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?

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Good points, all.

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.

This explains your insightful posts. You have inhereted the genes. Good analysis, as usual!

[bonfire]

Why would they have to muzzle the uncle? So that people like us would "like" him more? I am sure the family at this point, doesn't give a darn what anyone thinks....they just want their daughter back. What harm has the Uncle done to this case? I ask that with all sincerity?

It's obvious the family and/or police did not want Klass involved. What does that have to do with the Uncle? I would also presume that the Uncle is being briefed by police as what to say and NOT to say. This ALL started because Klass spouted off about the Uncle not letting him near the family. Now the media has latched onto that, for lack of any other info. Klass had no business, IMO, to diss any member of that family. His little feelings were hurt.

Ranting here, but sheesh, people!

[JudyB1938]

I always love it when you post. To me, you are the "grain of wisdom".

[bonfire]

Ditto's here. Every morning it's the first thing I think of upon waking. Maybe tomorrow....

[cherry]

"misleading"

well, certainly agree with you there....trouble is, we have been mislead and back again ...lol

I do not automatically take what the cops are saying is the truth...remember,,,they do not have to be truthful upfront ....they can misdirect all they want...leak anything they want to obtain an objective

I furthermore do not believe that the media is any more trustworthy....they are selling a pitch.

Knowing that, it seems pretty bold for the Salt Lake Trib. to go with the story that they have....they exist in a very Mormon area, I am sure most of their people are Mormon, and they risk everything from public disdain to lawsuit..

I find them pretty credible....

[Eva]

It has nothing to do with the uncle's relationship with Klass. It has to do with the uncle's inability to speak coherently with the press. The man is making the whole family look like a bunch of lunatics.

[Robert Lomax]

The most intelligent post I've seen here in a while. People should think about what you just said and apply it to the "War on Terrorism."

[cherry]

The idea that "fifteen minutes of fame" should be allotted to the parent of a murdered child is offensive to me. Adam Walsh and Polly Klaas are not the equivalent of Kato Kaelin and Darva Conger. The latter are to be forgotten; the former should be remembered.

wow...very nicely said..

I lost a little respect for Marc when he so stongly supported the swinging and doping van dam parents..

..but, you know,,he is not a shrinking violet and he is not afraid to get in your face if he thinks something is not right

[bonfire]

I would venture to bet that if Klass hadn't been on every station dissaproving of the Uncle, most people would have felt sorry for him and felt he was simply distressed beyond belief that his niece had dissapeared.

[L.N. Smithee]

I lost a little respect for Marc when he so stongly supported the swinging and doping van dam parents..

I am unfamiliar with Klaas' dealings with the Van Dams. What happened?

[Eva]

I thought the uncle was strange before Klass ever got to the scene. The uncle was weird in the first interview. I told my husband right then that there was something strange about the story. Part of what makes the guy seem so strange is that he isn't acting stressed out. He's always got that brain dead smile on his face. He just isn't effective and he sure isn't motivating. He makes it appear as though the family would rather just handle the situation by themselves.

[ET(end tyranny)]

After having read the entire transcript a couple of things come to mind.

The police didn't need the sketch from the 9 year old. They already have a sketch and or pic.

With this Edmunds guy ditching the plate and leaving the area it looks more and more like he has something to hide. Perhaps he was a former worker on/in the house, which would explain knowing which room to go to. Entering and exiting without alerting anyone. Since the milkman gave the plate number and a pic was obtained no need for the sketch. So, for the family denying any recognition of Edmunds; if he worked in/at the house the parent's would recognize and know him. Perhaps they are trying to give Edmunds a false sense of security. Doesn't seem to be working though as Edmunds is getting further away.

The uncle Tom. Might be he is used as spokesperson because he available. Today they had David, maybe he was available. Anyone but the parents because it might be too easy for them to slip up that they know this guy because he worked near them on/in the house? Uncle Tom may be inadvertantly repeating certain things the parents had commented on about Edmunds. Like this person actually likes Elizabeth. Or the 'there are issues'...former worker issue?

I think the big 'inside job by a relative' story was to make the perp think that he was not the main suspect. Unfortunately their constant posting of Edmunds pick and 'want to talk to him about anything he may have seen', keeps Edmunds on the screen and keeps him alerted to his being very much tied in with the Smart case so he keeps running. It's too bad there isn't a good way of alerting people to his existence without him having to know about it.

At this point he sure looks like the guilty party.

[GovernmentShrinker]

I suspect they DID tell Marc Klaas why they didn't want a sketch done, and that he disagreed, didn't back off, and continued trying to get the family to have his preferred artist meet with the girl to do one. That's what the evidence we have suggests, at any rate. Mr. Klaas has seemed very eager to take charge and tell people what to do. But ultimately, the real investigators are in charge, even if Mr. Klaas keeps babbling along in his own direction.

[oldvike]

LMAO! I gather I'm not the first person to notice that strange optical illusion with your screen name????

[GovernmentShrinker]

"Hostage"? I hadn't heard that before.

[CARepubGal]

No. I will change it as soon as JimRob gives the Ok. I was sort of in shock after 9/11 and didn't quite catch the optical problem :-) Live & learn (and get a few laughs along the way!)

[L.N. Smithee]

I would venture to bet that if Klass hadn't been on every station dissaproving of the Uncle, most people would have felt sorry for him and felt he was simply distressed beyond belief that his niece had dissapeared.

Put yourself, for a moment, in Klaas' situation: Knowing the horror and panic that happens when your daughter is abducted by a stranger, you go to Utah to coordinate the services of a sketch artist whose work resulted in the arrest and conviction of your daughter's kidnapper, rapist, and killer, Richard Allen Davis.

And the family says, "No."

What would YOU think?

[whenigettime]

Maybe you could be a moderator for the threads on this Utah issue? I have greatly appreciated your gracious, insightful input. Thanks, from a Utahn.

[ET(end tyranny)]

"Hostage"? I hadn't heard that before.

It was mentioned in one of the earlier articles.

Hopefully that will be the intent and she will be unharmed. If it is Edmunds, maybe he is just trying to get far enough away, to feel 'safe', then find some sort of living space, and will then ask for the ransom. But, just how he figures to get away with it all is beyond me. As this case plays out Edmunds just seems more and more like the culprit. jmo

[bonfire]

I would think that the police probably told them to say no. I would also think the police would already have considered a sketch artist, but for reasons unbeknownst to us, nixed it. I don't think the family is in charge of this investigation.