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?

[rebapiper]

It's quite possible this police chief has something to hide. This case could open a can of worms as to what is going on in Utah. Why were they selling the house? It was time to give up their daughter to the clan but because of her talent they decided to get her away. I also think the sister knows more than she is telling or the police are covering up. When you go from light to dark it takes time for your eyes to focus but being in the dark already the young girl should have been able to see the man. She saw a gun, she knew what he was wearing but she couldn't see the face. Washington DC couldn't find Chandra Levy's body and after a second search they still couldn't find all the remains. It took the Levy family to hire their own detectives in order to find more of the body parts. I think Elizabeths parents should start thinking about hiring their own private investigaters even if it means putting the head of their clan under investigation. This father needs to sit down and sort out just who and what is more important, the clan, his brother the head of the clan or his daughter.

[SarahW]

The police didn't think the sketch would be useful. That's a good reason for telling Mark Klaas to quit trying to run the investigation, and to quit pressuring the family to do things the police don't advise. I'm sure Klaas' heart is in the right place, but he often judges a situation based on what HE thinks is best.

[dalebert]

I think the little sister said that when the perp was asked why he was doing this his reply was"maybe I need a hostage". It could be that he has an ax to grind with the dad or his brothers.

[freedox]

Hmmmm.....that's the first thing I've seen about Edmunds that really raises my suspicions. Interesting.

[MozarkDawg]

Do you think there's a collective 'need' to have a national mystery? That this began with O.J. - the classic whodunnit, the Bronco chase, etc. - then to Jon Benet - then to Chandra - now Elizabeth Smart. In other words, are we playing real life Clue?

Every time I heard a Condit-excuse-maker ask why the media (and we, the public) could not put the Where's Chandra story down last year, just what was so special about another missing person, I would say back to my TV, "Because a sitting Congressman has dithered and ducked about the whole thing, dope." The OJ story was made for day-and-night newschat, extremely famous celebrity involved, that Bronco chase footage, the trial broadcast, etc. No real surprise to those two stories, IMHO.

But the same cannot be said for Smart, Van Dam, not even the Ramsey case ... why the round-the-clock news, updates, lead headlines, experts detailing experiences, etc., etc., etc., for these particular *mysteries* and not any number of the other thousands of similar *mysteries* that continue to occur in this nation?? I understand the why of coverage, these channels want the viewers/ratings, need to fill air time. But the why I don't know is THESE happenings getting all the coverage. Just what happened that the press got hold and made them national??

[DJ88]

"Do you remember ever hearing of an eyewitnessed case of abduction at gunpoint that DIDN'T result in a sketch or photo being shown all over the place? I don't."First of all, the family agreed to this "sketch" sometime last week or else the woman wouldn't have flown all the way out there. Secondly, when the the "Uncle" found out about it, he nixed it. As much as people here like to put down Mark Klaas and John Walsh, they are only trying to help. The uncle was the one who had the problem with Klaas from the beginning, and the only way the family was able to meet with him was when another family member intervened.

The uncle that was on TV yesterday was not a Smart brother. He was the mother's brother, David Francom. He has been on TV with Mark Klaas, so I am assuming that he had something to do with the meeting set up between the Smart family and Mr. Klaas. He also said, "Tom has been through an awful lot lately and we hope to see him here again in the future". ???

Now...as far as this bashing of Mormons go, it's a bunch of bull. Is it possible that a family member had something to do with this? YES. Is it because they are Mormons? NO. There are many families out there who have problems. Utah Girl has explained several times that in this religion, the oldest in the family IS the family spokesperson. End of story.

The last thing I've heard on the news about the sketch is that the police say it was too dark for her to make out a sketch. They were also talking about putting her in a room and having different family members come in and talk to see if she could recognize the voice. If it was one of the family members, no doubt she would recognize it. The last I heard, Mary Katherine isn't even staying at the home, she is with relatives for the time being.

As for Tom Smart's statements on LKL, I also found them strange. He said he passed the polygraph (he let that slip out) but the police have said that one of the extended family members who took a polygraph raised questions. Was it Tom? I don't know. I am thinking that by them saying it was an extended family member, it would not be either one of the parents.

Now, as to this Bret Michael Edmunds....he was at a vigil and the police saw him but didn't question him? And now they think they are going to find him? I don't think he's gonna be turning himself in soon.

My very fervent prayer is that Elizabeth Smart is found alive and well.

[PoisedWoman]

A Father that is not head of his family but an Uncle head of the family? Yes something Bizarre. Sounds to me like Brother, Uncle, Head of Family or should I say Clan may be the very person responsible for this girls disappearance.

What if the perp is thought to be (or even known to be) someone who knows the Smarts and hates Liz's dad? Perhaps kidnapped his daughter to get back at him? In that case, it would be smarter to keep Dad out of the limelight and let someone else do the public talking.

There's so much we don't know, but I don't think the police or the family are a bunch of dolts. They're working some kind of plan.

[MozarkDawg]

My guess is the Girl is pregnant ....

The first thought that came to the mind of my husband when he heard the extremely forceful statement from the father about how his 14-year-old daughter "didn't like boys, wanted NOTHING to do with them!" I didn't see it, but Hub said the father almost spat out the words, sounded angry. I don't know what question had been asked or the context.

