Elizabeth Smart thread, August 31-September 7, 2002

[IamHD]

My prayers go out to the Ricci family during this time. RR was sent up the river and used as a scape-goat. No evidence, whatsoever, linking him to the disappearance of Elizabeth.

May he rest in peace.

[Sherlock]

I have the evidence you're going to owe me $2.50.

[Sherlock]

They certainly would have gotten a license plate number.

Sure, lakey, you just caught a guy trying to bury a body and when he takes off you would have boldly run up there 10 feet behind him and taken out a pen and written down his license number. Riiiiight.

[Sherlock]

Too bad he didn't say that before Ricci died last Friday in prison, possibly because of lack of medical care.

Yeah, too bad for your slimeball friend that held this poor family and the American public hostage for 3 months by stonewalling police and not answering the key questions critical to the investigation. The hero of the brainless.

[Sherlock]

..."if he came in & burglarized once, he had the nerve to take Elizabeth."

Yes, and in the sense that he gave the idea to and inspired the guy that went into the house and did it Ricci was responsible for it and DID do it. Of course it takes half a brain to figure this out so it won't sink into most of your friends, lakey.

[stlnative]

Lakey - IT WAS A JOKE, AT LEAST SOME PEOPLE HERE CAUGHT IT, BUT AFTER READING SHERLOCKS RESPONSE, WHICH I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT UNTIL HE BROUGHT IT TO MY ATTENTION, THAT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE GUY IN SKETCH COULD BE A RELATIVE OF ANGELA'S, THE SKETCH TO ME DOES LOOK LIKE HER, BUT I NEVER MEANT THAT IT "WAS" HER, I WAS JOKING BECAUSE THE SKETCH IS JUST SO ROUGH AND TO ME CANNOT BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY SINCE IT WAS DRAWEN BY THE HIKER.

SORRY FOR ALL THE CAPS, I WAS WATCHING THE KEYBOARD AS I TYPED THIS AND DID NOT NOTICE THAT I HAD MY CAPS LOCK ON AND I DO NOT WANT TO RETYPE THIS AGAIN. (NO I AM NOT SHOUTING)

[cookiedough]

SL Tribune 9/4/02:

Smart Family Turns Attention to Suspicious Digging

The family of Elizabeth Smart asked the public's help Tuesday in finding a man involved in a suspicious incident in Sanpete County shortly after the 14-year-old was abducted from her Salt Lake City home.

Authorities investigating Elizabeth's disappearance say there appears to be no link with the incident in Fairview Canyon on June 9, but they are
continuing to keep an eye on the investigation. "We're still looking at it," said Salt Lake police Lt. Cory Lyman.

Two hikers looking for Boy Scout campsites encountered a man digging a hole in the Manti-La Sal National Forest.

The man, described as 5-feet-8 or 5-feet-9 with dark hair and a dark complexion, told the hikers he was digging the hole to barbecue a pig, David Smart said. The hikers reported the man was sweating and seemed nervous.

After moving on, the hikers realized a bush was hanging over the hole, and any attempt to roast a pig would have meant setting the bush on fire.

When they returned, the man was gone. One of the hikers was an artist who made a composite sketch of the man shortly afterward.

The hikers described the man as being of medium build, 35 to 40 years old, wearing bluejeans and a white or light-colored baseball cap, according to an article in the Manti Messenger-Enterprise. He apparently was driving an older, blue sport utility vehicle.

"We don't know the significance of it," Ed Smart, Elizabeth's father, said Tuesday. "It's highly, highly suspicious."

Family members said they were aware of the incident at the time, but had moved on to other leads. The family organized a search of the area Saturday. Sanpete County Sheriff Claude Pickett said deputies found the spot where the hikers first reported the man digging but found no evidence, Pickett said.

The Sheriff's Office contacted the FBI and Salt Lake City police about the search of the area.

"We sent detectives and FBI officers down there," said Sgt. Fred Louis, spokesman for the Salt Lake police. "There is nothing significant."

Police were interested, however, because of the time frame -- four days after Elizabeth's kidnapping, Lyman said.

[FR_addict]

PREDICTION - Within one week Ed Smart will hire Mark Furhman and Fox News Channel will move their broadcasting to Salt Lake City.

I think he should too and posted this thought previously. However, I don't think Ed will do it and I don't think your prediction will be right. We will see.

