Smart Case, July 31, 2002

07/31/02 | Jolly Green

[Jolly Green]

Time Line
04/01/01	Sunday	Ricci burglarizes a Smart neighbor's home taking various items.
06/05/01	Tuesday	Ricci steals items from the Smart home while he is employed there as a handyman. Ricci is charged in July of 2002 of 1 count of theft related to the Smart incident.
05/30/02	Thursday	~ Ricci returns to pick up his Jeep at the auto repair shop before the shop has a chance to fully fix it He tells the repairman that it needed for an emergency.
06/04/02	Tuesday	~ Ricci is at work from about 9am to 5:30pm ~ Ricci claims he spends the evening with friends
06/05/02	Wednesday	~ 1:05am - 2 cars are spotted on the SLC Shriner's Hospital Parking Lot by a hospital security guard, two blocks from the Smart residence ~ 1:30am (approx) - Elizabeth is kidnapped from her home ~ 1:30am - Ricci claims to be in bed asleep with his with wife. ~ Ricci is scheduled to be off work all day today. ~ 7:21am - Rachel/Amber alert is issued and national media is involved. ~ 8:30am - Ricci and his neighbor talk about the kidnapping of Elizabeth, Ricci seems to know too much information about it. ~ Sometime during this day Ricci is visited by police in regards to Elizabeth's kidnapping as reported by Angela Ricci (Richard A. Ricci's Wife which is an ex-convict herself) ~ Ricci is seen by his neighbor digging a hole by his (Ricci's) trailer early in the morning. (heard the neighbor say this on TV)
06/06/02	Thursday	~ Ricci is scheduled to work from 9am to 5:30pm today, but instead works from 10:30am to 7:00pm ~ Police talk to Ricci this day about the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping. (The media is reporting this, so it could be wrong)
06/08/02	Saturday	~ Ricci returns the Jeep to the repair shop to get it fixed. The Jeep is muddy and the repair shop owner sees Ricci remove seat covers from the back of the jeep and place them into a plastic garbage bag that already contains other stuff in it. Also the repair shop owner said a muddy post hole digger was in the back of the Jeep, Ricci removes this also. Ricci has a man waiting across the street to give him a ride. Ricci takes the plastic bag and contents along with the post hole digger with him. Also there is 500 to 1000 extra miles on the Jeep since Ricci picked it up on May 30th, 2002.
06/14/02	Friday	~ Ricci is taken into custody for a parole violation, this being drinking while on parole and association with other ex-cons.
07/11/02	Thursday	Formal charges are filed against Ricci (2 counts of theft & 1 count of burglary) on the theft & burglary of the Smart neighbors home which occurred in April 2001, and 1 more count of theft for stealing from the Smart home on June 6th, 2001.
Special thanks to Brigette for starting this timeline.

[FR_addict]

David K Smith (Ricci's Lawyer) was just on the phone with Fox News, he said that police have not talked to Ricci in about 6 weeks. Is this strange or what?

I heard him too. He said a month or month and a half. This was a surprise. It indicates to me that he may not really be the prime suspect or maybe not even a suspect in the kidnapping.

With a little girl missing if they thought he did it, I would think they would be questioning him continuously. Of course his lawyer would be present, but this could be worked out. His lawyer did not indicate the police had any desire to talk to Ricci.

[Iwo Jima]

"Trufillo. He's very, very intelligent and is greatly underemployed."

I'm curius to know your basis for this statement. You seem to assume that someone cannot be a security guard and be wellspoken or intelligent. If Trujillo had anything to do with the kidnapping, why on earth would he call attention to himself as he has? He would want to stay out of the public eye altogether.

Trujillo seems to have brought suspicion upon himself by being observant, diligent, and articulate. To be authentic, I guess a secuity guard must be lazy, dumb, and unintelligible.

I don't buy it.

[Iwo Jima]

Those are great questions. If only we could get answers to those questions!

[Utah Girl]

An unshaven Richard Ricci speaks with attorney David Smith, left, during Ricci's appearance before Judge Randall Skanchy on Wednesday in Salt Lake City on theft and burglary charges involving the Edward Smart home.

[TheDon]

"I have spent some time today and yesterday on a Ex-Mormon 'Recovery' board. This group knows more that any non-Mormon would about the church and possible corruption at the higher levels. There are many of them that think that the Smart's sold their daughter. "

This much is pretty obvious, the only question being to who? And who in the family is involved?

