Sounds like it. Tunnel vision. Really think this investigation has been mishandled.
IMO LE first searched and then began following leads as they become available to them. From the first day :
May 11, 2020
On May 10, 2020 at 1746 hours the Chaffee County Communications Center received a report of a missing female in the area on County Road 225 and West Highway 50.
Members of the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area and contacted the reporting party. They advised that their neighbor, Suzanne Morphew, age 49, from the Maysville area had reportedly gone for a bike ride in the area and failed to return home.
Sheriff personnel called members of Chaffee County Search and Rescue South and North and a search began immediately. The Department of Corrections was contacted and a request was made for tracking dogs to assist. They responded and joined the search. The search continued into the early morning hours with no results.
The search resumed in the early morning hours of May 11 with Search and Rescue. They once again scoured the area. Members were then called from the Chaffee County Tac Team along with search parties from the Department of Corrections and the area was once again scoured.
In all over 100 personnel were used during the search, however by late afternoon on May 11 Ms Morphew had not been found.
On day 4 :
PRESS RELEASE
May 13, 2020
On May 10, 2020 the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office responded to County Road 225 and West Highway 50 on a report of a missing woman. Investigation revealed that Suzanne Morphew, age 49, from Maysville had gone for a bike ride in that area and had not returned home.
A search began immediately. Over the past 4 days over 100 search personnel from Chaffee County Search and Rescue, Department of Corrections, and the Chaffee County Combined Tac Team have scoured the area. Numerous Drones have been used for countless hours to assist in the search. 8 different tracking and scent dogs from the Department of Corrections and the Search and Rescue Dogs of Colorado were deployed to aid in the search. Members from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the South Ark Swiftwater Rescue Teams have searched area watersheds and Reach Air Ambulance flew search missions as well, however Ms Morphew has yet to be located.
In conjunction with the search the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into the disappearance of Ms Morphew. Investigators from the 11th Judicial District, Colorado Bureau of Investigations, the Salida Police Department, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigations have joined the effort.
A dedicated tip line has been established by the Colorado Bureau of Investigations. That tip line number is
719-312-7530. Anyone with information into the disappearance of Ms Morphew are asked to call the tip line.
Missing teenager located in Chaffee County - Chaffee County Sheriff
IMO this was treated as a missing person case for at least 4 days and then tips and evidence caused them to open an investigation to run parallel to the search efforts.