Elizabeth Smart thread, September 5, 2002-?

[IamHD]

ES missing since 6-5-2002 and will have been missing for 3 months in a few hours, so I thought that this would be an approriate time to start a new thread.

[Devil_Anse]

Thanks for the article. I hadn't seen that one. Yes, you can bet that the fact that the scene wasn't sealed will be great fodder for any defense attorney--if there is anyone left to try in this matter. More surprisingly, in this article, the chief even seems to ADMIT they didn't secure the scene as they should have. I think this mess probably effectively negated the value of any potential evidence that was found in Elizabeth's bedroom, or the upstairs hall, and maybe even the bathroom.

Also, did you notice who the first neighbor was, the first one Ed supposedly called? Sue Ann Adams. She's the one whose house Ricci reportedly admitted to having burgled--remember the account of how he supposedly sneaked around in the Adams home bedroom occupied by that young woman, Lin Lee? It's in the affidavit attached to Ricci's indictment for that burglary. Very interesting reading.

[Utah Girl]

Ricci called 'very loving'

Friends, kin at funeral dispute media portrayal

MAGNA — Friends and family gathered one last time Friday night for an emotional tribute to the late Richard Ricci — named as the top potential suspect in the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart.

Angela Ricci receives a hug from a friend at the funeral of her husband, Richard.

Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News

"To me, he was a very choice individual, a choice son of our Father in Heaven," said Bishop David Morrow, of the LDS Kearns 10th Ward into which Ricci's stepson was recently baptized. "He certainly is not the type of individual that has been played up in the news media."

Ricci, 48, suffered a severe brain hemorrhage Aug. 27 in his cell at the Utah State Prison. His family took him off life support three days later. Since his arrest June 14 on alleged parole violations, police have labeled Ricci as a possible suspect in the June 5 kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart.

A small crowd of about 50 people gathered at the Peel Funeral Home and shared their belief that Ricci was not capable of such a horrific crime.

Several posters lined the walls of the mortuary featuring e-mail from people around the country expressing their support for Ricci's wife and the opinion that Ricci has been unfairly targeted in the Smart case. The kidnapping was not specifically mentioned by any of the speakers.

"I found that Richard was a very loving individual, a very sweet individual, easy to talk to and easy to be around," Bishop Morrow said. During the brief service an emotional Angela Ricci, who married her "soulmate" on Valentine's Day this year, described the tenderness and sense of humor her late husband possessed.

Many in the small congregation shed tears during the service.

Rick Olsen met Ricci several years ago while working as a Department of Corrections employee when Ricci was incarcerated. Olsen said he last saw Ricci in April shortly after the ex-con had completed a treatment program and seemed to be turning his life around.

"He told me how good life was," Olsen said. "He told me things were looking so up. He had the thing in life that made him happy."

Ricci faced state charges of theft and burglary, which included allegations he stole items from the Smart home in April 2001.

[Utah Girl]

Robbery charges against Ricci dropped

In light of his death, Richard Albert Ricci no longer faces federal court charges related to a November 2001 bank robbery.

U.S. District Judge David Winder on Friday granted a motion brought by federal prosecutors to dismiss charges of armed bank robbery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime and restricted person in possession of a firearm.

Ricci's alleged associates, John Russell Remington and Douglas Rex Young, remain charged and are poised for an Oct. 30 jury trial.

The men are accused of robbing Far West Bank, 8520 S. 1300 East. Ricci, a former handyman for the family of Elizabeth Smart, was allegedly the mastermind and gunman of the robbery that netted $1,713.

Ricci also faced unrelated state charges of theft and burglary, which included allegations he stole items from the Smart home in April 2001.

[Sherlock]

We don't need people here that are only interested in bashing the Smart family and the intelligent posters, go back to the Westerfield thread where you belong and keep up the defense for your man.

[Jolly Green]

It's curious.... Your writing style and phrasing is almost exactly like jengaio's.

Curious! The same could be said of you and Bella.

[Jolly Green]

This is the church. Could this be the Smart's church, it's pretty close to Federal Heights and the article says three congregations meet there.

This isn't the Smart's church. Their church is 2-1/2 blocks from their home on Fairfax - directly across the street from Shriners Childrens Hospital.