"I was curious as to where Ed Smart gets the funding for his mortgage loans. First National Mortgage, per David Smart, in an article, is Ed Smart's company. I wonder if the LDS church is funding the loans? Ed Smart is not listed as a mortgage Broker in Utah, in the licensed Brokers/Agents. That is odd. "

You point out Ed as the most likely suspect, and I think you are right. Of course, he would need to get enough money to make it worthwhile. I doubt the polygamists would have that kind of cash, nor could they keep her hidden. The African/Middle East white slave trade on the other hand would do. Perhaps a South/Central American drug lord, but that might be too risky as well. Obviously, to have contacts with such people means Ed is not the sterling gentlemen being portrayed in the media.

[Iwo Jima]

There you go again. [Ronald Reagan type sigh]

Could you possibly be any more ridiculous? Everybody knows what you're doing. We're not stupid. You making the most asinine comments imaginable in an effort to make these threads and everybody who posts on them look like imbeciles.

It's a variation of Gresham's Law -- bad arguments drive out good. I notice that JollyGreen never seems to criticize you.

I hope that now that we have established for the casual reader just what you're up to, that everyone ignores your idiotic statements.

[twigs]

No, I didn't mean to imply that. I'm sorry if I did. However, Trujillo came across as someone highly educated, who do not usually take positions as security guards. Of course I want security guards to be sharp. He just seemed more highly educated, that's all. Contrary to your assumption, I don't think Trujillo has really brought suspicion on himself at all--except by me.

I don't have any evidence that he's in any way involved. He just caught my attention, that's all. But some criminals like the cat-and-mouse interplay with LE, so I don't think it's impossible at all that the perp would bring some measure of attention to himself.

[Bella]

Happy Birthday! :-)

[Bella]

Red Lobster for all you can eat Crab Legs.

ENJOY! :-)

[Bella]

I've never seen a photo of Remington, would be interested to see what he looks like. Is he from Utah or Colorado?

[TheDon]

I guess we all have different opinions about what we think has happened to Liz. I respect that, hopefully you will too.

[Bella]

Just on FOX that Ricci pleading NOT guilty on robbing Smart's house..something's up.

[IamHD]

I'm not sure, but there is no access to the Utah Department of Corrections, nor Colorado. Too bad.

[Bella]

David K Smith (Ricci's Lawyer) was just on the phone with Fox News, he said that police have not talked to Ricci in about 6 weeks. Is this strange or what?

Just remembered something, Smith appeared on one of the news programs and explained he was NOT a criminal atty, but was hiring a criminal atty, thus Smith is saying the truth.

[Bella]

6 weeks ago would make that about the time that RR was arrested on the 14th of June. Maybe they have bigger fish to fry?

Might be.

[Bella]

An unshaven Richard Ricci

WOW, what a difference!

[Bella]

The police reported, and it is in transcripts, that IT WAS DARK and MK DIDN'T SEE HIS FACE, BUT she could see hair on hands, and describe clothing and height in the DARK.( This is all that was given to the public so far) The police reported, and it is in transcripts, that IT WAS DARK and MK DIDN'T SEE HIS FACE, BUT she could see hair on hands, and describe clothing and height in the DARK.( This is all that was given to the public so far)

Yes, here it is..The night of the abduction, police said the suspect carried a small darkhandgun and wore a Polo brand shirt, tan pants, dark shoes and tan cap. He had dark hair on his arms and the back of hands, they said, and was described as calm but "concerned others would awake."

I believe someone posted here in the early days of this running thread, that Mrs. Smart insisted on being present with MK when she was interviewed by police. right?

Yes, true..I remember reading that at one of the newspages that Mrs Smart was ALWAYS present when MK was being interviewed, which I find strange. Why wouldn't she trust her being alone?

[Bella]

Fred Trujillo, a 17-year Department of Corrections veteran, noticed the car, focused a security camera on it and called police. Officers did not respond until about six hours after Elizabeth's disappearance, when a Salt Lake City police detective questioned Trujillo and retrieved the original videotape.

17yrs--what about his retirement? I find it odd that he'd want to lose this when he's still a young guy and start over at a new job at square one.

[FR_addict]

Just remembered something, Smith appeared on one of the news programs and explained he was NOT a criminal atty, but was hiring a criminal atty, thus Smith is saying the truth.

Now that you brought it up, I remember Smith saying this too, but evidently he is still on the case since he was representing Ricci today at the hearing.

I wonder if they are having trouble getting a criminal lawyer to take the case. I guess it is pro bono work.