[cookiedough]

I don't recall that, but it does make sense out of the Smarts' comments about the person not being able to keep Liz and have a life with her and how he must return her to them (this is major paraphrasing).

At the time, I thought they were speaking to the perp as though he were a child: "No sweetie, you can't keep the puppy, she belongs to the neighbors and we have to give her back."

I think you are onto something here, Cherry.

[cookiedough]

Or maybe the Smarts' love their daughter so much they could not conceive of anyone not wanting to have a life with her, and they were in denial that something worse could, and likely would, happen to her.

Still, a person with below normal intelligence might not understand that he can't keep the girl.

[cherry]

okay...if its not Ricci...could it be someone very old...who else would have hairy hands and talk nice and wear white pants and a golf cap....

[Sherlock]

At the time, I thought they were speaking to the perp as though he were a child: "No sweetie, you can't keep the puppy, she belongs to the neighbors and we have to give her back."

I noticed that in the first weeks, like she was talking to a child. About a month later she did it a few more times. But I don't see Mrs. Smart much anymore, her appearances are pretty infrequent.