The guy was bleeding, they knew he had been on foot. As an uneducated (in criminal law enforcement techniques) observer, but just wonder why bloodhounds / search dogs were not used. Seems like they knew who the guy was, had ample opportunity to retrieve and use his belongings to provide a scent, yet they relied on house to house searches?
Also, they brought in the helicopter with FLIR after they knew he was in the boat. Monday morning quarterbacking, but honestly, why wasn’t that also brought in early - sheds, boats, etc... would seem a natural place for a 19 year old to hide. This was a novice criminal - evil, yes, but his brother was the trained one and by the time of the search they should have figured this out.
One poster who has some experience with police dogs on this site said that having 9000 people tramping around could cause the dog to lose the scent.
Another said dogs tracked him to a basement and then lost the scent. Don’t know if that is true.
Waiting it out....guy still lives yet somehow ends up unable to talk.