Posted on 06/19/2002 11:12:52 AM PDT by Utah Girl
Elizabeth Smart's little sister, the sole witness to the teen's abduction, waited two hours to tell her parents about the kidnapping because she feared the kidnapper was still in the house.
Salt Lake City Police Chief Rick Dinse said Wednesday that the girl, Mary Katherine, got out of bed soon after the abduction and headed toward her parents' bedroom. But she saw the man still in the house, so she went back to her room and waited for two hours.
On Tuesday, police changed a key detail in the case. Their initial report, based on secondhand accounts, stated that Mary Katherine had been threatened by the kidnapper to keep quiet about the abduction.
They now say that Mary Katherine, who was in the same bed as Elizabeth, feigned sleep during the abduction.
"She hasn't wavered one bit from her original statement that she gave investigators," Dinse said.
Dinse rejected any idea that his department was deliberately deceiving the media.
"There is no conspiracy afoot here," Dinse said. "We are not telling you everything ... and we probably are not going to until we're further along."
Wednesday was the 15th day of the investigation into Elizabeth's abduction. She was reportedly taken from her bedroom at gunpoint in the early hours of June 5, police said.
Police still have no suspect in the case. They have received a total of 8,000 to 10,000 leads, of which 1,300 warranted follow up, Dinse said. Up to 900 of those leads have been cleared and about 400 remain to be looked at, he said.
Police who interviewed Mary Katherine four times now say the man did not speak to the younger child or apparently realize she saw him.
Working from Mary Katherine's description, police are looking for 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 Scottish-style golf hat. He held a small handgun.
"This investigation would be very, very difficult without Mary Katherine. She has provided us with a tremendous amount of information, and we're very appreciative of her," Dinse said. "I'm saying again, I believe we will resolve this case eventually, and Mary Katherine is a big part of doing that."
The community is offering a $250,000 reward for Elizabeth's safe return.
Investigators still want to talk to Bret Michael Edmunds, a drifter who continues to elude them. Edmunds was spotted near the Smart home two days before Elizabeth's disappearance.
Police have repeatedly said they don't consider Edmunds a suspect, but may have seen something in the Federal Heights neighborhood that would help the investigation.
A Web site set up to find the teen is getting more than 2 million hits a day, said David Smart, Elizabeth's uncle.
I'm surprised they're not offering a deal with this guy if he's so crucial to the investigation.
Why not? Aside from that, how likely do you think it is that the cops really would "decline to give chase" to someone who is running from them, at the time they're looking for suspects?
When this whole story was published, it just sounded too much like something out of a Michael Douglas movie. I could almost see the camera shots, looking through the eyes of the perp, with his labored breathing as the soundtrack.
Bah.
Edmunds, however, has two outstanding arrest warrants pending on unrelated matters and has thus far refused to contact police. He was last seen June 9 at a candlelight vigil held in support of the missing girl in a Salt Lake City park, but was not picked up by officers in the area.
Lyrics
If the Savior stood beside me, would I do the things I do? Would I think of his commandments and try harder to be true?
Would I follow his example? Would I live more righteously If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me?
If the Savior stood beside me, would I say the things I say?
Would my words be true and kind if he were never far away? Would I try to share the gospel? Would I speak more reverently
If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me?
He is always near me, though I do not see him there And because he loves me dearly I am in his watchful care So I'll be the kind of person that I know I'd like to be If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me.
******************************************************************
Hmmmmm.
Somewhere in the house is said to be a 7th bdrm, but I am assuming it is downstairs for guests with its own bath (just an informed guess).
The POLICE hadn't interviewed Mary Katherine yet? And they gave that statement, that LASTED FOR 2 WEEKS, and you FIRST NOW are clarifying that it was FALSE?And Mary Katherine is the most important witness in this case? The ONLY WITNESS?????
We're not going to until we are further along and identify some people
Huh ? people?
Why false info? Heresay from police dispatchers, etc.
No one was doing thorough interviews with Mary Katherine and the family at the very beginning. The police put out the info quickly, basics were there of the description of the perp. And the information needs to get out quickly for the Racheal alert system.
No one was doing THOROUGH INTERVIEWS with Mary Katherine AND the family at the VERY BEGINNING. (!!!!!!!!!!!)
For crying out loud....WHY NOT ???
So you put out false information (which you didn't clarify for 15 days, and sent thousands of people out to search for days, fed the media FROM THE BEGINNING...and you hadn't talked with MK or the immediate family about VERY IMPORTANT DETAILS ???????? WEll...THAT RESTORES MY FAITH IN THE P.D. !!
Aside from that, you're quit simply ignoring the fact that the SLCPD says they're not telling us everything they know, and that they have a careful review process for deciding what information to release.
There is something wrong here.
Perhaps so...but that is why I suggested that this is a detail (if true) that the police should have given to the public.
After all, who wears such a get-up? C'mon, I can see the guy driving off in a convertible MG with a pipe in his mouth to go with his sporty driving cap and driving gloves. Have they checked the area for fellows with english accents and elbow patches on their sweaters?
Dinse didn't give an exact timeline, but Mary Catherine has been interviewed formally four times between June 4 and June 15. The police have also talked to her kind of informally, he said that they took her on a ride through the neighborhood (and he wouldn't say what they discussed.) So the fault is not with the police, it is with my notes... :)
Now we find out it is a man 5'8" to 5'10", medium build, a tan polo shirt, a tan jacket, hairy hands and arms, a tan cap, age 30 to 40, 'nice' voice. The only thing that has changed are added details.
I thought it was very interesting today that Dinse clarified when Mary Katherine saw the abductor again, it was after she decided to go tell her parents. She saw the perp with Elizabeth, and went to bed to hide until (I assume) she knew they were gone. There was a threat on Elizabeth's life by the abductor.
Once again, I have to agree with Neenah's suggestion that this was an interesting choice of songs by the mother. It sounds more like an admonition to an errant child than an attempt to offer comfort. (And Neenah, feel free to correct me if I have misinterpreted here......)
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