I am guessing that both kidnappings and panhandlers are not common in the Smarts' community (and SLC and UTAH in general). In light of that, wouldn't the police bust the chops of ANY suspicious person in the immediate aftermath of a child's disappearance there? Wouldn't the Smart aunt, upon seeing a vagrant beggar in the wake of her niece's apparent kidnapping, demand that the cops check him out? Or are beggars common there? It seems like you'd check out everyone who didn't look totally legit (sorry---I realize this is profiling, but in my safe town of 30,000, if you look like you don't belong here, the cops pull you over, and consequently we have close to zero crime, as that dragnet catches the would-be burglars, criminals with outstanding warrants, illegal immigrants, etc.)
Would that perhaps indicate that Liz and Wanda were still at the campsite in the hills behind Liz's house? Liz is a runner and no doubt could have outrun Wanda; wonder why she didn't make a break for it and run home? Did Wanda have Mitchell's knife at Liz's throat? Of course, they could have been somewhere else, but I thought they hid for a couple of months at the campsite.