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Instead, law enforcement initially deployed a less‑equipped helicopter that did not have the same advanced imaging capabilities. Sources familiar with the search suggest this delay may have been due to staffing shortages and unit reassignments—including the transfer of trained aircraft pilots prior to the incident—leaving the department without enough personnel to deploy its top asset right away.
Critics, including current and former department members, argue that the loss of those early hours of aerial surveillance may have reduced the chance of finding Guthrie or critical evidence in the immediate aftermath of her disappearance.
