What are people's views on Julie Mugford? I lurch between she must have been terrified to breathe a word... if he can wipe out his own parents, sister and his two little nephews, what more is he capable of? etc. However, then she accompanies him on his little 'trips' and to the funeral. Wouldn't any sane rational person ave run a bl**dy mile? or 500 miles! Don't get me wrong, she bravely took the stand and gave a creditable account, but still it all feels quite strange. She was very young and besotted by a man, but she was also an intelligent woman. I am certain the jury would have thought about this, and they still found him guilty, so it isn't for me a dealbreaker, but I have always wondered.
One word amazon LOVE
Other words that could be used might be "denial" and "self-preservation". Nobody wants to believe that someone they love is capable of murdering their entire family, much less two sleeping children. I don't find it unbelievable that while one part of you might seem to be openly thinking it's a possibility, the other part might be doing all it can to suppress the thought. Having to confess to a robbery, however low grade, as part of the package probably didn't make it any easier, either.
The human brain is a funny old thing. Under pressure, I've done things that I would not ordinarily do, and I've seen enough over the years to know that you can never really judge someone's response to anything out of the ordinary.