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.
David Smart, the uncle of Elizabeth Smart spoke first.
The elizabethsmart.com website has been updated with more information, many more news pictures of Elizabeth. Also there are links that you can click on to find out What can I do? How can I get involved? etc.
Searches are being performed all across Utah.
Even if no new information is found during these community searches, please fill out the debriefing form, telling us exactly what area(s) you searched, and send it to us.
The website is receiving 2 million hits + per day.
The family is grateful for help received from many companies who have develped the website and are hosting it. It will continue to be maintained not only for Elizabeth, for in the future, for other abducted children as well.
Ed and Lois Smart
Please pray for Elizabeth. We appreciate all the prayers and the help that has been extended to our family.
Lois Smart spoke directly to her daughter, saying that she thought of Elizabeth every minute. And she told her daughter to remember the song "If the Savior Stood Beside Me". Elizabeth just learned the song on the harp. Her mother told Elizabeth to remember the words of the song, and to know that her Heavenly Father loved her and was watching out for her.
Chief Rick Dinse
There was a massive search in Draper last night, I'll give you the details later in the press conference (but he never did.)
Here is the update on things I can tell you, clear up some speculation from yesterday:
Continuing to receive leads
8 to 10 thousand leads
Identified 1300 leads that might be useful, 800 followed up on so far
Some of the leads are very promising
No identified suspect at this time
Encouraged by the efforts, think we're in the right place doing the right thing by looking at the house and around the house; looking at people who live and work in the Federal Heights neighborhood.
A week ago, Dinse said there were ambiguities with the statement between the information and what is being reported.
Yesterday's statement was purposeful.
The first statement was provided by the first reponders at the scene (police) and they hadn't interviewed Mary Katherine thoroughly yet. But they felt like the information should be gotten out about the abductor immediately because of the Rachel alert.
Info went out that wasn't accurate at the time, police thought it was, and realized it wasn't after the interviews with Mary Katherine, that is why the statement was clarified yesterday
No conspiracy afoot to keep info from the media
We are NOT telling you everything, that's the truth
We're not going to until we are further along and identify some people
Will take some questions from the FBI guy for awhile, not all day
Not going to answer that question, won't reveal info, part of investigation (I didn't hear that question, but I thought the comment was good.)
Mary Katherine saw him after he left the room
Any doubt she saw a gun? NO
She got up from bed and saw the abductor
Won't clarify if Mary Katherine recognized the voice of the abductor
When did you connect Edmunds to this case? Info from the milkman with the license plates of 266, letters on the tag not accurate, The police wanted to talk to Edmunds to talk about what he might have seen when he was in the neighborhood.
The police looking for the tag number at the vigil, NOT Edmunds
Mary Katherine saw the abductor in another place in the house, won't reveal the location because of the investigation,
Still evaluating information to put out to the media, if they don't want to talk about certain information, it is because it has impact upon the investigation
Why did she go back to bed? She waited because she heard the threat, she got up to tell her parents, saw the suspect, went back to bed scared to death, and waited
Have the police made a sketch on their own of the abductor? NO
Police received the information Saturday from Mary Katherine on details about the hairy hands and arms.
Four interviews of MK with investigators
Let me finish the question, I'll get to you
Formal interviews (4), have talked to her other times, once they drove Mary Katherine around the neighborhood, and no, we won't tell you what we talked about.
Why is Dinse here today? Because of scrutiny yesterday, and BTW, he was out of town yesterday, but the information was put out with Dinse's approval
No nefarious reasons or conspiracy to keep the information from Media
Timing? Releasing according to how it will help police, not according to media timetable
Can you tell us the exact wording of the threats made to Elizabeth? Things in the threat that we want to keep out of the public view at this point, but he did threaten Eliabeth's life
Possible sightings around the country? Calls are coming from everywhere.
Interviewed all members of the extended family? Most of them
Talked to all neighbors within a mile? Yes.
FBI doing an immediate canvas of the area within several blocks
There were checkpoints in the Federal Heights neighborhood last night. Can you give us more info?
(FBI guy) Identify all people who came through the neighborhood on Tuesday nights and Wed mornings to see if they've missed talking to everyone in the neighborhood.
Extensive database set up for families, kids, etc Identify a few more leads out of there, picked up more on neighborhood canvas
Specific questionaire? Yes, door to door FBI agents. Who has been in the neighborhood, visiting, working? The police and the FBI want to nail this down.
Any screams in the neighborhood? Nobody anywhere close to house or around heard any screams
How's Mary Katherine? She has been a great witness to this point, she has provided us a tremendous amount of information. Very appreciative of her.
I believe we will resolve this
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.
Parents speaking directly to Elizabeth; believe that she is still alive. Hope or hunch?
Ed Smart: I feel in my heart that she is alive and she is waiting to be found. Both feel very strongly that she is alive, and the media is facilitating her coming back to the family. We're praying for her all the time, and are feeling others' prayers.
Mary Katherine is doing quite well holding up everything considering. Not coming out with the children, they want to keep things as normal as possible. Mary Katherine wants to help.
It is this help that will help Elizabeth come back. Mary Katherine is with the family, all together now. Tried to resume a family life, appreciate your courtesy in staying back a bit, kids want to do what they normally do.
Separated at interviews?, mom is with her, no further details, I don't want to comment at this time about that.
Clarify info about suspect: jacket and dark hair contradictory, can't clarify that one, dark hair on the hands, assumption that it is on his arms
The 2nd time that Mary Katherine saw the abductor was Elizabeth still with him? Yes
You said last week that the SLPD felt as if they had already spoken to the abductor. Do you still feel that way? Yes.
More than one suspect? We have not eliminated multiple people in this abduction.
Consulted psychics? psychics are coming out of my ears! No we haven't consulted psychics
Do you feel the suspect is still in the state? Working closely with FBI, much cooperation, etc.
You said that Mary Katherine recognized the voice of the abductor? I didn't say that.
You didn't answer the question if you think the abductor is still in the state of Utah. We believe that the abductor is still reachable and may still be in the state, no further comment
Because of the focus, grown in the last week, around the house, people who had access to the house, etc Re-interviewing people, very convinced they are doing the right thing.
IF they shared a bed because Elizabeth's room was being renovated (source, other than the comment on this thread?), it's possible that "getting her shoes" involved going back to Elizabeth's room -- which would explain several things.
From the press conference just held, the police didn't say if they have an idea of how long the perp had been in the house, but they did say that Mary Katherine was going to tell her parents, and she saw the perp and Elizabeth again, got very scared (because of the threats made to Elizabeth), and went back to bed.
I see men wearing them occasionally -- usually they seem to be trying to project an image of youthful sophistication, or some such.
Well, I speculated that one right, at least.
Suggests that MK probably saw them the second time when she was near the stairs, and the other two were by the front door.
My advice is to sit tight and wait for OFFICIAL word.
This is such an odd case. About all I can do is keep praying.
Does this mean they have a sketch but it's only for SLC police?
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