It did not happen all at once. There was no siren moment, no dramatic escalation, no declaration that something terrible had occurred. The transition from concern to action came through a phone call, logged like thousands of others, handled by a department accustomed to uncertainty and delay. The intake process required structure. A deputy recorded biographical details. Ages. Vehicles. Occupations. Known habits. There were questions designed to determine urgency: any history of violence, any threats, any medical conditions, any known disputes. The answers, as given, did not demand escalation. There was no immediate evidence of danger. No broken windows. No frantic voicemail. No witness claiming distress. What existed was absence. Absence is difficult to categorize.  But the McStays were missing...

Sources: 
https://coronadotimes.com/event/down-to-the-bone-caitlin-rother-and-the-mcstay-family-murders/

https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/judge-unseals-court-records-in-mcstay-murder-case/509-5297be95-2f41-4ce7-931e-8c3dc98e0918

https://allthatsinteresting.com/mcstay-family-murders

https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/missing-mcstay-family-cross-mexico/story?id=10042816

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/mcstay-family-murder-trial-charles-merritt-closing-arguments-jury/159073/


https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-mcstay-family-deaths-20190120-story.html

https://www.sbsun.com/2019/03/11/key-prosecution-evidence-flopped-in-mcstay-family-murder-case-defense-contends/

https://www.sbsun.com/2019/03/11/key-prosecution-evidence-flopped-in-mcstay-family-murder-case-defense-contends/

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