Except, Mountainguy777, of the people at school around Karen when she dramatically reacted to the call about the scream (not yet about the people in the garage, or walking into the woods according to what she has said), nobody there could understand her reaction. "They just thought I was having this sort of panic." Or something to that effect. So not everybody was on razor's edge. Only Karen "just knew" at that point.
I have a problem with the "backstory" idea. This is tough to say, because at some point I'm going to get booted off here for talking about the family - that's why I never posted until now. Everything I was thinking was off-limits. So if I disappear, I have just dug my own Websleuths grave.
I got a distinct "acting" vibe from Karen at the original press conference, others totally believed her emotions, but I just didn't. I also wondered about the dramatic over-the-top "panic" at the school. Classic over-acting? Now think if your daughter was just abducted by a known threat - the backstory. Would you say "Please, please, somebody, if anybody has seen anything or knows anything, please...." Heck. I'd be saying something direct like "Please bring her back! Please! We'll do anything to get her back! Just bring her back safely! Please!" Because you know they have her.
Now if on the other hand you know she's not alive, you would be trying to say what you think you should say. This just didn't sound right to me.
Totally my opinion, but I had the exact same reaction to Susan Smith. I didn't feel any weird vibes from Dana, however.