I don't think the amount of time MR did or didn't spend with Dylan prior to July is really much of a factor here. The situation as it was seemed to suit everyone concerned. The problems arose when ER altered the situation and made things much more difficult and inconvenient for MR. And she did this to not only take on a new job, but a new (old?) husband. I'm sure MR had to be steaming about the whole thing. Looks like ER bent to his will and made his life as easy as possible after the divorce but now she was putting herself first for once and I'll bet he really had a problem with that.
So when looking at things that led up to Dylan's disappearance we've got an ex-wife moving and getting remarried and taking the children with her. A custody hearing, that Dylan made statements at, where ER won sole custody (and possibly increased child support or actual child support where none really existed before?). Then we've got a court ordered visitation for a week at Thanksgiving that MR has to take a week of "work" off for and return to his home in Vallecito. Dylan was supposed to fly in on the Saturday. MR came home for this. Dylan did not make it in on the Saturday (still really unclear of what happened there) but the flight was rescheduled for the Sunday. It's a little vague about whether MR had driven to the airport on Saturday only to find out that flight was cancelled. So the Sunday flight, according to MR, was also late getting in due to some mechanical issues in Denver. Not sure when it was originally due in and how long MR had to wait at the airport for it to come in. When Dylan finally does get there he's asking to immediately go to see his friends in Bayfield. Dad says no and they go in the opposite direction to Durango to grab some stuff at Walmart. Dad wants to go eat at a sit down restaurant and talk. Dylan wants McDonalds so they go to the drive thru. Was there no sit down area in the McDonalds where they could "talk" or at that point was MR a little peeved at everything that had gone down so far and just grabbed the food at the drive thru and headed home?
And what did they talk about during the time from the airport to home? Did MR ask Dylan what he may have said to the judge that resulted in him losing custody? Did MR ask Dylan what he wanted to do for Thanksgiving and Dylan told him he wanted to be home in Colorado Springs? Was Dylan mad about not getting to go to Bayfield to see his friends like he had planned? Was MR mad that he wanted to go there right away and had actually planned to do so? After MR had been waiting to see him since Saturday? MR has a temper. So much seems to be so wrong with the whole scenario.
I just don't see this thing as getting off on the right foot from the get go.
MOO
