This author Shrldon is missing in the area, Annie Wilkes is known to the press as Dragon Lady, suspected in infant deaths as a nurse, but it takes this sheriff that long to check her out? His editor even called this sheriff immediately after he went missing.
shareIt's likely that she moved to a new area that was not familiar with her criminal past. In fact, I think that happened in Denver. Who knows how long it had been or when she moved to town. The press may have known but not Small Town,CO. Memories fade.
~~~"Who do you think you're dealing with? Guess again."~~~
you have to remember that this movie takes place in 1990. Many years before the internet. Back then there was not a huge data base of known criminals at your finger tips.