Just to clarify a few points. Zippo relation to Capone's Pubs in CDA and Post Falls. As to why people come to CDA to get married, for those out of area, just google "Coeur d'Alene Resort" and look at the photos. Town lives and breathes on tourism, and the lake and surrounding has long been huge draw (more WA license plates around on weekends/summer than ID) -- and also major attraction to those getting married.
Please note, that is not a plug for the Resort! Just good one stop shopping site for photos. You can Google Chamber of Commerce or any other logical choice and find hundreds more.
As for why the Hitching Post? Other than a nearly 100-yr history and well known in North Idaho, western MT, eastern WA -- snipped from their hideously pink (IMHO) web site:
"License Fees Are Cash Only.
Blood Test NOT Required
No Waiting Period. Witness Not Required.
Courthouse & License Office Closed On ALL Holidays and Sundays!"
Plus they are across street from courthouse (not the federal one CC was hauled to) if you even need to use that crosswalk to go get the license. Used to be a bunch of cool little cabins surrounding it until owner of Resort bought most of that property and built hi-rise condos on it some 30 years ago. I suspect most people don't necessarily spend the night at the Hitching Post (have no facts to back that up) if they planned ahead and made reservations at the resort or one of several nice bed and breakfasts around town. At least I wouldn't, but that's just me.
Short form -- Hitching Post is an icon.
My opinion only -- CC is master manipulator. They excel at sucking you in, and doing it quickly. Your brain at least temporarily goes out the window and you can get caught up in all the perfect behavior and promises, which can start to sour faster than milk left out on a hot porch once you are under their control, in this case legally married.
My personal experience was one who told nobody anything. They only knew I existed if they saw me and there was no other way around it (i.e his out of state family never knew I existed or lived under his roof). Suspect he would have been happier had I not told virtually everybody I knew who I was with and where. I got out of my bad relationship almost as quickly as Rachel. Lucky difference for me is I did so before any physical violence, though I believe now it would have escalated to that eventually. And no sign of any stalking mentality, which I blessedly have no frame of reference to understand.
"mine" was classic passive-aggressive and carefully tried to distance me from clients and even get me to give up my business and all but HAND my money to him to control. All about control, control, control. And one very, very smooth liar. You mix that with a manipulator, and all manner of people who only see what HE wants them to see think he is such a nice guy. People I met that knew him were all but convinced he walked on water. No "record" outside of occasional minor traffic violation, but that does not mean you are any less cunning. Just smarter and scarier.
CC not remotely clean, but would seem he is still plenty cunning and not a total idiot.
I am very bothered that he called fapone on the 17th(???) day after Rachael was last seen and was suddenly about to sell his business and move back to AZ. His call again on the 20th(???) all worried that she was missing raises HUGE RED FLAGS to me. Classic attempt to lay down a diversion and point finger away from himself if he is the manipulator I have seen portrayed in comments.
CC's friends and church members only know what he shows them in public. I'm betting a far, far different persona behind closed doors. That Rachael apparently did not understand that CC (MOO) was the person stalking her shows how well he could manipulate her mind.
Apparently claimed that he was also being stalked? Of course he would so that if he were the stalker. Mess with her mind and start to establish an alibi. Dump some other man's scent of cologne around her door. Make it look like ANYBODY but him.
Rachael I don't believe had yet fully awakened to who he was and his level of control and manipulation. Why else would she take her car to HIM to get it fixed after he'd tried to strangle her and she'd filed for divorce? So she drives the borrowed Yukon up to Moscow that fateful Friday evening. My guess is that CC actually told her it was ready. Or purposely let it sit and not get the window fixed to pi$$ her off and get her up to Moscow, but I believe in my heart she was one way or another manipulated up to Moscow.
She was either kidnapped and dumped in middle of nowhere alive, or dumped/stored somewhere not so alive (still MOO). Perhaps he drove her in the Yukon to that Waste Mgmt dump somewhere south of Lewiston that somebody here mentioned previously.
Wherever he dropped her, stopped in Lewiston near that Ziggy's and used or fired up the phone. Ping from that area only indicates her PHONE was there, unfortunately not that Rachael had any control of it or was there.
Then drives to the Dyna-Mart/bus stop in N Lewiston and hops bus back up to Moscow, and who knows, maybe took one bus an entirely different direction, got off, then grabbed another to Moscow. Does he have an alibi for entire weekend? People who saw him and KNOW he was could not have been gone for a few hours?
Requires no accomplices, which is not to suggest he maybe didn't have one, but I think he would be too much the control freak to let anybody else in on this unless he KNEW he could control their every word and move after the fact. Perhaps he is arrogant enough, but that is also a pretty stupid chance to take.
I'd be shocked if LE has not checked for video from or near Ziggy's or any other place her phone may have pinged Friday-Monday, and has been reported they have looked at video from several angles at the Dyna-Mart. I'd be shocked if they haven't checked all bus schedules from that Friday night until the Yukon was reported found. And perhaps even contacted drivers to see if anyone recalls him getting on their bus (OK, that's a stretch, I can't imagine they are putting that level of leg work into this).
My guess, if CC is responsible, he was also at least minorly disguised. At least to the point of a hat covering eyes and avoiding doing anything that might get somebody to notice him. Just another "guy" in the crowd. Nothing exceptional either direction.
Sorry for the long post. Have been gradually catching up to present and dumping it all into one mini novel.
If I mispresented anything known to be fact (dates/locations etc) kindly correct me.
I pray daily for Rachael, her kids and family, and all her friends who are worrying and suffering. May she have just taken off to get away out of fear for her life and lack of clear thinking, though those that know her well swear she wouldn't do that, so I defer to them.
The alternative is not pretty to think about.