Smart Case, July 27, 2002

07/27/02 | Jolly Green

[Jolly Green]

Time Line
06/05/01	Tuesday	Ricci steals items from the Smart home while he is employed there as a handyman. Ricci is charged in July of 2002 of 1 count of theft related to the Smart incident.
05/30/02	Thursday	~ Ricci returns to pick up his Jeep at the auto repair shop before the shop has a chance to fully fix it He tells the repairman that it needed for an emergency.
06/04/02	Tuesday	~ Ricci is at work from about 9am to 5:30pm ~ Ricci claims he spends the evening with friends
06/05/02	Wednesday	~ 1:05am - 2 cars are spotted on the SLC Shriner's Hospital Parking Lot by a hospital security guard, two blocks from the Smart residence ~ 1:30am (approx) - Elizabeth is kidnapped from her home ~ 1:30am - Ricci claims to be in bed asleep with his with wife. ~ Ricci is scheduled to be off work all day today. ~ 7:21am - Rachel/Amber alert is issued and national media is involved. ~ 8:30am - Ricci and his neighbor talk about the kidnapping of Elizabeth, Ricci seems to know too much information about it. ~ Sometime during this day Ricci is visited by police in regards to Elizabeth's kidnapping as reported by Angela Ricci (Richard A. Ricci's Wife which is an ex-convict herself) ~ Ricci is seen by his neighbor digging a hole by his (Ricci's) trailer early in the morning. (heard the neighbor say this on TV)
06/06/02	Thursday	~ Ricci is scheduled to work from 9am to 5:30pm today, but instead works from 10:30am to 7:00pm ~ Police talk to Ricci this day about the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping. (The media is reporting this, so it could be wrong)
06/08/02	Saturday	~ Ricci returns the Jeep to the repair shop to get it fixed. The Jeep is muddy and the repair shop owner sees Ricci remove seat covers from the back of the jeep and place them into a plastic garbage bag that already contains other stuff in it. Also the repair shop owner said a muddy post hole digger was in the back of the Jeep, Ricci removes this also. Ricci has a man waiting across the street to give him a ride. Ricci takes the plastic bag and contents along with the post hole digger with him. Also there is 500 to 1000 extra miles on the Jeep since Ricci picked it up on May 30th, 2002.
06/14/02	Friday	~ Ricci is taken into custody for a parole violation, this being drinking while on parole and association with other ex-cons.
07/11/02	Thursday	Formal charges are filed against Ricci (2 counts of theft & 1 count of burglary) on the theft & burglary of the Smart neighbors home which occurred in April 2001, and 1 more count of theft for stealing from the Smart home on June 6th, 2001.
Special thanks to Brigette for starting this timeline.

[Jolly Green]

Wild-Eyed Speculation, Half-baked Theories and Myths
Theory(?)	Facts
Richard Ricci has been identified as the prime suspect in the case, though several of his "theme park" pals are under suspicion.	- Ricci is a 5-time loser, having been convicted of burglarizing a food bank and shooting a police officer. He has recently been indicted on three additional state charges including theft at the Smart residence and burglary of a Smart neighbor. Additionally, he has been recently indicted on three federal charges related to two bank robberies. - Ricci worked for the Smarts last year for several months and was paid with a white Jeep in lieu of cash. He had full access to the house and may very well have had a key to the Smart residence. Ricci and two others were fired when some items were stolen from the home. Ricci later approached Ed Smart and said he wasn't involved and wanted his job back. Ed Smart declined to rehire him. - Ricci lives in a trailer park in West Jordan that is now referred to as a "theme park" because of the large number of Ricci convicted felon friends living there. - Ricci has no credible alibi for the period during and shortly after the abduction. He is believed to have put an additional 1000 miles on the Jeep during a period when he claimed the Jeep was in Moul's shop. Moul also reported that Ricci removed several trash bags, the seat covers and a post hole digger and carried them across the street. - Ricci had both opportunity and motive.
Ed Smart and Richard Ricci were gay lovers. This is based upon Ed Smart's pleading before the media for Ricci to come clean, where he used phrases like "Help me, Richard".	This theory was eloquently refuted by Jengaio and it hasn't reared its ugly head recently.
Elizabeth Smart had a nose ring, must have been rebellious and ran away. Later, proponents shifted emphasis to "piercings".	Numerous photographs of Elizabeth Smart show no indication of a nose ring and the existence of a nose ring has never been reported by any credible news source.
Moul, the mechanic, lied to the grand jury and in TV interviews. Some of the scenarios: He knows more than he is telling; his eyesight is bad; he made it up; he is in cahoots with Ricci; he used Ricci's Jeep without Ricci's permission.	Moul has no criminal record and no motive. What's more his vehicle logs corroborate his testimony. If Moul had "borrowed" the Jeep, he certainly would have washed it to remove the bugs, mud and pine needles.
Elizabeth Smart's aunt, in a televised interview said the police "are working with us". Implications: This surely must mean that the Smarts and their influential friends and church must be controlling/thwarting the 100-man SLCPD/FBI task force	We will ask Jengaio to analyze the phrazing.

