Family Disappeared a Year ago Yesterday

One reason the videos might be present on Youtube is if the family posted them there hoping to make them accessible to the general public after the McStays went missing.

I'm not sure that's the case, but it's possible and would make sense.

Quote:

Originally posted by Tarquin

One reason the videos might be present on Youtube is if the family posted them there hoping to make them accessible to the general public after the McStays went missing.

I'm not sure that's the case, but it's possible and would make sense.

He posted his last home vid on January 23, 2010 and the last sign of contact was February 4th. So I'd say out of the 4,524 views the video showing where they lived has had, the kidnappers were probably within the first 100 or so viewers... creepy stuff.

Quote:

Originally posted by Tarquin

One reason the videos might be present on Youtube is if the family posted them there hoping to make them accessible to the general public after the McStays went missing.

I'm not sure that's the case, but it's possible and would make sense.

See post #17, the videos were up there before they went missing

Quote:

Originally posted by hornithologist

...

See post #17, the videos were up there before they went missing

Fair enough. Thanks for the info. I was just floating a theory.

Quote:

Originally posted by hornithologist

...

If there was 4 days unaccounted for (the 4th, when he spoke to his associate, until the 8th when they found and towed the car), then the family easily could have went back home after being at the restaurant. Then the kidnappers came that same night I'm guessing. They wore gloves, were experienced, and also got really lucky that everything went according to their plan, so that no evidence was left. Kidnappers weren't after money, just the kids.

Now the neighbor had a camera in his yard which happened to view the end of the families driveway. The camera caught part of their vehicle leaving at around 5:30 pm the day they went missing. I saw that tape. I think the tape quit at midnight. I haven't seen anybody say they came back that day or night. I am assuming the police watched all the film. I don't know if it started back up the next day.
I think Kidnapping is a distinct possibility too. Somebody could have been stalking them. Detective Duga? says he has physical evidence they went into Mexico Voluntarily. He has not said what that evidence is. They could have been nabbed when they crossed the border for all we know. Or duga may be wrong. I think there is a lot we don't know because the case is still active and they don't want to jeopardize it. We are getting bits and pieces of it. Like at 2:30 pm that day the wife phoned a homeopathic store looking for a drug named "Anger". They do make a homeopathic drug name Anger. She got mad when the sales clerk said she never heard of it. Who is Angry? This is what I have read from the latest articles I have seen.
Ya all the home videos were filmed before the disappearance. I agree. Very Naive for anybody to do that

Here is the other clue that throws off the Kidnapping angle. Someone in the home googled what the requirements for kids to get into Mexico. This was a week or 2 before they disappeared. The wife's passport had expired. Also she bought(Craigs list ad) some Rosetta Stone tapes to learn how to speak Italian. She also wanted the Spanish speaking tapes but the police said they couldn't find those. Witnesses saw her Husband meeting with 2 men at a kids soccer ball game. I read where the wife had told the seller of the tapes to meet her hubby there. The police don't have the subpoena power to find these men because there is no evidence of a crime yet. The seller didn't email(the police) back--another clue

Yeah, there was definitely some weird stuff going on with the wife. The detective just writes her off as "eccentric". I'm sure he can't speak about everything though.

Damn, I've read all of the info in this post and I have to say I am intrigued. I for one am interested in how this plays out. I do not have a theory myself yet, however most above me seem very viable. I would want to examine more info/evidence myself.

Please keep us posted if anything new comes into the public.

I plan on keeping an eye on this.

Well why would they get italian language tapes with an expired passport? Getting into Europe is extreamly risky with a fake passport, and especially italy. They are used to people trying to get into Europe via Italy. It is major landing site for migrants trying to sneak into europe from ME and Africa.

Well I didn't really have a theory about what happened but from the few clues I had it sounded like a kidnapping to me.
I found this on some other site and I think it's a pretty good theory about what possibly happened...

Published: April 03, 2010

Op-Ed Contributor

The McStay's 'Simple Plan'- Mired in a Metamorphosis of Mystery!

By John Kays

http://newsblaze.com/story/20100403100625kays.nb/topstory.html


I had my doubts before about the surveillance video of the McStays approaching the turnstile to cross over into Tijuana, Mexico. But now I have developed my own photo of the family in silhouette, and am more convinced than ever that this is indeed the McStays. The figure of Summer with her long black hair is the most recognizable.

