Did you conveniently forget I told you yesterday Sickler has never been convicted of aggravated sexual abuse.
Ongoing updates on the search for Elizabeth Smart, missing from her home in the early morning hours of June 5th.
Update:
In the near future, a kidnapping in California may sound off an alert here in Utah. Monday, Utah politicians and many others joined the effort to make some big changes. Go to story...
Police seem to be at a dead end in the Smart investigation. In a desperate attempt to reach the man who kidnapped their daughter, Ed and Lois Smart have released a letter to the abductor. Go to story...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- August 26, 2002-- In the near future, a kidnapping in California may sound off an alert here in Utah. Monday, Utah politicians and many others joined the effort to make some big changes.
News Specialist Karen Scullin has the story.
Even though Utah's kidnapping alert system, the Rachael Alert, didn't help find Elizabeth Smart, the Smart family held a news conference here today to show support for an improved and expanded system that they and many others believe could save a lot of lives.
Utah politicians and many others are *signing on* to an effort to save lives.
Right now, 15 states have a kidnapping alert system...but senators from Texas and California are leading an effort to have *every* state ready to sound an alert if a child is kidnapped.
Utah politicians said today they support the plan, and added that there's a lot of help out there not being used.
Senator Bob Bennett/(R) Utah: WE HAVE TREMENDOUS RESOURCES AT OUR COMMAND IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND WE ARE NOT ORGANIZED TO USE THOSE RESOURCES IN THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY IN THESE TRAGEDIES
Rep. Jim Matheson/(D) Utah:THIS IS NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TELLING LOCAL STATES WHAT TO DO BUT IT IS OFFERING A HELPING HAND TO FACILITATE THIS AND MAKE THIS SYSTEM WORK.
The plan is in it's beginning stages, but the idea is to help all states implement an alert system and to create a system that would sound off kidnapping alerts across the various *regions* when necessary.
So a kidnapping in California could sound off a Rachael Alert here in Utah, just in case the victim and suspect have crossed state lines.
Ed Smart/Father of Kidnapping Victim:THE SUPPORT OF OUR GOVERNMENT IN FINDING CHILDREN IS A BI-PARTISAN ISSUE.
Utah's "Rachael" alert system was named after Rachael Runyan, the little girl kidnapped and murdered twenty years ago today. The system was implemented just this past April in Utah. The person responsible for the crime, has never been caught.
Jeff Runyan/Father of Kidnapping Victim: I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL, IT MIGHT HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE
The National Center for MIssing and Exploited Childred credits alert systems for recovering 22 children since the first system was implemented six years ago.
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So what?
how reassuring.....