To your question about the parties though, I've wondered if the woman or women that the neighbor saw with the men thru the bonfire lit tent at night could be one or more prostitutes that Phil Garrido brought to his parties, then did he murder them? and not Jaycee or her daughters in the tent?
It could be either, or both considering the perp's background.
I'm still reading through this thread and don't know if others offered more information, but I have had the same thoughts as you. At first I thought it was Jaycee the men were having sex with and it still could be, but I don't think so. Or else I think Garrido might have tried that at first then decided no and brought in prostitutes. the reason I think it could still have been Jaycee at first is because the neighbor said a couple of times he heard screams over there. But who knows - that could have been a prostitute and they could have been doing more than having sex, like hurting her.
Does anyone know how long that neighbor lived there (I think I might have read it somewhere, but I'm not sure)?
And, I do wonder if Garrido was using other areas for similar activities - like earlier when the prositutes were murdered. All of those prostitute deaths along with Lisa Norrell's death were within a short time period and many in nearly the same area.