Dave King, an investigator for the Fremont County Sheriff's Office, said Thursday that Sarasota officials were unable to take the two people to see a homeless woman who resembled Amy Wroe Bechtel.
"It's just a little frustrating," he said.
The two people, a businessman and his secretary, reported they had seen a woman in February who resembled Bechtel, who disappeared in July.
A number of other sightings were also reported in the area, but it was learned later that many of those reporting sightings may have seen a homeless woman who resembles Bechtel.
But the two people who reported the initial sighting remained convinced they had seen Bechtel.
King asked the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office to take the two to see the homeless woman, but he said the request was denied.
"(The business people) were asked to go out on their own," he said. "But they had no idea where to find the lady."
If the two agree the woman they saw in February was the homeless woman, investigators will stop their investigation of the Sarasota sightings, King said.
"If they still think this lady couldn't be who they saw, that person in February could have been Amy," he said.
King said he believes Fremont County investigators could make some headway if sent to Florida, but he said Sheriff Larry Mathews has decided a trip to Florida is unnecessary.
"More could be done there to conclude this clue and I'm not confident it will be done without us going there," he said.