Elizabeth Smart Case - Ricci Dies in Hospital

FoxNews | 8/30/02

[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.

[Sherlock]

I just caught the end of it but I thought Ed's sister said acquaintances of Ricci admitted Ricci had mentioned an interest in burglarizing the Smart home to them.

[varina davis]

Another NOTHING press conf....will type it up, if I can read my notes !

It sure was nothing. Fox was the only one that stayed with it for a while -- and probably wishes it hadn't. Nothing new said at all, just a photo op for the Smarts.

[andysandmikesmom]

Just want to say thanks to all who had kind words about my posting about my son, and his experience with a brain hemorrhage...I really did not post this to get sympathy, just wanted to show, that often disconnecting someone after 2 days, is warranted...

I also wanted to thank everyone for their input to this thread, no matter what their various opinions and views on the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart might be...

There really is nothing wrong with different folks having various and differing opinions on this subject, as having different theories and ways of attacking this horrendous case, may just be what ultimately leads to its resolution...

Like the rest of the posters, I would still like to believe that Elizabeth is still alive, tho the longer time goes on, the less likely it appears she will be found alive...I still hold out a small bit of hope that she is alive, but frankly, I think she is more than likely dead....I sure hope I am wrong...

Anyway, I do appreciate everyones input and speculation on this case..

[stlnative]

Thanks Sherlock, they had nothing to say about the death of Ricci, do they seem to be stressed since he died?

[Neenah]

Cynthia Ownes Smart held the conference, as Ed and Lois Smart were off on holiday, and asked her to do it.

She announced the next weeks briefing would be held on Tues. and Thurs., becaue of Labor Day. (not having one on MOnday).

She first expressed the family's condolences to Angela Ricci. She said it was shocking what happened, but it is all in God's hands now. She was hopeful that this change in events would now bring people forward with information Ricci may have had, that other's knew about, and the family would ask that they step forward.

Cynthia touched on the Reward money still being offered in the case.

$3,000.00 - Information on who met with Richard Ricci at the Auto Repair Shop.

$3,000.00 - To anyone confirming who got into Lois's sister's hours.

$25,000.00 - For information leading to conviction of who took Elizabeth.

$25,000.00 - Finding Elizabeth

$250,000.00 - For the safe return of Elizabeth

She said there are so many unanswered questions when the Press started asking questions...Cynthia said they were grateful for the people who joined the Searches, and for the prayers of people, along with the efforts of the LE.

Neth Moel (sp)Cynthia stated that Neth offered Richard a ride home after he returned the Jeep,but he went with someone else.

She stated that when Richard was in prison, someone else cut the screen at Lois' sister's house, so because of that, they believe that someone else was involved with Richard, as the cases were simular. She asked if someone else was involved, would they come forward?

She answered a question as to if she thought anyone would come forward, by saying that she believed they would because of the money involved, and then made the statement (paraphrased but close)"We can be resolved that Richard was involved and let it rest."

She was questioned about the burglery at Lois' sister's and how this tied in with Ricci. She answered that Richard had a "pattern".

1....He went into a bedroom and talked with the person.

2....He went back to the house after the job was finished for Ed.

3....Lied to police to clear himself.

She said if he wasn't involved, he would have cleared himself. ( there was an audio problem here..something about the PD...in which Cynthia ans.) " I hpe the police haven't told you something before us."

At this point Fox stopped the conference and went back to schedualed programming.

[ChocChipCookie]

I think Ed may have held back some information about Ricci and the Jeep at first because he didn't want some of his employment practices to be under any scrutiny. I believe he said in an interview that sometimes he would pay these laborers in cash, he gave the Jeep to Ricci in exchange for labor, and there may be other ways in which he avoided paying payroll taxes, unemployment insurance, etc. on the people who worked for him. If Ricci worked for him for three months, as has been reported, I believe, then he certainly should have been paying taxes on Ricci's earnings and reporting them to the IRS.

