Utah Man Sought in Missing Girl Case

Associated Press ^ | June 12, 2002 | RICH VOSEPKA

[beckett]

Utah Man Sought in Missing Girl Case

By RICH VOSEPKA
Associated Press Writer SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — More than a week after 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart disappeared, police said Wednesday that they want to talk to a man they think may have information about the girl.

They are searching for Bret Michael Edmunds, 26. He is probably living in a 1997 green Saturn with Utah license plate number 266XJH, police said.

Elizabeth was reported taken at gunpoint from her million-dollar home last Wednesday between 1 a.m. to 2 a.m They were not calling Edmunds a suspect, but said they do want to talk to him. They had identified him through a partial license plate number provided by a milkman who had seen a vehicle in the area arround the time of the girl's disappearance.

Authorities said Edmunds is also wanted on two warrants — for fraud and assault on a police officer, Sgt. Fred Louis said. Police said he may have been in the area.

Tuesday, Police Chief Rick Dinse said the investigation was looking at those who had access to the neighborhood or the house, although not necessarily a family member. He said they have received some promising leads in the case.

Officials from the Utah Department of Corrections have given police a list of dozens of names of known sex offenders on probation or parole, but nearly all of them have been cleared, said Jack Ford, an agency spokesman.

[Utopia]

Now, if you and I were the parents of this girl, would you not want a sketch out as soon as possible???

You betcha. Also If I were the parent, living in that neighborhood, I'd make sure the burglar alarm was on all the time.

[shuckmaster]

I've been following this on FOX this afternoon. It's obvious that the police have completely botched the case (ala Levy), don't have a clue, and are using the spotlight on them as an opportunity to get free publicity on some outstanding warrants not related to the missing girl. Better hope you don't have any unpaid parking tickets around there...

[lady lawyer]

Where do you work, glock?

[freedox]

Well, don't just leave us hangin', mik........why a carpet layer?

[Utah Girl]

Tinfoil alert.

[Protagoras]

Uh, does anyone own a million-dollar home with no security system whatsoever?

A million dollar home isn't as rare as it once was. Living in New York you should recognise this. :-)

[GovernmentShrinker]

I've always wondered what one of those paunchy middle-aged doormen in a pretentious costume would really do if some armed intruder went running past him into the building. As long as the perp's plan involves getting in and out fast, I don't see the doorman as very useful -- a smart perp would just cover his face and do his thing during rush hour when the police can't get there quickly.

I live in NYC Monday-Friday, happily and safely ensconced in a no-doorman walk-up in East Harlem. Anyone caught propping the double set of locked doors would simply be thrown out of the building by the super, whose wife, two grown daughters and toddler grandson also live in the building, so there's none of that (the super doesn't give a rat's a** about the stupid housing laws, and can scare somebody into wanting to move out if he decides to). We can buzz guests in through the first door from our apartments to get them safely off the street, but must go down and personally open the second door to let them into the building. Only risk is someone coming over the roof from an adjoining buiding and down the fire escape into a window (which they'd have to break, since I keep the fire escape window locked). But my contraband personal protection device should plink any such intruder off the fire escape, which is made of noisy metal, so no way I wouldn't wake up if someone was tromping their way towards my apartment on it.

[Carolina]

What was the license number that the milkman gave? Anyone remember?

It was 266 RLM, IIRC.

[NativeNewYorker]

When I'm over flyover country, I see what looks like A LOT of empty land, which I assume puts a lid on how much any one unit can cost. :)

Seriously, NYC is a maximally developed, super-heated island anomaly, bearing little resemblance to places like SLC.

[IrishRainy]

Just for the record, Elizabeth is a very pretty girl, much like Polly Klaas was, and as such she may have been a bit precocious regarding the opposite sex. I read initially that police were checking her computer for clues, etc. One theory that comes to mind is she may have been conversing with someone on-line, maybe pretending to be older...she sent her picture to him, he was interested in meeting up with her and somehow found her, either with or without her help, etc. I haven't heard this theory on this board before and just thought I'd put it out there. P.S. I'm the nother of three teens, two of them girls, so I know a little bit about how a teenaged girl's mind works!

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Oh boy.. did I flub on that one or what?? Of course I know Gotham city (now that you point it out!!).. sheesh.

By admitting I'm old enough to have read them, you must also realize I'm old enough to have a few senile moments :o)

Actually, I was hoping NativeNewYorker meant he/she was really rich, and then I was going to hit them up for a loan so I could pay off our debts in four years and retire!! Looks like thats out of the question now, DRAT!!

:o)

[NativeNewYorker]

In addition to barreling past burly doormen (ours are large and fit for the most part), and being caught on videotape both on interior and exterior cameras, the perps would have to find a way to scale locked stairways, or operate elevators governed by deadman key switches that are hidden and unlabeled.

Then, of course, they'd have to get into locked apartments that are usually occupied around the clock by either their owners or their cleaning ladies.

And many folks DO have dogs...

Then, the perps would have to exit via the same gauntlet.

It's not an impossible chore, to be sure, but there are so many other easier targets......

[NativeNewYorker]

After all my rants about the cost of living here, *I'm* the one looking for a loan!

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

"After all my rants about the cost of living here, *I'm* the one looking for a loan!"

Wish I could help friend.. I truly do. If I ever win the Lotto,..I'll spot ya some moolah, K?

[Palladin]

The milkman gave the # as 266RDA--but he was looking at the car in the dark. He thought it was a Nissan. Investigators found on DMV records a #266-XJH. Green 1997 Saturn. The guy lives in the car. A nasty looking sucker and a big loser.

As for the little kid being off in her description--what do you expect from a terrified child awakened from a deep sleep by a gun-weilding maniac? Anyway, little kids aren't good at estimating things like height and weight (unless they're budding mathemeticians or engineers). Go ahead--ask your 8 or 9 yr old what he thinks your ht-wt are. You will laugh when you see how far off the mark he is.

[Anamensis]

Milkman?....don't milkmen usually wear light colored clothing...

And they drive large vans or trucks, and they have access to large, locked freezers. Thanks. Now I'm really depressed over this case.

[Catspaw]

For some reason, this guy wanted by the SLC police reminds me of the guy who stalked and killed Rebecca Schaffer a few years back.

[NativeNewYorker]

You know where to find me. :)

[Liberty Ship]

I heard the father interviewed on this and here is how it sounded. He said that they had 5 kids or whatever and that they could not have it on because of the motion detectors. Sounds as if it was not programmed for "stay" mode, that is that if it is armed and activated without anyone leaving, the internal motion detectors should be deactivated. He also said that it turned out that a couple of the, I think, door alarms were found to be not working, but not an issue if it is not armed!

[Anamensis]

Go ahead--ask your 8 or 9 yr old what he thinks your ht-wt are. You will laugh when you see how far off the mark he is.

And if you really want to get your feelings hurt, ask a kid how old you look. But don't do it if you're the sensitive type.