'Sighting' of Edmunds is just another dead end
Posted on 06/17/2002 3:35:27 PM PDT by MVV
Was car at hospital linked to Elizabeth?
'Sighting' of Edmunds is just another dead end
By Derek Jensen
Deseret News staff writer
Police have examined surveillance footage of a suspicious car spotted at Shriners Hospital moments before Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped from her Federal Heights home.
Fred Trujillo, assistant director of security for Shriners Hospital, told the Deseret News he saw a suspicious-looking car pull into the parking lot at Shriners Hospital just before 1 a.m. June 5.
Elizabeth was kidnapped from her home between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. the same morning, and Shriners Hospital is located just half a mile from the Smart home near 1500 E. Kristianna Circle (420 North).
"There were several coincidences that occurred that night," Trujillo said.
Police, however, have not established any connection between the car and Elizabeth's kidnapping.
"At this point there is nothing legible on that videotape that would lead us in any direction," Salt Lake Police Capt. Scott Atkinson told reporters Monday.
News of that apparent dead end came as police also questioned a possible sighting of Bret Michael Edmunds, the 26-year-old transient wanted for questioning in connection with Elizabeth's disappearance.
A man matching Edmunds' description was spotted Saturday about 11 p.m. picking up a take-out order from a Denny's restaurant in Woods Cross.
Two Denny's employees recognized the man as matching Edmunds' description and called police, Woods Cross Police Lt. Clarence Montgomery said. The man fled on foot when he saw a police car, Montgomery said. The officer saw the man from about 40 feet away and reported he matched Edmunds' description.
Montgomery said the man ran into a field that led to an open area with a subdivision to the north. SWAT teams from Salt Lake police and other agencies searched the neighborhood door to door, looking for the man with tracking dogs and a Utah Highway Patrol helicopter with an infrared camera.
Police did not know the location from where the man called his order, but he told Denny's employees the location was Room 244 at the nearby Motel 6. Police searched the room but it appeared no one had been staying in it, Montgomery said.
Police finally called the search off at 5:30 a.m.
Montgomery said Salt Lake police dispatchers called his department after 5:30 a.m. reporting that their department had arrested another man, not Edmunds, who admitted to fleeing from police at the Denny's in Wood Cross. The man apparently told police he ran because he had a fugitive warrant, Montgomery said.
Salt Lake police could not confirm that arrest Monday morning.
That apparent dead end is just one in a series of mounting frustrations for investigators in this case.
"I think we're a lot further than we were on day one," Atkinson said. "We are closer but we don't have any particular focus at this time. . . . I don't know that we're closer to finding her."
Salt Lake Police Sgt. Fred Louis said Monday police were "hopeful" Elizabeth was still alive. The girl's family continued to hold out that same hope Monday.
"Yesterday was a very difficult day for us, and we still feel that Elizabeth is out there," her father, Edward Smart, said at a Monday morning press conference.
In its June 24 issue which hit newsstands Monday, Newsweek cited one "well-placed law enforcement source" as saying Elizabeth's father "came out clean" on his polygraph test. Polygraph tests for other family members, including Elizabeth's uncle Tom Smart, were "inconclusive," Newsweek quoted the source as saying.
Police continue to sift through hundreds of leads hoping to find any clues in this mysterious case.
They reviewed the Shriners videotape the morning of Elizabeth's kidnapping and eight days later at the hospital, Louis said.
Trujillo said he was making his rounds at Shriners just before 1 a.m. June 5 when he noticed a car pull into the parking lot. Trujillo said he was about 15 to 20 yards from the car. It appeared the driver was by himself, Trujillo said.
"He didn't make eye contact," Trujillo said. "I got a look at him sideways."
Trujillo described the driver as a white male in his 30s with short but thick dark hair and wide sideburns. The man was not wearing a hat but had on an off-white or cream-colored shirt or jacket, Trujillo said.
The man's car was a light-colored, late '80s, four-door sedan. Trujillo said he didn't see the license plate.
The car eventually pulled into the narrow drive behind some bushes near the hospital's exit. Trujillo went inside to monitor the car on the hospital's security camera, which covers the entire parking lot on the west side of the hospital.
"He made an effort to nestle himself in there," Trujillo said. "He adjusted his vehicle several times. His lights would go off and on several times."
Trujillo, who has 17 1/2 years law enforcement experience, debated a few minutes before reporting the suspicious car to police.
Within a few minutes, another car pulled in, but because of the darkness, Trujillo couldn't see what kind of car it was or how many people were inside.
"They both interacted for 20 to 30 seconds," Trujillo said. "No one got out of the car."
About 1:05 a.m., Trujillo said both cars drove south on Virginia Street and turned east onto Fairfax before making U-turns and going back to Virginia Street. At Virginia Street, one of the cars drove north into the Smarts' neighborhood and the other car turned west onto 11th Avenue.