The investigation into the February 4th disappearance of the McStay family is morphing in the direction of a flight into Mexico, and probably deliberately. This only muddies the waters all the more. My theory is that with their fleeing into Mexico by choice, they must have been trying to avoid someone. They left behind a beautiful brand new home and a very happy existence. Or so it would appear on the surface?

I am going to back up here and spell out a handful of new facts that cast this case in a different light. The best reporting is coming from the Union-Tribune in San Diego and specifically from staff writer Leslie Berestein. Leslie seems to have the inside scoop with the McStay family and with the San Diego Sheriff's Department, who is oh so selective in what clues they'll disclose to the public.

A primary new clue is that the McStay's were researching passport requirements for traveling to Mexico with children. These inquiries were found on their computer and were made on Jan. 27 and Jan. 28; they visited the site About.com. However, it doesn't look as if they followed through with obtaining the proper legal documents.

Joseph was the only one who had a valid passport. Summer's had expired and the youngest son's birth certificate, required for reentry into the United States, was left with a grandmother. Therefore, I believe that a sudden unexpected event or development (a third party intervention) hastened their plans to depart Fallbrook on February 4th. (Union-Tribune-FBI joins search for McStays by Leslie Berestein-Friday, April 2, 2010)

A new fact that I find significant is that a neighbor's security camera shows a vehicle backing out of the McStay's driveway at exactly 7:47 P.M. on Feb. 4th. Why were the family of four leaving so late on their trip? Some event, perhaps a phone call, must have triggered an impetus to move up the clock of departure?

Why leave so late for Mexico? This makes no sense. And remember, it would be four more days until their car was towed from a strip mall parking lot in San Ysidro. Where were they during this time and what were they doing for those four days?

The last phone call made was by Joseph McStay, on his cell phone at 8:37 PM to his business partner. The call was for only one minute and was made one hour after their departure for an unknown destination. After this time the cell phones go dead. Also, bank activity completely drops off the earth.

Could they have been living on cash alone? They would have to. A sizeable withdrawal of cold cash is required to make this fit. Yet the police haven't mentioned any cash withdrawal such as this? This is the key to a fundamental hypothesis of mine that I will postulate for you shortly.

What I find most odd is why hasn't the business partner come out with a statement to the press? This partner of Joseph in his home fountain business has not even given his name. Is he hiding something? What did he discuss with Joseph in this last one minute phone conversation? If he has nothing to hide, why not just come out with a statement to the press? Perhaps he has a piece of information that could unravel this unsolved mystery?

Tim Miller of Texas Equusearch was a guest on Jane-Velez Mitchell on Wednesday, March 31st. When Tim looked over the McStay house, he observed that it appeared that many clothes were missing. This implies that the family packed these belongings with the idea of leaving on a planned trip. Maybe a trip of some length, I might add. There were only high heels for Summer, and where were Joseph's shoes and shirts? Packed in luggage, I would think.

And what about the notion that they staged their disappearance? What's for sure, is that they left in haste! Food was left out. And Summer forgot her prescription sunglasses! The dogs were left without food and water (most puzzling). Trays of paint and rollers were abandoned, as if some event altered Summer's flow of work, her painting of the kitchen, a dramatic gear shift. A statement of Summer's friend for ten years, Jesi Silveria, reinforces my theory of a rapid change in plans.

"I was one of the last people speaking to her and for three days straight it was all about moving in and setting in. There was no mention about hesitancy or challenges she was having. If she had any stress or strain or worry you could have heard it in her voice. It just doesn't make sense to anyone who personally knows them."

A life altering development occurred on February 4th. This event was reinforced by previous happenings, however. This is cause and effect here. Think of when you shoot a pool ball with a cue stick. The ball hits other balls and they move to a new location on the pool table. In turn, this affects the player's strategy on his next shot. The 'McStay Plan' was a work in progress. It shifted with the sifting sands of fate.

Testimony from Susan Blake, Joseph's mother, adds to my belief that something BIG went down on February 4th. Susan Blake felt as if something was out of place when she spoke to her son on that day. "Joe told me he wasn't feeling good that day. His equilibrium wasn't right and I felt something was wrong." I think that Joe knew it was time to get away. Not doing so would be a more negative decision for his family.

