Speculation that they were broken up has no basis in fact. It’s no different than speculating that she was mentally ill.
But regardless of relationship status, they are co-parenting a child together. A child that is perhaps beginning to form her first words, maybe take first steps, and probably has a phone put to her ear to be able to hear the absent parent’s voice while with the other parent. It isn’t normal for a week to go by and a mom not check on her 14-month-old, any more than it would be normal for the dad to do so. And we have no reason to think that prior to her disappearance, KB acted any differently than a normal mother would.
Let’s say you go on a road trip in a similar circumstance to what PF is saying KB did. And somewhere along the way, you run off the road and are trapped upside down in your vehicle, out of sight of the road and unable to reach your phone. At that moment, knowing that all the strength and independence in the world won’t save you, what are you thinking? About how it isn’t PF’s business the pickle you’re in? Or about how you’re hoping that he makes it his business?
It is not true that there is no basis to speculate that the relationship was broken.
News stories written before the first press conference on December 10th were all describing an exchange of a child - whether the story had said Kelsey dropped off their child or has said that PF had picked up their child. Based on that alone is enough for a reasonable person to question why it seems their was some sort of custody exchange going on especially since it was occurring on a day that is a major holiday where couples and families spend them together.
Also, anyone reading the Missing page run by the family at that time would have seen the same thing. If anyone at that time also say Kelsey's aunt's post (even here at WS before it was removed) would have actually seen the words broken up.
Anyone listening to the first press conference would not only hear the word "exchange" used by the police chief when going through the time line. If you see the press release on the Woodland Park Police FB page immediately after that press conference where they made two clarifications.
If you listened to the second press conference from last Friday the police chief was asked about the custody situation (which goes to the relationship status) at the 6 minute mark:
Q. What was the custody arrangement like before Kelsey went missing/disappeared?
A. So, that is still going to be part of this investigation so I can't really comment on that
That press conference was 12 days after Kelsey was reported missing and even now another 6 days later there is no definitive statement as to what the true status of their relationship. This is the elephant in the room. There must be some reason why, after all this time, that none of the parties involved have any interest in clearing this matter up.
My instincts say that if they were broken up, and it had anything to do with some actions by PF, we would know about it. It would be part of the story by now. So the longer this goes on, the more and more likely it is that if they were broken up it has something to do with some actions by Kelsey and perhaps something that would paint her in a negative light. When we have her cousin quoted in the media that when this all comes out it will be a "long story" it only seems to point more in that direction. This story shouldn't be "long" when we are talking about a relationship that is between two and three years in length.
More importantly, if they were broken up and had been nothing but co-parents with no involvement with each other, other than to exchange their daughter, for a significant length of time (many months) that opens the door for someone else to have been involved with Kelsey.
So long as the elephant remains in the room speculation on the relationship status is completely valid.