[MozarkDawg]

Is it possible that a family member had something to do with this? YES. Is it because they are Mormons? NO.

This not only bears repeating, but a highlight.

[DJ88]

Look, I'm a Catholic, and I've been bashed because of the horrible actions of some priests. I don't like being on the receiving end of them, so I would certainly not dish them out. I think that this family could be Jewish, Presbyterian, Catholic, Methodist, Evangelical; it doesn't matter. To some people here however, it appears that because they don't understand the Mormons religion, it's easy for them to spout out words like "polygamy", "incest", etc.

Religion here does not matter. What really matters is that Elizabeth Smart is found alive and found soon. That's all that matters.

[MozarkDawg]

I'm RC myself, know exactly how you feel. Seems folks (not necessarily here at FR, but all over) have a difficult time separating the Human Element out of the actual religion itself. No religion is *perfect* as all are practiced by human beings, as such, the inherent human failings do present themselves. Quite a bitter pill for those of us who truly do find Truth in whatever faith we profess.

And why people who try to get away with the crud, or help cover it up, ought to recall that millstone Jesus spoke of ... He wasn't kidding about it.

[Iwo Jima]

My thoughts are the same as yours about the sketch. I am convinced that if the police did not see the need for a sketch they would have told Mark Klaas "Unfortunantly, the little sister did not see his face, so we have no need for a sketch," he would have dummied up and never gone on TV to say anything about the sketch. Instead, it sounds to me like he was told "We really need that sketch but the family headed by nutcase Uncle Tom won't allow it."

That is why I believe that Klaas has gone so public about the sketch. He knows that the police are hamstrung and really cannot cross this very powerful family. Klaas fills a very postivie role in being able to say and do things that the police would like to do or say but cannot.

Why would the family not want a sketch? Two thoughts come to mind. First, the sketch might be of a family member or someone whose involvement would put the family in a bad light. Second, the process of working with the sketch artist might create doubt about the little sister's story. The sketch artist is very experienced in questioning witnesses and drawing them out about what they saw. If there were halting, contradictory, etc. answers to her questions, she might conclude that "this child didn't see anybody or is not being truthful about the person she saw."

[Iwo Jima]

I didn't hear the comment about Elizabeth not liking boys, but I did hear the father go on and on about how his daughter was such an angel. It had a strong "the lady dost protest too much, methinks" quality to it.

I did not think anything untoward about it at the time, just noted it. I thought "if a father wants to think such lofy thoughts about his own daughter, what harm can there be in that?" Now I am looking back on those and similar comments by other family members and think that they held more clues than I was able to detect at the time. Now it seems that he waas being defensive and that what he really wanted to say was "There is no way that Elizabeth would do what it will eventually be come to be thought that she did."

[Grig]

As for Klaas' "intrusion;" Can YOU think of a reason why people without something to hide would refuse to work with a sketch artist with a proven record of helping capture fugitives?

It's been done several times already. Klaas's objective is to find the killer, the parents belive their daughter is still alive and their objective is to get her back. Releasing a sketch would make the perp feel close to being captured, and might cause him to kill her and run for it.

Other possible reasons have also been put forward, check previous posts.

[Grig]

"My guess is the Girl is pregnant ..."

The LDS Church operates it's own social services agency that deals with situation like that in a very postive way, there would be no need for them to deal with it like this, so that theory doesn't hold water IMHO.

[Pagey]

I concur with your post

[valkyrieanne]

I know plenty about Mormons, and I couldn't care less who thinks they're Christians and who thinks they're not, since I'm not a Christian of any sort. You, however, seem to think you know a lot about Mormons, but are actually spouting a weird mixture of fact, fantasy, and sour grapes, picked up from who knows where.

Thank you! Has it occurred to the LDS-bashers that perhaps this girl might be found alive *because* of the concern and committment shown by her fellow church members, who apparently have been turning over rocks looking for her practically nonstop since the abduction?

[valkyrieanne]

The first thought that came to the mind of my husband when he heard the extremely forceful statement from the father about how his 14-year-old daughter "didn't like boys, wanted NOTHING to do with them!" I didn't see it, but Hub said the father almost spat out the words, sounded angry. I don't know what question had been asked or the context.

Again, this might be a part of the profilers' work in scripting the family's public pronouncements. Perhaps it's necessary for the perp to believe that his captive is a sweet, innocent child. In short, all these public pronouncements are probably NOT for our benefit. The #1 priority is to get the girl back alive. If that means painting themselves blue, putting bones through their noses, and whistling Dixie, the family will no doubt do it, even though it makes them look like idiots.

[Sloth]

"I believe that this person is not a bad person at all... This is just somebody who actually likes Elizabeth... because this is a wonderful story, in a lot of ways."

February 1998, Esquire magazine: "If I had killed Nicole it would have been because I loved her very much." -- O.J. Simpson

[PJ-Comix]

PJ-Comix knows not of what s/he posts.

I posted an excerpt from a TRANSCRIPT of the Larry King show. So how does that make me know not of what I posted?