Smart Family Fields Book, Movie Offers (Isn't that Special!)

Yahoo News ^ | 3/17/03

[Sandylapper]

Elizabeth's aunt remember seeing Mitchel near a Kinko's begging for money, and this sighting occurred not long after Elizabeth's disappearance.

Would that perhaps indicate that Liz and Wanda were still at the campsite in the hills behind Liz's house? Liz is a runner and no doubt could have outrun Wanda; wonder why she didn't make a break for it and run home? Did Wanda have Mitchell's knife at Liz's throat? Of course, they could have been somewhere else, but I thought they hid for a couple of months at the campsite.

[trussell]

I read somewhere that the sketch was done by the parents from what he looked like when he worked on the roof. I believe the story said he was clean shaven when he did the work at the house.

I am not very good at doing searches, if someone else remembers the article, please post a link for me.

Thank you
trussell

[Barset]

elizabethsmart.com. All photos copyrighted by Tom Smart. David Smart, another uncle of Elizabeth Smart, told reporters he is designing software to aid parents in publicizing missing children.

Barset's niece

[Barset]

Chris Thomas, the family spokesman, has been speaking for the family since early June, 2002. In a June 11 2002 article in Salt Lake Tribune, he is referred to as family spokesman.

From fans4dantley.org, of which Chris Smart is president:

Chris is a partner with a SLC-based public relations and marketing firm. He is responsible for the creative and strategic direction of the agency's clients. In his tenure with the PR agency he has executed successful campaigns for companies such as Independent Witness, Inc., Marker Clothing,...The Polynesian Cultural Center and Hale Centre Theater.

Chris has extensive crisis communication experience, including, most recently, directing public relations for The Elizabeth Smart Family (sic). In this capacity he serves as spokesperson and has completed more than 100 live and taped interviews for porograms ranging from the Today Show and Good Morning America, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, Court TV and Geraldo Rivera. (end direct quote)

[new cruelty]

um, ok.
?

[Barset]

save

[dixie sass]

How cruel we are to even want to see others suffering. How cruel we are to want to make money off of that suffering, especially when it it our own family member.

[Barset]

save

[Barset]

save

[Barset]

save

[Barset]

save

[Sandylapper]

Hummmmnnn. Okay.

[Barset]

I'm new at this and trying to post replies to only those who have indicated an interest. Someone else mailed me to see what I was doing putting "save" on her comments. My aunt told me to do that to keep track of posts that I can use. I apologize if you found this impertinent.

Barset's niece

[new cruelty]

no problem... I was just wondering what if the comment was referring to something I posted. Thanks for the note.

[Barset]

Yes, why wouldn't the Smarts just take the huge settlement they will get when they sue the National Enquirer for printing a story that claims Ricci and Ed Smart had a very odd relationship involving the trading of child pornography? The Enquirer story claims that when the police found child porn on Ed Smart's computer, Ed Smart collapsed from exhaustion and had to be hospitalized, and though possession of child pornography is a federal offence, the police decided not to charge him out of sympathy.

This particular issue of the Enquirer was essentially banned in Utah as, the distributor explained, to allow readers to see it, would be insensitive to the Smarts.

Mitchell and Barzee may not go to trial so no testimony about the unspeakable horrors inficted on this poor, innocent child will be necessary.

In a criminal libel suit a victim of the calibre of Ed Smart will win in a walk with no reference to his daughter since he alone was allegedly libelled. Perhaps Mrs. Ricci is considering filing a libel suit against the Enquirer also. But since her late husband's reputation was not as sterling as Ed Smart's, her settlement would be considerably less, leaving the Smarts with enough money to turn down offers that would exploit the extraordinary circumstances of Elizabeth Smart's disappearance and sudden, blooming re-appearance as reported in more main-stream venues like The Deseret News and the Connie Chung Show.

[Barset]

Are they really as wealthy as it is said they are?

