Yes, I think this works also. The only thing is that in this very thread I think I have read that the footprint was in the house going toward the front door. Then I read that the footprint was on the front of the house and then then I read that the footprint was at the back of the house. Maybe I am confusing the placement of this footprint and since it isn't in thread of the basic facts of the case, so I am not sure where this info came from.
If it is a rumor, I have been scolded a couple of times just for giving my opinion based on speculation, so I am not sure that I should even comment on the footprint. I am not sure what the rules are here for commenting on anything at this point.
Aside from that, I have wondered about the placement of the porch light. I have read that it was mounted above the mailbox, but I am unable to view the pics to see how high up it was compared to the height of Sherrill, Suzie and Stacy. If I recall, they were all petite women. Were any of them over 5 ft 4 inches tall? I am just wondering about the placement of the light fixture in comparison to their height and if a struggle on the front porch with any petite woman could cause the globe to be broken (I am only 5 feet tall myself so this is something that has really caught my attention).
I think this is why I keep thinking that the globe fell off when one of the men reached up to unscrew the lightbulb and the glass breaking alarmed the dog, the girls and Sherrill.
But it could have happened the other way too. However, the more I think about the perps never entering the home, the more it makes sense to me.
This is just speculation and not fact.
As you say, this is also speculation and not fact.
On the globe first, I THINK it would have fallen free of the lightbulb as it had a clearance of about 1/8 -1/4". That is to say, if it fell straight down it could have cleared the bulb without breaking it. As you know an incandescent bulb can be broken fairly easily and if the globe were at an angle I think the weight of the globe would likely have also broken the bulb. But that is purely a guess. I obtained what I believe is similar if not identical to what the globe was. I measured both and there was adequate clearance. One would place the closed end globe over the light fixture, and then tighten the thumb screws. Alternatively, if the bottom was open then it wouldn't have been necessary to have remove the globe to replace the bulb. With the closed end it would have been. If the bottom was open then it would have been almost impossible for the globe to have fallen free of the bulb, even if it had been rendered inoperable. That might support the theory that the globe was broken on purpose in order to get someone to come to the door. I tend to doubt that, however.
If I were the police I would have wanted to have tried to simulate how the globe would break even if they didn't see the original pieces in place on the porch. That would explain why they believed it would have been helpful to have seen the pieces before being picked up. I do believe they actually have the pieces but because the crime scene was disturbed it didn't tell them anything. I would guess there was no blood evidence indicating anything other than Stacy stepping on a piece which left the DNA evidence indicating this is where she was captured.
I say all this long winded explanation to further explain. If her footprint was on the rear of the house how would they have identified it? Did they have her footprints on file somewhere? I doubt it. And if there was DNA evidence that was used, how would she have cut her foot? Was there some evidence of a struggle in the back and she cut her foot there? We don't know. But if there was a struggle, then they knew where she was captured if on the back of the house.
If she saw the abductor on the rear of the house she probably ran quickly to the front. Photos show that there was clearance between Sherrill's car and the house which would have left adequate room. We don't know the placement of the van but the driveway indicates about two feet of clearance so she should have been able to run to the front of the property and onto the street except, as has been postulated, the van was backed up to the rear of Sherrill's van and the van door prevented her. She probably pushed it aside and jumped up on the porch and it was somewhere there that the globe fell and broke or it could already have been broken. She was grabbed. She lashed out in all directions and her foot, bleeding, brushed the side the house leaving a small trace of blood on the front which was later recovered. I cannot see how a bare footprint would have left anything of value.
Having said all of this, I don't even know if this account is remotely true. I have been told by someone who I no longer have contact with that her footprint was found on the front of the house. I think it was because this person who is not from the area had someone they trusted to look into this case and this information came forward. In any event it was stated as a fact. It may like the bogus report of the convenience store be nothing of any consequence. But taken in its totality, it would make sense. Both Sherrill and Suzie taken from the front of the house, subdued and defenseless; Stacy hearing this, fearing for her life, flees from the side and to the rear, is confronted and runs to the front, is blocked by the van door, jumps up on the porch where a struggle ensues and evidence of this left on the front of the house.
That is my best guess of what MIGHT have happened if such a footprint actually existed. Otherwise, this is speculation amounting to nothing.
The reason I find this scenario the most compelling is if there was no evidence found within the home but only the DNA evidence linking only the known friends and relatives to that home, we would have to believe that the perps committed the perfect crime or alternatively one of the 18-20 people in the house. (an unlikely scenario) Yet, we know they left five specific items undone. There is an obvious conflict here. If up to three people (such as the GJ3) did this, it seems more likely to me that time was of the essence and all rationality went out the window. I do not see adequate time to have scrubbed the house down of all prints and DNA material yet leave these other matters unfinished; not the least of which was leaving all the money and purses behind. So, in essence, I would say it would almost of necessity have had to have taken place outside the residence. Then we have no loose ends that I can see.
Pardon my verbosity but I wanted to be crystal clear where I am coming from and why I reached these conclusions. I have no information on the height of the light bulb. I do believe that a struggle could account for this regardless.
