Katrina stated:
Widow Bates turned in her husband as a missing person January 19th. Mike Castro did not turn in the vehicle until April 23, 1997. It is this delay that resulted in the Widow Bates having to launch an extensive manhunt for her husband all over the country and Mexico. Ronnie's jawbone was not found until May 1998 finally answering the question as to the location of the body.
Why didn't the search for Ronnie Bates start immediately after Widow Bates reported him missing January 19th?