As soon as the public searches stopped, the leaks stopped. The case got to a point where they could not risk public leaks. I would bet you dozens, probably a few hundred volunteers were still ready to show up. Sure the weather has been horrible but we have stuff found Sat/Sun that may have been deemed significant, her poor mom making a statement along the lines of being relieved. The TBI said ""Not only has it given the family hope, it's given the investigators hope"
http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/04/25/tennessee.missing.woman/
Then the public searches stopped and really all public comments from everyone. Two things...there's a reason for it beyond just the weather. It could be simply that the leaks were putting the case in jeopardy, it could be that they have all that they need and the pro searchers have it covered.
I think everyone knows who did it in the community. I think LE knows exactly who it is too but they have this tricky issue of probable cause to search and gather evidence. But like my story of a few days ago - the right amount of money and influence can make a lot of things go away. I won't get into the cases that long predate this site but there are plenty of famous cases where people died and influential people got away with it.
What I wonder in these cases....do rich powerful people worry more about how the community will view THEM in light of what a relative may have done more than they worry about the community good? I hate to say it I think many times these types are more worried about what an admission of wrong doing would do to their status than what it IS doing to the victims.
These are religious people that believe in forgiveness, it's time to put all of this to an end, come forward and let the healing and forgiveness begin.
ALL IMO