'ROUND HERE, WE ALL LOOK THE SAME.

It hasn't taken long for questions about the various parts of the Audrey Seiler story to go mainstream:

Police described the suspect as a white male in his late 20s to early 30s, with a longish rectangular head and chubby cheeks, a prominent chin, a long fleshy nose, and a small mouth with downturned corners. The suspect is about 5'10 or 5'11, with a stocky build, police said.

Yesterday he was 6' tall and skinny.

A law enforcement source outside the Madison Police Department who is familiar with the case said Thursday, "I can't go anywhere in this city without hearing someone say, based on what I've heard, this doesn't make sense. If it doesn't make sense to the average citizen, you can imagine where law enforcement is."

...

The source said Madison police burned themselves by jumping to conclusions in previous cases, such as the "Patty" rape case, and do not want to repeat the mistake. "They just can't expose themselves, considering what they've just gone through," the source said.

In that case, police in 1997 accused a Madison woman known as "Patty" of making up a story about being sexually assaulted. Later DNA evidence identified a state prisoner as the suspect, and Joseph Bong was convicted of the rape after a weeklong trial in March.

Meanwhile, local affiliates are reporting tonight that the woman who first noticed Seiler walking around in the marsh had also seen her walking out there alone the day before:

The Department of Revenue employee who called police after discovering Audrey in a marshy area near her office yesterday, is not talking to the media, but some who work with her have indicated Seiler may have been spotted in the same area on both Monday and Tuesday.

My own theory may be too callous for public consumption.

UPDATE [04:02:08:52] - The Wisconsin State Journal has a story out headlined "Police: No reason to think Seiler story made up," which means the possibility is at least being discussed; Seiler's parents have denied that she has a history of drug problems or mental illness.

Posted by Aaron S. Veenstra ::: 2004:04:01:21:30