If the defense theory is true........you are asking the million dollar questions.
We might ask ourselves.........Who in their right mind would participate in such a plan?
Perhaps the answer is in the question.........."in their right mind".
MTR was basically a loner and a drifter. He had few friends in Woodstock, was having trouble at home, trouble finding steady employment, lacked education.............and had a drug problem.
Perhaps he believed it was going to be the settling of a debt, among drug dealers and drug users, and not something that would come to the attention of the police. Perhaps he believed it would be resolved quickly, TLM would get her money and VS would be returned........and nobody would call the police because they didn't want the involvement to include drugs and debts.
Perhaps he was told he would share in the recovery of the debt.
This is not an excuse for what he believed or what he did, but I am as flummoxed as everyone else to understand why any sane young man would involve himself in such a plan.
I try to understand, that as I don't travel in the company of drug dealers or habitual users, I just don't understand their mentality.
My son has many old time friends who got involved in drugs. Everything from pot to cocaine, oxys, percs, and alcohol.
When I ask him why.........he doesn't know what happened to them. He says they "drifted into it" and now they can't get out.
He has seen his friends so stupid.............they didn't know where they were.
So...........maybe we have to remember that these people aren't in full control of their faculties for much of the time.........and often do things that wouldn't make any sense to anyone else.