Bern - I believe Misty was home and asleep just like she said. The primary reason is that NO ONE has come forward to say that MC was with them that night and the people she hangs out with have absolutely no reason not to rat her out. Heck they are all jail birds and would turn in their mothers if it meant a get out of jail card. There is no loyalty amongst her and her friends. I feel the exact same way about her family - they would hang her out to dry if it could help them in their own criminal matters. She even told us "that's the way my family is". Since every one of her buddies has blabbed to AH and others about MC's weekend exploits and were quite eager to tell the story, I just don't see them covering for her for that night. There isn't anything in it for them.
I don't believe the MH was staged. Why? Simple. The rear door was the least likely point of entry - difficult to jimmy. The front door would make much more sense as a set up, given the whole scene of the brick, the door wedged open with clothes (if that part is true), the lack of forced entry, the fact that only RC has a key to the door etc. etc. A more believable set-up would be to rip a screen and stage a window break-in, or the front door which didn't have all the issues that come with the side door. Furthermore, the freaking kitchen light. It was not on when Tommy came by (if he did) and the house was dark and quiet. There is no point in MC adding the kitchen light to the story.
I would like to know one thing. When MC woke up, RC wasn't there. He was usually home a bit after midnight I suppose, but the opportunity for some overtime arose at what we are told was at the end of his shift. So, when she awoke at 3-ish and there was no RC, she didn't have any idea of where he was. But, she never said, "I woke up and RC wasn't in the bed and it was 3 am and he should have been home and I went to look for him and found the back door open". In other words, she should have been curious as to RC's whereabouts too since she didn't know about his overtime. She called him right away, but never mentioned her surprise that he wasn't home yet. Maybe she did mention this to LE, who knows.
BUT, if she didn't know that he was working OT before she went to sleep, would she just pick "3" out of the air? No, she would have started this alleged staging, waking up with the lights on and calling for RC event much earlier in the evening. Like right before midnight when he normally gets off from work.
JMHO