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.
Yeah, that figures. I knew this sounded way to sensationalist the way the gossip-mongers were batting it around. So Edmunds DIDN'T show up at the vigil at all, they were simply looking for the plate at that time.
Man, when this thing is finally solved, I wonder if any of these folks are going to learn any sort of lesson?
I initially heard, the first week or so, the father say on TV that they were sleeping in a room across the hall from him. I have no other confirmation than what he said that it is true.
Not at all surprising if there's carpet on the floors and stairs.
Confirming that it is okay to suspect people living nearby, in the neighborhood, be it family, friend or otherwise. Won't clarify if Mary Katherine recognized the voice of the abductor
Any reason for this? If it were a stranger, why not say that she did not recognize the voice?? The police looking for the tag number at the vigil, NOT Edmunds
Guessing, the tag number from the silver car spotted by the milkman. 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 Seem like if it could help with the investigation, that you would WANT the information out, UNLESS they figure that outsiders wouldn't be able to assist in helping with this info. This lends more support to their narrow investigation area. (the house, neighborhood and immediate vicinity)
Maybe, but with hairy hands and forearms, doubtful unless he's older. and you were correct with your type of hate for hat. This dark, hairy guy hates little blond angels, perhaps women in general, and wants to defile them. Too horrible to contemplate.
NOTE: THIS IS AN OFFICIAL POLICE STATEMENT SO IT BEARS EXAMINATION.
This somewhat deflates the wild theories about her being "in" on her own abduction, and now being a polygamist's wife somewhere. Despicable as the polygamists are, this is NOT how they operate. Rather, they carefully groom and cultivate their girls, and then give them away to one another like birthday presents.
This is, I believe, going to turn out to be an abduction not unlike that of Polly Klaas or the Van Dam girl.
If it was a stranger, it might take him longer to find his way around to the exit. But I think it would indicate that taking Liz was not his (only?) objective, if it was he would get her and split pronto no matter how comfortable he was haning around their home at other times.
But how does this theory sound: Some guy, known to Mr. Smart by business perhaps, breaks in looking for a specific item (a safe?), can't find it, so he decides to force a kid to help. A 14 year old girl would be more help than a 9 year old, and still easy to control, so he picks her, but when the 9 year old sticks her head out he suspects that he's been seen and takes the girl as a hostage as he makes his escape. Now he's in over his head, nervous and unsure how to get out of the situation. The police don't want to spook him into doing something murderous.
That opens up a particularly messy can of worms, though.
It's amazing enough that one guy would do it -- why would a group of people decide to hatch a plot to break into a house and kidnap one skinny 14-yo girl?
The only reasons I can think of for a group to do this are pretty far out -- some involving the fact that she was a "young, pretty, blonde virgin," and others having to do with the possibility of her father somehow being involved in shady dealings. And, of course, it opens up the whole "polygamy" angle once again.
I'm not willing to go there yet. It just doesn't sound plausible.
Disagree. I know a number of bald-headed, hairy-armed men between the ages of 30-40.
Perhaps, but some gloves (racing gloves, golf gloves?) leave a bit of the back of the hand exposed.
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