I know this is weird because no one here is defending James, but some people on Youtube are defending him, and even though it's been a while, I still want to list my own reasoning as to why he's guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
I divide this roughly into two piles: "push" factors (reasons that there is no other explanation for her disappearance) and "pull" factors (reasons that it is believable that he himself did it).
"Push" factors: Why no other explanation makes sense
Vicky is gone. Where could she have gone? How could she have gotten there?
She left the house either:
1. On foot either (a) to kill herself or (b) to start a new life.
2. In a vehicle, again either (a) to kill herself or (b) to start a new life.
The vehicle could have been (a) her own (b) a taxi of some kind (c) a friend.
3. Against her will, with someone other than James.
4. Against her will, with James.
That's it. Those are the possibilities. I mean, if there's another possibility tell me but that's it, right? So.
On foot to commit suicide doesn't make sense. Why? She was apparently in stacked heels and it was muddy and cold out. No footprints were found. A reasonable search radius was searched thoroughly and she wasn't found. If she'd left on foot, there would have been some trace of her, plus, it defies belief that she'd leave in high heels. Further, if she was planning to kill herself, why die in the cold mud? Why do that just a week after her colostomy bag was removed and it was going to be smooth sailing from here? Her previous suicide attempt was clearly a cry for help/attention -- I don't see her lying down in the cold mud to die. And also, they never found her. So leaving on foot to commit suicide doesn't make sense in any way, either from a psychological perspective or an evidentiary one.
In terms of starting a new life, it's hard to believe she'd do that on foot -- in high heels, on a cold muddy night -- but it's equally hard to believe she'd do that in a vehicle. She didn't have one of her own. There wasn't Uber back then and anyway she didn't use apps. She had like 60 names in her phone and few friends. Also, LE checked with every single taxi company and none of them picked her up that night. It also defies belief that she'd leave her children and never contact them again -- she LOVED her kids. Also, she was from all accounts a woman who prided herself on her appearance. She would never have voluntarily left the house without her dentures, which were left behind. I can't imagine her even doing that to commit suicide. She wouldn't want to be found like that. And what about how she was still under medical supervision? If she'd left to start a new life in any way, she'd still need to see a doctor to tend to her sutures. She left her medication and ID behind. She didn't pack a bag with a toothbrush, pack of smokes, and a pair of underwear. The whole "new life" theory is basically impossible, again from a psychological perspective and an evidentiary one. Leaving voluntarily for any reason or in any way defies belief.
So that leaves options 3 and 4 -- leaving involuntarily.
It was James' statement that he was asleep in the downstairs lounge chair when Victoria disappeared. So if we are to suppose that someone abducted Victoria, they would have had to 1. enter the house without waking James 2. find Victoria, an elderly woman, asleep in her bed 3. abduct her for no real reason, but leave behind James (still sleeping!!) and not steal anything 4. find a way to make Victoria disappear forever. I mean. Even the defense didn't try to push this angle because it's bizarre. No one would do that, and again, if they did they would have woken James. So that's not an option.
That just leaves -- James.
Ok, on to "pull" factors -- reasons to believe it could have been James. None of these is individually damning, but together they tell a story. The daughter talks about her concerns that James may have tried to over-medicate Victoria in the weeks before the disappearance. He was away from his house mysteriously for some period of time in the late night/early morning hours the night Victoria disappeared. Then he tells his son "your mom's gone" with no apparent emotion, and goes to work as normal. He was physically strong and was alone with Victoria when she disappeared, and she was a small lightweight woman. In other words, he would have been physically able to do it. Right after she's gone, he immediately begins acting as though Victoria is gone and will never come back. He makes no pretense of grief or concern. He wants to give away her stuff -- clothes, etc. - immediately. Then of course, there's the whole thing about him having a girlfriend, a girlfriend who later kills herself! Not saying she killed herself because of this, but it sure adds weight to the argument. And then of course there's him confessing and later recanting it. So he had the means, motive, and opportunity to kill her, and his behavior both before and after her disappearance was suspicious. Finally, there's his access to one of the few places in the vicinity of his house where someone can dump a body and expect for it to never be found. So he also had means and opportunity to dispose of her body.
Between the push and pull factors, he was gui-ui-ui-lty. I'm so glad the jury voted that way.
