[freedox]

KING: Well Lois, can we say then that the initial stories about the kidnapper threatening her were wrong?

E. SMART: You know, it's easy to me to perceive that there's a threat there. And, you know, the rest of it's really in the hands of the police and what they've talked to her. We just -- we really try to stay away from it as much as possible.

Ed's statement, in combination with other statements and events, makes me further question the "armed gunman" story. "It's easy to me to PERCEIVE that there's a threat there"?? If there is a gun involved, the threat is THERE......it doesn't have to be PERCEIVED. I think that whoever took Elizabeth from the house was indeed PERCEIVED as a threat to Elizabeth.......however, I seriously doubt that there was a physical threat. My suspicion is that the gun was added to the story in order to qualify for the Rachel Alert system. I am becoming more and more convinced that Elizabeth left the house willingly with someone who is PERCEIVED as a threat to a vulnerable, naive young girl.

The questions that remain in my mind are: WHO added the gun to the story? Are the police aware of it, and if so WHEN did they become aware of it? IN WHAT WAY was this person perceived to be a threat to Elizabeth? (And, of course, WHO THE HELL WAS HE???)

[varina davis]

And, of course, WHO THE HELL WAS HE???

Possibly someone who jogged away with her until they reached his motorbike or cycle?

[Sherlock]

I know these are big questions to you and your like minded posters but they're not. It's interesting I've been reading for weeks you people theorizing maybe there wasn't a gun. Why do you waste your time like this?

The originally story was the gunman spoke to MK and threatened her not to tell her parents and later this was changed to the gunman threatened Elizabeth if she made any noise. The discussion about perceiving a threat means MK felt threatened regardless of whether the gunman actually made the threat to Elizabeth or MK. We've had posters on this board say they were taken at gunpoint and they responded to the kidnapper's demand to remain silent so no one would be hurt.

I've also seen this discussion on why the police would let the neighbors check around the neighborhood since the kidnapper was armed. Who could possibly think the kidnapper would still be hanging around the neighborhood 4 hours after the kidnapping? Puhleeze.