What is Daniel's 'personal decision'...suicide?
My belief at this point is, Mental crisis, physical episode (sleep deprivation), rebuffed advances, tragic accident. I do not any longer think this was an intentional suicide (unless you count disrobing and being naked in the desert as an intent). As the family said, no long term mental heath issues diagnosed. (Of course, in my case I was very depressed/anxious from 12 and wasn't diagnosed till 33.).
I think the uprooting from S. Carolina, the covid closures, and a lack of diverse pool of friends here in Phoenix led to some isolation. He was very personable and outgoing but I'm not sure he was developing real friendships outside of work. I'm unsure where the "head over heels" over K came from. But I think the rebuff really set him back as his father has consistently said he is a "go-getter, outspoken, etc. I think this to excess may lead to stubbornness or a delayed development of accepting "no".
McGrath current hypothesis (the last interview that is) is he stayed up gaming all night, needed to rest and went off exactly to do that. Perhaps he only went a short distance away (it is hard to see through all the creosotes) and took his shoes and socks off to get comfortable. Lost the one sock....He may have moved at some point down to the detention basin. He woke up WAY later then he planned and thought he'd blown this first meeting with K Elliot. The sleep and anger/disappointment of the girl, maybe sets him off a psychic break and Anger Jag. He cuts out over desert and intentional or even accidentally puts the car in the ravine (and yes you can get up to 30 mph heading into that ravine from the last 50 yds at top).
Now he's really pissed, the air bags have deployed and fuel has cut off. He can't get it started and again in anger, he climbs out, picks up a big rock and starts bashing windshield, Drivers side window etc. maybe calms down and tries to get car out, turning the ignition over x number more times, googles or looks up resetting procedure. Gets car started but the angle it's sitting across the ravine when put in reverse, NOW causes the slide onto the side. And let's say just for grins and chuckles, he never turns the car off and it continues to run...with no wheels on the ground, they turn freely racking up miles (sensor in the transmission records miles these days so as long as it's in drive and wheels turn it records miles). Now he's really pissed and says "f " it all (and may have a little concussion). Strips/heads off down to the River. Possible thinking with the rain there may be water in the Hassayampa (but I checked there wasn't to get it really running much. He stops where the K-9 have scented, starts getting dehydrated can't get back to ravine (hard to recognize) starts down stream and unfortunately expires due to heat stroke/exhaustion. It comes on fast and if you can't get your temp down, your blood pressure tanks and you pass out and other organs start shutting down. We just haven't found him. July 25th Big rain in the Hassayampa watershed could move him further.
My wife has a variation that calls for him possibly leaving the car wrecked in the ravine (still not on it's side) and some deliquents come along and bash it up and then MAYBE realize they can start it but the same thing happens to them (car over on it's side). They scadaddle (! old guy talking!). When Daniel returns he sees the mess, then flips out in a similar fashion as described.
ALL A THEORY!! DON"T EVEN KNOW TO WHAT DEGREE I BUY-IN maybe 75-80%.
There are many little details that I can still make fit this scenario but it's late, almost 1:00am....
