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.

[cherry]

"by the way, I certainly don't think Ricci got any pass from anyone into heaven after he died, that's not what my bible says)."

that is information that you do not know, only God knows...and you are not God...

Now you are starting in on the Catholics....no one gives anyone a pass into heaven according to my Bible....only God can do that...and only God can keep people out...

[stlnative]

I just think at this point Angela has 3 choices. 1 is to become a hateful "b" and start suing people and crying wolf.

2 is to come clean with any information she may have, her information and help may lead police to Elizabeth and who else may have been involved and do the right ting in the public eye.

or 3 she can go into hiding for awhile and try her best to prove that Ricci her late husband was not involved, because that is the truth or what she believes.

My guess is if the police have not done so already, they will soon go to her and share what evidence they have on Ricci that may prove to her that he did it or was involved and it is up to her now to help them and to do the right thing or not. She may know nothing or she may know a lot and learned most of it after the fact. She has been protecting Ricci all this time because he was her husband and has not been giving any information to the police. Maybe if all she can give is a list of names of Ricci's friends or people he spoke about this may be all it takes to lead them to the right person.

[Sherlock]

Any chance that LE will soon have to come up with Boylan's drawing?

That's a good question, stranger, what do you think. What do you think Angela will say in her press conference after the funeral, sing or sue?

[Sherlock]

....no one gives anyone a pass into heaven according to my Bible....only God can do that...and only God can keep people out...

That's what I said.

[stlnative]

Personally I think it is time that the Smart Family hires a PI team if they can.

[lakey]

Don't know what Angela will say, but I'd say, "put up or shut up."

Just might be that attorneys smell money & may be chomping at the bit.

[Utah Girl]

Private investigators? I agree, I'd also like them to try to get Mark Fuhrman come to SLC.

[Utah Girl]

I'm with you.

[lakey]

Fuhrman & Domenick. Yea!

[stlnative]

Not if she makes a deal, if she was right there with Ricci when he did it. She has passed lie detector tests and if she knows anything about it, she learned it or relized it after the fact. In that case she would not be sent to jail.
Is it still not the law that a wife cannot be forced to testify against her husband, I'd say she was excercising these rights, but I don't believe that she knew about it before it happened or right after it happened. But she may have learned about all of it from Ricci after the fact and after he was sitting in jail. He may have told her, listen I didn't kill her it was going to be a harmless kidnapping, but things went wrong and my partner "X" killed her in a struggle, we got scared and buried her. He is still out there free and if you talk he may come after you and if you talk him and I will both get the death penalty. Now Ricci's dead and if she can lead police to the killer and after he is arrested, she really would not have anything to worry about. Deals can be made, exspecially just for information.

[Sherlock]

Personally they need to come out and possible tell SOME of what they know and they should announce that they know he had partner (if they truly believe this).

I think your are right based on the following article. I think it goes along with what you said about them possibly having a plan to flush out the accomplice now, also with his blue van being revealed today and the reward for information about him. I think they are at least threatening or actually planning to reveal the name of, I think, one suspect, the actual accomplice:

Dinse would not characterize Ricci as a suspect, saying there were "other individuals that we are looking at that may have some kind of connection."

"They also may have some connection to Mr. Ricci," the sheriff said.

"He has told us things that we don't believe are true," Dinse said.

[lakey]

"may" is the keyword. They are all walking on thin ice.

[Sherlock]

I just think at this point Angela has 3 choices.

I would guess she'll go with option 1. Thurber said she had only dated ex-cons and I would guess she might go back to that M.O. and not want to ruin her reputation by collaberating with police, unless she thinks she has to. Hope I'm wrong though.

[Sherlock]

Just might be that attorneys smell money & may be chomping at the bit.

I'm surprised none have shown so far but I think this is such a putrid crime no one of any reputation would want to touch it. No lawyer from the state of Utah would be stupid enough to bring a lawsuit like this against the state.

[Sherlock]

What about Sherlock?

[stlnative]

I guess... I will really be disgusted if the death of Ricci does not bring someone out talking. (police, angela, or someone else) If ricci is the one in the sketch, then release it and part of some evidence that shows he had someone else with him at the time. I going to bed or I going to at least try to settle down some.

[lakey]

You don't know lawyers very well. Oh, gad, how I would love to tell you something .... but I just can't. I'd have to do a lot of explaining....

Will say though, it is hairy, hairy, hairy!

[stlnative]

Is that one lawyer who is on LKL all the time with the mustache licensed in Utah? (Utah Girl knows who I am talking about, his name is Mark Ger....., can't spell it)

[Sherlock]

Geragos. Gary Condit's lawyer. Perfect. Jerry Spence would look awesome in the courtroom though in his Davy Crocket jacket seducing the jury spinning a tale of woe and heartbreak and false accusation....