Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping - Daily News/Chat Thread - Day 19

6/24/02 | Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping - Daily News/Chat Thread - Day 19

[stlnative]

The lastest on the case reported by Fox News Channel at 10pm on 6/23/02 is that SLC Police have had a man in custody for about 1 week that may be involved in Elizabeth's kidnapping. As of this post there are no articles in print online yet about this new information, but there is a link above to a FR thread about it. As sson as written story is released I will post it here.

[stlnative]

Here is your daily ping...

[joyce11111]

Thanks for the ping have been following this kidnapping...and praying for the little girl.

[Carolina]

Bringing over what I posted at the end of the last thread.

From KUTV.com

Police Question Convict Who Worked in Smart Home

Jun 23, 2002 10:34 pm US/Mountain


Detectives investigating the disappearance of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart have been questioning a convict who worked in the Smart home more than a year ago -- and they haven't been able to rule him out as a suspect.

The man was arrested on an unrelated parole violation June 14th, nine days after Elizabeth Smart was reportedly taken at gunpoint from her bedroom in an affluent Salt Lake City neighborhood.

Police say that investigators haven't been able to pin down the man's whereabouts on the morning of the abduction. Detectives have been questioning the man for more than a week; he has not been charged in the kidnapping. .

Chris Thomas, who has been acting as a spokesman for the girl's family, says the man last worked in the Smart's Federal Heights home more than a year ago, painting and doing handyman work

[stlnative]

Thanks Carolina... There still nothing yet on the other websites.

I wonder why Fox News Channel is not talking about this still on the 1/2 hour updates?

[jporcus]

I pray to God that this has a good ending. To me, this family seems like a good honest family, and they are going through the worst imaginable nightmare. And to those who are spreading unfounded character-assassinating rumors, I hope you consider the Karmic Hell you are preparing for yourselves and deserve.

[cherry]

can I be pinged too pretty please

[stlnative]

Cherry you are on my list - Click on my name in this post and you will see that your already on it.

[cherry]

thanks....

[stlnative]

The man in custody on another charge, but is being questioned in Elizabeth's kidnapping name is Richard Albert Ricci and not Robert Albert Ricci. This main has grayish shoulder length hair and is about 50+, he also is not clean cut looking.

[Tarheel]

Would you add me to the ping list on this topic. Thanks

[Oak]

I don't like how Tom Smart, uncle, has dominated the parents and their decisions. He also has kept a top sketch artist out of the case, after the Father publicly asked he to help, and he terminated the centralized searches. Now, no one knows what has been searched (by the citzenry).

Two reporters and Polly Klaus's Father have been very critical of Uncle Tom Smart. Something doesn't add up here. Yeah, we keep hearing how this is the best family in the world, but isn't this the same media that told everyone Betty Currie was the most honest person in the world (before we found out she covered for Clinton and commited felonies with the gifts, etc).

The family must be investigated along with outsiders.

[Utah Girl]

he terminated the centralized searches. Now, no one knows what has been searched (by the citzenry).

No, Tom Smart didn't terminate the centralized searchers, that decision was made by the family, in conjunction with a couple of child recovery foundations. It is felt that by having people in their own communities search their own communities, it will be more helpful because they are familiar with what looks right, and what doesn't. This is the second phase of the search. Plus, these searches are organized by members in communities that want to participate. They can go to elizabethsmart.com, and click on the 'How Can I Help?' link, there are forms there etc to fill and email to Elizabeth's search center. Once that information is emailed, then they can cross off the area as being searched. I heard upwards of 10,000 Utahns yesterday searched for Elizabeth in their respective communities.

And the family is being investigated. I've heard from the police how cooperative the SMarts have been, how they've done anything and everything that the police have asked them to do.

And the sketch artist and Marc Klaas were both going to be paid by Fox News Channel. That was the reason given for not having Boylan fly out to do a sketch. And to be really honest, I have not been impress with Marc Klaas' interviews on Fox News in regards to Elizabeth's abduction. It seems that he was more ticked off about not being in the inner circle than anything else...

[cherry]

I have to differ with you on Marc Klaus....

Fox has done a fantastic job of keeping this case right up there with the public...Sean Hannity and Geraldo even did shows in SLC....and Marc K. has been available to both of them...

LIke it or not, when the public hears the name Marc Klaus they know who he is and he is respected ...so they listen...

I think he has gone out of his way to explain how some times people get very emotional and do or say funny things...he even has made it a big point that HE was the primary suspect at first with the abduction of his dtr...and that there was a very suspicious fellow that he just knew was the perp...but wasn't.....If he is opinionated, that is probably a good thing....no need for yes men in situations like these....jmo////

[stlnative]

*** FYI ***

The SLC police are suppose to have a public conference on Monday about Edmunds... I assume this will be done right after or before the Smart Family has the 12 noon Central time daily public conference they have been giving each day. Fox News Channel and MSNBC normally carry this daily live conference when it airs. MSNBC seem to have better coverage after the conferences are held daily.

