Posted on 06/25/2002 3:13:29 PM PDT by Shermy
SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - Police investigating the kidnapping of a 14-year-old Salt Lake City girl said on Tuesday they had confiscated three cars from a handyman who once worked for the girl's father and who was now at the "top of the list" of people they are questioning.
Police said the three cars included one that handyman Richard Albert Ricci had received from the girl's father, Ed Smart, in exchange for work he did at Smart's million-dollar Salt Lake City home.
"We want information concerning the whereabouts of Mr. Ricci and his activities with any of these cars between May 31 and June 8," Salt Lake City police spokesman Dwayne Baird said.
Police confiscated Ricci's 1990 4-door white Jeep Cherokee, 1992 4-door tan Ford Taurus and 1995 4-door white Oldsmobile Cutlass.
Police released the two cars but kept the Cherokee as possible evidence, saying "some items" appeared to be missing from the vehicle. They declined to elaborate.
Smart, whose 14-year-old daughter Elizabeth was snatched at gunpoint from her bedroom on the night of June 5, said on Tuesday he was never suspicious of Ricci.
But Smart also said he would have never hired Ricci if he had known about his criminal background, which includes a burglary conviction and prison sentence for the attempted murder of a police officer in the early 1980s.
DENIES ANY LINK TO GIRL'S DISAPPEARANCE
"Richard was referred to me by another contractor who had used him ... I had absolutely no knowledge of his background whatsoever. I would have never hired him if I had known that," Smart told reporters at a daily briefing.
Police said on Monday that Ricci, who did extensive work at Smart's home last year, was in custody and being questioned about the disappearance of Elizabeth Smart.
Police said that Ricci had not been formally ruled in or out as a suspect. The handyman, whose age was first given as 50 but who police now say is 48, has denied any link to the girl's disappearance.
Ricci was one of a number of workers who were dismissed from a job at the Smart home because there were some missing items, but Ricci later returned to the good graces of Ed Smart.
Before police arrested Ricci on an unrelated parole violation the investigation had focused on Bret Michael Edmunds, a 26-year-old transient who checked entered a West Virginia hospital last week for an apparent drug overdose.
Salt Lake City police questioned Edmunds over the weekend and said the information was "helpful". But they added that he was still regarded as a witness, rather than a suspect, in the case.
Edmunds' medical condition was upgraded to fair from serious on Tuesday. But hospital officials doubted he would be discharged any time soon to face extradition to Utah for alleged parole violations.
(David Morgan in the Philadelphia bureau contributed to this article)
A drug ring, as well as an escort service? Cars are needed to drive the pros to where the party is.
My guess is the carpet is one of the "items" missing.
Even just one nutcase worker amid a construction crew could be a threat. On a long job, they have plenty of time to scope out the family's every move, plus check out the neighbors as well.
We need to be more vigilant, though I don't know how practical it would be for the average person to check out everyone who enters their home. I can see it now, everyone who comes to perform any job, no matter how small, has to ante up a fingerprint first. Once I told a creep going door to door that I only did business with people after I ran them for warrants. When I turned to pick up the phone, he was gone like the wind.
On a sober note, I hope the person who responsible for the Utah kidnapping wasn't introduced to the family by the dad, what a horrible thing.
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