Right, not that particular night. But you bring up a salient point - that kind of absolute night darkness is normal to you, and it would be normal to locals and local LE, and their mental mapping is adapted to it. About 2/3 of the population of the USA live in urban and suburban areas where there are a lot of lights all night. There are also vast spaces that do not have woods and usually have clear skies. When urban people drive in an area like Barron County the darkness is surprising.
So is the suspect local or not local? I have a hard time imagining that a true local could pull this off in the small town atmosphere without someone suspecting or knowing. I have a hard time imagining a non-local person can operate there in the dark without recon of the house location, alternate escape routes other than Hwy 8, which would be done in daylight as well as at night before the crime. If I am going to invade a home, murder two people by gunshots, and abduct a child, I want more than one way out. I don't want to find myself on farm road X in the dark and find out a little bridge is washed out. I also do not want a record of googling 1268 13 1/2 Ave, Barron, WI, on my IP address because prior to 10/15/18 there would not be many such searches.
*ripping hair out* Is this criminal(s) Local or Not Local?
Excellent points,. And driving up a driveway in the dark. What is the turnaround situation?