And this is what I originally wanted to post in here
I know that things have moved with new information since I intended posting, I've read the other posts in this thread with interest and looked at the video Jaiddie posted in the "framing thread".
I haven't changed my mind though - I think I'm alone with this as it seems to have been dismissed by posters on both sides of the fence - but I still believe that the TH sighting by Lisa Buchner (bus driver lady) is credible. I think perhaps things are a little muddled in her memory, I think maybe the pressure of giving testimony caused her to start doubting her own recollections but essentially I believe it's likely that she did see TH that day.
1) The biggest factor in me believing her is the way that her testimony / timing dovetails with the propane guy seeing a truck matching the description of the RAV4 leaving the property. I know that eye witness testimony is notoriously unreliable, but when two completely independent witnesses appear to corroborate one another's stories I have to give it some consideration.
2) Line of sight. When I read the posts up thread about trees obscuring the view, I was almost ready to give up on this idea but I think the video Jaiddie posted shows that there was a clear line of sight between the locations.
3) Distance. I don't think that looking at images on a computer screen is directly comparable to the amount of detail that you'd get with the naked eye and your entire field of vision filled - and that's without factoring in the effects of the focal lengths of camera lenses etc.
So a little (not massively scientific) experiment for UK readers. In the UK, junctions on Motorways are flagged in advance with 100 yard markers to notify drivers that an exit road is up ahead. On a fairly straight stretch of motorway, take a look at cars already at the junction when you're at the 300 yard marker. Obviously if you're the driver, don't do this at the expense of distracting yourself from the road and putting yourself/others in danger!!!
I tried this while caught in stationery traffic because of a breakdown on the exit road, which was also helpful because I could also see people out of their car to give some perspective.
While I certainly wouldn't be able to identify a specific individual at that distance and only make an educated guess at gender, the colour and approximate shape of a vehicle (car/truck/van) is obvious. I'm also very confident that while I couldn't perceive precise details I'd be able to identify a recognisable activity like changing a tyre, looking under the hood or in our case taking photographs.
4) Confusion over days. I've never really been sold on this. By her own admission LB wasn't sure which day that week she thought she'd seen TH - but to me that's a moot point. As far as we know there was only one day that week that anybody was at Avery's photographing cars and only one day that it could have been.
If you really read her testimony in detail, even when she's pressured about the possibility of it being the previous week she seems rather grudging in conceding that it could have been.
And again, to me that's another moot point.
The last time that TH was there was 10th October, a whole 3 weeks earlier and I don't believe that her memory was off by that much.
5) Brendan (and Blaine's) denial of seeing TH when he got off the bus. Guilt or innocence aside, given what happened to SA with the false rape conviction, it would hardly be surprising if that whole family fostered the attitude of not giving any information to LE if at all possible. Brendan IMO though is poorly equipped to deal with pressure and to keep up any sort of deception. Again, if you really listen to that Crivitz interview, at no point does he actually deny seeing TH. It's all "I don't know" or "I can't remember".
So having convinced myself that LB's testimony is at least plausible and worthy of consideration, I find myself throwing another spanner in the works.
We have the conflicting statements about
where the van was. LB refers to it as being by the intersection, near to where the boys were dropped off and near the mailboxes - when we know that it was parked much further down the road. We also have an early report of her saying that TH was photographing the Blazer NOT the minivan.
It's been established in a few places that there was indeed a Blazer for sale in the yard at around that time and that it was parked further up by the intersection.
That's now got me thinking about whether
that's what LB actually saw she was pressured into doubting herself and changing her recollection to it being the red van.
It's certainly very possible that TH got another hustle shot at the yard that day to photograph another vehicle . . . thoughts anyone? :thinking: