Neither of Rachel's parents left the house that day - except to go next door, neighbors that contradicted Francis Arnold's account of being 18 miles away in east Arlington; Period. Who lies about a thing like that under those circumstances?
FW _Cat, so much to say. First of all - thank you for saying that about the article. Second, I wish I lived closer to Texas so I could invite myself over to look at your wall file. I'd bring wine. A good bottle. Thank you for all the work you've put in on the case.
And I'm sure you're getting tired of being asked to elaborate every time you post but I'm a little confused about your above quote. Are you saying Cotton and Fran never left the house the day of the disappearance? Not even to go to the mall when the girls didn't come home? Because that would mean Rusty isn't correctly remembering he went from store to store with Fran to look for the girls and that Judy Wilson wasn't correct in saying Richard and Cotton guarded the car with shotguns, and umpteen more statements and recollections would have to be false. Far too many to list. Even if the neighbors did say the Arnolds didn't leave their house, why would their memory seem more credible than the memories of the families?
I frankly have a little trouble with the neighbors being positive about this. The 23d was a work day for most people. Even if some of the neighbors were stay at home moms, retired, or taking a vacation day, its hard to imagine any of them staring out their window all day to make note of whether or not the Arnold family left the house. At the time they didn't know it was going to be an important day so there would be no reason I can think of them to pay attention to the comings and goings of the Arnold house.
Can you tell us where this information came from? Did you speak to the neighbors yourself, read it in a police report or hear it elsewhere? What year was it? The year is important because there's a big difference between something a neighbor (or anyone) remembers days after the disappearance and something they remember decades later. This isn't to say they'd be lying, just that their memory might not be as sharp. Particularly when it comes to a mundane detail such as whether or not a neighbor left the house.
I don't ask these questions out of any sort of mistrust of you, because I do trust you're telling the truth as you've heard or read it. I'm just curious about how and when this information came to light.
Also, you are the only person I have ever heard state that Fran was TT's alibi. Was this also heard from a neighbor? From a police report? From other family members? The source of this information seems very important.
Lastly, it's interesting to know you used to be a verified insider here. I don't personally think it matters if you become one again. I think everyone here knows that you have deep ties to the case and have been conducting your research over a long period of time. Which is why I'd love to hear more about your sources in reference to the above if you'd be willing to elaborate.
Well done.
