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New Leads In Smart Case
The Salt Lake Tribune ^ | October 26, 2002 | Kevi Cantera and Michael Vigh

Posted on 10/26/2002 5:29:22 PM PDT by Palladin

Expert Offers 'Some New Leads' in Smart Case
Saturday, October 26, 2002

BY KEVIN CANTERA and MICHAEL VIGH

As police investigating Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping became stymied by a dearth of solid leads over the months, the case has grown conspicuously cold.

That could change following a recent visit from renowned forensics expert Henry Lee, who was recruited to examine evidence in the mysterious kidnapping. Lee, who has worked on such high-profile cases as the O.J. Simpson trial and the disappearance of congressional intern Chandra Levy, told The Salt Lake Tribune this week he gave investigators "some new leads to follow" in Elizabeth's June 5 abduction.

Citing a confidentiality agreement with police he signed before gaining access to forensic evidence in the case, Lee wouldn't discuss his findings specifically.

Chris Thomas, speaking on behalf of Elizabeth's father Ed Smart, confirmed Friday that Lee gave law enforcement "many recommendations" on how to proceed. "The police said they would pursue those leads. . . . From our understanding, investigators have been very busy, since [Lee] left," Thomas said. "It has given the family a lot of hope that things are progressing in a positive way."

The 14-year-old girl was snatched from her bedroom in the early morning hours by a gun-wielding intruder -- a crime witnessed only by her younger sister.

Lee's examination of a kitchen window screen led him to back an early police theory that the screen was cut from inside the home, possibly as a diversionary tactic by the abductor, multiple law enforcement sources tell The Tribune.

Police have been unable to determine if the kitchen window was the actual point of entry into the Federal Heights home. Investigators' skepticism is grounded in the lack of scuff marks around the kitchen window and the belief that anyone squeezing through the small window would have awakened family members.

"I went through the house and did look at a lot of evidence . . .I examined the screen and the window," said Lee, refusing to say what he determined from the analysis.

Thomas said Lee did not discuss his findings with Ed Smart or other family members because of the confidentiality agreement.

While Salt Lake City Police Chief Rick Dinse welcomed Lee's input, he said: "I don't think there was anything that [Lee] found that will change much." Dinse said he expects Lee, who was originally recruited into the investigation by Ed Smart, to provide police with a written report.

Though Dinse has not publicly ruled anyone out, the chief has called the late Richard Ricci, who worked in the Smart home as a handyman last year, the No. 1 potential suspect. Ricci, who was being held at the Utah State Prison on alleged parole violations, died in August from a massive brain hemorrhage.

He was also charged with robbing the Smart home of jewelry and other items and an earlier night-time burglary of a home nearby while he worked in the neighborhood.


TOPICS: Heated Discussion
KEYWORDS: elizabethsmartcase; henrylee; newleads; utahdisappearance
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To: home educate
"you people "

hm.....

well, the thing is .....whoever did this wanted to make it look like there was an actual abduction from the outside ...up from the chair and thru the window.....

now ask yourself....who would want what ever happened to Liz to seem like an outside job???? why would Ricci care....why would any crook care what it looked like?

on the other hand, you would care if you had a key to the house, and everybody knew it...

Ricci could have had a key.....so could how many others.....

doesn't a relative or neighbor of yours have a spare key to your house?.....that is a custom a lot of neighbors do.....

Ricci is a fine target...a fine creep to pin this on as well as his slimy friends....but since there is not one stitch of evidence that he went and took Liz and apparently no evidence of one of his friends....then it makes just as much sense to look at Ricci and his friends as well as other "respected" members of the community....members that might have access to a key ......or knowledge about the lack of the alarm system being turned on....or knowledge that the garage door would be left open for a while ....

if this crime had happened in Podunk Alaska, and you read that a rich man just happened to leave his garage door opened and just happened to not put the alarm system on and whose dtr just vanished during the night.....in any other case other than this one everyone here would see big old red flags.....

61 posted on 10/27/2002 9:30:15 PM PST by cherry
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To: home educate
Thanks, Home Educate. I'm still reading along; there's just such a dearth of news--not much for us to chew on.

