For service above and beyond the call of duty.
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.
Well, I speculated that one right, at least.
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?
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)
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.
For service above and beyond the call of duty.
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.
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Hmmmmm.
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. !!