Motive	Possible Suspect	Details
Kidnapping	All	- The SLCPD has said there has not been any credible ransom demands. This may be due to the massive search and media blitz within 5 hours of the abduction i.e. the perps may have realized that their chances of getting caught were very high and they decided to get rid of the evidence.
	Ricci & cronies	- Ricci and his colleagues have recently been indicted for several Utah bank robberies, each producing only a modest amount of cash i.e. $1800 split 3 ways. It is likely that they were looking for a bigger "score".
	Unknown	N/A
Burglary	Ricci	- Ricci has five previous convictions for theft, burglary, and assault (shooting a police officer). He has recently been indicted on three additional state charges including burglary of a Smart neigbor while they were sleeping (a M.O. similar to the Smart kidnapping) and theft of the Smart home. He has also been indicted on three federal charges including two bank robberies. - The Smarts, like most people, wouldn't keep large amounts of cash around. It seems likely that a simple burglary would not produce much in the way of cash or jewelery. - The SLCPD has said some things were taken but haven't identified those items.
	Unknown	N/A
Burglary Gone Wrong	Ricci	- The Smart perpetrator may have been surprised by Elizabeth Smart and decided to remove the only witness.
	Unknown	Same as above
Sexual Predator	Ricci	- Fox News reported Ricci had attempted an "inappropriate relationship" with one of his old girlfriends 16 yr old daughters.
	Unknown	N/A
Revenge	Ricci	- Ed Smart wouldn't rehire Ricci even though Ricci claimed he had no involvement in the theft of the Smart house.
	Unknown	N/A
Runaway	Elizabeth Smart	Unknown possible motive
	Unknown	N/A

