It just struck me that her Ipod was in her car. I wonder -- was it a big Ipod or an Ipod touch (i.e., the sort that you carry in your car because you can plug into your car stereo)? Or was it a Shuffle (the sort that you listen to while working out)? If so, is it Chelsea's practice to usually listen to an Ipod while she runs?
If the answer is yes, wouldn't this be a good indicator that something happened to her in the parking lot, perhaps as she was getting out of (or back into) her car?
I know this is a pretty obvious thought. But it occurs to me that this question (about whether she listens to music when she runs) should be asked NOT of her parents but of regular park visitors who might have seen her on running the trails on other days. Everyone knows it's not safe to listen to an Ipod when you're out in public -- effectively rendering yourself deaf is not a good security measure. But I see joggers doing it all the time. It strikes me as the sort of thing a daughter, thinking her parents are being overly paranoid, might lie about, to spare them worry. ("You're not listening to that Ipod when you're out running, are you?" "Of course not, Mom! Don't worry, I'm super careful when I'm out there alone!")