To cut him some slack, it’s hard when you start with a thesis that’s not actually supported by the facts. Mashing together a bunch of tidbits without actually logically connecting them is probably what I’d end up doing too.

I don’t know this guy, and I don’t know why he tried this in the first place, but I’m guessing he’s one of those people that will only accept a radical, even deliberately painful solution nobody else will go for.