Significant Links
Date	Title	Comments
06/16/02	Sister reported the abduction relatively quickly Wait was quite short for child, an expert says	Certified forensic psychologist Gerald P. Koocher said it is remarkable the child notified the parents as soon as she did. Koocher, dean of Health Studies at Boston's Simmon's College and a faculty member at Harvard Medical School, pointed out that in other scenarios such as sexual abuse, a child will refrain from telling on or speaking about the incident for years if there is a threat to hurt other members of the victim's family.
06/19/02	Salt Lake police come under fire in kidnapping investigation	"We aren't telling you everything we know about the investigation, and we aren't going to until we're further along," Dinse said. Louis said there is no composite sketch of the abductor because the 9-year-old was unable to sufficiently describe his facial features.
06/26/02	S.L. police say convicted felon is at top of their list	Elizabeth's father, Edward Smart, said during his daily briefing with the media Tuesday he hired Ricci after he was referred to him by another contractor. But he was unaware of Ricci's criminal history. "I had absolutely no knowledge of his background whatsoever. I would never hired him had I known that. I would never have exposed my family to that, " Smart said. Ricci was at times "undependable," but "never in my wildest dreams would have imagined his background," he said. Smart also said that Ricci "seemed nice and could be very personable at times." Ricci left on good terms with the family, according to Smart. But he declined to comment on reports that Ricci had stolen jewelry from the Smart home. Police said Ricci was fired after the Smarts reported some items had been stolen from their home but he was later hired back because there was no evidence to link him to the theft. Smart also said he could not think of any reason why Ricci might want revenge on him.
06/28/02	Items confiscated from Ricci's kinTan cap, knife taken by police; relatives back him	At 5:30 p.m. June 8, Ricci took his car to Net Moul for minor repairs. Moul describes Ricci as an easy-going person who is normally pleasant to talk to. But not on that day. "He didn't even look me straight in the face. He was not in a good mood," he said. "He seemed more frustrated. I figured he must have had a problem. Something was up." The Cherokee was caked in mud as if it had been four-wheeling, Moul said. Newspapers lined the floor of the vehicle as if someone were taking precautions to keep it clean. But when he tried to joke about it with Ricci, he got no reply. Moul saw two seat covers lying behind the Jeep's back seat. Ricci put the seat covers in a plastic bag, grabbed a post-hole digger that was in the Jeep, and walked to the sidewalk in front of the auto shop near 3500 South and 4500 West, Moul said. Ricci waved to a man who was at the gas station across the street. Ricci told Moul the man was waiting to give him a ride home. The man was Caucasian, had dark hair and was about 5-foot-8, Moul said. Ricci went back to his Jeep and grabbed a second bag out of the vehicle and took it with him. The bag was full, but Moul said he couldn't tell what was in it. What also caught Moul's attention that day was the odometer. Ricci had picked up his Jeep May 30 after having a fuel line fixed. Between May 30 and June 8, Moul estimated between 500 to 1,000 miles had been put on the car.
06/28/02	Hair samples collected in missing girl case	Moul said Ricci was a regular customer who typically joked around, but seemed to be in a bad mood that day. "I was trying to play a joke with him -- I saw his car and said, 'What, you just come back from the mountain and play in some weeds?' but he did not respond," said Moul. "He didn't even look me straight in the face." Before returning the car, Moul said Ricci parked it across the street from the shop and removed covers from the rear seats. Ricci threw the covers into a large plastic bag, removed a post-hole digger from the Cherokee's hatchback and apparently disposed of the items, Moul said.
06/30/02	Handyman denies taking Jeep before girl abducted	The handyman being investigated in the disappearance of Elizabeth Smart, 14, has denied removing his Jeep from a repair shop days before she was kidnapped, a senior law enforcement official said.
07/15/02	Police at stalemate with adamant Ricci	Police, however, say Ricci, 48, has not provided a suitable explanation for why the Jeep Cherokee he was given in exchange for his work at the Smart home had an extra 500 to 1,000 miles between the time the vehicle was picked up from a repair shop May 30 and returned June 8. The shop's owner, Neth Moul, has told police and the Deseret News that Ricci picked the Jeep up May 30, but Ricci denies doing so. "He's saying he didn't, the shop owner says he did. Ricci just denies any knowledge of that. He doesn't know what we're talking about," Salt Lake Police Capt. Scott Atkinson said Monday. Investigators have called Moul a credible witness, noting he doesn't have any reason to lie.
07/19/02	Another twist in Smart storyPolice say Kearns woman's story is losing credibility	Ricci remains the key figure in the search for Elizabeth Smart, who was kidnapped more than six weeks ago. Police say there are holes in his alibi. But Ricci has maintained he had nothing to do with the girl's abduction. The biggest question for investigators is the whereabouts of Ricci's white 1990 Jeep Cherokee between May 30 and June 8. During that time, Ricci allegedly put between 500 to 1,000 miles on the Jeep's odometer.
07/20/02	Police Doubt Ricci Was Spotted in Wyoming	Police have said Ricci, 48, is on the "top of the list" of potential suspects in the 14-year-old's June 5 disappearance. Police say they cannot verify his alibi for that night -- that he was home with his wife -- and they are not sure where he was between May 31 and June 8. Ricci maintains his innocence in the abduction.
07/24/02	Katie Couric Boylan Interview on NBC	Complements of Neenah. See post #74

