Police now say abductor of 14-year-old Utah girl didn't know he was watched by her sister

AP | June 18, 2002 | RICH VOSEPKA

[Illbay]

"Realize it"? Oh, my heck, I'm COUNTING on it!

[Illbay]

I had always heard about "oh my heck," but had never actually heard anyone say it until earlier this year. (Keep in mind that I'm part of that very fast growing demographic: a lifelong "Mormon" who's NEVER set foot inside Utah).

Anyway, I'm a primary teacher, and one day during "sharing time" one of the counselors--a girl from some podunk Utah town--responded to a funny quip from one of the primary kids by breaking down laughing, and saying "Oh My Heck!"

I burst out laughing myself, and had to explain to her later what was so funny. It had never occurred to her that there was anything unusual about the phrase!

But my favorite "pokin' fun at Utah Saints" story is about a young mother whose family I "home taught." She told me that shortly after she moved here to Texas some neighbors invited her to the big Fourth of July blow-out we have in our community. She and her kids went, and enjoyed the food, festivities and especially the big fireworks finale.

She turned to her neighbor and said "Wow, if this is what you all do for the FOURTH, I can only IMAGINE what it must be like on the TWENTY-FOURTH!"

Her neighbor's puzzled look told her something had been lost in the translation, and it wasn't until later (say, about twenty DAYS later) that she came to understand that whereas in UTAH, Pioneer Day is THE big summer festival, the REST of the country kinda favors Independence Day!

[Grig]

Keep in mind that I'm part of that very fast growing demographic: a lifelong "Mormon" who's NEVER set foot inside Utah).

Except for being at the MTC for two weeks, that's me also. My wife has reletives in Utah and spent time visiting with them so I pick it up third-hand. Oh, and what is Pioneer Day?

[lady lawyer]

The red satin pajamas -- as reported in the local media a couple of days after the abduction -- were oriental pajamas. They had a high mandarin collar, and were embroidered satin. Not sexy things.

[LowOiL]

One must be careful not to judge too quickly - lest he be judged himself.

If you are going to quote the Bible, get it right...

Click "HERE"HOPEFULLY PEOPLE WILL "JUDGE RIGHTLY" instead of "JUDGE NOT"

I'll keep posting this until people get it right... As the Bible intended.

[The G Man]

Um, what "lousy track record" is that?

Um, Chandra Levey, Jon Benet Ramsey, etc, etc.

Don't read the papers much, do ya?

[freedox]

Thanks for the clarification on the red satin pajamas. Since we have been given so much detail on the other articles of clothing involved here, I wondered why these had been left out. In missing person cases, "last seen wearing" is almost always included in a victim's description. It seems particularly odd that this would be glossed over, since what you describe (oriental style, embroidered satin) sounds so distinctive. In fact, I notice that the details on the pajamas have actually been reduced to simply "red pajamas." I'm still curious about this omission, particularly since the pajamas do seem a bit out of keeping with the shy, reserved and demure picture that is being painted of this girl. Oh well, just a thought......

[Illbay]

Um, I wasn't aware the SLC Police were involved in those cases. Can you elaborate?

[Howlin]

Why is the 9 year old staying away from the family?

[lady lawyer]

I heard the family say the nine year old was staying with her grandparents. That was during the first week, when the parents were up day and night, and the media were camped around the house. The parents said they didn't want her in the middle of the commotion, or words to that effect. I don't know if she is still with her grandparents.

[Utah Girl]

I just finished watching the Fox News on the local station. They talked about the police press conference with the added details of the description of the abductor. The woman anchor asked why the story seemed to be changing, the reporter said that it can take time to get details from a child, who may be traumatized by what happened, and simply can't remember, or the memory gradually returns more detail. This is normal, and Mary Catherine is being interviewed by child forensic psychologists, who are very skilled at doing this.

They spoke to an aunt, Angela Dumke, who said that Mary Catherine is safe, but is isolated from the family because the police don't want to have her memory tainted. The aunt said the parents would like nothing more than to gently sit down with her and try to get the information out of her, but that the important thing here is to get clean information from the little girl. The aunt lost it at this point, and so did I. I'll watch the late news in a fe minutes to see if there is any new information...

[lady lawyer]

I think oriental pajamas are demure. They were just red.

[lady lawyer]

Thanks, Utah girl, for the update.

[per loin]

You seem to be following this case closely. Might you give me a source for the info on the "oriental pajamas"?

[lady lawyer]

For one thing, it's been on posters all over the building where I work. It may also be on the Deseret News website. Yeah, go here

http://deseretnews.com/photos/0605missing.jpg

[ethical]

Why would he tell the 14 year old "don't go tell your parents or I'll hurt your sister"? He was spiriting away the girl so how could she tell and did he really mean he would come back and hurt the 9 year old? Na. Also she saw him in TWO different locations and still did not tell? She knew the guy.

[per loin]

Thanks for info.

[stlnative]

Thanks for the update...!

[Utah Girl]

I'm sorry, I forgot to ping you. My list is on my desk at work, and I was trying to ping from memory, and didn't do a very good job.

One thing I forgot to mention in my previous post is that the family knows it isn't a family member, they don't think it is a psychopathic stranger who randomly took her, they think it is someone who became infatuated with Elizabeth, saw the opportunity, and took her.

[stlnative]

Stay awake for a few minutes I have something to share with you and the others. I am scanning it now and will load it up to my server and post the picture here.