after being outed by a family victim, mcdonald had voluntarily confessed to seven additional sex crimes, which spanned over the course of several decades. while a few acquaintances found his fondness of children a bit obsessive, most of his friends, neighbors and lake forest park residents were shocked to learn of mcdonald's secret life. he was thought to be kind and caring, with an excellent sense of humor; and, even after his arrest, maintained those traits by expressing remorse and immediately taking responsibility for his crimes. his son, craig, mentioned that he thought his father's remorse was genuine and that he had done many great things in his life that makes his sincerity believable; mcdonald's lawyer, michael danko, concurred that his client's life of good deeds suggests he was a good person who did bad things, and even compared him to jekyll and hyde.