The ground in that area is extreeeeeeeeemely dense, rocky, hard to dig. I've put a shovel in ground there, almost like concrete.
In Sunny Glenn, even w a Bobcat frontloader, digging a two foot trench for water or electric is slooooow going. JM2cts.
{ETA: Forgot to note AFAIK, most or all West TX ground is hard like that. Not just Alpine & Sunny Glenn. Anyone using a shovel, trying to dig a grave anywhere in Brewster County would be in for a workout.}
Agreed. Even with proper tools, it wasn't a quick and easy dig.
I don't think RF had a body with him when he borrowed the truck the first time (early a.m.). If they didn't get drop cloths until 20+ hours after she died (assuming she died in the 12am-3am hours), she must have been left in his apt and they needed the plastic to wrap her up before transporting.
When he borrowed the truck initially, he might have just intended to borrow the shovel...but decided it was faster to take the whole truck just in case he needed anything else. And maybe he felt that asking to borrow the truck was less suspect than asking for a shovel (or trying to sneak around bil's yard looking for one at that time of day).
Timeline recap...
Weds early a.m...RF borrows BIL's truck
*This was the bil's statement on October affidavit. Somewhere, I saw it was 6am. But don't remember the source to confirm that.
Weds 6:15a, neighbor of Zuzu saw her dog running loose wearing green collar near Zuzu's home
....RF stopped and let the dog out, then went out to start digging.
early a.m....RF starts digging the grave but couldn't finish before sunrise. He only had an hour or two of darkness. During the course of the day, he enlists CE to help him.
Later that night, CE's gps timeline Weds 10/12 (February affidavit):
9p...RF's sister's house
9p-10p...CE & RF at Guzzi Up (bar/restaurant)....wtf, btw
10:15p...Dollar General, drop cloths
10:20-10:40p...RF's sis/bil house
*BIL stated that sometime after 10pm on Wed. 10/12, RF borrowed his truck
10:40-12:00a...CE gps at RF's house
So...
CE picked up RF at sis/bil's house and went to dinner (so irritating)...
then picked up drop cloths...
stopped back and borrowed truck again "to move the table they were painting" (that was probably the initial story RF told his sis..."see, we even have drop cloths")...
RF (and possibly CE) used the truck and tools again that night to finish digging/burying.
Warrant says CE's car was at RF's house from 10:40p - 12:00a.
I really doubt CE allowed RF to transport the body in his car. He may have helped him wrap her up and carry her out. He may have also left his car at RF's apt while they went out to finish the burial in the bil's truck.
If RF was able to successfully dig the grave on his first trip...the 80 minutes CE's car gps was at RF's house would be just barely enough time to wrap her body in plastic, get her out of the apartment, drive out to the grave, bury, cover the hole and return. The drive from his apt to the grave is 15-20 minutes each way. That leaves them about 45 minutes to do everything else.
Remaining Weds pm/Thurs am timeline...
12a - 12:20a CE at dumpsters
12:20a CE at RF's sister's house (pinky swear to silence?)
12:30a CE at his friend's house acting nervous