Elizabeth Smart thread, August 24-31, 2002

[IamHD]

I don't know when Utahn children start school, but Elizabeth should/would be starting the 9th grade, soon. :(

[Soccer-Dad777]

Welcome to this thread. I agree wholeheartedly with everything you said. Your voice is needed here.

[Sherlock]

Why they are withholding the identity, I have no idea.

My guess, no direct evidence against him.

I hope if they do know who it is it was an ex-con and they were able to take him off the street on parole violation like Ricci but there was no one like Mohl with Ricci to make it necessary for them to make it public. Thus they could keep him locked away until they either find Elizabeth or her body is found and they can continue gathering evidence.

[Sherlock]

Breaking...Ricci's dead....Brain dead and family pulled him off life support.

Wasn't that kind of a quick decision?

[Soccer-Dad777]

Yes, now that you mention it. Maybe they were afraid he'd wake up.

[sandude]

I hope if they do know who it is

It would be comforting to know that this person is safely put away. I do hope that someone in Ricci's inner circle of friends will give LE the information they need to get this guy. The Smarts have been through so much. I pray that they can find closure. My sympathies also go out to Angela and Richard's family. This has been an ordeal for them as well.

[sandude]

Thanks for the post Joe. It is sad for all involved in this case to have Richard taken away like this.

[Iwo Jima]

If it were me, I would hope that my family would give me just a little while to maybe recover. Is a day or two too much to ask?

[Soccer-Dad777]

I would hope for the same from my family. I assume that clinical brain death is just that--irreversible, which justifies their decision. Tough break for both families, and truly sad.

[varina davis]

If it were me, I would hope that my family would give me just a little while to maybe recover. Is a day or two too much to ask?

I agree, but none of us really know just how bad off he was.

[stlnative]

Richard Ricci Dies in Hospital

AP
Richard Ricci

Friday, August 30, 2002

SALT LAKE CITY — Richard Albert Ricci, the top potential suspect in the kidnapping of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart, died at a hospital Friday.

Ricci, 48, had been hospitalized for three days after suffering from a brain hemorrhage and collapsing in his jail cell, doctors said.

Earlier Friday, doctors had said Ricci had an irreversible injury to the brain stem after the hemorrhage Tuesday night.

The former handyman for the Smart family was not charged in the disappearance and denied involvement. He was in prison for a parole violation.

Salt Lake City Police Chief Rick Dinse this week reaffirmed that Ricci remained at the top of the list of potential suspects in Elizabeth's abduction. However, investigators were no closer to finding the missing 14-year-old than they were June 5, when a gunman took her from the bedroom she was sharing with her younger sister.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

All we can do is hope and pray that someone knows something and that the truth will come out now and hopefully this case will be solved.

[TheDon]

Well, if Dick was involved, I guess he is suffering a much worse punishment now then anything we could give him. Of course, he has many other crimes to be suffering about.

What an unexpected turn of events.

[varina davis]

Well, if Dick was involved, I guess he is suffering a much worse punishment now then anything we could give him. Of course, he has many other crimes to be suffering about.

That's rather insufferable. A prayer or two for him and his family would be much more appropriate.

[Soccer-Dad777]

Thanks for the post, Brigette.

[sandude]

All we can do is hope and pray that someone knows something and that the truth will come out now and hopefully this case will be solved.

I agree with that. Nice to hear from you brigette. I've wondered if you were still out there.

[Sherlock]

If it were me, I would hope that my family would give me just a little while to maybe recover. Is a day or two too much to ask?

Really! This will make the conspiracists wonder if Richard Ricci ever really went to the hospital and if so if he was really in this condition.

[Iwo Jima]

I know, and I don't mean to second guess the family. But doctors have been wrong before, and if it were me, I would like for my family to give me a couple of days to try to pull through.

[homeschool mama]

Heavy sigh.

[stlnative]

New Thread as this one is getting too long
Elizabeth Smart Case - Ricci Dies in Hospital

[stlnative]

I am not here often - but did decide to come here and see if he had passed away as I had heard today they did not expect him to make it.

[Iwo Jima]

Well, I don't see how anyone could doubt that Ricci had a cerebral hemorrhage, nor do I know of anyway that such a hemorrhage can be "arranged." I do not see Angela going along with such an elaborate scheme. And for what purpose would the authorities have in mind?

I agree that this is an incredibly odd occurrence, but I can't see it as anything other than a tragic coincidence.