CORRECTION: I have been informed by a different source in the family who is closer to Papaw that he DOES NOT lock his house when he works in the shop. He'd usually leave the garage door on Becca's side of the garage attached to the house open and sometimes even the front door unlocked, then the shop would be unlocked and usually one, or both, garage doors of the shop open.
Previously, I posted that he WOULD typically lock the house, but that was from a source who may have been guessing based on their own tendencies. Reminder that the house was completely locked up, as was the shop, and all garage doors were down when Becca arrived home.
I don't have much time today to address other comments, but wanted to get that out there.
Hi Pmerle,
Thank you for this important update, and I am so sorry PaPaw hasn't been found yet. I'm sure the last 3+ months have felt like an eternity to you and your loved ones. They have for me.
Do we have a better idea as to how long PaPaw was home before something happened to him (I'm sorry; I know there is still a possibility he left on his own volition, but the longer this goes on, the more strongly I feel he didn't
![Frown :( :(](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
)?
As I recall, PaPaw is believed to have returned home from Wal-Mart around noon, the neighbors were home -or possibly even outside- by 3PM, and they didn't notice anything, thus LE's assumption that whatever happened to him happened between noon and 3PM. Do we have a narrower window?
You have shared with us his Wal-Mart purchase was found in a bathroom with receipt in a trash can, which fits his usual behavior. This leads me to believe he had time to go inside the house at least briefly, or perhaps for a longer period of time (e.g., eating lunch), before going out to the garage and thus -with the new information- leaving the house unlocked, and in which case whatever happened, it didn't happen as soon as he returned from Wal-Mart.
As to the new information from a family member, it is very relevant, IMO. Assuming that PaPaw did NOT lock his house, leaving the garage door on Becca's side of the attached garage open and/or the front door to the house unlocked, as well as the shop unlocked and one or both garage doors of the shop open, one possible scenario I can think of is:
1. Someone known to PaPaw shows up in a pickup truck or a SUV, while Papaw is working in the garage (truck more likely than a SUV);
2. There is an altercation, during which PaPaw is injured, starts bleeding and incapacitated (I am so sorry
![Frown :( :(](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
);
3. The perp rolls PaPaw onto a tarp (again, I'm so sorry
![Frown :( :(](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
) on the floor of the shop, which may explain the lack of drops or smears. The perp turns their truck around and parks it with the rear facing one of the shop garage door. The perp drags PaPaw onto the bed of his truck, maybe using a ramp (for ATVs, lawn mowers, etc.:
https://www.google.com/search?q=atv...iw=1280&bih=590#tbm=isch&q=pickup+truck+ramps)
4. Before driving away, the perp closes the garage door on Becca's side of the attached garage, locks the front door to the house, closes one or both garage doors of the shop and then locks the man-door to the shop (via the one that automatically locks behind you, not the deadbolt, which you said was not engaged). In short, the perp makes sure everything is locked up. To make it appear as though PaPaw left on his own volition and did not intend to return, the perp leaves his wallet and keys inside the shop.
5. I believe PaPaw's hat and cell phone were on his person. I'm not sure if it was while they were driving away the perp realized PaPaw's cell phone might still be on, so they pulled over and discarded it at a random location, or they left it wherever they left PaPaw.
Also, it would take more than one person to move PaPaw, and even to injure him to the point he is incapacitated, IMO
![Frown :( :(](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
.
I am so sorry for bombarding you for questions, and I know you don't have much time, so if you cannot get to them, no worries:
1) As I recall, footage was recovered from a security camera belonging to a neighbor across the street. Any vehicle -other than PaPaw's- seen turning into and pulling out of PaPaw's driveway between noon and seven on the day of his disappearance?
2) Did LE look for unusual tire marks and footprints before everyone arrived to look for PaPaw the first night?
3) Did anyone share with LE previously (or at all) the fact that PaPaw usually leaves the shop and the house unlocked when he works in the shop ?