I'm going to lay out my theory, so don't scoff at me for idle speculation. I'm sure that the FBI is doing that very thing even as I type these words. But here goes nothing. A favorite movie of mine, 1998's A Simple Plan, directed by Sam Raimi, is my model for what happened to the McStays. In the film Hank Mitchell, his brother Jacob, and a friend Lou stumble upon a downed airplane. They find a dead man inside the crash and $4.4 million dollars in cash, stashed in cargo bags.

The brothers and the friend devise a 'simple plan' to lay low and to keep the money as a sort of retirement account for their old age. This is where the irony comes in, this is anything but a 'simple plan' as a rapid sequence of events put a tire iron in the spokes of a well-oiled scheme. In this parallel the McStays must have discovered some money that they weren't intended to have. I think it was a sum of more than a million dollars. This cash may have been hidden in one of the fountains that Joseph purchased from Mexico. Narco-traffickers may have been attempting to launder vast amounts of drug money by way of these fountain craftsmen on the other side of the border. The McStays were not supposed to be aware of this scheme.

As such their men on the American side would retrieve this money and smuggle it away to another safehouse. But Joseph accidentally discovered this money when he was working on one of these fountains. The amount was so great, that he decided to keep it after discussing the situation with Summer. In the film Bill Paxton does something similar with Bridgett Fonda. The money pushes their button. This is where a 'simple plan' comes into play.

And so this would explain why the bank accounts suddenly went dead. The McStays would operate strictly on a cash-only-basis, going forward. They figured that could hide out in Mexico undetected, maybe in some simple village up in the mountains, away from civilization. And their cash would stretch out as far as the eye can see.

Fitting in with my theory, the McStays had to hide out in the states from the 4th to the 8th. They didn't want to cross over into Mexico too rapidly, lest the traffickers might surprise them at the crossing. Why leave the white Isuzu Trooper in San Ysidro? Because the Bad Men knew of the vehicle from the news, so they had to get rid of it. And what about the last call to the business partner?

This is why I think he knew. He may have tipped off the McStays that 'they' were looking for them. This would also explain why he won't give his name or provide the media with a statement of some kind. Also, I believe the police know of his involvement and are providing him with a makeshift 'witness protection program.' This would also explain why it took so long to report the disappearance to the authorities. Enough time was allowed for the McStays to hide away in the remotest regions of Mexico.

And then you might wonder why the McStays didn't just return the money to these traffickers? The reason why is this wasn't even an option! Even if they did return the money, they would still be killed to silence them. This is how these ruthless criminals operate, in say, Ciudad Juarez. The McStays had no choice but to flee with the money in tow. They had but one choice-a permanent departure from their once beautiful life.

My theory of what might have happened to the McStays is the only one that fits all the known facts we that we have at our disposal. Today Michael McStay is distributing fliers down on the border. He intends to go to Mexico very soon, and has already gotten his passport. And now the FBI is taking a stake in this case.

This is further support for my theory. I don't believe they would get involved if they didn't believe their case had taken on wider parameters. As such maybe it's more international in scope, involving U.S. citizens and narco-traffickers, who operate without impunity on both sides of the borders.

You may think I'm spinning cotton candy here, but how can one juxtapose these disjointed facts into a cogent theorem that fits for their sudden disappearance? My theory works. And don't you look upon me as if I'm lingering on the Dark Side (I don't live in a Gingerbread House)!

I do believe that they are still alive! I'm an optimist. Two possible sightings have already been reported. The case may break tomorrow or it may remain unsolved. Words of Lt. Dennis Brugos best characterizes the McStay case: "I've never seen anything like this in over 35 years of experience in the business."

http://newsblaze.com/story/20100403100625kays.nb/topstory.html

Thanks for the links and interesting theory 2stroke! That theory make a lot of sense. I saw on the news recently that the smugglers were catapulting drugs over the border. That shows that they can be very creative and will try anything. Really did look like the husband was carrying something on his back when he crossed the border.
I think I read where the business partner was really a sub contractor? Unless there is another person involved that I am not aware of. This sub contractor allegedly visited the home several times between the 4th and the 15--for some reason? One time because he was ask to by the mother of the husband. So much info out there its hard to keep track of and remember This is the same sub contractor who said the husband called him that night at 8:47 pm and talked calmly and professionally about business. That is the last call he made before the phones went dead. First the husband phone went dead and then 4 hours later the wifes phone went dead. New info comes out every now and then.
The step father of the Husband finally spoke out after a year and said the family left "under a cloud of misunderstanding" I think the police say they may have been "lured out of the country"--which would fall inline with Kays theory. The family is said to own property in Belize, Mexico. From what I read it is a easy bus ride from the border. I also read that in the area they are not too strict concerning the passports. Long as you have a drivers license and a Birth Certificate
I have read a lot and watched some of the videos but by no means am a expert on this subject. Sometimes I wish I hadn't watched them on that show "Disappeared" because this has occupied too much of my time Very frustrating. Almost like it was planned to be frustrating. Oh ya this makes sense until a new fact comes out and you are back to square one

If they have $100K in the bank why in the fuck are they driving an Isuzu Trooper ?

