A false report that DeOrr Kunz jr, the missing Idaho toddler, circulated a news room when a reporter sought confirmation and called the father.
“DeOrr, is it true? Has your son been found in Minnesota?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
The question was, "DeOrr, is it true? Has your son been found in Minnesota?" posed to the father of a missing toddler. The writer added that there was a long pause before the father answered. The pause indicates a need to think, rather than react, making this question, specifically, sensitive to the father.
Ask yourself, if possible to put yourself in his shoes, what might you respond to such a question?
This is an exercise in Statement Analysis of "the expected" and it is done by presuming innocence within a parent. Therefore,
If your toddler was missing, and you had no guilty knowledge of what happened to him, and you received this phone call and question, what would your response, or the typical innocent response sound like?
First note that the author of the article said that there was a long pause. This is to indicate that the question, "Has your son been found in Minnesota?" is sensitive to him.
Next, note what you might consider a reaction:
Would you, as father waiting for news, jump at the question with, "What? Really?? This is wonderful!" as your reaction?
Expected: Rush of emotion, excitement, joy, questioning, 'where, when, how is he?' and so on.
The father's reaction is not expected and may cause some to consider that the father may consider the notion of his son being found in another state to be not possible.