Trujillo said he called police again to tell them both cars had left, but that he never saw an officer until later in the morning when a detective asked for the hospital's surveillance tape.
"I'm not going to second-guess the police," Trujillo said. "We had some information that was vital, and we wanted to share that to help find this little girl."
E-MAIL: djensen@desnews.com
The Edmunds guy they are searching for had a warrant outstanding too. Is there anyone left in the US who isn't wanted by the police besides me?
Gotta go now, somebody is at the door... I hope it's not the BATF...
Heavenly Father,
You are sovereign. You are our God. We need Your hand to move in Elizabeth's life, Father. We come seeking Your mercy for her and asking that You would rescue her from those who have abducted her. She is Your child, Lord. We commit her to You, knowing that nothing, absolutely nothing is impossible for You. Please lead the investigators and police directly to her. Allow her the joy of returning home to her parents. Restore her life to her, Father. Let her fear no evil, for You are with her. We call upon You as believers in agreement throughout this nation, asking You to save this child. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Fred Trujillo, assistant director of security for Shriners Hospital, told the Deseret News he saw a suspicious-looking car pull into the parking lot at Shriners Hospital just before 1 a.m. June 5.
And so?--many cars are at Emergency Rooms in the middle of the night for lack of other medical care. What made this car suspicious? What did Mr. Trujillo do about the suspicious car? Does the average perp stop at an Emergency Room before abducting his victim?
Unless there are significant aspects to this story that are not being revealed, it seems to me that Mr. Trujillo is looking for his 15 minutes of fame.
In the Polly Klaas case, the perp stopped on an isolated country road. He was interviewed by local law-enforcement after a local became suspicious. The law-enforcement helped the perp get his car unstuck and sent him on his way. There is some possibility that Polly was tied up nearby and that the perp returned to pick her up after the law-enforcement had left.
The connection to the kidnapping was made later and physical evidence was found at that location.
An abductor has his hands full making an escape with the victim at the scene of the abduction. When time permits, it is probably necessary to make sure that the victim is secure. That could easily have been carried out in the far corners of a large parking lot. The perp may not have imagined that the lot was under surveillance.
The hospital immediately made the tape availabe to the police? Seven days later the police went back to the hospital and asked if they could use their equipment to view it. They'd had it for a week and hadn't even tried to look at it yet. Very sad.
Profiler Cliff an Zandt is on now, 9:30 pm EDT.
FReegards, MVV
The car eventually pulled into the narrow drive behind some bushes near the hospital's exit. Trujillo went inside to monitor the car on the hospital's security camera, which covers the entire parking lot on the west side of the hospital.The behavior certainly was suspicious."He made an effort to nestle himself in there," Trujillo said. "He adjusted his vehicle several times. His lights would go off and on several times."
Trujillo, who has 17 1/2 years law enforcement experience, debated a few minutes before reporting the suspicious car to police.
Within a few minutes, another car pulled in, but because of the darkness, Trujillo couldn't see what kind of car it was or how many people were inside.
"They both interacted for 20 to 30 seconds," Trujillo said. "No one got out of the car."
About 1:05 a.m., Trujillo said both cars drove south on Virginia Street and turned east onto Fairfax before making U-turns and going back to Virginia Street. At Virginia Street, one of the cars drove north into the Smarts' neighborhood and the other car turned west onto 11th Avenue.
Trujillo said he called police again to tell them both cars had left, but that he never saw an officer until later in the morning when a detective asked for the hospital's surveillance tape.
Thanks for the information FRiend. No doubt that this was suspicious. Were I Mr. Trujillo working in an Emergency Room at that hour I would be very concerned. I'm VERY impressed that the cops didn't show up until the next morning!!
yeah, there is always a lot of "what ifs " and "too bads" in these kinds of cases...
shoulda , woulda , coulda....
at least the guard did what he was supposed to do...observe and report...its not his fault if it was never followed up on
Could this abduction really have been a much bigger operation than what we think? It sounds reasonable that it might have taken more than one person to do this...
how could a perp lead a person out to the car, with a gun, and one hand on the victim,, get her into the car without causing any suspicion....seems like a second person drove the car up there, and waited to help get her in ...just a thought...
The reporter asked about the open garage door, Ed Smart said that he reported that to the police almost immediately. Smart was also asked about a sketch of the perp, if the younger daughter had seen the perp's face, he said they couldn't comment because it is part of the investigation.
Lois Smart thanked the community again, she said they are receiving 40 to 50 letters a day of comfort, etc. They both said that they will see Elizabeth again, but not when, they just have a feeling they will. Mrs Smart also said that it is her fear that Elizabeth is locked in a basement somewhere. She said there is nothing concrete or factual for the fear, but it is there.
The reporter also asked if Elizabeth had told her mother about a weird guy hanging around school. Mrs Smart said that Elizabeth didn't like boys yet, wasn't interested in them, and yes, she had told her mother about weird boys, but it was just a normal comment, nothing sinister.
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