I’m curious as to why so many posters here seem to be dead sure foul play is involved in Dylan’s disappearance (full disclosure: I’m 50/50 between foul play and voluntary disappearance/suicide).
From the beginning, Dylan’s parents have been asserting this is a case of foul play. Initially his mom stated that Dylan was dedicated only to farming and had no interest in making friends, dating, playing video games or sports, etc. We later learned that he did, in fact, have friends whom he would meet in Montello, so I’m questioning the veracity of the information coming from sources other than LE.
Aside from his parents’ testimony about his character and how he wouldn’t disappear, what concrete evidence do we really have that points to foul play?
It’s been suggested that because his truck appeared to be thoroughly washed and the seat was pushed forward, it points to foul play. But IMO I don’t see that as anything nefarious—he was living out in the middle of the desert, I’m sure vehicles get dirty quickly. If Dylan is as dedicated to his farm as is being stated, it isn’t a stretch to think he would want to keep all of his tools and equipment clean and in good working condition, which might very well include keeping the truck clean.
It’s also been suggested that the boots being left near the dirt pile points to foul play, but I’m not sure I see how that indicates foul play. It wouldn’t make any sense for someone who wanted to do harm to Dylan to remove his boots at the farm but not dump his phone and wallet as well. Additionally, without knowing whether the small amount of blood was found on the inside or the outside of the boots, it’s hard to say whether or not it could indicate foul play. I have a pain of shoes that has a small bloodstain inside because I had a blister that popped and another pair that had a tiny drop on the front of the shoe because I cut my finger and it dropped down onto my shoe. I would imagine that blisters and small cuts are not uncommon issues for farmers to encounter given the equipment they work with and the walking they have to do on the farm.
MOO I think it’s too early to conclusively say foul play in the only possibility at this point, as the evidence for it is weak at best and can easily be spun to support a voluntary disappearance/self-harm as well. While I think foul play is still a strong possibility, I also think it’s important to not pigeon-hole ourselves into thinking it is obviously foul play.