[Jolly Green]

Ping

[stlnative]

Ping to July 27th

[Partisan Hack]

I Just Received another E-mail. Here it is for the group's consideration:

1--Ed Smart was asked some pointed questions which he avoided answers. He would not discuss sketch at all saying , the SLCP are handling it. However, he does talk about Ricci's involvement stating at first he [Ed SMart] didn't think Ricci was a suspect, now he is no.1(?)

2-- Ed not making eye contact during the interview. I found that very strange.

3 I noticed he was lookind down, not at the camera. I 'm sure he has been told this does not make him appear to be honest.

4--I watched Ed Smart on Fox this morning. I did not understand what he meant by, "The SLCP are handling it".......What are they handling???????? The sketch???? I saw a news clip that says the sketch looks like Richard Allan Davis......And, Ed seemed very upset about the car being taken from the shop and being returned muddy and 1.000 miles put on it......Does he know if that car had been used in the kidnapping there should be a hair, a fiber, blood, and fingerprints in the car for forensics??????? After all it was MUDDY......Appears no one cleaned it up!!! Does anyone know if Richard Allan Davis' fingerprints were found on the vehicle????

5-- I have wavered from day to day, sometimes hour to hour, on whether the Smart brothers were involved in this. My heart doesn't want them to be involved, but with each evolving day, I am thinking they are. My question is do you think the SLC police are thinking the same thing. From what I gathered from his interview, it may have been the police that had sister work with Jeannie Boylan and not the Smart family. He wouldnt say. And the ability of not being able to answer questions because it may compromise investigation and then he will tell the world that he thinks Ricci is the one? What is up with this family?

6-- This sketch thing is a miserable and misleading attempt by Ed Smart to keep this in the media. He is so weird he is probably jealous that Samantha's case took attention away from him and his 90 brothers and sisters. There is no sketch? What will he pull next and then say ..he didnt mean to mislead anyone..you know..someone needs to tell this freak to start talking before he DOESNT mean to mislead the concerned public again. What a con artist.

7--I cannot remember a stranger case than this one, it eclipses the Ramsey case in my view and will likely end the same way. Now nearly 2 months after the "abduction" they are attempting a sketch from a girl who "supposedly" did not see his face. Yet they have a man in custody who they strongly "suspect" is the suspect.

8-- The SLC police are letting the Smarts do anything they want at this point, and are slowly separating themselves from the Smarts. I think the police have known all along it was not Edmunds or Ricci, but they have nothing at all except strong circumstantial evidence against the family, and that is not enough, {at this time} to legally come out and accuse them, as I do! GUILTY!

9--This whole "Smart thing" is sounding more and more like a soap opera! At this point, nothing makes sense. I have thought about this sketch , Why now? why do one, if not to release to public so we can try to help? Sometimes it seems as if my intellegence is being insulted, I'm sorry, but I just don't get it!

10--THE WAY I SEE IT: The sketch has been done so the Smart's can say they cooperated with Mark Klaas and, hopefully, the negative publicity will cease.....The sketch is NOTHING......It means NOTHING!!!!!! It is another one of those erased emails, another one of those letters the police knew nothing about....etc....etc.....A sketch should have been done IMMEDIATELY and released to the public IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!!!! Don't be insulted......If you have been watching TV, you know that people who are a lot "smarter" than the Posters on this Board don't get it either!!!!!!

11--Well, WHY ARE THE SLC POLICE DISTANCING THEMSELVES FROM THE SKETCH? I WOULD HAVE MUCH RATHER SEEN THE SKETCH 7 WEEKS AGO WHEN NONE OF US EVER SAW RICCI. THIS WAY WHEN HE WAS ARRESTED WE WOULD KNOW HE WAS THE GUY BY THE SKETCH.NOW IT`S LIKE HE `S. THE GUY ... LETS MAKE A SKETCH.

