I don't think they are in Europe. I'm just saying that the fact that no one knows where the kids are is not evidence of a crime. "Prestigous music school in Europe" is legally equivalent to "secure bunker in Montana." I'm not aware of any law that says kids must be made available to grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, or even other siblings.
As for the Ws custody petition, does Idaho have the jurisdiction to award custody? The only Idaho nexus we have is school enrollment for a couple of weeks. That may be enough but it is arguable.
My main point is these things make sense only when they are the sole factors. They are not the sole factors. Please believe me, I do not intend to squash any and all hope that J.J. and Tylee are alive. There is always that small chance. Nothing can take that small chance away until they are found.
A boarding school in Europe may be legally equivalent to a bunker in Montana, but the reasons you had for Lori not producing the children are not applicable to a bunker in Montana.
When K says C told her X, that is hearsay. Most of what K says is in that category. It's not that I don't believe her, just that it needs additional corroboration in our legal system. If Lori stashed the kids safely away from the Ws and refused to address their concerns, that is not illegal. That could be being a good parent. It could also be neglect. We just don't know because we don't now the circumstances. If KW makes a custody claim based on that she needs evidence. If an Idaho court awards custody simply because a relative alleges that the parent has the kids in hiding the court is in error.
It depends what you mean. Lots of stuff Kay has said cannot be backed up in court. But there's still evidence that puts into question Lori's parenting. When she said Tylee would be better off dead (verified in documents), that was to a social worker and that resulted in Lori being psych-evaled. If you are presenting a custody case with "missing" children and a party has that in their history, that is going to be a pretty big blow. Maybe not enough to automatically hand over custody, but maybe enough for a judge to demand to see evidence of life - this time with consequences. Not to mention things like giving away J.J.'s service dog - this could be argued as neglect of a child with a disability. If she claims she got him a new dog, she'd need to provide evidence for that. And her reasoning of getting rid of the old dog better be exactly what she told the trainer at the time. Otherwise that will look really bad too. We could keep going on and on with things that go beyond hearsay.
While courts hesitate to strip parents of their custody, the Ws have a few things going for them. J.J. lived with them for about a year (or more?). That matters in these cases, even if it was only the first year. Ws are blood relatives, Lori is not.
I think a lot of the custody case will hinge on the fact that J.J. has a disability and it is not in his best interest to be hidden away from his parents, from society,
from doctors, from therapists, from specialized education. I am not sure how she can confidently say there is an entire little society hidden away in a bunker. If there was evidence of J.J. out there going to a doctor, a dentist, or a therapist, the FBI would find it. She does not have the right to change her children's identities to hide them outside of the legal sphere.
I just don't see her producing these kids. I see her losing custody, remaining tight-lipped, and all of us still having many questions.
ALL MOO.