Okay. All we know about the tape is that it left North Carolina at some time after November first and arrived at SOME final destination prior to December 24th.

On the assumption that with all the publicity about a duct tape, some store surveillance tape or clerk with a good memory might have promptly surfaced, we can cut back a bit on the December 24th date.

On the assumption that someone was careful and wore gloves, we can assume he was also careful to assemble his 'kidnap/rape/murder kit' well prior to the event and perhaps in a distant location.

Now I know there is no invoice trail or bar-code trail, but there is a common sense trail. It consists of the general and routine practice of FIFO for inventory in warehouses, distribution centers, stock rooms and often retail shelves.

So can we conclude that with the crime being well planned and the note probably well thought out in advance, that his kit was assembled well in advance too?

So, how do we do this? Purchase items in a different location. I don't think a thirty minute drive would be sufficient. How about a real separation between the place of purchase and the place of use?

Cord, rope, paper sack, bat, etc. All from a remote location.
And all in his posession well before the crime.

That sort of narrows the time window and expands the geography window quite a bit.