Wade retained an attorney by morning.
His statement through counsel addressed the hospital first.
He admitted grabbing Lucy.
Claimed he panicked because the nurse was using trauma shears near her leg while she was crying.
He denied intentionally throwing her toward the steps.
Video disagreed about force.
The nurse stood below.
Lucy’s body moved forward.
Both of Wade’s arms extended.
Not a protective pull.
Then he explained the boot statement.
“Nothing’s in there” supposedly meant:
Nothing medically dangerous was inside the boot.
Why say it before anyone suggested something was?
No useful answer.
Then the house.
Wade denied causing Claire’s split lip intentionally.
He said they argued.
Claire tried to take Lucy and leave.
He blocked the doorway.
Claire pushed him.
He pushed back.
She struck the counter.
Mutual struggle.
Lucy ran between them.
Wade caught her arm to keep her from entering the fight.
Lucy twisted, slipped, and struck the door frame.
No intentional child injury.
The porch story?
He admitted it was false.
Why?
“Panic.”
He feared hospital staff would misunderstand a domestic argument.
That part was almost refreshingly direct.
Then Claire’s phone.
He admitted throwing it onto the floor during the argument.
Car keys?
He took both sets when he drove Lucy because he “did not want Claire driving upset.”
Claire’s purse remained in the house.
Her shoes were by the laundry room.
No locked door.
No physical confinement after he left.
She walked to the neighbor.
Important.
No kidnapping charge invented.
Then threats.
Wade denied threatening to hurt Claire if Lucy told me.
He claimed:
“I said Daniel would try to hurt our family if this got out.”
Different.
Lucy remembered:
he’d hurt Mommy.
Claire remembered something stronger.
The USB would matter.
But first police had to determine what was actually on it.
