The subtitle in the opening scene gives the date of Billy Underwood's disappearance as September 21, 1990. However, the date on Billy's missing poster is September 23, 1990.
Doggett is in possession of sealed juvenile records (for which Scully admonishes him). Cops can't simply "get" records that are sealed. They have to go before a judge who will authorize their release before the clerk will release them.
Scully says that the seven-year-old boy had "a routine blood test" weeks before he went missing, and that his hormone levels, etc., were exactly the same as after he has returned. A comprehensive blood workup would not have been a "routine" pediatric procedure for such a young child in 1990; it would have been more likely in the case of persistent health issues.
Portable cassette recorders such as the one Scully uses would not play recordings backwards at the flip of a switch. Tape playback direction could be reversed, but the other two tracks (in stereo) would playback, in the same direction as they were recorded. A cassette recorder would have to be modified after market to be able to play recordings backwards - that was not a feature available from manufacturers.
Panasonic and Tandy/Realistic (Radio Shack) both made micro cassette recorders as well as standard cassette recorders that could play recorded audio in reverse at the flip of a switch.
Panasonic and Tandy/Realistic (Radio Shack) both made micro cassette recorders as well as standard cassette recorders that could play recorded audio in reverse at the flip of a switch.
Just after the opening sequence,The school bus says "Bethline Elementary School". The on screen information says "Webster Elementary School, Dexter, Oklahoma."