I agree with much of your long previous post. But this^^ portion I do question.
I followed this case from the start, and as a local, I attended the group search. It was my understanding, from those I spoke with, that there were friends and family even, that thought she may have voluntarily run off that day.
And the police were uncertain themselves if it was foul -play or a voluntarily runaway. So I question your statement that it's 100% that police were not looking at it as a voluntary missing from the start. I believe they considered that a strong possibility from jump.
The police could not ignore that she seemingly walked away from her sister, on her own, with no kidnappers in sight, no visible force or intimidation present. Foul play may have been present but it did not seem that way at first, to some investigators.
"Because LE viewed this case as a voluntary missing person case from the beginning" was what I was talking about.
Considering voluntary disappearance as possibility (even reasonably probable possibility) means that the other avenues are considered and investigated as well. It's logical and reasonable to look at this angle (possible voluntary disappearance) when there are no clear signs of foul play.
And that is nowhere near investigating case as
most likely voluntary disappearance, especially if it's like here, where all the clues point elsewhere.
First is just good investigating, second is negligence.
I was only exposed to media coverage of Maricela's disappearance. Starting from about week after and ending as coverage started to die out (even before she was found) and my impression was that voluntary disappearance was considered as possibility but not very probable possibility.
I'm aware that my impression, especially my almost six years old impression holds no value, but I understood is as something like "
okay, we're so scared and confused that we're considering everything, even her disappearing by her own accord even thou we don't believe that's what happened".
It's still weird as hell to me. First few days, maybe even a whole week - then, in these circumstances it could be a distinct possibility from LE's viewpoint that she might disappeared voluntary. But days went on, no contact from her, nobody knows where she is, family going crazy with worry, many disturbing details are known - that's not when voluntary disappearance starts to look MORE probable, likelyness of this possibility drastically decreases, yet, investigators seemed to do the total opposite of that. WIth what reasons exactly? Publicly available info doesn't explain that.
They seemed moderately interested in the very beginning, not that much two weeks after, and almost not at all later. Why?
I see only two possibilities.
1. Negligence.
2. Being fed false info and relying on that feeling pretty confident that most probable scenario there was that nothing criminal happened, Maricela left on her own and the case isn't the highest priority.
But possibility 2. would mean that from the day she was found investigators would knew for sure that what made them believe that she left by her own accord was false and whoever fed them that info is now hella suspicious.
Nothing came of it, so five years later it looks like 1. not 2.
It was my understanding, from those I spoke with, that there were friends and family even, that thought she may have voluntarily run off that day.
And that excuse me, doesn't add up to me at all.
Unless it were some unconfirmed gossips or results of misunderstanding that unfortunately ended up repeated... it's extremely concerning.
What kind of wild lifestyle woman would have to live to, in these circumstances: suddenly abandoned sister, purse left behind, car left behind, two whitnesses seeing her storming out of the church crying, her phone turned off and no friend or family member with the slightest hint on where she could go + some scared enough to report her missing right away and go for group searches that involved locals
still consider that she just left on her own?
And that with awareness that she was previously kidnapped, drugged and held hostage?
Even with the wildest lifestyle, that Maricela wasn't living, but EVEN WITH that lifestyle, what kind of friend or family member would publicly share their doubts about the missing person being endangered, possibly attacked and dragged somewhere, kidnapped or murdered?
No doubt some family members and friends were absolutely terrified by her disappearance. They had their reasons to feel like that. And Maricela was dead then. So those who thought that she may run away couldn't have any hidden knowledge or reasons to believe that she's fine but away. IF they had anything like that, it should lead straight to her murderer. It did not. So what the hell was their reason to think and not only think but SHARE those thoughts, causing community to lose interest in the case, sabotaging the effort of those concerned for Maricela? Just lack of concern, low thoughtfulness or maybe some connections to the crowd from where her ex and other dangerous people in her life came from?
