Bizarre Tom Smart Statement On Larry King Show

Larry King Show ^ | June 12, 2002

[PJ-Comix]

GRACE: Well Tom, I would have to agree with you. If police are searching the area with helicopters looking for this guy, that leads me to think that he's got some very important information that they want.

Tom Smart, message to the kidnapper tonight, what do you have to say?

[GovernmentShrinker]

Don't ever try to make a living as a detective, okay?

[conservativejunkie]

Sounds like no one here knows anything about the Mormon's. Like for instance-If they are good some day they will be gods of thier own planet;or that Jesus made a trip to North America. They do not believe that Jesus was a jew. Many people are under the assumption that it is a Christain religon but in fact it is not.They do not believe that Jesus is a diety . Which makes it non Christain just like J>W's.

[GovernmentShrinker]

That sounded to me like more scripting from the profilers. Make it sound as if you understand him: we've got issues, you've got issues, everybody has issues, no big deal, we know that deep down you're really a wonderful person who cares for Elizabeth. Come on out and we'll work out all our issues together. That's my take on it. That, and the guy hasn't had much sleep for the past week and a half.

[Iwo Jima]

Well, is that a correct transcript of what he said or not? Those words are just bizarre. And what point is being served? He's a spokesman????? He needs to stop speaking, and immediately, for the sake of Elizabeth and the family, as well as himself.

I started out with all of the sympathy in the world for this family, but every time I see one of them or hear about them, I think that they are really weird.

This is not the ideal family which I had orignally understood them to be. I still have sympathy for them, but it has become clear to me that, in some ways the exact nature of which have yet to become known, they have caused or contributed to the problem of Elizabeth's disappearance.

[Common Tator]

My Dad was an accomplished criminal investigator. He was very successful. Many other departments from other cities called him in on hard to solve cases.

In many respects lots of people here remind me of the people who fell for the misdirecton in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Conventional wisdom is often wrong in premedidtated cases. The person who did it always tries to make conventional wisdom point at someone else.

A murderer in a very premeditated crime has it all planned out. They spend weeks planning and rehearsing. The giveway is not confusion and statements that make them look guilty. That is what innocent people do. Innocent people didn't know they would need a cover story. They almost never have a good one. The guilty usually have several of the bases covered. Often they have all the important bases covered. There are fewer holes in their stories than in the innocent peoples stories. If their situation all makes perfect sense from the get go and is more complex than obvious truth, then watch out and dig deep.

The guy that goes... Well I left home.... I don't know what time it was.. Uh it was dark. I know htat. I don't remember for sure what time it was. I stopped and got gas... for my car. What did that girl that took the money look like: I put in 20 bucks and gave her a twenty... I don't think she even looked at me. It was that red station at main an 4th... She might remember me... but maybe not.. And I got there .. I dont know what time. it was later. but she was gone.

Forget him he most likly did nothing.

Now the guy that says I looked at my watch when I left home it was 6 minutes after 8. I remember such and such as song was playing on the radio station WXXX when I left home. I got gas and paid for it inside with with this credit card. Here is the receipt stamped 8:17pm. The gal a the station should remember, I am a regular customer. I asked here if she was going to the Rock concert and I offered to sell her an extra ticket...

Look at that guy close. There is way too much detail. He remembers too much and is way too clear and has way too much proof. MY examples are greatly exagerated to make my points. But the points is valid.

The other things that Dad often did, was misdirect the guilty party. He would have family members mislead the press to mislead the abductors. If he felt there was a good chance X did it. And he felt that X had tried to make it look like Y did it, he would often let family lead the X to think the cops were buying the fact that Y was a big suspect. He would do it even though he was 90 percent sure that Y did not do it. There are lots of ways to get information, but Just the FACTS MAM only workes for Joe Friday on TV.

The truth is unless you are on the inside one can rarely make a good decision on what is taking place from what the media reports. Until they catch the abductor anything they tell the media they have also told the abductor. The cops and family often mislead.

The object is to recover the girl safely, and catch the person who abducted her. Good cops and good family will say what ever it takes to help try to achieve that goal.. Informing the public of truth is not part of that calculus wntil it is all over.

[Vinomori]

like no one here knows anything about the Mormon's. Like for instance-If they are good some day they will be gods of thier own planet

I had no interest in joining until now. Can someone confirm this to be true? I would be very interested in this.

[Utah Girl]

And now that the family, and especially Tom Smart took a break from talking to the media today, all I"ve heard is "What're they trying to hide???" (Dave Smart was at the police press conference this morning.) Damned if they do, and damned if they don't.

[rwfromkansas]

It is some very big news.....

[GovernmentShrinker]

Thanks, I'm learning a lot here too, and trying to do my part to add to the process. The poor Mormons who are on these threads are pretty burned out from all the misunderstanding about Mormons and polygamy that they have to deal with here and elsewhere, so I'm trying to pitch in and share what I know about Mormons to spare them the trouble.

[poet]

"SMART: I believe that this person is not a bad person at all. And our family has felt strongly for a while. And there's been a comfort here for a while. This is just somebody who actually likes Elizabeth."

Hmm, perhaps he's saying they (the family) knows who has her.

[bonfire]

Thank you, CT. I just can't understand why folks on FR, of ALL places, can't look past what they see and hear on TV.

[duvausa]

I guess you missed the link that showed this was a true incident.

If you inferred that I was criticizing others for referring to films, you got me wrong. As I said, I just thought it interesting. I think we all tend to do that a lot.

[bonfire]

LOL, Vinomori!!! Now THAT was funny!

[homeschool mama]

They're Mormons so they're strange?!

[gusopol3]

sounds like the Van Dam girl murderer, whose desert drive and timing of cell phone calls as they bounced off relay towers was mapped out by a Verizon specialist today, confirming the timing of his alibi, according to the Fox News report. BTW, I learned more from your post in a few seconds than I have from all the assembled "experts" on the various cable regurg tonight. Thanks. (can you direct me to a thread where you've exposited your dad's take on the Chandra case?)

[dalebert]

Or the perp went in one way and left by another.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Sorry, I just don't buy that career police detectives and FBI agents who have been assigned to find a kidnapped girl won't ask for the only witness to work with a sketch artist because this uncle said he didn't want it done. If he's in their way, they'll just cart him off for a few more polygraphs and get the sketch done while he's off the scene. Or threaten the family with having all their kids taken into state custody if they refuse to let the girl cooperate with investigators. Trust me, if they wanted a sketch, they'd already have one.

As for the rest of your questions, very plausible explanations for all of them have been offered on this thread and some earlier threads on this case. Read and ye shall understand.

[NormsRevenge]

My apologies re: David Smart and my comments about the press conference this morning.. But He did seem to almost leap in front of the Police Chief with his input acouple of times. The Police Chief was taking it all quite well, I must say. I just hope and pray we can get another lost child home alive .

[homeschool mama]

**I don't know if you heard the news conference this morning, but the brother (David Smart) was asked if the family had hired a lawyer. His answer? "No, why should we?" I almost stood up and cheered. **

I didn't hear about this! Thanks!

[Utah Girl]

Good commentary. I have an Internet friend who is a police chief, and he investigated child abuse cases for years. He said a lot of the same stuff you did, and the fact that the SL police are handling this case extremely well, not blabbing to the press. From his past experience, he didn't hold out much hope for a good resolution, but is praying for her release.

I think being a person who had to investigate stuff like this would be one of the hardest jobs in the world.