When and why did Melani leave Idaho, to follow Ian to AZ? It's possible she'd left before Nov 26th, but police don't mention breaking down her door.
EIN - IP: Seeing her interact with my kids for the first time, we came, so we came to Arizona, um, I came down with my two children to have Thanksgiving with my family, and uh she came down um a few days later, and on her way down she was talking about how she didn't have anybody to go to Thanksgiving with and so I invited her to come be with my family it was kind of a spur of the moment thing and er so she showed up and [...]
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Nov 26th - welfare check on JJ. Alex is there, outside with Chad. Lori and Chad flee during the night, leaving toys on the porch.
Nov 27th - FBI raids 3 apartments, including Melani's. Not only C&L have gone, but Alex has also gone and police break down his door to get in. Where was Melani?
Nov 28th - Thanksgiving. Chad is in So Cal.
Nov 29th - Alex marries Zulema in Las Vegas.
Nov 30th - Melani and Ian marry in Las Vegas.
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I think there's some revision of history going on -
Ian's doc - "they [Lori and Chad] said they were planning on taking off and that I'd be taking the reins concerning care of Melani. They said they'd be going to Hawaii."
CBS interview: IP: It was a shock finding out that Chad and Lori are gone, kids are missing, people's doors are being kicked down because they can't find the kids.