1. I never defend devs at all costs, in fact those people always get on my ass as well, whenever I dare question ANYTHING at all.
2. There's one simple difference between the two reactions, if you believe someone who tells you he is ill, that's normal because as long as someone hasn't given you a reason to distrust him, it's rational to believe he or she is telling the truth instead of lying, especially in a case like this, where payment has been suspended.
If you automatically don't believe someone or don't trust his or her statements, despite never having been given a reason not to, that means you have a problem with trust. That means you approach everything with the belief that people are always lying and scheming. And while that might on one hand keep you from shock over being cheated, it also means you go to life more miserable than others.
3. Since payments have been suspended, lying gains Cedsense nothing, in fact given the known reaction by the looney crowd, he probably knows that as soon as he tells people he's ill, the claims he is just lying and that he plans to abandon his game will start.
Also, he didn't get sick when his next update was overdue, you are just making that up.