Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping - Daily News/Chat Thread - Day 20

06/25/02 - Tuesday | Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping - Daily News/Chat Thread - Day 20

[Bella]

On one of the newschannels, they were discussing the kidnapper's hair on his hands as was given as a description of the kidnapper..They said that Ricci would fit that description. We know he's failed the lie detector test, they've had him a week in jail, mustn't be too cooperative. I wonder if Ricci has an atty??

[Bella]

he said one interesting thing....that guys that come out of prison are more likely to be sexual predators...

True, guess they use a lot of soap-on-the-roap while in prison.

[Utah Girl]

Oh dear, I didn't hear Geragos say that. Ricci has spent much of the last 30 years in prison. Utah Girl's theory: It was an armed robbery in the Smart home, and it went bad...

[Utah Girl]

The news said this evening that Ricci didn't have an attorney yet. Chief Dinse would not comment on reporters' questions today if Ricci had tatoos or if Mary Katherine saw tattoos (sp?) on the abductors hands, forearms...

[Bella]

The news said this evening that Ricci didn't have an attorney yet. Chief Dinse would not comment on reporters' questions today if Ricci had tatoos or if Mary Katherine saw tattoos (sp?) on the abductors hands, forearms...

No wonder he's being closed mouth, he's had enough experience being arrested, knows that even a fish wouldn't get into trouble if he kept his mouth shut--say nothing, don't admit to anything, and knowing the ropes, is making them PROVE he's the guy.

[John Jamieson]

This looks more and more like a ransom case to me.

No body yet.
Looks like more than one person involved.

It all sounds like it's NOT a sex crime. Money has to be at the root of this. The police keeping it very quite if it is. Hoping for her safe return.

[John Jamieson]

I can easily imagine him in that hat. Wish the pictures lined up better so we could put it on him.

[stlnative]

From Greta's Fox Show...

Ricci was first questioned on 6/6/02,(this means that the Smart family reported Ricci to the police right away) then again he was questioned on 6/11/02 and his story started falling apart. He worked at a job for about 4 weeks (from mid of May 02) until he was brought into custody on or about 6/15/02. His last day to report for his job was on or about 6/13/02. His wife called his employer on or about 6/15/02 to report that he Ricci was in custody and would not be coming into work. His employer says that he Ricci's shift was from about 9am to 5pm or 6pm, he worked at a Plant Nursery. His employer thinks that Ricci reported for work on 6/5/02 & 6/6/02, but would have to check his records, but the FBI has all of them now.

Police have not verified that Ricci has failed any polygraphs...but the media is reporting that he has.

[cherry]

15 years in prison is what I heard

[John Jamieson]

I think people have spent too much time looking for a dead Elizabeth (searching land)and should be looking for an alive one (searching housing). I be visiting every apartment and house that was rented a month or two before she disappeared and checking on the renters.

[cherry]

On one of the newschannels, they were discussing the kidnapper's hair on his hands as was given as a description of the kidnapper..They said that Ricci would fit that description. We know he's failed the lie detector test, they've had him a week in jail, mustn't be too cooperative. I wonder if Ricci has an atty??

they have had this guy in jail since the 11th...then this past week they come out with this" hairy arms and hands" stuff....does it bother anyone that it seems the description has changed since Ricci has been in jail? changed to fit the suspect better?

[stlnative]

I am not sure about the ransom... but this is not a case of grab her and kill her right away as someone probably would have found her body by now. It not like the Polly Klaas abduction and killing. I bet this is why they feel it is someone respected in the community or another worker that has been in the home, someone that had time to kill her and hide her body or someone that still has her locked up somewhere. If Ricci did it... then her body has to be close by somewhere. His employer was pretty sure that Ricci was at work at 9am on 6/5/02 & 6/6/02 at least, but then he was questioned by Greta deeper (more questions that of course he could not answer) he said the FBI had his records and time cards.

Ricci is not the guy in my opinion that went into the house at gunpoint and took her. But he may actually know who may do something like this and hopefully he can give the Police some insight into other people that were working inside the home or comments that were made by other workers in inside the home.

If I was the family I would be thinking real hard about if they noticed a worker or family friend paying alot of attention to her. Maybe someone that could not keep their eyes off her when they were around her. Was anything ever taken from Elizabeth's bedroom that never was found in the past... if so who was working or in the house around that time?

So many questions...so little answers!

[stlnative]

Richard Albert Ricci, 50, a handyman being questioned in the disappearence of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart, is shown in this undated handout provided by the Utah Department of Corrections. Detectives investigating the disappearance of Smart have been questioning Ricci, a convict who worked in the Smart home more than a year ago, and said they haven't ruled him out as a suspect. (AP Photo/Utah Department of Corrections)



I think the bottom picture is a more recent picture of him and the top one is an earlier picture of him. It looks like he is in issued Utah jail garb in both pictures - white shirts or white sweatshirts

[stlnative]

I wonder if SLC police have located this sex offender rapist hairy guy
He lives under the same zip code as the Smarts'- click on his picture to get a close up of him... I bet he is as hairy as a monkey.
Physical Description
Ethinicity: Caucasian
Sex: Male
Height: 5 ft 8 in
Weight: 185 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
DOB: 10/29/64
Age: 37


BTW...please don't post his picture here - let people use the link as I have found that pictures REALLY slow the loading of thread down.

[OldFriend]

In New York, they walk away, leave you unattended, and you get to just walk out the door. Not complicated in the least.

[TheBigB]

"I know about all the facts in the case that the media is reporting, along with what the police publically tell us. All this has been considered in and what I based my opinion on."

That really is interesting, Brigette, and quite good analysis! I'm wondering if maybe they're holding him a bit longer to see if any more evidence turns up. I would bet that if all they have is MK fingering him, a defender in court would rip that apart (the testimony of a terrified 9-year-old, in the dark...) But if MK has ID'd him behind the scenes, it's a start.

Morning Cherry, Bella. :) Nice to see you both are back!

[twigs]

would you consider Elizabeth a child as in pedophilia or would you consider her a young teenager?

I did hear someone address this several weeks ago. They said that this guy was definitely not a pedophile. Elizabeth is tall and a young lady. A pedophile would have taken MK.

[twigs]

Money has to be at the root of this. The police keeping it very quite if it is. Hoping for her safe return.

I hope that you're right! I noticed that Dave Francom said in an interview last night, while answering a question about how Lois was holding up, that it was hard imagining what Elizabeth is going through or had gone through. That's past tense. It's the first time I've heard a family member speak like that, although to be sure, I have not hear all the interviews.

[FR_addict]

I am sure they have had him pose in different hats and clothes and took pictures and presented them to Mary K. (this is how police work...)

I thought in yesterday's news conference, the police said they hadn't shown MK his picture yet. I was surprised at this since they have had him in custody at least a week.

[per loin]

You seem to have a good handle on the facts of the case, so I'll ask you a couple of questions. Is the color of the Jeep, that was given to Ricci known? Is he still wearing that thick mustache?

The police questioned that friend of Edmunds about a hassle he had with someone driving a black 4x4.

I've never heard any mention of the presense or absense of facial hair on the suspect, as described by MK.