[stlnative]

Authorities Silent on Search for Missing Utah Girl and Witness Questioning
By Tim Korte Associated Press Writer
Published: Jun 24, 2002

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Detectives investigating the disappearance of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart have been questioning a convict who worked in the Smart home more than a year ago and say they haven't ruled him out as a suspect.

The man was arrested on an unrelated parole violation June 14, nine days after Elizabeth Smart was reportedly taken at gunpoint from her bedroom in an affluent Salt Lake City neighborhood.

Police Chief Rick Dinse told KSTU television on Sunday that investigators haven't been able to pin down the man's whereabouts on the morning of the abduction. Detectives have been questioning the man for more than a week; he has not been charged in the kidnapping.

"He is potentially a big piece of the puzzle," Dinse told KSTU. "Just how big, we're not sure at this point.

"We haven't been able to satisfy ourselves that he was not involved."

Chris Thomas, who has been acting as a spokesman for the girl's family, said the man last worked in the Smart's Federal Heights home more than a year ago, painting and doing handyman work.

Authorities scheduled a news conference for Monday in Salt Lake City about their interview of Bret Michael Edmunds, whom they had sought for two weeks for questioning in the abduction investigation.

Edmunds was interviewed at a West Virginia hospital by FBI agents and Salt Lake City police detectives.

"I can confirm they have spoken to him. I don't have any details about the context of questioning or the conversations," police spokesman Fred Louis said.

Investigators were analyzing the interviews and continued to follow leads in the case Sunday, but Louis said there were no developments.

"We're still going all day every day, seven days a week," he said.

FBI spokesman Kevin Eaton didn't return messages left by The Associated Press. He said Saturday that questioning Edmunds, 26, likely would not substantially change the Smart case because he was a possible witness and not a suspect.

A milkman helped police trace a car owned by Edmunds that was spotted in the family's neighborhood two mornings before her June 5 abduction.

The car was seen in a suburban Salt Lake subdivision in the days following the girl's disappearance, but search teams recovered nothing Saturday after dogs had picked up a possible scent in the same area one day earlier.

Edmunds checked himself into a hospital in Martinsburg, W.Va., on Thursday for treatment of drug-related liver damage. A nursing supervisor said he remained in serious condition Sunday in the critical care unit.

Authorities said Edmunds was cooperative with investigators and allowed a search of his vehicle.

AP-ES-06-24-02 0229EDT

[Jolly Green]

I don't like how Tom Smart, uncle, has dominated the parents and their decisions. He also has kept a top sketch artist out of the case

You certainly bought into the Marc Klass "logic". Now ask yourself a few simple questions.

1) Do the police need Tom Smart's or even the parents permission to have sketch artists work with the girl? No. She is a material witness. Besides, he is the uncle not the father. Klass put the blame for not bringing in his favorite sketch artist on Tom Smart, which on the surface is bogus. No one in the media has even suggested that the police might have a good reason for not bringing in Klass' sketch artist.

2) Do the police need the Smart family's permission to solve this case? No. Since they have access to all of the case files and the prime witness, if they thought a sketch artist was warranted, you can bet they would use one. Here again Klass' contentions are faulty.

3) Why, then, haven't the police generated a sketch already? I can envision only two possible scenarios: a) they, having access to the witness, have determined that she didn't get a good enough look at the perp in the dark. They may have even tried to use their own sketch artists and determined that the results were unusuable. b) They may fear that they are close to nailing the perp and don't want the key witness to be influenced in any way. I can just imagine some sharp defense attorney claiming that the impressionalble, young girl was "influenced" to come up with a sketch that matched his client.

Bringing in the Klass artist would un-necessarily expose case information that the police may not want exposed i.e. the girl didn't get a good enough description.

[John Jamieson]

I second the emotion.

[John Jamieson]

Whoops, I sent my request to the wrong person, sorry.

Please ping me.

[Jolly Green]

And the sketch artist and Marc Klaas were both going to be paid by Fox News Channel. That was the reason given for not having Boylan fly out to do a sketch. And to be really honest, I have not been impress with Marc Klaas' interviews on Fox News in regards to Elizabeth's abduction. It seems that he was more ticked off about not being in the inner circle than anything else...

Agreed! I would feel better if he was on the ground silently helping/mentoring rather than being a media hound. My heart goes out to him for his loss, but that doesn't make him an expert. We have very successful poverty pimps in this country who make millions each year by being advocates of the downtrodden. This is a terrible thing to say, but I would hate to think that anyone including Marc Klass benefits from the abduction of Elizabeth Smart. I'm not comfortable that this is how he makes his living.