[sandude]

Sure, lakey, you just caught a guy trying to bury a body and when he takes off you would have boldly run up there 10 feet behind him and taken out a pen and written down his license number. Riiiiight.

Many times a criminal will steal a set of plates to use while in the commission of a crime.

[Utah Girl]

I've been sitting here thinking about the level of cooperation between Bret Michael Edmunds and the SLPD and Ricci and his level of cooperation of the SLPD. Edmunds was pretty much hunted across the country, detectives flew to WV, questioned him, and he answered the questions to their satisfaction. I'm sure the SLPD has ways of checking up on the answers. And then Ricci was not cooperative at all, didn't answer the questions, or didn't answer them truthfully. Edmunds had a real fear of going back to prison, Ricci seemed not to.

[freedox]

"A funeral in Richard Ricci's honor will be held Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Peel Funeral Home in Magna. His body has already been cremated at his request, said family spokeswoman Nancy Pomeroy."

There was some discussion on here about the likelihood of Angela filing a lawsuit over her husband's death. It seems to me that if she were considering a lawsuit, she (or her lawyer) would have thought twice about a hasty cremation. I wonder if Angela even has the autopsy results yet.

[freedox]

"Edmunds had a real fear of going back to prison, Ricci seemed not to."

Either way, they both wound up in the hospital......makes me wonder if prison was what Edmunds was really afraid of.

[Utah Girl]

Good point.

[Neenah]

Source for pit

Directions: For the pit

The day before you intend to cook the pig dig the pit. It should be three feet wide, six feet long and three feet deep. Neatly pile the dirt you remove from the hole next to it, you will need it again.

Gather enough firewood into two large piles. Each pile should be large enough to completely fill the pit with a bit left over.

The morning of service build a roaring fire in the pit with one pile of wood. It should completely fill the hole. Next to the hole build another roaring fire with the second pile of wood. Let the two fires burn down to a solid bed of fiery hot live coals, as soon as they reach that stage proceed. Depending on the wind and the wood this will take one to two hours.

As the fire burns ready the pig.

[sandude]

Nice research. You would think that the follow up look done by the SLPD 10 days later would have shown some evidence of the fire for this pig roast. Also, if it was an innocent cooking exercise you'd think the guy who dug the pit would come forward to clear the matter up.

[Utah Girl]

This article is from today's SL Tribune, 9.4.2002. Here is the link. Smart Family Turns Attention to Suspicious Digging

Smart Family Turns Attention to Suspicious Digging

Wednesday, September 4, 2002

BY ASHLEY BROUGHTON THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE The family of Elizabeth Smart asked the public's help Tuesday in finding a man involved in a suspicious incident in Sanpete County shortly after the 14-year-old was abducted from her Salt Lake City home. Authorities investigating Elizabeth's disappearance say there appears to be no link with the incident in Fairview Canyon on June 9, but they are continuing to keep an eye on the investigation. "We're still looking at it," said Salt Lake police Lt. Cory Lyman. Two hikers looking for Boy Scout campsites encountered a man digging a hole in the Manti-La Sal National Forest. The man, described as 5-feet-8 or 5-feet-9 with dark hair and a dark complexion, told the hikers he was digging the hole to barbecue a pig, David Smart said. The hikers reported the man was sweating and seemed nervous. After moving on, the hikers realized a bush was hanging over the hole, and any attempt to roast a pig would have meant setting the bush on fire. When they returned, the man was gone. One of the hikers was an artist who made a composite sketch of the man shortly afterward. The hikers described the man as being of medium build, 35 to 40 years old, wearing bluejeans and a white or light-colored baseball cap, according to an article in the Manti Messenger-Enterprise. He apparently was driving an older, blue sport utility vehicle. "We don't know the significance of it," Ed Smart, Elizabeth's father, said Tuesday. "It's highly, highly suspicious." Family members said they were aware of the incident at the time, but had moved on to other leads. The family organized a search of the area Saturday. Sanpete County Sheriff Claude Pickett said deputies found the spot where the hikers first reported the man digging but found no evidence, Pickett said. The Sheriff's Office contacted the FBI and Salt Lake City police about the search of the area. "We sent detectives and FBI officers down there," said Sgt. Fred Louis, spokesman for the Salt Lake police. "There is nothing significant." Police were interested, however, because of the time frame -- four days after Elizabeth's kidnapping, Lyman said.