I think that money was loaned to them by the step father for the business. I think I read that somewhere. Latest news says it was $90,000

Here is my take on this. The wife is behind it all. From what I take she is from hispanic/mexican origin. She wanted out of the marriage because she had a mexican lover. The only way to get out of the marriage and be able to take the kids to mexico to be with her lover is to off the husband. So she fakes an emergency phone call from mexico (Lover calls her to say her mother/relative is dead). She reacts and her and the husband pack quickly and head out. The wife had this all planned so that day she went to purchase her kids toys to start their new life with knowing that if they were already in the vehicle the husband wouldnt be any wiser. Once they get close to the boarder he figures out that they cant drive across the boarder because they dont have passports. They then decide to park the car and walk across the boarder (Much easier to do then driving). Once across the boarder the family meets up with a family member (the lover) who is suppose to drive them to the dead persons house. On the way there the lover kills the husband and dumps him somewhere. Now the wife has the kids, her lover, and a new life without the husband.


Just my take.

I read on some other forums that family may have left for Spain's Canary Islands. Changing one's identity is not that difficult

Quote:

Originally posted by jandmredclouds

Here is my take on this. The wife is behind it all. From what I take she is from hispanic/mexican origin. She wanted out of the marriage because she had a mexican lover. The only way to get out of the marriage and be able to take the kids to mexico to be with her lover is to off the husband. So she fakes an emergency phone call from mexico (Lover calls her to say her mother/relative is dead). She reacts and her and the husband pack quickly and head out. The wife had this all planned so that day she went to purchase her kids toys to start their new life with knowing that if they were already in the vehicle the husband wouldnt be any wiser. Once they get close to the boarder he figures out that they cant drive across the boarder because they dont have passports. They then decide to park the car and walk across the boarder (Much easier to do then driving). Once across the boarder the family meets up with a family member (the lover) who is suppose to drive them to the dead persons house. On the way there the lover kills the husband and dumps him somewhere. Now the wife has the kids, her lover, and a new life without the husband.


Just my take.

With your scenario, the lover would need to get the husband alone. Nobody is going to kill dad in front of the children. Otherwise I think you could be correct although her and him seem close in pictures.

Quote:

Originally posted by 2stroke

Well I didn't really have a theory about what happened but from the few clues I had it sounded like a kidnapping to me.
I found this on some other site and I think it's a pretty good theory about what possibly happened...

Published: April 03, 2010

Op-Ed Contributor

The McStay's 'Simple Plan'- Mired in a Metamorphosis of Mystery!

By John Kays

[ Link ]


I had my doubts before about the surveillance video of the McStays approaching the turnstile to cross over into Tijuana, Mexico. But now I have developed my own photo of the family in silhouette, and am more convinced than ever that this is indeed the McStays. The figure of Summer with her long black hair is the most recognizable.

The investigation into the February 4th disappearance of the McStay family is morphing in the direction of a flight into Mexico, and probably deliberately. This only muddies the waters all the more. My theory is that with their fleeing into Mexico by choice, they must have been trying to avoid someone. They left behind a beautiful brand new home and a very happy existence. Or so it would appear on the surface?

I am going to back up here and spell out a handful of new facts that cast this case in a different light. The best reporting is coming from the Union-Tribune in San Diego and specifically from staff writer Leslie Berestein. Leslie seems to have the inside scoop with the McStay family and with the San Diego Sheriff's Department, who is oh so selective in what clues they'll disclose to the public.

A primary new clue is that the McStay's were researching passport requirements for traveling to Mexico with children. These inquiries were found on their computer and were made on Jan. 27 and Jan. 28; they visited the site About.com. However, it doesn't look as if they followed through with obtaining the proper legal documents.

