I don't discount what you're saying about the atractiveness of the victim. But, much of the attention is due to the 24/7 effort put out by Beth Holloway. The family is doing more than the average.
You said it yourself: Mrs. Smith is with the family IN SECLUSION. How's that going to bring the groom's perp to justice?
I agree. Beth has a LOT to do with the extended coverage. The fact that she is articulate helps a lot too. And they have family from all over the place on that Island. The VDS's couldn't have picked a worse victim to keep their crime covered up.
It doesn't seem that the authorities are doing much. They were so slow in getting started and who knows how much evidence is just plain gone because of that. If it weren't for the Holloways, this would disappear into a black hole somewhere, I agree.