I think you overestimate the ability of forensics to ID a time of death. If it took more than a day to find a body they can only offer windows of time. Also quit using the media as hard fact. Reporters do not like to write inconclusively. They like to churn out info as fast as they can with little regard for initial accuracy.
If windows of time are all we can get, it's at least something. But the estimated time of death is based on internet traffic and when the bodies were found.
They seem sure the kids were sleeping (though we still don't know how they arrived at that conclusion; apparently there were pillows present, but what kind of pillows, we don't know and was there any bedding?)
But taken at face value, if the kids were sleeping, that makes TWO windows of time separated by 24 full hours. That would be 12 and 36 hours plus and minus 4 hours, approximately, before the bodies were found.
Stating that the "official time of death" (reported at the uniondemocrat.com) was Saturday afternoon when the bodies were found is embarrassingly naive. And the public accepting that as an estimated time of death is equally naive and equally embarrassing.
That screw up, at least, has been corrected in part, but they would have tried to fly that Saturday afternoon thing if not for the much maligned "conspiracy theorists" apparently holding their feet to the fire. Now their estimated window is a three day spread, including the Saturday after the kids missed school on Friday.
Body temperature was not taken? Or was it. When will the autopsy records be available (for ten bucks).
Age of the blood was not considered? Settling of blood in the bodies? Did they preserve any photos of the crime scene? Were any TAKEN?!
The window of time is awfully broad, being between Thursday night and Saturday at 3:10 pm.
How long do you think the sheriffs need to complete their investigation. There are still ballistics and DNA testing results they promised to report to the public.
To your understanding, was the DNA testing ordered 10 weeks ago? Did they decide not to do that, as they apparently decided not to do the gun shot residue testing? And how about ballistics? That only takes a week or two, usually.
Why no ballistics results?
Or have those been done after all and they just decided the results weren't worth reporting.
What's your guess?
To Others: Phillip Marshall had no bullets for his gun for a YEAR. Then suddenly he decided to get some very specific type of bullet which was so rare that there was only one other box in the entire united states, which the sheriffs located through the Big 5 corporate office.
So many incongruities.
Does it seem like a guy that didn't even have bullets for the first year he had his gun would be that much of a connoisseur of hard-to-get ammo?
Or was the ordnance chosen so he could prove himself guilty if the ballistics tests didn't match his weapon or were inconclusive?
So much is wrong with this investigation it's difficult to know where to start enumerating all the blunders.
Why didn't they just call Phillip a "suspect" like normal cops do. Why did they have to commit to an absurd theory so they now apparently have to lie, conceal evidence, obfuscate, make fun of conspiracy theorists (who managed to get them to at least come to a more rational estimate of the times of death) and in effect aid and abet the real killers if it turns out that Phillip Marshall was
a) not mentally ill
b) did not fire the murder weapon
c) did not "debt kill" his children or himself
d) is innocent of all the absurd accusations which neither the sheriffs nor the coroner have demonstrated they even have evidence to prove.
This case would NOT stand up in a court of law if the accused wasn't dead, cold, and buried in the ground.
The sheriffs need to seek employment where they can't do so much damage.
Damage to the reputation of honorable, trustworthy, open and dedicated law enforcement personnel who understand both the standards expected of law enforcement (i.e., "by the book") and the principles of the US Constitution they took an oath to preserve, protect, and defend; the SUPREME Law of the Land that created the very offices they now hold.