Warning, patience required, I'll get 'round to the point...and tie to the thread topic...eventually
Speculation on top of speculation I'm afraid...but, after seeing the carseat images released showing the stains - albeit w/o details to suggest whether they could be decomp-related or not - I couldn't resist the opportunity to free up the imagination to try reconciling some things.
One thing that has been problematic w/ any 'theory' is the process of getting Caylee into the trunk w/o being seen. While I've tried not to get too hung up on this point...telling myself it could be accomplished in broad daylight using something such as the WTP blanket, etc. to conceal the transfer in a parking lot (e.g. Tony's Sutton Place Apt)...the stains on the carseat *permitted* me to suspend some conventional thinking.
IF (big, fat, speculative IF) the stains in the carseat are decomp-related, the one on the shoulder strap gets my attention. And please - I know how mucked up a carseat can get, w/ everyday use, so no need to inform me 'bout that, alright? A decomp stain on the shoulder strap would permit one to speculate that the duct tape weren't in-place @ TOD (recognizing that fluid could come from eyes, ears too, but, go easy on me for the sake of the post, eh?).
Straying further off the beaten path
oke: I'm inclined to agree w/ the notion that Casey would've most likely NOT directly touched Caylee post-mortem anymore than absolutely necessary, hence, peri-mortem application of the duct tape is indicated. But since we're relaxing things a bit for the sake of speculation... For me, the purpose of the application of duct tape peri-mortem most likely had to be about keeping Caylee quiet if either she refused to goto sleep in the Pontiac or if she awoke in the Pontiac, whether she was sedated or not. IOW, that thinking is to suggest that Casey needed to ensure Caylee didn't draw attention to herself in the Pontiac whilst unattended...yet another reason to think placing Caylee in the trunk - out of sight and considerably muffled, peri-mortem.
But, if I allow myself the freedom to consider Casey could accomplish what she absolutely had to...to save her own skin...I'm not too squeamish about allowing Casey to apply some tape post-mortem. In fact, the aspect of Casey applying the duct tape because she HAD to is quite appealing, considering her m.o. So, this puts me in a different place.
Decomp stains on the shoulder strap couldn't occur until hours after TOD. IOW...it takes some time for the decomp fluids to be generated sufficient to begin 'leaking' from the body. That speculation would put Caylee IN her carseat @ the TOD and for several hours after. And THAT speculation would join nicely w/ one of the other big disconnects for me - the presence of the duct tape @ the same location as Caylee after leaving Hopespring that afternoon.
While it is entirely possible that Casey had the duct tape in her car completely by accident, or even as a result some legitimate things we know about leading up to 6/16...my inclination is to believe the duct tape was most likely @ Hopespring vs. already in the Pontiac. If I'm forced into it, I guess I'd also admit the presence of the knife in the car, begging to be associated w/ cutting the tape is another brick-in-the-wall of an @-Hopespring tape application scenario. In full discosure, I also further see Caylee being found in the "Big Trouble..." tee as an indication that her death took place after she was prepped for sleep AFTER leaving Hopespring that afternoon.
Sooooo...all this ramblin' speculation would have Casey driving the Pontiac to Hopespring on the afternoon of 6/17 w/ Caylee in the carseat in plain view...looking like a napping toddler to passersby. Upon arriving at Hopespring, and afforded the cover provided by being in the garage, it would have reactive-Casey applying the duct tape to Caylee upon observing the fluid leaking from her nose/mouth, and realizing that it would get ON Casey when she lifted Caylee from the carseat which she HAD to do. Perhaps the whole lifting of a rigor-Caylee
out of the carseat might've resulted in the unexplained stains on the headliner (driver's side IIRC).
So, what does all of this have to do w/ Amy's totaled car?
One last point and we're there (finally
). AFAIK, Tony's account and Casey's cell activity on the night of 6/16 and the morning of 6/17 show no signs of nervousness about Caylee being discovered in the Pontiac. I mean think about it :waitasec:. IF it WAS an accident, a bad decision made in the haze of the evenings recreational activities, by the morning, a sobering Casey would've been somewhat anxious about getting to the Pontiac to find out if Caylee was somehow still alive. AND IF it WASN'T an accident and Casey was certain of Caylee's demise...then Casey had to be supremely confident in how well Caylee was concealed.
Sooooooo....the scenario above would have Caylee in the carseat @ TOD, w/o duct tape AND Casey confident that Caylee wouldn't be discovered that way. How could all of that be possible????
...
by placing the car cover from Amy's totaled car over the Pontiac before leaving Caylee strapped in her carseat. And, of course, I have to point out that Amy mentioned that she
could get a cover for the car when it was towed to Tony's...not that she actually
did get one.
Oh, also...by the evening hours, say, 6:30PM on 6/16 the temperature in the car, even when adjusted for some increase vs. ambient, would've been in the neighborhood of 75F - not sufficiently hot to cause death, IMHO. This fact would support that Casey employed some sort of mother's-little-helper that resulted in Caylee's death, and perhaps gave her the confidence she displayed that Caylee waking up wouldn't be a concern, hence, car cover sufficient, hence, no next-morning-rush, hence, no duct tape required.
Alright...I'm outta practice, but, glad to get that off my chest.