I've been reading the shooter threads and news, too. Talk about news--something new every day comes out about those two scumbags!
62 posted on 10/27/2002 9:30:33 PM PST by Devil_Anse
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To: home educate
"And if Ed's statement is incorrect, the police would have made him retract his statement if not true. Ergo, it's true."

honestly, that is not true at all....

the police often let a person hang themselves with their own words....the cops are under no obligation to be absolutely honest when speaking of their investigation....

63 posted on 10/27/2002 9:33:43 PM PST by cherry
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To: cookiedough
Sounds quite plausible to me. Lord knows, tattoo parlors seem to be able to do anything to skin! And if there was a known guy who actually did that, makes it all the more likely that a jailbird like Ricci would know about it.

The airplane glue, or "liquid bandage", or tape, or the burns you describe--any of them could muddle up fingerprints. And we mustn't forget all the braying we've heard about how the crime scene was "ruined" anyway.
64 posted on 10/27/2002 9:34:44 PM PST by Devil_Anse
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To: jandji
and the only way an intruder could know he could get in, is if he was tipped in advance that the garage door would be left open.

The reason the intruder went through the charade of putting the chair at the window and cutting the screen was because he knew the fact he had a key, knew the family didn't use the alarm, and knew he could use the key to walk in the front door would lead police to his accomplice and planner of the kidnapping, Ricci. Ricci knew the police would be coming to visit him anyway.

The police would know, as someone who had access to the house for an extended period, Ricci would have had opportunity, as Ed Smart has said, to have gotten a key. Who else would have tried to hide the fact they came in the front door with a key? Uncle Tom Smart? The Mormon bishop? No, it was a Ricci accomplice, to be sure, executing Ricci's plan and covering for Ricci.

65 posted on 10/27/2002 9:36:49 PM PST by Sherlock
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To: Devil_Anse
Hello Devil_Anse; good to see you too. I was beginning to wonder if we had lost you too, its been awhile.

There is also a product called (I think) New Skin.

I have a bottle of that right here. I use it for small cuts on me and my kids. I haven't noticed if it filled in the cracks good enough to take away finger prints. I may need to experiment.

That is definately something to consider.

66 posted on 10/27/2002 9:41:53 PM PST by trussell
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To: Jolly Green
Nor have you "taken up the Cross" to give yourself an air of spiritual superiority.

This is kind of a back of the hand compliment for you from lakey here. She's telling you you're not very bright about this case, but you're not as bad as Sherlock. Congratultions, you're coming up with the 'logic free' folks!

67 posted on 10/27/2002 9:45:07 PM PST by Sherlock
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To: jandji
driving gloves and driving hat? what do you think?

The kidnapper wore a white baseball cap. I also think I remember from the early days of the case police saying he kidnapper didn't wear gloves but I'm sure they would have at least when they opened the front door and other doors in the house.

68 posted on 10/27/2002 9:48:27 PM PST by Sherlock
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To: cherry
then it makes just as much sense to look at Ricci and his friends as well as other "respected" members of the community....

How many of those other "respected" members of the community (quoting varina here) committed another crime (robbing a bank) also with a 9mm pistol, broke into another house on the Smart's block, and bragged to his ex-con friends how easy it is to break into the Smart home?

....but since there is not one stitch of evidence that he went and took Liz and apparently no evidence of one of his friends....

You don't know what evidence the police have. The police said they will not make an arrest until Liz shows up or her body is found. They don't want to try the kidnapper and then have more evidence turn up.

69 posted on 10/27/2002 9:55:53 PM PST by Sherlock
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To: All
Ricci was not the guy that went in the house and took Liz. But there's no doubt the guy that did was an associate of Ricci. He had at some point heard Ricci's bragging about how easy it would be to break into the Smart home. He most probably got the key from Ricci in the Shriner's parking lot just before he drove up into Federal Heights. The middle of the night breakin, like Ricci's breakin of the Smart neighbors, the other house on the block he had worked on, and the small 9mm caliber pistol, same weapon used by Ricci in his bank robbery in November, place Ricci's planning all over crime.

The unfortunate circumstance of MK being in the bedroom and seeing the handgun and the police determining the screen was cut from the inside place the crime squarely in the lap of Ricci and his associates. Not to mention Ricci's stupid sideshow of taking the Jeep in, taking it out, parking it away from his home for a week, taking it back all muddy wearing a machette, and then denying he ever had it and refusing to tell police who picked him up at Moul's. Only the most die hard, logic free Ricci lovers would still be in denial of Ricci being in the middle of this at this point.