Joseph was the only one who had a valid passport. Summer's had expired and the youngest son's birth certificate, required for reentry into the United States, was left with a grandmother. Therefore, I believe that a sudden unexpected event or development (a third party intervention) hastened their plans to depart Fallbrook on February 4th. (Union-Tribune-FBI joins search for McStays by Leslie Berestein-Friday, April 2, 2010)

A new fact that I find significant is that a neighbor's security camera shows a vehicle backing out of the McStay's driveway at exactly 7:47 P.M. on Feb. 4th. Why were the family of four leaving so late on their trip? Some event, perhaps a phone call, must have triggered an impetus to move up the clock of departure?

Why leave so late for Mexico? This makes no sense. And remember, it would be four more days until their car was towed from a strip mall parking lot in San Ysidro. Where were they during this time and what were they doing for those four days?

The last phone call made was by Joseph McStay, on his cell phone at 8:37 PM to his business partner. The call was for only one minute and was made one hour after their departure for an unknown destination. After this time the cell phones go dead. Also, bank activity completely drops off the earth.

Could they have been living on cash alone? They would have to. A sizeable withdrawal of cold cash is required to make this fit. Yet the police haven't mentioned any cash withdrawal such as this? This is the key to a fundamental hypothesis of mine that I will postulate for you shortly.

What I find most odd is why hasn't the business partner come out with a statement to the press? This partner of Joseph in his home fountain business has not even given his name. Is he hiding something? What did he discuss with Joseph in this last one minute phone conversation? If he has nothing to hide, why not just come out with a statement to the press? Perhaps he has a piece of information that could unravel this unsolved mystery?

Tim Miller of Texas Equusearch was a guest on Jane-Velez Mitchell on Wednesday, March 31st. When Tim looked over the McStay house, he observed that it appeared that many clothes were missing. This implies that the family packed these belongings with the idea of leaving on a planned trip. Maybe a trip of some length, I might add. There were only high heels for Summer, and where were Joseph's shoes and shirts? Packed in luggage, I would think.

And what about the notion that they staged their disappearance? What's for sure, is that they left in haste! Food was left out. And Summer forgot her prescription sunglasses! The dogs were left without food and water (most puzzling). Trays of paint and rollers were abandoned, as if some event altered Summer's flow of work, her painting of the kitchen, a dramatic gear shift. A statement of Summer's friend for ten years, Jesi Silveria, reinforces my theory of a rapid change in plans.

"I was one of the last people speaking to her and for three days straight it was all about moving in and setting in. There was no mention about hesitancy or challenges she was having. If she had any stress or strain or worry you could have heard it in her voice. It just doesn't make sense to anyone who personally knows them."

A life altering development occurred on February 4th. This event was reinforced by previous happenings, however. This is cause and effect here. Think of when you shoot a pool ball with a cue stick. The ball hits other balls and they move to a new location on the pool table. In turn, this affects the player's strategy on his next shot. The 'McStay Plan' was a work in progress. It shifted with the sifting sands of fate.

Testimony from Susan Blake, Joseph's mother, adds to my belief that something BIG went down on February 4th. Susan Blake felt as if something was out of place when she spoke to her son on that day. "Joe told me he wasn't feeling good that day. His equilibrium wasn't right and I felt something was wrong." I think that Joe knew it was time to get away. Not doing so would be a more negative decision for his family.

I'm going to lay out my theory, so don't scoff at me for idle speculation. I'm sure that the FBI is doing that very thing even as I type these words. But here goes nothing. A favorite movie of mine, 1998's A Simple Plan, directed by Sam Raimi, is my model for what happened to the McStays. In the film Hank Mitchell, his brother Jacob, and a friend Lou stumble upon a downed airplane. They find a dead man inside the crash and $4.4 million dollars in cash, stashed in cargo bags.

The brothers and the friend devise a 'simple plan' to lay low and to keep the money as a sort of retirement account for their old age. This is where the irony comes in, this is anything but a 'simple plan' as a rapid sequence of events put a tire iron in the spokes of a well-oiled scheme. In this parallel the McStays must have discovered some money that they weren't intended to have. I think it was a sum of more than a million dollars. This cash may have been hidden in one of the fountains that Joseph purchased from Mexico. Narco-traffickers may have been attempting to launder vast amounts of drug money by way of these fountain craftsmen on the other side of the border. The McStays were not supposed to be aware of this scheme.

