What should we make of an arrest this long after a disappearance?

I’d separate the reported timeline from what it proves. The security footage, unusual text, phone location data, and later discovery of the vehicle and phone give investigators points to examine. None of those details, by themselves, tells the public exactly what happened.

The arrest is a major development in a long-unresolved case, but the charge is still an allegation. The evidence presented through the legal process matters more than trying to solve the case from scattered timeline details.

It’s a significant step, not a verdict. A charge means authorities are accusing someone of a crime. It does not establish guilt, and the public summary here is too limited to judge the strength of the case.

The timeline can help explain why the case stayed in public attention: there were reported sightings and digital clues, followed by the discovery of the vehicle and, later, the phone. But a long gap between a disappearance and an arrest also makes it sensible to wait for the actual case evidence rather than fill in the unknowns.