Faith, happy to have been of assistance to your young relative. The 'gig' happened and Luke with Jodi attended.
We can simply apply context of what would certainly have made her (Jodi) upbeat that day. This girl had been carrying out different forms of punishment over a course of weeks, still semi grounded until she completed daily chores. Her arrival home from school that day saw that punishment lifted in full, her time once more her own.
She had no phone, she had not been using her mothers phone nor landline daily, to arrange any meetings with Mitchell over the course of time her phone was broken, she had been making arrangements with him at school around times to meet. Chores completed by around 6pm and it is from this we can apply their recent 'normal' time of meeting being just that. Changing that day and contacting him, she did not have to wait, she was free to go out at this earlier than could have been anticipated time.
No phone logs produced (over the broken phone period) to back up Mitchells claims that there was no pre arranged meeting time, that he had to make dinner and did not go out until around 6pm. He may very well have stayed home for dinner but it was around when Jodi was allowed out, he had no restrictions as such. Again, one is being asked to believe that the older brother, normally home well before Luke would have the 14yr old making his dinner for him. If dinner was usually over by 6pm in the Mitchell home, it is indictive of the mother making it upon her arrival home. The boys perhaps helping at points with preparation, peeling the "totties" for instance.
KT and Jodi, the two girls in Mitchells life, one showering him with adoration in person, the other hanging onto his every word with that constant communication by phone. It is not about Mitchells feelings towards these girls, it is about their feelings, how they felt their place was in his life. Absolutely nothing to do with, 'he was hardly in love, not demanding to go see her, travelling those couple of hours' It is about the deceit, trying to distance himself from any involvement with KT, lying about the relationship and constant communication, of planning to meet with her once more in the school break. It has everything to do with a young girl and having her trust broken. Of adoration turning to confrontation and accusation, upset and wanting to have it out with him. Being allowed out earlier than anticipated would have been beneficial to releasing those pent up feelings, having that 'set to' sooner rather than later! - So yes, it is not at all difficult to realise why this girl was upbeat that day.
Contacting one person only and that person was LM to let him know of this change. Leaving home shortly afterwards to meet with him. LM seen with this girl at the lane tying in with her confirmed time of leaving home. She had no phone, no means of contacting anyone else. That phone plays a key part to several things;
A young girl who knew what danger was, articulate and bright. The ban on that path, of placing herself into dangerous situations. She had no phone, no security, no back, no means of reaching out for help. And again, the person she was leaving to meet knew this, her killer knew she had nothing to reach out with.
The utter nonsense, the complete bollocks - Of a boy who knew of that ban, knew the dangers of that path, knew his girlfriend had no phone, no security, no back up - Claiming to have simply hung around for the best part of 90mins, her non arrival in Newbattle and toddling off to see his pals. Instantly back on the phone to them, chasing them up, wondering where the hell they were! He was setting alibi in place, plain and simple.
And please with the repetitive bleat of pass the buck. Jodi's family were blindsided, it was early evening, around dinner time, they had no idea if Luke was simply running late, where Jodi may have been waiting for him "Up here" The grans, anywhere but that path. That is the difference, massively. That without a doubt, that no further call from Mitchell had her family believing fully they had met and were spending the night together. The first person contacted when her curfew time past by, was LM. Of meeting with LM and asking him why? Why had he not called back wondering where Jodi was? His answer and used at trial "I thought ? you had grounded her ----------" Telling others the same, of "not coming out" and "being grounded again"
So one family, her mother/father believing the two were together, absolutely nothing to alert them to any danger, no thought of going to Newbattle, of using any path alone, simply nothing. To and please - A lad knowing of the ban, the dangers, of having no phone. Claims of meeting in his end with many dangers on the way. Of claiming to simply hang about in one spot, going nowhere near that path of course (The F&W sighting), for around 90mins. Being asked to believe that not only would any other normal type of boy, simply have walked the route in reverse to meet on the way. But did not bother, thought of no dangers and on it goes. To the boys and chasing them up, phoning them back within minutes of no arrival. To that claimed call to his mother of asking if Jodi had been, the claimed jokes shared, but nothing from a parent, again aware of those dangers. To that lie of coming home around 9pm and again, that brush off from a parent, 'oh she will have got caught up gabbing' For goodness sake he was NOT even in the house again. Not arriving home until 10pm - But the point, from him, his mother, the parent, absolutely no concern. - There was none for Jodi was already dead by his hands! Winging it and making it up.
And you wonder why suspicion fell instantly upon him, remained there and why he could NOT be eliminated - And that is simply a mere bloody fraction of it. that outstanding circumstantial case. Caught in their own web of deceit, continuously. Blaming others! Picking on him, singling him out - As bloody IF. Which of course the bulk of the manipulation is around, one big massive almighty IF! Starting with IF the enablers of this killer are being honest with you. Try starting from there?