As such their men on the American side would retrieve this money and smuggle it away to another safehouse. But Joseph accidentally discovered this money when he was working on one of these fountains. The amount was so great, that he decided to keep it after discussing the situation with Summer. In the film Bill Paxton does something similar with Bridgett Fonda. The money pushes their button. This is where a 'simple plan' comes into play.

And so this would explain why the bank accounts suddenly went dead. The McStays would operate strictly on a cash-only-basis, going forward. They figured that could hide out in Mexico undetected, maybe in some simple village up in the mountains, away from civilization. And their cash would stretch out as far as the eye can see.

Fitting in with my theory, the McStays had to hide out in the states from the 4th to the 8th. They didn't want to cross over into Mexico too rapidly, lest the traffickers might surprise them at the crossing. Why leave the white Isuzu Trooper in San Ysidro? Because the Bad Men knew of the vehicle from the news, so they had to get rid of it. And what about the last call to the business partner?

This is why I think he knew. He may have tipped off the McStays that 'they' were looking for them. This would also explain why he won't give his name or provide the media with a statement of some kind. Also, I believe the police know of his involvement and are providing him with a makeshift 'witness protection program.' This would also explain why it took so long to report the disappearance to the authorities. Enough time was allowed for the McStays to hide away in the remotest regions of Mexico.

And then you might wonder why the McStays didn't just return the money to these traffickers? The reason why is this wasn't even an option! Even if they did return the money, they would still be killed to silence them. This is how these ruthless criminals operate, in say, Ciudad Juarez. The McStays had no choice but to flee with the money in tow. They had but one choice-a permanent departure from their once beautiful life.

My theory of what might have happened to the McStays is the only one that fits all the known facts we that we have at our disposal. Today Michael McStay is distributing fliers down on the border. He intends to go to Mexico very soon, and has already gotten his passport. And now the FBI is taking a stake in this case.

This is further support for my theory. I don't believe they would get involved if they didn't believe their case had taken on wider parameters. As such maybe it's more international in scope, involving U.S. citizens and narco-traffickers, who operate without impunity on both sides of the borders.

You may think I'm spinning cotton candy here, but how can one juxtapose these disjointed facts into a cogent theorem that fits for their sudden disappearance? My theory works. And don't you look upon me as if I'm lingering on the Dark Side (I don't live in a Gingerbread House)!

I do believe that they are still alive! I'm an optimist. Two possible sightings have already been reported. The case may break tomorrow or it may remain unsolved. Words of Lt. Dennis Brugos best characterizes the McStay case: "I've never seen anything like this in over 35 years of experience in the business."

[ Link ]

Maybe it's just me, but if I'm running from some Mexican drug cartel, I make a specific point to NOT go to Mexico.

You don't hide from the police at the police station.

I like Jandmredclouds theory. If something did happen from within the family, I'd agree she was behind it.

I don't like the theory about finding drug money in a fountain and living the rest of their days in a mountainous, Mexican village away from civilization. Plus, I read that the brother has seen the video, and doesn't think it was them crossing the border on foot.

Transcript from the disappeared show:

Det. Troy Dugal ~ 0:20
He drove to Ranch Cucamunga. He had a business luncheon with one of his business associates, where he told the business associate that he was going to return home. Cell tower records indicate that he did go from Ranch Cucamonga to the Fallbrook area in a direct path.

Narrator ~
Cell phone records also indicate that Joseph continued to make business calls throughout the rest of the day. His final call is at 8:47PM to the same business partner he had lunch with.

Det. Troy Dugal ~
That business partner had no indication that something was wrong. I was able to determine that February 4th was a very ordinary day for Joseph and Summer.

Here is a time line of events:

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/article_05234289-d05b-5325-b54a-391407ea567a.html

If this were a stranger type kidnapping and/or murder then it looks too cleaned up imo. No blood and no signs of struggle. No bodies showing up after a year. Why go to all that trouble to make it look like no crime was committed? Make it look like they went across the border? Why take their vehicle and park it 2 blocks from the border? Why not take it to where it won't be found ie a chop shop?. The place where it was parked only had a 2 hour parking limit. Probably potential witnesses nearby. What was the point of taking their vehicle anyway? Didn't the kidnappers/killers have their own vehicle?
Now if they voluntarily went to Mexico then anything could have happened to them there and we probably would never know it. Good or bad