I actually think when you read the letters you start to see the real problem that people have dealing with the inherent badness that exists in all other people to some extent but in some people to absolutely disaster level of consequence.
My father in law is a massive narcissist wife beater, controlling dominating and abusive but equally he is one of the most giving people you will ever meet. My mother in law swept away the bad side for decades. My brother is a predator who predated my sister and me growing up but to my parents he is the best example of a son they could ever have hoped for even though he has left carnage in his wake where ever he has turned. He always was and continues to be their very much favoured child particularly my fathers. People cannot cope with the pain of the cognitive dissonance of accepting that their experiences of a person are no where near the universal experience of that person.
It is shocking hearing Mila/Ashton referring to Danny with such glowing praise when they know what he has been charged with but I have no reason to doubt that is their belief of their experience of him.
I am the worst person in the world to my father and mother not my brother because they have taken their version of my brother to be the absolute truth of him and so me calling out his behaviour and trying to make him accountable is worse that my brothers abusive behaviour to begin with. People are very, very complex but this is such a common response to these types of crimes to make it near but obviously not absolutely universal. Empathy is not a given in many, many people.