Hostage 'Bonded' With Captor

CBS News ^ | March 14, 2005

[EveningStar]

The woman who was held hostage in her apartment by the suspect in Atlanta's courthouse slayings came forward to give an account of her ordeal, saying he let her go after they bonded while discussing God, family, pancakes and the massive manhunt going on outside her apartment.

[hollywood]

Who cares!? What's going on in the Jackson case?

[OldFriend]

A smart woman noted that a man was sitting in his car in her parking lot when she left to get cigarettes at 2 a.m. and when she came back and he ws still there.....SHE SHOULD HAVE DRIVEN AWAY........AND CALLED 911.....

She knew there was a manhunt on in her state.

[cwiz24]

I thank God there are not more grieving friends and family added.

Me too. And I thank God her little girl wasn't with her at the time. The trauma it may have caused her would have been drastic.

[Gumption]

She said "I feel sorry for him" after explaining how he told her about how he was getting "railroaded" (first rape victim lying) in court. She then said "I don't think he knew what he was doing".

Just too much for me to take.

[LYSandra]

I think she was driven by the fact her husband had been stabbed and died in her arms so maybe she thought this was the way to avoid bloodshed and to save others. I think she was very brave and level headed. If she had come apart at the seams he may have killed her. Remember rape is about power & control which he was on trial for and to have appeared weak etc may have gotten her killed.

[cwiz24]

A smart woman noted that a man was sitting in his car in her parking lot when she left to get cigarettes at 2 a.m. and when she came back and he ws still there.....SHE SHOULD HAVE DRIVEN AWAY........AND CALLED 911..... She knew there was a manhunt on in her state.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda, huh?

[RushCrush]

Heck, I can trick my cat into coming by using the "dinner" tone of voice.

ooh that's funny!!! and so true!!LOL

[processing please hold]

All you have to do is listen to her. She sees it from his point of view. He has two sides to him. Yeah, and so did Dalmer.

I listen to her last night on Jaraldo. I expected her to ask viewers to start a fan club for him.

[EveningStar]

Works for me.

[HitmanLV]

Like I have said for a while, she appears to have that doe-eyed 'fallen in love' look. The Christian love aspect, being argued by some on FR, looks more like a hopeful thing at best, or a projection at worst.

[LYSandra]

I think she was driven by the fact her husband had been stabbed and died in her arms so maybe she thought this was the way to avoid bloodshed and to save others. I think she was very brave and level headed. If she had come apart at the seams he may have killed her. Remember rape is about power & control which he was on trial for and to have appeared weak etc may have gotten her killed.

[Quilla]

My theory on your comment: He knew where she lived and she couldn't be certain when Atlanta's finest would capture him if she had called in a report. He could have threatened to come back and harm her and her daughter is she tried any "funny business".

[dmz]

It's a good thing he caught up with Ashley, not you. She talked him down. I'm not sure you would have been up to the task, given your comments.

She managed to save her own life, and quite possibly some others as well. But go ahead, keep putting her down.

[OldFriend]

Ask yourself if you would have gotten out of your car at that hour if a man was sitting in his car in the parking lot near you.

[Deguello]

"And I thank God her little girl wasn't with her at the time"

I missed some of the other points this morning, but I heard Rush say that she wanted to involve her daughter in this asking if they (both of them) could go see her.

[cwiz24]

This is the most disturbing part. He was unarmed and she was in another car miles from her house. Yet she picked him up and took him back to where the weapons were at. Very strange ....

Not strange at all. She had established a rapport with him by that point. He obviously trusted her or he wouldn't have let her drive her own car so far. Why risk her life and her daughter's future just because she thought she could get away. She likely figured at that point that he wouldn't kill her. Plus, he was 6' something, 200 and some odd pounds. Even without a gun, he could have easily overpowered her. And how do you know she didn't think he may have had another gun in the blue truck? She could have assumed that. I would have.

[processing please hold]

It's the WAY she says it that bothers me. From what I hear the 51 year old deputy had her face blown off. The Judge shot in the head. I don't feel sorry for someone who does that.

[snarks_when_bored]

The focus on her is probably inevitable, for she's the brave young woman who faced down a mad-dog killer. But, of course, the victims' families deserve our heartfelt condolences.

[cwiz24]

A way out. Humanizes herself in his eyes by reminding him that she has a young child. And it worked. The last words he said to her before she left the apartment alone was "say hi to Paige for me."

[fight_truth_decay]

This is about the calm, cool and very collected Ashley Smith under extremely dangerous circumstances that could have cost her life. It's a given he is a cold blooded killer and will be put away..so what's left to talk about on his end. No one disputes that fact.

The other story is how Ashley Smith could get this "cold blooded quadruple killer" to put down his gun. Something trained professionals could not do. She is a story within a story. She saved her own life and may have saved the lives of many others. Smith is a hero. Therefore, stories are written about heroes..deservingly so.