Yes, there are some very interesting and different reactions among those who knew DM.
There is the group that is in complete denial including his mother. She told a small claims court that her son was innocent and would clear his name. A cousin, against her father's wishes, also looked into hiring a PI to help DM clear his name. These people tend to wave away the evidence. Their story line is that DM was such a generous guy to strays and misfits that he unwittingly landed himself in trouble. If DM turns out to be guilty, this group will have a tremendous amount of soul searching to do and, no doubt, feel incredible shame.
Right from the start one of the questions people had was, of DM and MS, who was the dominant personality?
DM trained his peers to call him "Boss" (though it's unclear if they were on the payroll, or just occasionally paid by jetski for their many hours of help with DM's machines)
Yet the same DM was living in Oakville at some point (according to Facebook, anyway) where there was a house with...very emasculating livingroom decor, the kind of wall art most suited to a 12 year old girl's bedroom and a serious lack of input by any interior designer. It seems DM and MB clearly stood back when it was time to create the home environment there. Er, not like a Boss.
DM also transferred from a school where outstanding people send their kids, to a school for outstanding kids...renegotiating who was designated special from parent to child.
IMO DM was a dominant personality, and it doesn't seem to me that strays and misfits could sway him unless that's what he wanted or it didn't matter.
As far as evidence, of course only the evidence that makes it into court and is not shot down, counts. You can't predict the exact outcome of the trial from this vantage point. Perhaps that's why these people have gone willfully blind and deaf to the obvious: because the only true hope is whatever tricks the lawyers have in their bag, at this point.
Another group is in the middle. They understand the evidence is strong but hope against hope that DM is not guilty. This group includes several friends who knew about the drug parties and chop shop activities, but just can't believe their big cool bad-boy buddy would actually kill people. They too will be left to seriously question themselves if there is a guilty verdict.
The discussion here has centered on DM only. Does this group hope MS will be found guilty instead?
Since the TB murder was a joint venture, there isn't really any hope of avoiding a 1st degree murder charge no matter how little DM was involved, is there?
A third group of DM associates believe DM is probably guilty, including "Josie," who was ironically tweeting about his arrest just after it happened, and an ex-Millardair employee known for telling people years ago that DM would land in jail one day.
I think if you are unencumbered by a personal relationship to DM, it's easy to see probable guilt.