I will provide more details about the Smart neighborhood later today or tomorrow.

[Sherlock]

I don't care for political liberals.

I've asked the liberals to leave before. If they would it would eliminate 95% of the troublemakers that post here.

[Jolly Green]

I don't care if you disagree with them, none of them has started a slam on anyone, but have ANSWERED the slams when put to them.

That's an absolute crock! The posters referred to all had a common theme - wild-eyed, far-fetched theories which smeared the Church or the Smarts and had no basis in fact. Each of those posters was asked nicely to provide evidence supporting those claims by me and others. Each was asked specific questions to get them to support their claims. None did. None of those posters want to deal with reality and many have bigoted views against the Mormons and the Smarts.

Just the facts!

[Sherlock]

Let me tell you, sandude, I think this article is one of the most bizarre aspects of this case yet. What could possibly be the SLCPD's motivation in publishing it? And don't tell me it's because all the police are good Mormons and felt the necessity to come clean. This article makes me question that they really want to solve the case. The only purpose this article serves is as a wild card in the hand of any future defense attorney at the expense of the Smart family seeing justice if the legal system ever takes this case to trial. I see this article as the biggest red flag yet as to the sincerety of the SLCPD in bringing the kidnapper to justice.

[freedox]

The Deseret News article on the unsecured crime scene seems an odd thing to be brought up this late in the game. What is most striking to me is that even after 3 months, the story is full of conflicting statements and conflicting accounts. Lt. Cory Lyman says they were "very upset" about the scene not being secured......but he later indicates that the responding officers acted appropriately by putting the search for Elizabeth first. Suann Adams claims to have been the first neighbor to arrive on the scene, and she says a policeman was already there......Dist. Atty. Morgan's statements seem to support police reports of several people already being in the house when they arrived. Lt. Lyman estimates the number of people inside the house at "more than a dozen"......Ed Smart's estimate is 40-50.

Although we already knew that there had been some delay in securing the crime scene, this is the first I have heard of it being a 3 HOUR delay. The only possible explanation for this would seem to lie in Dist. Atty. Morgan's comment at the end of the article, where he refers to the scene as "the ward function of the year" which required police to "undo the chaos before they could begin reasonable forensic procedures."

And in spite of all this, police are "downplaying the impact" that this could have on the investigation.......

[Sherlock]

This is a bizarre story:

http://kutv.com/topstories/StoryFolder/story_1692881855_html

Logan Parents Tattoo Swastika on Baby's Head

[Sherlock]

State Corrections officials 352 documented white supremacists have been incarcerated within the past few years at the Point of the Mountain prison. Of those people, 200 are still incarcerated and 152 are on the streets, 84 of them in Ogden.

``But that number is extremely low,'' said Brent Jex, detective with the Salt Lake Area Gang Project. He said documented members are constantly bringing in new people through an initiation process involving committing some type of violent crime.

[Sherlock]

If these white supremecists are meeting in one location, a flight of F-16s with an errant napalm run maybe?

[Palladin]

See new thread..."Possible New Suspect?"

http://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/746110/posts?page=2

Dixon's picture is there. Yes, he fits the description. I wonder if Jeanne Boylan has anything to say about this. Remember she was trying to elicit "skin texture" from MK?

[Jolly Green]

Several posters lined the walls of the mortuary featuring e-mail from people around the country expressing their support for Ricci's wife and the opinion that Ricci has been unfairly targeted in the Smart case.

I wonder if Angela has received varina's check yet?

[Jolly Green]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is an OLD article. Do you have the link?

[Palladin]

You seem unusually envious of Angela Ricci, the widow of Richard Ricci. I can't fathom your motivation, but it is unseemly for a Mormon "Christian" to continually deride and verbally abuse a poor widow.

[Sherlock]

I wonder if Angela has received varina's check yet?

ROTFLMBO!!!!!

[Sherlock]

Today's paper:

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,405029111,00.html?

[Sherlock]

a poor widow..

A poor widow the SLCPD believes is stonewalling them on information about a kidnapped and possibly murdered child. It's hard to believe you are a political conservative, Palladin, you come across as a 'thinking liberal' if I've ever heard one.