I used to help run survivor support groups. The vast majority of child abuse survivors that I met never told anyone when they were kids. And it was NOT because they did not trust their loved ones. It was often because of their love for their caretakers.
In my case, for example--- my parents were divorcing and my mom moved her 3 young kids back home. It was the only way she could figure out how to deal with it all at first. I saw how stressed she was, going back to work for first time in many years, dealing with her grief over the divorce. I did not want to add to it by telling her that he little brother was doing 'weird' things to me.
Besides that, he was very loving and caring and attentive. So it was confusing. He did the things that I was needing right then--paying attention, being there for us, walking us home from school, helping with homework, taking us to the movies---and it was our special little secret. Also, there was shame involved. He had a way of convincing me that I was to blame for it anyway.
I couldn't ever tell my father because I KNEW he would probably kill my uncle if he ever found out. Seriously. I could not imagine losing my father so I never ever told him. Ever.
“Every day that they don’t find something is good for me.“ Billie Dunn
First off, I laugh every time I see your quote^^^
I was very close to a friend who was molested by her bio-dad early on and through about 16, and no one would have guessed. Not even her Mother (even when it was happening under their own roof). Strangely, her twin brothers knew and used to sit outside the door and bang on it crying for their dad to let her go! But it took them years to finally tell.
The parents divorced (for other reasons since the abuse was not known yet), when she was around 13 yrs old. All the children continued to go with dad for weekend visits willingly and with joy. The abuse continued. I always looked at them as very close. They were always laughing and doing fun things. And, my friend always seemed very excited to go visit her dad. We all went shopping once, and he bought her whatever she wanted. It wasn't until years later she told me how she actually had to "re-pay" him for those purchases.
The reason I bring this situation up is because of this; my friend explained (after years of intense therapy and her dad was convicted & jailed) that she really thought at the time that it was no big deal. It was sneaky and fun some times. She was actually brainwashed enough to think she was the "cool" kid for these experiences, or the special one. It wasn't until after he was gone that she was able to see how truly revolting it was what he did to her and the shame was unbearable for her. She did terrible things to hurt herself for years to punish herself for "liking" it. But that wasn't until long after it stopped (maybe 19?).
Because of this particular friend that I had, it makes me think that it's a viable possibility with AJ. Stacy was not the only one that I knew that was abused by their father and thought they were the "cool kid" for a minute. The damage didn't surface for the second girl (different family) until she had her first baby. And, my cousins (brother&sister) had an incestuous relationship and my female cousin had the exact same feelings as the other two. The sorrow, shame and sickness didn't come until much later in life. She has been suffering breakdowns and doing horrible things since.
I bring these situations up because it's the side of abuse that people don't usually know, or talk about. I think that it is more devastating to the victim when they feel even more foolish and shamed because they misunderstood their feelings of pleasure (for lack of a better word). I can't think of how to articulate it correctly.
I am not saying this was the case with AJ. Just another on a long list of possibilities.
AJ could have broken free once she was able to get away to college. I do not think it was a coincidence that she disappeared while on her break and happened to be back home. The money seemed to be a sensitive area for WH also. Every piece of evidence found had a circumstance involving WH. WH was caught in lies, all concerning AJ's disappearance (like when the last time it was she was seen!). He spoke of her in past tense within a week or so of her disappearance...now add in his current drug use, and his past (which by itself would not hold the same weight). And now it's possible that the house is somehow connected to his employment?
People don't lie unless they have reason to. -JMO-
There is no such thing as coincidence in murder!