I think he would have spoken to the press if everything went as planned. I think he was flustered, because law enforcement didn’t buy what he was selling. Hence the “too soon.”
He couldn’t then go out and make an appeal, as that would be both embarrassing and incriminating. He needed to convince both law enforcement and the public, but he couldn’t exactly stand next to a sheriff (like we’ve seen in countless other cases), and tell a lie that had already been shot down.
The press would have eaten him alive, so he bypassed all of that with his video appeal.
What’s your interpretation?
The only narrative which in my mind fits a "too soon" scenario is one in which this was a voluntary disappearance. "It's only been a few days, we had a fight, she might have gone somewhere to cool off, it's too soon to panic, and so forth." The others he's been pushing? Not so much.
Had a bike accident and is lying in a ditch or ravine somewhere, injured? Time is of the essence. Not too soon.
Attacked by a mountain lion and dragged off somewhere, possibly with less than fatal injuries? Still could be saved. Not too soon.
Sideswiped by a car into a ravine, creek, or side of the road? You're just going to leave her there? Not too soon.
Abducted by a bushy-haired stranger, who is taking Suzanne further and further away by the minute? Definitely not too soon.
Not to mention in his definitely NOT "Too Soon" 27-second plea he did not provide any helpful information whatsoever that might help the general public find Suzanne or be on the lookout for her, including, but not limited to:
1. The road on which she was biking
2. A description of her bicycle
3. A description of what she might have been wearing
4. A description of the color of her helmet (I realize that was on the flyer but it could have been stated explicitly)
5. What time they suspect she went for a bike ride or usually went
6. Her favorite bike riding routes
7. Exactly where her bike was found
(I realize that at least some of these can be found out by searching MSM but in a REAL missing persons case they cannot be repeated enough!) So yeah. Short answer, I agree. He was caught off guard, and the only thing that popped into his head was Too Soon. And the video was far Too Little, Too Late.