Yeah, there is a massive difference legally if Chad were not involved in the killings, but it is too hard to believe he was not involved if he still believes he was framed and still buys into the fantasies.
That's why for the defense to work, in my opinion, he has to let go of "I was framed (because I'm so special)" and show some respect for the investigation. He has to at least to pretend he is sad that the children were murdered. He has to at least pretend he regrets the role he played, while claiming it was not criminal. Because if he does not regret it, it comes off that he thinks, with undeniable evidence to the contrary, no harm was done.
I don't agree that nobody is minimizing deaths. Chad has not expressed any grief at all for the deaths. Perfect strangers (like me) are devastated for JJ, Tylee, and Tammy. Chad has shown no sadness at all. He just acted like he was surprised when E told him bodies were found in his back yard, after he fled from the police for no particular reason. He didn't even muster up pretending he found it tragic to find bodies in his back yard. He danced on the beach after making very short work of burying his murdered wife, while there were dead children in his back yard. If his assertion is he didn't know the children were there, at least on retrospect he should be thoroughly disgusted at himself dancing in costume on the beach with a murderer.
It's not at all believable he was not criminally involved if he has no backward looking disgust. Look at the people who are fairly often considered complicit by posters here, such as Melanie Gibb or Zulema. They are increasingly disgusted and ashamed looking back. They testified against Lori. The mean stuff they said seems closer to forgivable because they seem to be grasping the horrific consequences of the delusion, at least partially. Chad no disgust, has taken no redemptive actions, and therefore can not get away with claiming he was just caught up in a bad thing. He hasn't acknowledged it was bad.
If he is saying the government is framing him, with out seeking protection and justice for children, he is implying protection and justice for children is not important. If he doesn't trust government to provide this, that's one thing. But it is entirely another to ignore protection and justice for children buried in his own back yard. It is just not believable that he was only involved in fantasy if he has no regrets looking back for what happened.
I guess an argument could be made that he is still enmeshed in fantasy and therefore believes he is being framed by evil-spirit tainted LE, and he is not in touch with reality enough to regret the consequences. But that doesn't work well either, considering his deceit and behaviors like driving away when JJ was unearthed.
MOO
Edited to add: not sure how I replied to AA at the same time, I need to refresh this site more often.