one store acts as the general meeting place and everyone in town knows Stephanie, you can bet a lot of people are abuzz about this case. You can bet they are mad and not very patient any more. Maybe some have pursued finding her on their own. It seemed to me his comment was in the context of his own experience and had absolutely nothing to do with this thread.
On Stephanies thread 95% of what has been posted has come from online sources and public records that anyone can access. We just bring it all to one place here and, as Lilibet says, brainstorm the details. As mentioned before, I know several missing person cases where information from a sleuther has advanced the investigation or helped the prosecution. I do not know of a case where a WS discussion has ever hindered an investigation.
There is a point in posting that people new to WS suddenly realize that everyone in the world can see these posts. Um, yes. This is the Internet! They also have the revelation that law enforcement knows more than we do. Yes again. Neither of these revelations enlightens people whove been on WS for a while following cases. We know it! Its a given that LE has more info and we respect that. Ive got another eye-opener often sleuthers know far more about a case than they are posting. And it is discretion and forbearance that keeps them from posting it.
I am well aware that LE, the perpetrators, the media and families of the victims are often on WS following case threads. The potential audience here is everyone in the world. Which is why I craft my posts carefully.
My first post back in July mentioned Lonnies gold claim not far from Carberrry Creek Road an area Lonnie (aka Lennie Ames) has known well for 20 years. Ive harped on about cell tower pings and a court-ordered alcohol-monitoring device on Stephanie's SUV with engine starts/stops reports the day she went missing. In recent posts, Ive made no bones about my frustration at Henderson for letting the POI who was standing in front of him wander off into the mountains. A POI who has expressed his intention to reduce the US Government to dust. Three months is a long time to go through taxpayer funds and still have a negative result in business its called the burn rate. I believe Henderson has let probable cause evidence pile up unexamined. Will his efforts discover what has happened to Stephanie? Remains to be seen.