It's a very family oriented neighborhood - lots of kids. No real crime. Also, pretty sleepy - lights off by 9pm typically. Of course this was a Saturday night and the owners of the house where the bag was dropped were reportedly out and saw it when they came home after midnight but didn't do anything about it until the next day. It is not unusual at all for kids stuff to be lying around - bikes, scooters, toys, etc. I think this is why the backpack was ignored for as long as it was -- just not that out of place. One other point that may be important. The weather that evening and day was as cold and wet as it has been since last winter. It had started on the Friday that JR was abducted and really didn't improve until late in the day Saturday. On the typical Saturday morning there would have been lots of people out and about, but that just wasn't the case that day.
As I've posted before, I think in assessing the location of the BP drop, it's worth looking at and considering the path from the body drop to that location. (I for one believe it was done in that order). If you were heading to highway 36 the absolute most direct route would to go north on Indiana (CR5) to McCaslin to 36. The entire area on your left (west) is open space and is basically uninhabited for all of those miles. Similarly, on your right (east) there is really nothing (if you were looking for an area with homes) unless you head back toward JR's neighborhood (via 96th) until you come down the hill on McCaslin and cross Coalton. The FIRST RIGHT is Christensom Ave. (Yes, there is a turn at South Indiana, but there isn't much along there except a school and fire station). This is the entrance to the neighborhood where the bag was dropped. Again, no homes along that short stretch and a choice of either left or right on Andrew Way. If you turn right on to Andrew, the home at the corner of Alpha (where the bag was dropped) is the first house on the right where there are no windows facing the street. (I think it is only 5 houses in -- not very far) Christensom is also the last place that you can turn before you get to the highway that is not a larger road or a commercial area. Unless you've seen it (although frankly the Google Maps show it pretty well), it's hard to believe you could drive 7-8 miles and not see any residential areas but that is the way it is.
http://goo.gl/maps/Ifd6e
I continue to believe that the traffic cameras at the intersection of 86th and Indiana (CR5) hold a crucial piece of evidence. I just don't see how the perp got between the three known locations without passing that intersection at least twice.
