If JP had been driving recklessly or done something like NOT pullover and sped past LE, they would have gone after him. It would have saved Jayme, but not her parents. IMO, officers saw a car that only after JP was caught did they know the car was involved. Don't forget though that JP had no record, the car belonged to his sister and he kept Jayme concealed from them too. If they did try to find out who the car belonged to, there was no connection to JP. The neighbors didn't even know JP was staying in the cabin. Even if someone had turned in that car, LE would have just looked to see who it was registered to. Even I was ready to report a red-orange Challenger I saw at my local gas station and I'm in SC.
I am not, and I don't feel that others are faulting police for *not* pulling the car over at the time, and I think it's good that they did not, as I fear there may have been slain officers in addition to the parents. What I feel however, is that police had their best tip sitting right there in their pockets, but they did nothing with it whatsoever. All it would have taken was a little research..
How many Tauruses in whichever color it was (red/maroon - maybe speak to a Ford dealer, look at some pictures), put in a small range of possible years, how many vehicles like that registered in WI, or even just within a 2 hour range, or whatever.. start *somewhere*. And start methodically checking out whatever comes up. Surely this address would have been of interest solely on the basis of it being so remote? And then further checking may have told them (should have told them) that a young sex offender had lived at that address at one time. Then, find out the same family still owns the home. Vehicle registered to a female, but perhaps that female, upon a little more checking, may also have another vehicle, etc. One little tip is how crimes balloon into becoming solved.
If they had broadcast the vehicle (like they did regarding the other vehicles), JP's neighbors, even though they may not have known JP was staying in the cabin, *may* have seen a similar vehicle and made a call, or a gas station, or an employer, or a friend. Things could have started coming together very early.
It doesn't *seem* like these things would have been tough or onerous for them to have done, but yet at least it would have shown they *tried*. The way it stands, it simply looks like they dropped the best ball they had, which they had themselves, from one of their own, right from the get-go. Very disappointing, and quite frankly if I had been JC, and tied up in that cold trunk after having witnessed both of my parents' heads being blown off, and heard all those sirens passing, and felt the car stopping, and then absolutely nothing for 88 days while I hid under a bed, I'm sure I would have been devastated at the seeming incompetence. JC is only 13 so perhaps her expectations are/were lower, and I'm sure she is glad to be alive - thanks to herself, some neighbors, and the Douglas County police, including the dispatcher.
