"Car Washing" story probably beneficial to Deepak

Here is what a person who has followed this situation (and other criminal cases) closely had to say: A recounting of an incident like the car washing story has the likelihood of becoming more of a "red herring" than anything incriminating. When this kind of a tale gets the focus... most often it is used by good defense attorneys as part of their collection of mechanisms to enable the accused to go free. This is because, in spite of arousing suspicion (and being colorful), such a story just doesn't hold up to the kind of intense scrutiny that real evidence is compelled to do.

First, it's not a crime for anyone to wash their car. And it is especially not unusual for a person who is a known "clean car" nut. In addition, the time of the alleged washing is not out of the ordinary either, when you consider the personal circumstances of the individual involved. Deepak was a person who left his place of employment at 11:00 pm. One a.m. for a late shifter is like the middle of an average person's evening. Secondly, Deepak gave a good explanation of when he did wash his car (earlier in the evening because of the ants) and there is nothing to suggest that the neighbor was accurate in his time (or that Deepak was mistaken in his). The neighbor logically could have seen the earlier washing and subsequently re-interpreted it to later (when all the media attention came about and he was trying to reflect and recall). There is nothing to refute (no timeline anchors, such as a cellphone call or other time-stamping mechanism) Deepak's version or to ascribe any veracity to the neighbor's story. Plus, alternatively, if the neighbor's story is to be believed (and Deepak is mistaken about when he cleaned it) then Deepak is actually given a stronger alibi. Since Natalee left Carlos 'n Charlies with them around midnight, if they were already home and outside cleaning their car at 1:00 am, that would significantly narrow the time which would have been available to them for merely traveling about the island and returning home. The story is just weak from every perspective.

That individual, who has been following the case and who was now commenting about this "car washing" story, went on to say that for the defense attorneys the neighbor remembering the car washing is similar to the proverbial "straw man" argument. A straw man argument is generally done by a debater putting something up himself that he knows has a weak substance, so that he can tear down that premise later to prove his own greater point or position. This "car washing" story is a made to order "straw man." He commented, "The more of those which emerge... especially if they are seized upon by the prosecution as central to their case, the sooner the accused will walk free."