12-YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT UNCLE TOM.HE DID NOT WANT A SKETCH IN THE FIRST PLACE LONG BEFORE WE EVER HEARD OF RICCI.

[The people have spoken]

I just learned something interesting: Uncle Tom Smart's house is for sale, as of today. Check out the listing at the Park City Multiple Listing Service. How do I know this is Tom's house? I also seached for the listing on the Coldwell Banker site, and there it lists the address as 4036 Moose Hollow Rd., which is Tom's address according to the Park City phone directory.

I leave it to Freepers to speculate on the relevance, if any, of this fact.

[Bella]

Has anyone noticed that the Smart home listing from ED's realtor site has been removed? It says--MLS # 270440: Not Found!

http://www.utahrealestate.com/270440

[The people have spoken]

You're right Bella, Ed's house is no longer listed. That means either it was sold (unlikely, having been the site of a recent kidnapping) or it was pulled from the market. The latter could have several explanations. Perhaps they were getting too many curiosity seekers who were not serious buyers.

[stlnative]

I would think they do not want to sell it until they know what has happened to Elizabeth. They will probably stay there until they know where she is. It makes no sense to sell it if your child may wander in someday on their own only to not to find you living there anymore.

[stlnative]

Maybe he trying to sell it to raise funds for the family?

[landerwy]

At this point, nothing makes sense.

My sentiments exactly. All I know for sure is that a girl is missing, someone is in jail for unrelated charges, and that there are many conflicting reports.

Who is this Richard Allen Davis? Is the the neighbor who recommended Ricci to work for the Smarts?

[landerwy]

Thanks for the ping! I appreciate your well thought out comments!

[TheDon]

I have to agree with you Hack, Ed and Tom are involved upto their necks in the abduction for cash, not ransom. They sold Elizabeth for money, that's why there is no ransom.

The only question now is what did they need the money for? Perhaps to payoff a blackmailer about their gay lifestyle?

I'm guessing our posts will be deleted soon. No open discussion on FR...

[Utah Girl]

If the Smart brothers were willing to sell Elizabeth for cash, why didn't they arrange to sell Ed Smart's four sons as well? After all, if they are involved in the gay community, they could get a lot more money for young boys, couldn't they? (Not that I believe this, it is a disgusting thought, but sorry, I could never get the connection that if the Smarts are gay men, they would sell a girl..)

[landerwy]

Good point.

Do you know who the neighbor is who referred Ricci to work for them?

[Utah Girl]

No.

[landerwy]

Thanks, I'm so confused about so much with this case. We know someone here who knows Elizabeth and the rest of the Smart family. The indication we have is that they are quite normal, busy people with artistic talents.

[Utah Girl]

There's someone here that knows the Smart family? Tisn't me. :)

[Soccer-Dad777]

Hello, I'm a recovering liberal and new poster here. As the father of three daughters, I'm very concerned about this case. Does it seem to any of you that there are copycat kidnappings spawned from the publicity of the Smart abduction? What's going on?

I don't believe that the Smart family is involved in any way whatsoever. I'm sure that any one of us would be picked apart in the same way, should we be so unfortunate to be thrust on the national media stage in so vulnerable a condition. How sad this whole thing is. What's wrong with our society, and how many times do we have to wake up to news of another innocent child dragged out of his or her home and subjected to God-knows-what torture?

[Utah Girl]

Welcome to FR! I don't know if these are copycat abductions and killings, or if with the new alerts systems, where the alarm goes out over the airwaves, and that means we hear about these abductions much faster. I've read statistics that say stranger abductions have gone down in the last few years, but my perception is that they haven't.

[seeker41]

Welcome to FR, the best place on the web. I'm not sure what to think of this rash of abductions. All I know is that our society is sick and the laws must be rewritten concerning these perverts.