Along those same lines, I have wondered if perhaps some of Ed's business dealings may have contributed to ES's kidnapping, i.e. a large unpaid debt to someone unscrupulous, revenge for a business deal gone bad, etc. Perhaps "Mr. Big" had intended to exact the ransom from Ed as payment for a debt. Who knows. If LE hasn't closely examined his finances, they aren't doing their job. Money is a big motivator to most people.

[stlnative]

Thanks Neenah!

[Sherlock]

Neenah, didn't she say that the $3000 awards were anonymous, so they hoped that anyone that could give them information on Ricci's involvement, even an accomplice, might call in and tell what he knows and collect the money without being identified?

[Sherlock]

Even if Ed theoretically owed someone money and the kidnapping was to send a message to Ed and others that might be in the same situation, and LE has examined Ed's finances and seen he was having rocky times, there would be no reason for LE to make this information public. It would be of help to them giving them an idea of who may have hired Ricci & company to do the kidnapping and they would study the finances of Ed's creditors to look for financial transfers and the like but without enough evidence to bring charges, LE would be keeping this under their hat.

[Neenah]

Richard Ricci dies

Death is big blow to kidnap investigation

By James Thalman, Stephen Speckman and Pat Reavy

Deseret News staff writers

The top potential suspect in Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping died Friday night after doctors removed life support, making the missing girl's case more problematic for police — yet giving her family hope that others now will come forward.

Richard Ricci died Friday night at U. Hospital.

Jeremy Harmon, Deseret News

Richard Albert Ricci died at 7:28 p.m., 12 minutes after doctors carried out his family's wishes that life support be stopped.

"Now, as our families prepare our last goodbyes, I would respectfully ask that we be allowed to grieve in private," said Ricci's wife, Angela, through family spokeswoman Nancy Pomeroy. Pomeroy said that at some point Ricci's wife would speak directly to the press.

Ricci had been in a coma since suffering a brain hemorrhage Tuesday in his prison cell, where he was being held on charges of burglarizing the Smart home and another house in the Federal Heights neighborhood.

Ricci also had been the main focus of attention in the Smart kidnapping for months, although he denied any involvement with the June 5 abduction.

After undergoing emergency surgery after collapsing, he remained comatose, though breathing on his own. Doctors said earlier Friday that Ricci had "no realistic chance" of a "meaningful" recovery. Before his death, Ricci was ministered to by LDS and Catholic clergy. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Smart family spokesman Chris Thomas said Ricci's death might motivate others — individuals the family has believed all along were involved in the case and who had been seen with Ricci prior to the kidnapping — to come forward.

"Perhaps those people will now be more inclined to tell police what they know," Thomas said, adding that the Smart family members offer "our deepest condolences to the Ricci family in this incredibly difficult time." Ricci had been a handyman at the Smart home.

Neurologist Elaine J. Skalabrin shows which parts of Richard Ricci's brain were affected by the aneurysm.

Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News

Police have said that Ricci's death would actually make what has been a troublesome case even more so, saying it was another unusual twist in a bizarre case.

Investigators are apparently no closer to finding the 14-year-old than they were on June 5, when a gunman took Elizabeth from her bedroom in the middle of the night.

Officers have said that Ricci had not truthfully answered their questions about where he was the night of kidnapping but had hoped if he recovered he would be more inclined to cooperate. They said they might never be able to fully clear him in the case if he didn't recover.

Police have stressed that Ricci was just one of a number of people being investigated; however, they conceded the loss of Ricci will be a big blow to their investigation of the kidnapping.

Still, "the investigation does have breath," Assistant Chief Scott Folsom said Friday.

Ricci had a history of hypertension but was not on medication while in the prison, said state Department of Corrections spokesman Jack Ford.

"We hate to have somebody pass away when they're in our custody," Ford said. "And it's unfortunate because he was still being investigated by a couple of other law enforcement agencies."

Ford said Ricci's body will undergo an autopsy, and once that is complete the body will be turned over to his family.

Guards said Ricci had passed out Tuesday night while they were talking to him after he had called for help because he was having trouble breathing. Ricci's collapse came just hours after he made an appearance in 3rd District Court on theft and burglary charges.