In 1996, at the height of boom times, Ed Smart buys a house. His business is buying, fixing up and selling houses, among other things. "A real entrepreneur," one of his admirers describes him.

Was the house unfinished or in major disrepair? How much did he pay for the house? How much is the mortgage? Are their any liens on the house from building supply creditors? There are probably no mechanics' liens on the house since his workforce was composed of men who would not willingly visit a courthouse where the registry of deeds office is usually located.

Over the years he brought in 50 (Salt Lake Tribune) to 100 (Boston Globe) men of questionable character, and, perhaps skill, to work on the house.

Did he keep records of their pay? Will he include their labor costs to reduce the capital gains he must pay on the sale of this house? It would be an interesting exercise for junior IRS accountants to try to subtract the value of say, an old jeep, five dollars for five hours work on a roof, or a hot meal, from whatever profit is made on the house.

The house had been for sale when Elizabeth Smart vanished from it. How long had it been for sale? At $1 million to $1.19 million, reportedly, it should not be difficult to sell according to economists' who claim that high end merchandise is not affected by downturns in the economy. It is to laugh.

And there is a downturn. Even in Utah things are not rosy. Even the LDS Church, Utah's largest individual employer, 33,355 people on its payroll, more than the 22,500 on the State of Utah's government payroll, was eliminating positions "from the mailroom to investment personnel who watch over the $6 billion annual income to the church (mostly from tithing.)"

In addition, more than 22,000 individuals and businesses filed for bankruptcy the majority seeking debt relief under Chapter 7, for individuals. More bankruptcies were filed in Utah in 2002 than in any other state, and state economists predict there will be an increase in 2003.

This is not good news for real estate entrepreneurs and mortgage brokers.

The Smarts have not, to my knowledge, claimed to be rich, but have been invested with the imaginary panoply of wealth by reporters who are rarely from that class which inspires in them, envy, resentment, and absolute servility as can be observed in their slavish attention to the personal attractiveness of the people they cover, and their almost imbecilic inattention to gaping holes and small details screaming to be noticed, in the narrations their subjects deliver.

Of course, the Smarts will be rich beyond the dreams of avarice, as they say, when Ed Smart sues the National Enquirer for criminal libel for printing that story about him and Richard Ricci.

The Enquirer story stated that Ed Smart and Richard Ricci had a very odd relationship that involved the trading of child porn. The story also claims that when the police found child porn on Ed Smart's computer he collapsed from exhaustion and was hospitalized, so the police did not charge him for what is a federal offense out of sympathy.

This issue of the Enquirer was not sold in Utah. The distributor claimed that the Enquirer story was insensitive to the Smart family.

Ed Smart should not have to exploit his daughter by selling her to movies and book publishers. His lawsuit against the Enquirer would concern only his reputation so Elizabeth would be safe from prying eyes.

I've spent about ten days at Barset and Mrs. Barset's house trying to shake pneumonia. I was supposed to go home today but there was a mix-up and I have to wait until tomorrow.

This case went right by me. When I first heard that the Smart girl was found I thought Pam Smart had broken out of prison and been re-captured. My aunt suggested I go on Free Republic as they keep current. I'm not sure she would be too pleased with the emotional tone in some of the comments.

Please excuse the length of this comment. Your comment set me off. I checked your profile and like your "courage of one" stand. It's mine, too.

Barset's niece

[Barset]

"My 15 year old daughter...brought this up [book and film offers] yesterday, "What if the family planned the whole thing in order to make a book and movie about it."

I am surprised that you and your daughter were not thoroughly trashed on this thread by the Smart fantatists explaining to you that perhaps your daughter was not raised in , to paraphrase one poster, the soft ways and soft living of the priveleged. Lucky girl.

If nothing else, this case has demonstrated what has been called America's native derangement about caste and class.

I wonder how many people would respond to your daughter's statement with, "Thou sayest it."

Barset's niece