I'm interested to hear what you think is likely to happen from this point, given this search and the comments from people this week (BC, NC, etc). I'm thinking there's the following scenarios:
1) This search is 3km2 because that's what the coroner needs to "rule out" misadventure if it goes to inquest, and therefore 4 weeks and 3km2 it is, with state planning mapping used, testing equipment, dogs, shovels, every house paver tested, every "mine shaft" and "nook and cranny" checked (not sure there are even mine shafts in the search area, but I noticed in ACA's interview with Jubelin, it was mentioned and Jubelin didn't say there weren't any in the bushland). This scenario is both depressing (ie maybe the police don't have many leads, no-one has responded to the reward, etc) and encouraging (they need to rule out misadventure because they know it was human intervention and who did the act, but not where William is - therefore a criminal conviction (body or not) may go ahead via the inquest).
2) This search is 3km2 because, through covert investigations or tip off, they know where to look in general but not specific square metre, and are looking for either a burial site or items that they strongly suspect or know are there. This is both distressing (burial site) and relieving (closure may be on its way - to conviction or William's location - alive or passed).
3) This search is (1) and Jubelin is taking the opportunity to show via media specific tools and items being found (police officers walking openly down a street, almost parading), as a last ditch effort to draw out the person responsible, as SF Rosann's last opportunity if you like - using smoke and mirrors to turn those screws - but it is mostly for show. I personally don't think this is the case, because it is going for 4 weeks with 50 specialist staff. If you think about what this means $ wise, let's assume 50 staff members are being paid $1000 a week at least (I think it would be higher for specialist staff but let's look at minimum numbers here), that's $50,000 per week x 4 = $200,000. Then the equipment, management time, admin support, media liaison officers - you could argue that this is a $500,000+ exercise here. That's not going to be done unless a) no-one has taken the reward and that reward is taken off the table after this exercise so they are spending it on this last ditch effort - or b) there's a reason for this search (as Jubelin has said) and it is not just "for show". They could have done a week's search "for show" and ruffled feathers of a perp. Why four weeks? Because they need that to do the actual job.
Personally, I think it's either 1) doing all they can before a coronial inquest because they need to rule out misadventure before trying to convict someone (but they may never find William); or (2) This is a search for a reason and I think BC going back to the bushland over the past two weeks has something to do with that. Not implying he has anything to do with William's disappearance (I adhere to the rules on this site).
What do you think, WSers? Are there other options that you think are possible?
