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Should those authorities NOT respond, and she be found dead afterwards, a large variety of adverse legal/financial/employment consequences would be expected.

Actually, that is not true. If the police fail to protect you, they are not liable. There is no "duty to protect" under the law.

Now if an officer violated established policies, he could expect to be disciplined by the department, but that is not the case here. In fact, the police violated established policies to be much more protective than normal, thus the entire embroglio.

As for the damage caused by the misapplication of police resources, how did Jennifer Wilbanks control that? Normal procedure would be to notify local officers and perhaps the State, and instruct police officers to be on the lookout. We're talking about an adult, here, after all.

I can understand people have a desire that she be punished for her action, but the law does not exist to satisfy every desire that another person gets "what's coming to him".

"Actually, that is not true. If the police fail to protect you, they are not liable. There is no "duty to protect" under the law."

The issue is not a "duty to protect". They had no obligation to accompany her on her run that day, in case she was abducted. But once they are informed that a person has mysteriously vanished four days before a lavish wedding, leaving behind a hank of hair, her keys, and her purse, there is a reasonable expectation that a crime may be in progress and they have a responsibility to investigate.

"I can understand people have a desire that she be punished for her action, but the law does not exist to satisfy every desire that another person gets "what's coming to him".

I can't speak for other people, but my "desire" is not to punish, but that people take responsibility for their actions. She incurred expense; why should the community pay for it? The issue of punishment revolves around her false claims of kidnapping and rape; this is another issue completely that I have not addressed in my above post.