In MY experience, yes you can request a certain color/make/model - and if the rental company has it they always let me have what I ask for. I mean I am paying for it. Didn't Jodi Arias make a request for a certain color or was it not to drive a certain color (red) ? I can't recall exactly, but of course you can request these specifics - you may or may not get them.JL to me sounds like a jilted lover. Not to say things didn't make sense to him in hindsight but he strikes me as having an agenda also. Also when renting a car can you request a certain color, make and model?? These thugs don't seem that organized.
In this case the person who rented the vehicle could have requested these specifics (and since they are not so smart- perhaps someone recommended they make certain requests) OR it could have been a coincidence.
MOO; JMO.