They looked real to me. But other things appeared off.
As an aside, sometimes domestic abusers can feel remorse for what they did. And actually cry. I would actually venture to guess that the majority of rage murders or even revenge type murders aren’t by sociopaths. They’re by people with rage issues. Obsessives. Extreme jealousy. Etc. Inexplicably, those people can also feel shame or remorse even though they have the capacity to do the worst.
Often those are the ones who crack the most quickly during investigations.
So while a lack of actual tears or red eyes/face is telling, actual tears doesn’t mean a person is genuine in what they’re saying, IMO. I also look for eye contact, do they touch their face and where, how they phrase things, body language.
Gosh I hope she’s a voluntary missing. Every other scenario is terrible.
BBM:
I had the exact same read on SC's nonverbals in the video, i.e., it was really a mixed bag.
That was most especially apparent in the original live video feed, which the station unfortunately edited to shreds.
In that unedited, live video of SC, there's an odd amalgamation of seemingly authentic emotion and at the same time what appeared to be more intentional/staged physical gesturing.
For example, he appeared genuinely to be fighting back tears at one point..but he also kept rubbing the corner of his eye in a way that appeared completely forced/contrived.
SC didn't appear to be anxious or highly motivated to get physical descriptions of HB and MC out there.
He didn't appeal to the public on camera to be on the lookout for the two of them until he was prompted by the reporter to do so.
I also agree that with dv that escalates to murder, many abusers can an do feel actual remorse afterward for his/her actions. Not all abusers are sociopaths. The remorse of course doesn't mitigate their abusive behavior, but it does make them at least slightly more "human" than sociopaths.
The distancing language SC used r/t the baby in calling her a "beautiful woman" is distressing.
I don't think he could bring himself to acknowledge that she's a helpless infant.
JMO.
