I've said this a few times on here, but I feel like BS's dad was taken advantage of by the media. In fact, some of his later stuff (like the book) wasn't even reported on by mainstream media and was the focus of tabloids. He reminds me of people I know who have a lot of mental health issues, are going through a lot, have no filter when they talk, and need help. The difference is the people I know don't have the international media knocking on their door and wanting a statement. He doesn't seem to have a support structure of people who could rein him in and advise him not to talk. He has been quiet for several days now, and I sincerely hope it is because someone, even if it was just Victim Services, was able to take him in hand and tell him that talking to the media wasn't going to help him or help Bryer.
I feel really bad for the McLeod family, too--I think his dad said something about not even being able to talk without sobbing--but I get the sense they are savvier about this and also perhaps just have a much less dysfunctional family dynamic, so it is a lot easier for them to maintain a united front, stay quiet, avoid the media, and only release a handful of carefully worded but relatively normal-seeming statements to the press.
I don't blame either family for this. BS's childhood sounds miserable, admittedly, but other people have worse childhoods and don't kill anyone. I do agree that his dad sounds like he genuinely loved BS and was proud of him, even if he wasn't always in his son's life. His grandma seemed the same way. Even though he didn't seem to have a lot of stability growing up, I don't think BS was unaware that they adored him.
