snipped your post a little.
You think it's funny that people were horrified to hear a theory based on LE lying to the public about seeing Mickey get struck ON CAMERA? Or that people reacted negatively to posts which stated that LE had blurred over identifying marks on Brandon's truck?
My reaction was based on several things:
It was HIGHLY improbable. Perps don't choose populated areas to hit and kidnap someone with multiple witnesses standing a couple of yards away.
LE is NOT going to blur details on a suspect's truck. That would make it impossible for the public to help identify the truck or the driver.
It is impossible to further correctly enhance a pre-enhanced photo unless you know what was done previously.
It made us look ridiculous to LE, FBI, Mickey's family and other websites.
I do believe that everyone has a right to express themselves. But once you do, you have to accept that others are going to challenge your opinions.
When those of us who did not agree that we saw what you saw posted that, WE were told that we weren't being helpful. It is hard to have true give and take in situations like that. I think it was remarkable how we all held our tempers and managed to be respectful!
I've made plenty of mistakes in the past, and if you've read here for awhile, you'll be familiar with a statement that I often make. " I have been wrong in the past, I will be wrong in the future, I may be wrong right now." When I am wrong, I do not defend my debunked theory, I apologize for muddying the investigative waters, and I try to learn something from the whole experience. I had a wrong theory that Mickey must have accepted a ride from someone she knew, because there was no other way we'd have no trace of her or her bike. I was wrong.
I am sorry if you feel defensive. No one here faults you or any other person who thought they saw something. As far as I am concerned, there is no "y'all" vs "us." We were ALL here for Mickey.
Kgeaux, most of what I say here is not directed at you because I don't remember you as one of those that I felt was disrespectful.
I get what you are saying based on those principles but as I and others have said since day one... No one believes the police or anyone else lied about the surveillance video. As a matter of fact they never gave ANY STATEMENT period over the surveillance pictures. They never came out and confirmed or denied it.
I grew up in a family of police officers. And I know for an absolute fact that the police are under NO OBLIGATION to release all of the details of any piece of evidence. I never said they lied or 'covered up' the truth. I have nothing but respect for all members of law enforcement. By not releasing all of the facts, that does not mean they are doing anything disrespectful to the family or public. It means they care about the integrity of the investigation and want want a solid conviction. There were many, many details of this investigations that were kept confidential as it should be.
Once again, if this was the only picture they have of this truck and they strongly suspect the driver is responsible for an abduction, they WILL blur out potential evidence and they will release the enhanced picture if they think it will help identity the suspect. I am sooooo confused why this has been so difficult for people to understand.
And, another thing I don't get that people argue against. Perps absolutely DO abduct people right out in public!!!! Happens often. What about the woman that was abducted off a street curb in broad daylight outside a flower shop by men in a van and as later found murdered, what about the young woman that was led out of a coffee shop by a man in a hoodie and never seen again, what about the perp that attempted to adbduct the little girl a few weeks ago as she was walking her brother down a city street????? I could go on and on. It happens all the time.
Yes, it was improbable that Brandon hit Mickey right there at the Circle K but was it impossible??? No. Was it improbable that Mickey was able to get the knife from Brandon and stab him...yes. But it happened. In an investigation, the improbable is often exactly what happened.
And I have always welcomed discussion of the stills and have had no problem stating why I believed I saw something in the pictures. There were people that did make some of us feel like our opinion was not welcome. I don't remember you as being one of those people.
Some of us that thought the bike light could be under the truck do talk and I know that I am not alone is saying that we did feel attacked at times. Not by the general back and forth discussion but some of the rude comments and people saying we should not discuss it and to move on. Those were the only types of comments that absolutely infuriated me and many others. There is a group that formed an entired new forum just because they felt unwelcome here!
Now that this is said and done, I know some of the local police. I bartended in the area in the past. Those that I am aware of had just as many questions as we have had and not one of them laughed at the possibility she could have been hit there on the surveillance. It was not like the police sat around and joked about what we here on WS theorize. Most of them highly respect that any of us take valuable time from our lives to search for answers in the disappearance and murder of a young woman and trust me, there is NOTHING funny about any of it.