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.
Where in blue blinkin' blazes did THAT come from?
That's my guess, too. What doesn't make sense is the waiting for 2 + hours to tell the parents. Elizabeth may have sat on the stairs to put on her shoes. So, why not wait for the them to leave, then run to the parent's room. Scared or not. Get back behind a wall and just wait a few minutes then take another peek to see if the coast is clear. That's what I did when I was 8 and we had strange goings on at our house one night. This waiting 2 + hours just doesn't make sense.
And not to be too crass here, but many girls like Elizabeth can be found here in Utah.
I'm still wondering about the 'uncle'.
Yes it does. I remember lying petrified in my bed one night because there was a "murderer" in the corner of my room (shadows on the curtain).
In this case, MK heard an actual threat of murder, and decided that the best thing to do would be to pretend to be asleep until he was gone.
This part of the story is completely believable.
Could be that what is meant is that while Edmunds WAS AT THE VIGIL, it is NOT his tag they are looking for, but the tag from the grey car that the milkman saw? Possible? YES!!
If it's a rape/murder scenario, she's probably exactly right.
Here is the thread where the car sighting at the hospital is discussed: Was car at hospital linked to Elizabeth?
No, I realize that -- I'm just pointing out that this is starting to head into territory that I don't think anyone wants to head toward.
This isn't an easy "solve it before the last commercial" kind of case. And I think that there is more than meets the eye to the seemingly conflicting stories that have been surfacing of late.
My guess is that the comparison will soon surface between this and the Ramsey case in some strange sort of way. Call me crazy...but you never know...
That would fit from the layout posted. One would have to cross past the top entrance of the stairs to gain access to the master bedroom. This might have been difficult for MC to do IF Elizabeth were sitting on the lower step putting her shoes on and the abductor were facing Elizabeth, thus facing the top of the stairs, making MC need to wait for fear of detection, until after they left the house, which was probably momentarily.
Yes, I have. In fact, I would hope that MC is being watched carefully! I'm concerned that if this guy isn't found, she will be in danger for a long, long time. The fact that the police are releasing these details makes me believe that they have a good idea who he is. I hope I'm right!
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