Posted on 06/18/2002 10:50:57 AM PDT by 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.
This revelation does make one wonder whether young Mary Katherine knew the guy by name or sight. "May be a trusted person" can probably be translated as was or is a trusted person.
And if so, one has to believe that the SLCPD knows his name as well.
If that's what's happening, the only reason I can think of that such information wouldn't be out is that they don't know Elizabeth's location, and they're watching and waiting for the person to cut and run.
Not being snide- serious question.
Then we are told that the kidnapper just threatened Elizabeth, not the sister.
Then we are told that the girl didn’t see his face.
Now we are told that the kidnapper never even saw the sister.
OK, as my earlier post shows, I was completely ready to believe the 9 year old was so frightened by the event that it took her 2 hours to tell her parents. I’m beginning to have serious second thoughts about this case. I wonder if there was any kidnapper at all, how about a new "Husband" taking his new wife. I know, I’ve seen the rants about how a Mormon father would never give up his daughter to a polygamist, blah, blah, blah. I’m even willing to admit that the parents angst is genuine. But I’m beginning to wonder if it is for the reasons that we have been led to suspect, or is it that she ran off to set up housekeeping with one of the 100 or so cousins.
So, if its not a polygamist thing, then would a "lonely" 14 year old girl deliberately run away with an older, and possibly in her eyes, more loving and considerate male relative. Does the family know, or suspect who it is, but some kind of "Mormon Code" prevents them from telling the police. Sort of like various Orthodox Jewish sects use Talmudic Law to justify not involving the civil authorities. Perhaps the family is hoping this person will "release " or convince her to return to her family without the whole thing coming out.
I pray I am correct and that she is safe and sound, but now just confused and scared. Does she reappear and come up with another cover story? Does she stay with her new husband and hope it all blows over? Did she underestimate the community and media response, and is now afraid to be charged with a crime? Does she genuinely not what to go home, for whatever reason? Can she leave of her own free will, or is she under house arrest, so to speak, or sadly, is she dead?
I expect some flaming for suggesting a "Mormon Code" (my term for it) is at work here. I’m sure I’ll be told no such thing exists, and maybe not in a codified form, after the Talmud took Thousands of years to reach its current form and interpretation. Perhaps, in response to the pressures of the world at large such a thing is developing in the Mormon community psyche, a silent line of reasoning that those outside the faith just don’t understand.
"God judges."
Exactly right.
Huh? Why would Elizabeth have been threatened in the way that MK claimed, i.e. that she should not tell anyone or else she would be hurt, who could Elizabeth tell, if she was going with the abductor????
You're probably right. This must be absolutely AWFUL for the family. Can you imagine playing this kind of cat and mouse game? And have a second child that feels--and be in reality threatened--as well?
The media are like the blind man and the elephant. I have often gotten the impression that the reporter only knew a few of the fact reported, and misinterpreted others.
You said it. And the gossip- and scandal-mongers on FR on the other hand have been QUICK to jump on every tid-bit, no matter how groundless.
Re the uncle, Tom Smart, on whom attention has recently been focused:
My guess is that Tom has been by his brother's side from the beginning is because he is a photographer for the Deseret News. Thus, he is more familiar with and less intimidated by the media.
Uncle Tom lives 45 minutes away in Park City. He was at home asleep when Elizabeth's father called him, and he immediately traveled down to Salt Lake to be with the family. He had been at home in Park City since he finished photographing a Utah Starzz game, and took the 45 minute drive back to Park City. All of this is easily verifiable.
Trying to pin this on him is just ridiculous.
I saw Tom's interview on CNN, that has raised so many negative comments from posters. It looked to me exactly like Tom, and all the family members, have been advised by the police to try to establish a rapport with the kidnapper, in an attempt to soften his heart. They are doing what they are told, and it sounds clumsy and unnatural.
He also made some remarks on CNN about this being a "beautiful story," which sounded unusual, and a lot of people have hopped on that. But, just before that, he had been talking about the tremendous outpouring of love and support that the family had experienced, and about the fact that the family had received spiritual comfort.
These are people who believe strongly in the power of prayer. They know that tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of faithful people, of many religions, have been praying for Elizabeth and for the family. I think Tom was trying, clumsily, to say that the impact of those prayers had been felt. He was guilty only of being inarticulate about something powerful and personal.
Of course, your not being there, and your having absolutely ZERO first hand information as to the facts of the case does pose a problem.
However, the SLCPD is putting out known information in dribs and drabs. Precisely why they're doing so is open to speculation, of course, but it all seems to point to a belief that Elizabeth may still be alive.
If this guy really was "trusted," there may well be some political sensibilities involved. But the fact that the SLCPD is slowly putting out information indicates that if this is true, they're working their way around them, as opposed to letting them control the case.
This case has more twists than a headful of dreadlocks. I think it's probably useless to speculate anymore.
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