Two things . Firstly it was Alice Walker who suggested going back down the path that Luke had just walked. Luke had no way of knowing that they would be going back down that particular path.
Secondly Luke was a product of the metric generation. Like my nephew, who is ages with Luke, they deal in mm,cm and metres, grms and kg….not inches, feet and yards. Would he really have described the distance he had travelled past the break in yards or was it put to him and he was simply unaware of how far the distance was?
He used "some distance past" along with "not even 20 yards" - just in case that perhaps is not clear enough for you, he then went onto stating it was "parallel to where Jodi lay in the woods" - So the exact place he meant was not confusing, was it? Neither were the search trio's also from the off. On and approaching and not a foot past, Mitchell with his dog went directly to that break in the wall ---------
But of course, one is trying to imply that the police put words into pretty much everyone's mouths, more so Mitchell. Interestingly the author speaks of a young witness, who she claims the police wrote down lots of words she did not understand, and stated "don't worry, it means the same, you won't be called as a witness anyway" A very intelligent and bright young girl. And of course nonsense, the police write down what you say, read back and if inconsistencies then can change/clarify. And one would doubt, they would put down some words that someone simply did not understand - and of course there is no example given of any words!
More so, the author goes onto to state of the mental health problems of this young girl, the anxiety brought about - she claims due to perhaps being called as a witness and going to jail if not telling the truth?! - The truth, this girl was a mutual friend, close to both the deceased and LM. Her evidence was heard in court, her statements read from, no fancy unrecognizable words. The anxiety and mental health problems were down to the simple factor of - Losing her friend and the other one under suspicion then charged with her murder. Horrific situation to be in that resulted in those mental health issues. What the author does not tell you, and can not fail to know, yet again, Is that this close friend stopped speaking to both CM and her son. Extremely relevant and very telling information.
And of AW, yes we know that she suggested they look properly. Hardly surprising, is it? They are heading there to meet with Mitchell, they had been asked to take something of Jodi's. When they got there he was not even at the top of that path. They each saw the others torch light "Is that you Luke?" shouted out AW, "yes", They walked to meet with him, down from the junction of those paths. And two questions, "did you see anything" "No" - "Do you have anything of Jodi's" for the dog to use to scent with and "No" So there you have it, he had not even reached the top of that path, and he asks if they had brought something and where does one assume they are going to search, with that something of Jodi's? The path of course. He asks he waits, he is still on it, not all of it could have been searched as he had not even walked the length of it. And that is the cover of making it all happen. But you are correct, there are several things he could not have banked on. But, one thing by that point, for sure, is that LM was going to be part of more than one person searching that path. Why?
She was coming to mine, she was supposed to walk this path to get there = the last place she would/could have been he has made clear, is that very path. Again the utter nonsense of zoning in on one thing over everything else, that of AW but when it is put into context it shows a completely different account. They have walked down to meet with him, already an area of that path that could not have been searched. He has the dog, he is making it clear of using the dog ! with or without having that something of Jodi's. So they then do what they were meeting to do, to search that path together! - and in around 8 mins - that miraculous find (cough) He had fed and filled their heads with that path and searching it, plain and simple. From waiting on that first correspondence coming through.
10.49pm - 'I will search, I will search the RDP. I will come to yours to go through phone numbers?!? And again, the only number he may have been able to give was the mutual friend above, if Jodi's mother did not already have it, but then this girl was away on a school trip. So that guise of phone numbers was false, a non starter. He was heading and leading a search to the RDP. And every piece of nonsense given, in an attempt to rush him up that path, to deflect away from the dog doing naff all, backfired time and again. For it that lad had been rushing anywhere, he would have been up and off it. He was not, he was waiting and he was leading that search to it, intentionally.
He certainly was rushing though, chapping at the bit from 10pm. 10.49pm and that instant offer to get on that path and search and by 10.59pm he is that path. And the one thing that stands out along with this, is the police! 10.49pm "I am phoning the police Luke and he is right in there" 10.59pm "I have phoned the police Luke, Jodi's gran is coming out and it is "I am on the path" And he stays and within minutes of meeting, before the police have an active chance to be involved she is found!! - he knew exactly what he was doing. Jack flash, up at that Gino break introducing the woodland to the search, and upon the next break in is instantly there and over. And it is here yet again that the book deflects away from:
The "interrogation" - Of Mitchell wanting the screen turned back to see! It did not matter as with the claims of being "parallel to" on the path side, where Mitchell claimed he had walked to, on the inside of that wall, for he had not. He did not have the time to, in motion with Kelly and JaJ on that unobstructed path side 10 -15 steps. And it was them that hasted back and there he was, on the other side of that break, once more. He could not have walked more than those 3 meters on the inside of that wall, and there was no visibility from there, still around 30 ft away with obstacle after obstacle in the way of sight. And those lies just keep on given -
Mitchell had a search light it is claimed, whilst the others had mere household torches! He was able to see further and see everything due to this, given as a reason you know, Just in case he had only walked those three meters!! But there was no evidence of him carrying a search light, one with x-ray powers of course! Those torches tested to see exactly how strong they were.