Police now say abductor of 14-year-old Utah girl didn't know he was watched by her sister

AP | June 18, 2002 | RICH VOSEPKA

[The Energizer]

Police now say abductor of 14-year-old Utah girl didn't know he was watched by her sister

By RICH VOSEPKA=

Associated Press Writer=

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Police investigating the disappearance of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart said Tuesday the man was not aware that the girl's little sister witnessed the apparent abduction.

Two weeks ago, Elizabeth was taken by gunpoint from the queen-sized bed shared by the two girls in the Federal Heights home.

He told Elizabeth to grab some shoes and as he left with her.

Although it was earlier reported that 9-year-old Mary Katherine Smart had been warned to remain quiet, police who interviewed the youngster several times now say the man did not speak to the child. The little sister waited two hours before alerting her parents.

``We believe this man may be a trusted person in the neighborhood or community,'' said Salt Lake City Police Capt. Scott Atkinson. The kidnapper was calm, he added.

Police reiterated their description of their suspect: A white man, 30 to 40 years old, with dark hair and hair on his arms and back of his hands. He was wearing tan pants, dark shoes, lighter jacket and a golf hat. He held a small handgun.

``He spoke nicely and dressed nicely,'' Atkinson said.

On Tuesday, Atkinson held up a similar pair of tennis shoes that the kidnapper allowed Elizabeth to take with her. They were white Ralph Lauren athletic shoes with dark stripes and thick soles.

Investigators still want to talk to Bret Michael Edmunds, who continues to elude them. Edmunds isn't a suspect, but he was spotted near the Smart's home two days before the kidnapping, leading police to think he might have information in the case.

``I believe Edmunds is a witness to something, we don't know what,'' Atkinson said.

Edmunds is wanted for parole violation and spraying pepper spray at a West Valley policeman who stopped him.

The community is offering a $250,000 reward for the girl's safe return. Neighborhoods are organizing searches for the teen after a centralized search effort was disbanded Friday.

A Web site to help find Elizabeth has had more than 8 million hits, which overloaded the system, said Ted Wilson, former Salt Lake City mayor.

[monkeywrench]

I thought the police in the Ramsey case let the press run roughshod over them. These police have apparently learned alot from that. If I were a cop on this case, or a family member, I'd be VERY leery of any press. The questions they ask, the questions they don't ask, the inuendo, their countless agendas all spell trouble, and many people have caught on, apparently.

[Donna Lee Nardo]

Today, the Utah policeman said that the man who took Elizabeth "spoke nicely." Yet, the abductor supposedly threatened Elizabeth also. I can't quite square these two facts to my satisfaction. Can you? Was he smiling as he threatened her, or talking low? Or did the cop add this "nice" comment solely because the perp allowed Elizabeth to take her sneakers? I mean, I imagine the perp didn't want to wake anyone up, so it would be no surprise if he was talking in a hushed voice. But speaking in a calm and hushed voice doesn't make someone involved in an abduction "nice," especially when the words they are uttering are threats towards a 14 year old. I don't entirely get it.

[timestax]

We all need to just FORGET THIS STORY==ALL WE GET IS LIES , LIES, LIES FROM THE POLICE!!

[Utah Girl]

Yep, and as we all know, the media can't keep their mouths shut, or everything has a sinister implication to it. My question is: Why don't they look as hard at Clinton or Kennedy as they have these poor families? Or the Republicans? Stupid media.

[TheDon]

Relax, you're the one quoting Court TV with a 'scoop' in contradiction to what the investigators are saying.

[TheDon]

More like misinformation from the media, but what's new about that.

[Utah Girl]

Well, as long as my jacket has ruffles and flouncy things, I am happy. LOL!

[TheDon]

Unfortunately, most posters are only adding to the noise, rather than providing clarity.

[Grig]

Aw, shucks.

Thanks

[timestax]

NO, press gets their info mainly from the PO-leese and PO-leese scanners. This is NOT helping in getting tips from people. It's like they are hindering the case on purpose--but why would the PO-leese sabotage a case for!?

[Trust but Verify]

I beleive the biggest reason things don't add up is the convoluted way in which things are being reported.

Those who are in the area where this happened seem to get more accurate reporting than the rest of us. Combine that with the parceling out of the story from the cops and the mis-reporting, this whole thing looks like Jon Benet Part II.

[Grig]

No, that's why I asked the question.

As I said before, it sounded more like an expression of doubt than a request for more information. You very clearly seem to have made up your mind that the story was false.

This has nothing to do with being Mormon, and you know it.

And I've even said so. But to SOME freepers, what they think of Mormons has MORE to do with their speculations than the facts of the whole situation.

When you start accusing people who ask reasonable questions of being judgmental, it is clear you don't know the meaning of the word.

That just it, the question wasn't reasonable, in under a minute I thought of and listed several factors that we know nothing about that are quite important in evaluating if the story is true or not. To speak so dismissivly of her story when there are so many important facts about it you don't know is a knee-jerk reaction, a over-hasty rush to judgment built on a sandy foundation. It give the appearance that you want or expect the story turn to portray some dark scandle in the family. Perhaps you didn't mean it come off that way, but it did anyway, and if you did mean it that way, I don't care what your reasons are, it's still the wrong way to go about things.

[Grig]

When people go on national TV, night after night, requesting that we give of our time to help them, they incur an ethical debt towards all who do so. That debt, at a minimum is to speak straight forwardly and honestly about why they need our help

Even when doing that would put their daughters life at risk? Even if the police tell them to not reveal certain things in order to help them? Yeah, right.

It doesn't change anything in your life if you have to wait till this is over to get all the answers you want, so why the rush?

[hergus]

LOL! Shh, don't let our secrets out. :) (I just find it highly ridiculous that we would even have a Mormon code. Oh that's right, I'm not high enough in the church hierarchy to know all the secrets that go on and all the stuff they hide from us.)/sarcasm

LOLx2...I thought that just happened with us freemason families....{G}

[GovernmentShrinker]

You folks do realize, don't you, that all these secret details you're letting slip out on this thread will soon turn up in a widely distributed pamphlet entitled "The Truth About the Mormons and Their Code" :)

[Utah Girl]

LOL! And that pamphlet will be handed out right next door to Temple Square in SLC....:)

[homeschool mama]

touche'

[Grig]

You folks do realize, don't you, that all these secret details you're letting slip out on this thread will soon turn up in a widely distributed pamphlet entitled "The Truth About the Mormons and Their Code" :)

Well lets go for broke then. 'Oh my heck' is really a code phrase that indicates you accept someone else's total superiority over you, green jello with shredded carrots is actually manna and if you eat enough in your lifetime you will develop the ability to teleport to other planets, and the cape of Frome is burried underneath that stupid seagull monument. Now I must go and read the paper plates without my glasses on to attone for revealing this. :)

[Neenah]

There is most of what I said in this article posted today. Maybe you'd like to read it.

Click Here

[homeschool mama]

**Well lets go for broke then. 'Oh my heck' is really a code phrase that indicates you accept someone else's total superiority over you, green jello with shredded carrots is actually manna and if you eat enough in your lifetime you will develop the ability to teleport to other planets, and the cape of Frome is burried underneath that stupid seagull monument. Now I must go and read the paper plates without my glasses on to attone for revealing this. :) **

Bwahahaha! My husband told me all about the green jello and 'oh my heck' before we married. Then I visited his family in Utah and I'll be darned if it wasn't true! They're not Mormons...just wonderful folks who love Utah and green jello. :o)