70 posted on 10/27/2002 10:04:48 PM PST by Sherlock
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To: home educate
"And if Ed's statement is incorrect, the police would have made him retract his statement if not true. Ergo, it's true."

in the article you site here, police "have no comment regarding ed's statement" the police are at a huge disadvantage concerning ed releasing information to the press.
71 posted on 10/27/2002 10:17:56 PM PST by jandji
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To: All
LAPD Fiction - by Jim Crogan, LA Weekly Writer. Detective made up evidence and got away with it

http://groups.google.com

Law and order Cajun style. Don't be soft with criminals, make up the evidence to make sure they get convicted.

"So the police can tell a suspect 'your prints were found on the murder weapon' when in fact the police have no such information. The technique can yield false confessions with inexperienced criminals or retarded people since they figure the police have them set up. The con-wise know that the police are blowing smoke if the con-wise are innocent."

72 posted on 10/27/2002 10:28:10 PM PST by lakey
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To: cookiedough
ricci could burn his fingerprints off, but his prints are old news in utah. if his prints were burnt off after the alleged kidnapping, wouldn't keep him from being identified by his prints left in the house. if his prints were burned off prior to the 'kidnapping', those smooth prints would be even easier to identify.
73 posted on 10/27/2002 10:30:30 PM PST by jandji
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To: Sherlock
why do you think ricci is a criminal genius? we know he is a common repeat offender, a drug user, a thief, etc. but he is not ted bundy or the zodiac killer. he is a doofus. look at his actual criminal record. he gets caught over and over doing stupid things. and during his 30yr criminal hiatus, all the while using drugs, he couldn't have gotten smarter. could he?
74 posted on 10/27/2002 10:39:31 PM PST by jandji
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To: Sherlock
"I'm sure they would have at least when they opened the front door and other doors in the house."

or used a hankerchief, but what about climbing stairs in the dark, or going back down stairs in the dark. and if a key was involved, should be at least 2 keys. doorknob key, deadbolt key. were the doors locked from the outside when he perp left the house?
75 posted on 10/27/2002 10:51:26 PM PST by jandji
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To: cherry
now ask yourself....who would want what ever happened to Liz to seem like an outside job???? why would Ricci care....why would any crook care what it looked like?

Covering one's tracks would be a good idea for any crook. But what I want to know is, what do those four dots mean? It makes me think the really important part of your reply has been removed.

76 posted on 10/27/2002 11:44:24 PM PST by anatolfz
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To: home educate
"Liz was also at the ceremonies"

no actual proof of this statement.

"but Ed, lois and Liz returned home together."

no proof of this statement.

" since the three most adult members of the family were not in the house,"

charles is the 3rd most adult member of the family.
77 posted on 10/27/2002 11:49:21 PM PST by jandji
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To: Sherlock
ricci knew the police would be looking at him, so why bring the jeep back to moul. especially windows down, all sweaty, mud covered. ricci worked saturday till at least 5pm. that jeep has an air conditioner. if the jeep was functional when ricci supposedly took it from the repair shop, why would he take it back?
78 posted on 10/28/2002 12:05:49 AM PST by jandji
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To: Sherlock
"Ricci would have had opportunity, as Ed Smart has said, to have gotten a key."

ricci hadn't been in the smart house for a year. ed also said he never gave any of the workers keys. so ricci would have to find a set of keys, take them, copy them, slip the keys back into the house. hope that the keys would still work a year later, despite the fact the smart's had been ripped off by the workers. and also know the alarm system would be shut off.
79 posted on 10/28/2002 12:19:00 AM PST by jandji
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To: lakey
Focusing on slamming others, if they didn't agree with your theories, is your M.O., JG. Right from the beginning! I will say in your favor, as far as I've seen, you have never threatened bodily harm to anyone on these threads. Nor have you "taken up the Cross" to give yourself an air of spiritual superiority.

Gee, two out of three ain't bad! What you consider "slamming others" is consistantly pointing out wild-eyed theories without any supporting facts, pointing out flaws in logic and common sense, and taking posters to task for smearing the victims in this case without any evidence whatsoever. A perfect example is a post claiming something was amiss because Ed always wore beige slacks at press conferences. How lame is that? (Never mind that the preponderence of men's slacks in any men's store are beige.)

80 posted on 10/28/2002 2:50:51 AM PST by Jolly Green
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