From here, it doesn't look as much like inaction as it does helplessness.
It seems everyone was trying to help in some way in the beginning, but there was just so little to offer, and none of it led anywhere.
I'm of the opinion that *if Chelsea was snatched, the perp was an outsider, not a local. There are a couple of reasons I believe this.
First of all, locals immediately started searching, wracking their brains for anything that might help, posting flyers, and calling in tips. The general attitude has been one of concern & indignation that this could happen here. I feel like if a local were behind this and another local had the slightest suspicion, they'd be reported and questioned. This county is pretty conservative and maybe a little old-fashioned, even the young "alternative" people. No one wants to let someone get away with harming a young lady.
Secondly, that's no small amount of reward money. The sort of crime we see around here is usually fueled by pure desperation. Heroin is a huge problem and people steal to support their habits. It's not an especially easy place to make a living, either, even for those of us without a crippling drug addiction. The cost of living's high and you have to commute to most "high-paying" jobs. That $17,000 is more than some make in a year, and could make someone's life a whole lot easier. I think that if anyone knew anything, they'd certainly be telling it by now.
*It's odd. I'm a pessimist when it comes to almost everything else, but with these missing persons cases I'm always optimistic. I don't want to believe that Chelsea was snatched or harmed in any way. I know it sounds like a soundbite, but seriously -- stuff like that doesn't happen around here.
All of this is JMO.