Elaine Skalabrin, director of University Hospital's Neuro Critical Care Unit, said most of the damage to Ricci's brain occurred before he arrived at the hospital.

Friday morning, Elizabeth's family turned to the public to answer questions Ricci no longer can. They said they want the answers to two questions and are willing to pay $3,000 each for those answers.

In particular, they want to know who picked up Ricci when he left his white Jeep Cherokee at Neth's Auto Repair on June 8.

Ed Smart, Elizabeth's father, says he's certain Ricci had something to do with his daughter's disappearance. He's most interested in the man who met Ricci at the repair shop three days after the kidnapping.

"There was somebody else that knew something," Smart said.

They also asked for information regarding a July 24 attempted break-in at the Cottonwood Heights home of Jeannie and Steve Wright. Lois Smart, Elizabeth's mother, is Jeannie Wright's sister.

The families are close and regularly spent Sundays together. Elizabeth and the Wrights' 15-year-old daughter also were close, Ed Smart said.

Source:Deseret News --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Neenah]

Welcome, Brigette !!

[TXLady]

http://www.psitech.net/news/tsl_083002.htm

Found this on the AOL board. I don't post there but do go read the comments from time to time. Would some of you check out this page and comment. It is too weird. It's pretty long so I didn't want to post the article. These people claim to have found Elizabeth and Dave Smart came and checked out the site where they think she is. Sounds pretty fishy to me and goes to show there are a lot of strange ideas out there.

[MadisonA]

I just heard the news of Riccis death. I don't feel much sympathy. He probably should've been given the death penalty for the attempted murder of a police officer long ago. He had more years alive than he actually deserved so he should be thankful. If he was on death row like he should've been I have no doubt Elizabeth would be with her family today.

I don't think anyone tried to kill Ricci off to keep him from talking. If anybody saw his recent court photos he looked like death walking. I wonder when the last time he went to a doctor? I doubt he took care of himself very well, if at all.

It's very obvious the police believe Ricci was the main culprit in this whole thing. He was the only suspect known with a direct connections to the Smart family(Elizabeth) and had no qualms going into occupied homes at night stealing things in the Smart neighborhood. His unwillingness to give a simple explanation for his whereabouts during the week in question points to his involvment. All of these behaviors when looked at seperately aren't too bad, but when you put them all together is strong suspicion that Ricci did it. The police probably have many more facts that point to Ricci. His crimes simply escalated from stealing objects to stealing a pretty young teen like Elizabeth. I believe this was a sexually motivated crime by an old, arrogant criminal and womanizer. He may have been involved in other low profile female disappearances in Utah. His choice of victim probably had a lot to do with the fact the Smart home was an easy target. Maybe he still held a resentments against Ed Smart for letting him go.

Ricci most likely had an accomplice who I think helped get rid of evidence or was a pervert friend of his who also was very willing to get a piece of the action.

If Ricci isn't the guy then they will probably never solve this case because they simply don't have anything else to go on and probably never will. They were hoping Ricci would one day confess in jail and tell them where he buried the body. Finding the body without clues is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Maybe someone will stumble upon bones by accident one day (if it was a shallow grave).

I believe the only hope now is breaking Angela down or finding gas station mystery man. They may know who mystery man is but he is simply acting like Ricci and denying that the gas station drop off ever happened. Now that Ricci is dead Angela may be willing to talk. I have no doubt she was the one who made the call to Moul's shop. It's the most logical explanation. Ricci probably told her it needed to be used for a burglary run at the time.

[TXLady]

http://www.psitech.net/news/tsl_083002.htm

Sorry this wouldn't come through as a link. Tried a couple of times. Don't know what I am doing wrong here.

[TXLady]

Jen, I couldn't tell if this was a current search or some time back. I didn't catch a date on the search, did you?

[TXLady]

It's the weirdest day, in the weirdest case....

I can certainly agree with that one, you said a "mouthful" there. I have to go see about some dinner for family. Catch you later this evening.

[dalebert]

thanks for the ping