Since almost the beginning, I thought Misty was covering for Ron. The marraige just cemented that theory. Can you say 'gratitude & keep your mouth shut'? The only other theory that holds any water in my opinion, is Ron is covering for Misty. But that theory, although possible, takes a big leap in credibility. Ron is obviously VERY immature, & the only girlfriends he feels comfortble with, are teenagers. He can intimidate them, control them, but also communicate on their maturity level. Had Ron, before Misty, ever demonstrated any characteristics of a grown man? Did he have a real job, pay child support, marry his children's mothers, have his own place, set up house with girlfriends? I don't think so. Here's a man in his mid-20s, living like a teenaged . But for whatever reason, things had changed. He had custody, had a job, had a house, & had a live in girlfriend. Personally, I think Teresa was trying to force Ron to grow up & it backfired, but let's just say for argument's sake, that Ron fell hard for Misty & was determined to keep her. Yeah, he was mean & controlling to her, (that's the only way he knew), but he DID ask her to come back home after her wild weekend. She didn't beg him. HE made that move. & you can bet your butt, he wasn't happy, but he still wanted her back. Teresa said they spent the whole night 'talking'. Was he trying to work out their problems? Say, he did go to work, she had another wild party, & something happened to Haleigh. Instead of reporting her, he decided what's done is done & to once again forgive & forget-because he wanted to keep this girl. Say, his anger towards her & ambivalence towards their marraige, was nothing more than a public save of face to be seen as The Man. But he did marry her, kept her in his family, ran with her, partied with her, sold dope with her, slept with her, paid to have HIS name tattooed on her...to buy into this theory, you'd have to accept that Ron helped Misty cover up the death of HIS DAUGHTER. & with Teresa's seal of approval. Although this is possible, it's hard to believe. So, the question is:How far would Ron go, to keep the girl he wanted? But even if this theory was true, Ron would still be culpable-in a big way.