Utah Man Sought in Missing Girl Case

Associated Press ^ | June 12, 2002 | RICH VOSEPKA

[JavaTheHutt]

Stranger things have happened. Just a couple of weeks ago on America's Most Wanted, they did a story about a home invasion by two guys. The homeowner was getting beat to a pulp while his wife was calling 911. One of the perps ran out the back door when the cops arrived. The other, after threatening the couple, pretended to be a friend of the family, and actually rode in the ambulance with them to the hospital, gave a statement to the cops, and stayed around playing concerned friend for several hours.

Even with a half dozen or more police standing around, the couple didn't have the nerve to tell the police this guy was one of the perps until a day or two later.

If someone is scared enough, they'll do whatever they're told to do. It's only when the fear subsides that common sense is allowed back in the house.

[r9etb]

I checked the previous posts and the milkman reported a suspicious-looking car, not pickup.

And light green might well look grey under streetlights.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Wow! Suddenly little Mary Katherine sounds quite grown-up, sensible, and competent (by comparison). It only took her a couple of hours to get up the nerve to tell, and she was all alone in the dark. I really hope someone shares this story with her when the time is right. No matter how this turns out, she'll need all the help she can get to avoid suffering from lifelong feelings of guilt.

[glock rocks]

And light green might well look grey under streetlights.

they’re looking for a dark green saturn.

[crystalk]

Has everyone but me missed the obvious?

This suspect is no little twerp like was described by the child.

This is a big beefy football player type, where even on the drivers license it says he is 6 foot 2 and 235 pounds.

This guy could never have come in that little window they said was pried on. The family was said to have admitted that there were windows and even doors in basements and lower floors unlocked...

He also looks too big and also too intelligent to sleep in a Saturn. At least he could get an old Caddy.

[r9etb]

Scratch the "light" green. Green still looks grey under street lights, though.

[crystalk]

Any grown man under 220 would be too little.

[crystalk]

Source says milkman's original report had a strong, med to dk green color reported on it.

Police may have spun it away deliberately because that color is/was not common in cars of that age, or for any reason.

[JavaTheHutt]

Yeah, she really does. The perp on Americas Most Wanted even left his gun behind in their house (hidden under the mattress of the baby crib) when they walked out of the house together. They knew the perp was unarmed at that point, but were too scared to say anything, even when completely surrounded by cops.

I was amazed. It was one of those moments when I find myself yelling at the tv.

I've never been in that same situation myself (or anything even remotely similiar), but I would hope that my reaction would be different.

[crystalk]

"If Elizabeth is a Smart girl..."

Now that wouldn't be a Pun, would it?

Seriously, the Smart name in SLC is well enough known that she might be described as "a Smart girl" even if she were a D student! Ha.

Founding Families, doncha know.

[mikhailovich]

I work for the government here in the United States now. If I were there I'd be interviewing the carpet crew, just from past experiences. Just a hunch, could be wrong.

[lsee]

I'm with you. This story seems awfully strange. First thing that went through my mind was: parents just took out some life insurance on the girl, and now want to cash in... I hope I'm wrong, but the dad gives me the creeps.

I admit I have wondered why the home was for sale in the first place and what kind of financial details might come to light as we go along.

[Sword_Svalbardt]

Okay, here I go again. The house was under construction/renovation. The alarm system did not function. The problem other than the missing girl is that the police regime is still under the throws of Ruben Ortega (a democratic appointee who was nothing but ineffectual).

The police force, and the sherriffs department waited 26 hours after the incident prior to doing anything, which also included following up false leads, under crisis management.

Now they are looking for a transient, who is wanted for questioning, and not a suspect. He drives a green sedan with Utah plates.

Why were not all leads dealt with on a parallel time level. Meaning why did they prioritize, and not delegate the authority they have. Okay?

[Utah Girl]

The father is an entrepreneur, owns his own realty company. He buys homes, the family moves in, they fix up the home, sell it, and move to the next one. I have a brother who works for a house building company, he does the same thing. He is building a home right now, and has a lot picked out for the next one.

[Inkie]

I know a little bit about how a teenaged girl's mind works!

I thought I was the only one thinking that this pretty young girl might have a secret life. Look at that video of her and her brother (?) on the beach. Look at the body language, at the look on her face. She looks not quite comfortable, not very relaxed at all. There was something going on with her. This is NOT saying that being abducted was her fault. But she definitely had more going on emotionally than a little girl interested in her dolls.

And re: the uncle. Wouldn't the sister have recognized him?

[crystalk]

I just think all this speculation about money is cruel and heartless.

This family is in very sound financial condition, is not overextended, and furthermore, life insurance in such a case would not pay anything beyond return of premiums paid, if her death came within two years of its taking out, and even later WOULD NOT PAY ANYONE WHO COULD BE SHOWN TO HAVE CAUSED THE DEATH.[but the $$ would still have to go to someone, probably the other children, in that case.]

Personally I would be quite surprised if the children have ANY life insurance on them, unless it were automatically provided in just $5 or $10 M amounts to cover funerals, in some family group policy.

[blam]

"Yep. My fantasy home in the country features impenetrable hedges/fencing, some fine shooting irons, and a German shepherd named Adolf."

LOL, check my profile.

[GovernmentShrinker]

I would think that financial problems would be one of the first things that investigators (and the media) could get to the bottom of. Since there hasn't been any hint of this from anyone involved in the investigation, or from any media source, I agree that it's highly unlikely that any financial problems are involved. There's nothing the least bit odd about a family which fixes up houses for a profit while living in them, and then moves on to the next one. Judging by the house in question they've been quite successful at it, and I haven't heard of any plummeting real estate values in Salt Lake City, so it's not likely that they've gotten stuck with a house they can't handle the payments on.

[beckett]

I am STILL confused about something. Utah officials keep saying that it was dark in the room where this child was snatched. If it was dark, how did the other child know the color of the gun and other things?

I have no idea to be honest. I just happened to see this item when it broke and so popped it up on FR. I am not fully versed in all the details of the case.

But somebody else around here surely has an opinion to offer on the question. Of that you can be certain! :-)

[lsee]

I just think all this speculation about money is cruel and heartless.

Oh, you crack me up...

crystalk post: "I am afraid she died last night just before 2am Eastern time, which is midnight in Utah."

And you think speculation about money, a very common motive for murder, is somehow MORE "cruel and heartless" than your assertion that the girl is DEAD?