Elizabeth Smart Case - Ricci Dies in Hospital

FoxNews | 8/30/02

[stlnative]

Richard Ricci Dies in Hospital

AP
Richard Ricci

Friday, August 30, 2002

SALT LAKE CITY — Richard Albert Ricci, the top potential suspect in the kidnapping of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart, died at a hospital Friday.

Ricci, 48, had been hospitalized for three days after suffering from a brain hemorrhage and collapsing in his jail cell, doctors said.

Earlier Friday, doctors had said Ricci had an irreversible injury to the brain stem after the hemorrhage Tuesday night.

The former handyman for the Smart family was not charged in the disappearance and denied involvement. He was in prison for a parole violation.

Salt Lake City Police Chief Rick Dinse this week reaffirmed that Ricci remained at the top of the list of potential suspects in Elizabeth's abduction. However, investigators were no closer to finding the missing 14-year-old than they were June 5, when a gunman took her from the bedroom she was sharing with her younger sister.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Soccer-Dad777]

Very helpful and informative. Thanks for taking the time to enlighten us. If there is ever a resolution to this case, it surely will be played out in law school "moot courts" for years to come...

[varina davis]

I just remember hearing Ricci lawyer say around July 31st that police had not been back to talk to Ricci since about 3 weeks before July 31.

Good points, brigette.

[Sherlock]

Many people including Ed Smart, the SLCPD, and myself believe Ricci just took to his death the secret of where he buried this poor young woman. He would never answer the police questions of where he went in the Jeep Jun 8, what he did with the items he took out of it, even admit that he had it, or give the identity of probably the only other man that can answer the question of Elizabeth's fate. I understand this man is some kind of a hero to you varina but that is extremely perverted to say the least.

[sandude]

You know it would really suck if Ricci was willing to talk to the police

Certainly possible. They may not have wanted to cut a deal with him until all leads and searches had been exhausted. Cynthia Smart stated on television the other night that he was not cooperating with LE at all. If his lawyer knows anything I hope that he will come forward with it. I know they won't volunteer anything on a client that's deceased but perhaps the courts could order him to divulge any information he may have been given by Richard.

[stlnative]

bargin = bargain

[varina davis]

I disagree because if Ricci were not involved he would have told the police his whereabouts from May 30 until he picked up his Jeep on June the 8th. This certainly would have esculpated him and his friend.

Not if his activities INVOLVED his friend. And I think that is likely. I doubt the garage owner was lying about him picking up the jeep.

[varina davis]

Many people including Ed Smart, the SLCPD, and myself

Well, that's a venerable trio! Read post 67 before running your mouth without saying anything.

[stlnative]

See the lawyer said they had not been back to talk him since about 3 weeks before July 31. If this is true then maybe his lawyer will challenge the police to come forth to say when they last talked to Ricci. I really want to hear what his lawyer has to say. I hope someone interviews him, maybe A. Banfield will for her show.

[Sherlock]

Well, that's a venerable trio! Read post 67 before running your mouth without saying anything.

Post 67 makes no sense like most of your posts. At least now varina you're one person who has befriended Ricci and tried to help him out that won't find him in your bedroom in the middle of the night some night. However the difference is the others wouldn't have been stupid enough to believe in him having the information you know today.

[varina davis]

I think it's past your bed time, sherlock, your post was totally incoherent.

[sandude]

So, he was not being held illegally.

I agree with that. But there are many felons who break the same kinds of rules who are not thrown back in the slammer. I think it was drinking and associating with other felons that put Richard back in the state prison. Of course they could have booked him into the county jail for suspicion of burglary, theft, and bank robbery. They had plenty of cause to lock him up. The parole violations were the easiest route to get him back behind bars. At the state prison they could question him at length about the abduction. At first I don't even think he had his lawyer present. Maybe some legal expert can explain what his rights were in this situation. Anyway, it is obvious from all that we know that he would never answer questions about the Jeeps whereabouts while it was out of the garage.

[lakey]

Thank you for scolding Sherlock. I'm really not in the mood for it tonight.

Ricci's death saddens me even though he had no future. God rest his soul - the rest he never knew in life.

[TheDon]

Take it easy on her, she just lost a pen pal. Well, at least Westerfield will be around for awhile.

[varina davis]

agree with that. But there are many felons who break the same kinds of rules who are not thrown back in the slammer.

We all need to remember that LE had absolutely NO evidence or witnesses to associate Ricci with Elizabeth's disappearance.

I'm beginning to wonder if the Smart brothers didn't steer LE to Ricci from the beginning, despite how they strongly backed away publicly from declaring him a suspect in the beginning. Was that a sham?

[ChocChipCookie]

Ricci's death saddens me, too. If Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping were a mystery novel, it would seem farfetched and nearly unbelievable.

If Ricci was a key player in the kidnapping, we'll probably never know the whole story. If he wasn't involved at all, then his incarceration and death is, indeed, a very sad ending to a sorry life.

[varina davis]

Take it easy on her, she just lost a pen pal. Well, at least Westerfield will be around for awhile.

Thought you were in Jedda or somewhere in the desert snooping around the sheiks.

[sandude]

We all need to remember that LE had absolutely NO evidence or witnesses to associate Ricci with Elizabeth's disappearance.

I will have to disagree with you here. I'm convinced that Mary Katherine picked Ricci's voice out of an audio lineup sometime after the 1st of August.

[lakey]

Are you speaking of me as varina's pen pal? I'm not gone for good. Vegetables are taking up my time - like freezing & drying Jolly Green Giant zucchini by the ton, and a new unpatented, unproved variety of Sherlock tomatoes.