Elizabeth Smart case, August 12, 2002

[IamHD]

New thread for today.

[lakey]

Happy you aren't down in bed, HD. You could be next time, so watch it!

Wearing sandals, I stepped on a wasp's nest one time. Thought my foot was broken.

I kept Italian honey bees over a 10-year period. They are interesting creatures & I loved keeping them till Africans infiltrated one of my best colonies. Mean, nasty critters.

[JudyB1938]

Did you hear about that man and his wife who got swarmed by the killer bees? She died. He ended up in intensive care, but I didn't hear any more about him. I know he is still suffering. IIRC, he had over 2000 stings.

[Neenah]

No

[TXLady]

Did Dinse ever say the "exact" words used by the 'abductor'?

Someone else may have heard and remember but I don't think he ever told us exactly what was said.

[Neenah]

Noto the second question.

[IamHD]

"Was Mary Katherine ever quoted in any of the stories about the disappearance?"

I don't think so, but one thing I will say is 9 year old children normally don't use the term "soft-spoken." As far as the exact words used by the abductor, I only remember something about Elizabeth asking what the abductor was going to do with her, and he supposedly said something to the effect of maybe he would take her as a hostage. But, would they even use quotes from a 9 year old?

[IamHD]

Will do! :)

[TXLady]

I agree, soft-spoken doesn't sound like a term a 9 year old would use. Maybe there was a little bit of coaching here to help her identify the voice of the abductor.

[GovernmentShrinker]

But how does the gay escort service fit in?

[lakey]

Haven't heard about those people, in particular, but it does happen. The elderly can't run fast enough for cover, & that's what one has to do.

The worst part is what they will eventually do to our agriculture. They're so busy being mean, they aren't good foragers, pollinators.

[Bella]

NO

[L84AD8]

Well, spore-gasm, I see that Neenah and others have answered you. Meantime, I went through some old articles and found it interesting.

If anyone wants the full articles, I will post them, put for sake of keeping it short, I have snipped.

Article 1 about Abductor
June 5, 2002 Rueters

SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - A 14-year-old girl was abducted at gunpoint from her home in the middle of the night on Wednesday, prompting a massive search in three states, police said.

Elizabeth Smart's 9-year-old sister witnessed the abduction but was so frightened that she waited two hours before raising the alarm.

Police said the gunman appeared to have made his way into the family's seven-bedroom home in the posh Federal Heights area of Salt Lake City around 1 a.m. local time, cutting through a screen on the kitchen window and crawling through.

He then made his way to the bedroom where Elizabeth and her sister were sleeping. He took Elizabeth away in her red pajamas, allowing her to take her shoes before they left,
and threatened to harm the younger girl if she told what had happened.
SNIP

Article 2

June 7, Reuters
SNIP
The younger girl said she was warned by the kidnapper that he would harm or kill Elizabeth if she raised an alarm, and so waited two hours before waking her parents.
SNIP

Article 3 Reuters
SNIP
Mary Catherine told police that the kidnapper threatened to kill Elizabeth if she raised an alarm, and so waited two hours before waking her parents.
SNIP

Article 4 June 10, 2002
SNIP
Police said a man forced open a window in the family's home on Wednesday
and entered the bedroom shared by the girl and her 9-year-old sister.

He forced Elizabeth to go with him and told the younger girl that if she told anyone, her sister would be hurt, the child told police. She waited two hours or more and then woke her parents.
SNIP

Article 5 June 12, 2002
SNIP
Police also re-interviewed 9-year-old Mary Katherine Smart, who had told investigators that a gunman entered the bedroom she shared with her older sister and forced her to go with him. She said he told her that her sister would be hurt if she told anyone. Police said it was at least two hours before she woke her parents and told them.
SNIP

Article 6

June 18, Associated Press

Police: Girl's Sister Not Threatened
ASSOCIATED PRESS

SALT LAKE CITY- Police investigating the disappearance of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart said Tuesday that contrary to what they reported earlier, the kidnapper did not threaten the girl's little sister or even realize she saw him.

Two weeks ago, Elizabeth was reported taken by gunpoint from the bed shared by the two girls. Police said initially that the kidnapper warned 9-year-old Mary Katherine Smart to remain quiet, and that the little sister waited two hours before alerting her parents.

But police who interviewed the youngster three times now say that the man did not speak to the child.

"The threat was not made to Mary Katherine," Capt. Scott Atkinson said.

He said the police account changed as investigators with skills at interviewing child witnesses talked to the girl. Police also reviewed the 9-year-old witnesses' earlier two interviews with police, Atkinson said.

"I don't believe that she's changed her story," Atkinson said.

As for the search for the kidnapper, "we believe this man may be a trusted person in the neighborhood or community," the police captain said. The kidnapper was calm and "spoke nicely and dressed nicely."

******


Ok, I took the info to June 18, where the story changed and they learned that the kidnapper didn't speak to MK, but to Elizabeth.

Looks to me like the story changed, but then I'm just taking it for what it says.

More later.

[dalebert]

Thanks. I have read so many stories and they were starting to run together.

[L84AD8]

Bella,

It occured to me that Brigette (?) offered anyone that wanted an article in the Archives of the Utah papers, she had purchased a 30 day account there.

Maybe she could find the article you want about the New York friend of Ed's. I've searched, and so far, I can't find it, although I do remember reading it.

[EnquiringMind]

I saw the man who was stung over 2000 times on Weekend Today, either yesterday or Saturday. He has recovered from the stings but is grieving over the loss of his wife, bless his heart. He wants the public to be aware of the killer bee threat and is suggesting that EMS crews be better prepared and purchase protective clothing for future rescue situations.

HD, thanks for the ping...hope you're feeling better tonight!

[IamHD]

Thank you, EM. My 4/5 stings can't and don't even compare this poor man and his now deceased wife! I hadn't heard about this.

[IamHD]

"THE GUNMAN SAID GET YOUR SHOES... GET YOUR SHOES..LET'S GO.))"

I just have a hard time believing that this abduction was merely sexual in nature. Seems very well-planned, and if it was just a sexual crime, she could have very easily been snatched while jogging. But, why no ransom? At first, I thought that this just got too big, too fast, now I'm not sure. In the beginning I thought that if Ricci had anything to do with this, Elizabeth may still be alive, especially if there was a woman involved in this with him. Now I feel, that if it was Ricci involved, Elizabeth will probably never be found. I now feel, that if he had NOTHING to do with this, chances may be greater that she is still alive. Did I make any sense? :)

[varina davis]

Now I feel, that if it was Ricci involved, Elizabeth will probably never be found. I now feel, that if he had NOTHING to do with this, chances may be greater that she is still alive. Did I make any sense? :)

Absolutely.