As ever, I'm reluctant to judge at this distance, especially as the account in that article is a bit muddled. Specifically, it says he never intended that they walk 10 miles in a blizzard. He thought the mother was going to pick them up much closer.

She denies it. The cousin said it was arranged by phone and the mother says no call was made. I think I'd want to see the phone records. Was it arranged a few days earlier and she forgot? It's hard to tell. Why was it a friend and not the mother who first contacted police?