I agree that they are probably trying to pressure a specific person to talk.
I’m reluctant to say “NSWPOL wouldn’t go to these lengths unless they were certain” because they have certainly done it before, but these are the reasons I think they know what they are doing this time:
1. We all know who the POI is. An unknown POI has just received a million dollar payout for being wrongfully targeted. It’s not BS or PS, so there are two even larger payouts pending. NSWPOL wouldn’t risk an even larger payout of they got it wrong this time.
2. NSWPOL haven’t clarified that their current POI is not the FC, which I think they would do if it wasn’t her for the reasons above.
3. The search is overly theatrical, so I think (hope) this is a deliberate strategy.
4. A grave archaeologist has spoken to the media giving specific details. He is not a member of NSWPOL. Usually it’s only police that release information to the media while the contractors get on with their job. He has therefore had police approval to speak.
5. The grave archaeologist has given very specific information re a body being “placed” rather than “buried”. This means that a contractor is giving out operational inside information. A contractor wouldn’t gild the lily. He’s an archaeologist, not an actor. If this information was just speculative, it would have been released by police not a contractor.
I think this is about making someone sweat. And that person would be being watched very carefully and I think the timing of the release of information is very strategic. If I was a betting person, I’d bet that they already have what they are looking for and are now trying to extract a confession rather than having to go to trial on circumstantial evidence on a bunch of charges that the DPP will find difficult to prove.
All just MOO.