Isn't the next step to find out if her bike is gone? Surely one of the household members gave LE permission to check for the bike - if in fact, the neighbor had not already been given access. Many garage doors can be opened with a pin code, perhaps the neighbor was given that code on this occasion - or already had it, if the family was so-inclined.
If the neighbor had opened the garage to see if the bike was there, then LE knew it wasn't there. If not, they'd surely ask permission to look in the garage? (From one of the household members? Who are frantic because mom is missing?)
^^sbm
The more I learned about the family and the CCSO since the date SM missing made the news, I believe that the neighbor, that actually lives some distance from the Morphew residence, was contacted by the daughters to see if SM was home since they could not reach her and/or SM had not been responding to their texts for several hours if not all day. I don't believe they (daughters) had her on a mission to locate SM's bike. I think that red-herring was all BM and not the focus of the daughters.
I think the neighbor went to the home and after she got no response from SM at the door, she notified BM that SM was not answering and he requested she contact 911 and report that SM was missing.
MSM reported that after dispatch received the 911 call, CCSO responded by traveling to Maysville and taking a report from the caller (i.e., neighbor).
I believe it more likely that CCSO were the ones that checked out the residence for SM's bike in the garage and/or around the property, accounted for SM's vehicle, etc,. and not the elderly neighbor.
Even if the neighbor or LE found SM's bike put away inside the garage, it would have meant nothing here because bike or no bike, SM was still missing. She still was out of contact with her family, she wasn't home, and she wasn't expected to be anywhere else-- except maybe a morning bike ride prior to church services that were temporarily suspended due to COVID (a story eagerly being promoted by BM as soon as he got back to town -- obviously forgetting about the suspension of in-person services).
I don't think the daughters had been able to reach SM since at least Saturday -- last in touch with her Friday. I also don't think they believed that SM had planned a bike ride on Sunday. At least not until after she talked to her girls on Mother's Day. I think this type of logic by the daughters was not lost on the investigators.
MOO