Elizabeth Smart--New Suspect, New Thread

Larry King Live; KUTV; Salt Lake Tribune; etc. ^ | December 23, 24, 25, 2002 | Various

[Palladin]

KING: All right, let's talk about the Elizabeth Smart case, which the media has kind of left now. What is your best read on that tragedy in Utah?

WALSH: I spent yesterday by coincidence with Ed and Lois Smart. I had them on "The John Walsh Show" to kind of give an update to the case. You know, Ricci, the guy that was the main suspect, died in prison of an aneurysm. He's the guy that was the handyman at the house that put 1,000 miles on his pickup truck during the two days that she was missing. He was a burglar. He also had a rap sheet, which a lot of the media doesn't understand. He spent 10 years in jail. He tried to blow the head off of a cop with a shotgun. This is a real bad guy.

I hope that he didn't take the secret of Elizabeth Smart to the grave with him. I talked to Ed and Lois yesterday. I said, don't give up hope. Justice delayed isn't justice denied.

What's killing them is the fact of the not knowing. I think they're prepared for the worst. Most parents of missing children are prepared for the worst. But their young daughter has now said that she believes that Ricci wasn't the guy in there that night, that it may have been another guy that did some work on their roof, an itinerant guy that worked at a homeless shelter, and he may be a suspect in this. And I don't want to give away a lot of breaking information here, but "America's Most Wanted" is going to take a look at the Smart case, because I know one thing, we have been able to solve crimes after 10 years.

So I gave the Smarts, you know, the best encouragement I could and said, look, don't give up hope. We'll relook at the case. It is normal for the media tension to die down, and to try to have a good holiday. This is going to be the first Christmas without this beautiful girl, and the Smarts have five other beautiful children. So they're trying to hold that family together.

I said, you know, do the best you can with your five children. Don't give up hope, and, you know what, we'll take another look at this case and try to keep it alive.

[Palladin]

America's Most Wanted and John Walsh are pursuing a new lead in the disappearance of Elizabeth Smart.

This is a continuation of the previous thread.

[Palladin]

Previous thread is here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/backroom/776506/posts?q=1&&page=451

Please ping all the usual suspects.

[MeekOneGOP]

bttt

[trussell]

Palladin, thank you for the ping.

Calcetines, welcome to FR.

[varina davis]

Thanks for the ping, looks like the fat lady has yet to sing about this case.

[landerwy]

ping

In case you haven't seen this!

[Devil_Anse]

Thanks for the ping, Landerwy.

Do you know when this new America's Most Wanted (about the roofer) is going to air? Or has it already aired?

[landerwy]

I don't know when but I don't think it has.

[Palladin]

Welcome aboard, Calcetines! Please stay and brainstorm along with us.

Oh, I'm the one who said that Jeanne Boylan might have shared some insights with her good friend, John Walsh. Confidentially, of course. But we all know that when John gets on a roll, he forgets to keep confidences. I love him, he's a great guy, but sometimes his mouth runneth over.

[lakey]

Thanks for the ping and new thread, Palladin....just when Sherlock was on a roll ;)

Hoping everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

[Palladin]

Hi, lakey. Happy New Year to you, and to all the regulars on this thread.

May Elizabeth be found alive and well in 2003!

[trussell]

May Elizabeth be found alive and well in 2003!

I'll stand in agreement with you on that.

Blessings,
trussell

[lakey]

Happy New Year!

I too hope and pray for Elizabeth, and for each and every missing child's safe return to their family.

[trussell]

Thank you lakey, I hope you have a happy New Year too.

Blessings,
trussell

[varina davis]

Happy New Year year to all the "regulars" and newbies, too. Praying that Elizabeth will be found in 2003 alive and well.

[Sherlock]

The family was ruled out as suspects early in the case. Only people that are oblivious to the facts of the case or downright dishonest still suspect them. Usually people that still cling to the family being involved either want to deflect attention away from Richard Ricci (maybe because they themselves or their friends or family members are ex-cons) or because they just want to believe the family did it for whatever reason.

[lakey]

Happy New Year to you, too!

Seventy some-odd members of the extended Smart family were ruled out early in the case, huh?

The way you wrote that, Sherl, sounds more like you are the person trying to deflect attention from the family. An awful lot of strange stuff has spewed out of their mouths.

Tell us, O Great Seer of All, what's with the itinerate roofer, why the switch? Oh, I know, the roofer knew Ricci....according to Remington.

[Sherlock]

I don't know if there's anything to the roofer or not. It is strange that Ed Smart says there is something to him but the police said there isn't. Though Ed said there's something to it he had never bothered telling us before and still doesn't plan to release any information for another few weeks. It makes me wonder what else Ed and the police might know that they haven't released to the public. I would like to hear a description of the roofer, if he is appr. 5-8 to 5-10, late 30s, athletic, thick dark hair with wide sideburns, red, green & blue tatoo, etc. I'd also like to know where Ed heard about this roofer living in a homeless shelter and how he happened to hire him for one day's work on his home.