Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping - Daily News/Chat Thread - Day 25

06/30/02 - Sunday | Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping - Daily News/Chat Thread - Day 25

[stlnative]

Please keep adding 6/30/02 Elizabeth Smart dated updates to this thread...
Remember to keep checking back to this thread today for today's developing news on the Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping.

Some people may consider today to actually be day 26, but I count 1 day for each
24 hours that have passed since Elizabeth was kidnapped. Elizabeth was taken from her home
at about 1:30am on the morning of June 5th, 2002.

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People on my Elizabeth Smart Ping List will only receive ONE ping
daily from me at the beginning of the thread each day. This single ping will help you find the daily Elizabeth Smart thread faster
when you check your own "My Comment's" FR feature. If something large breaks in the case during
the day I will send out a new ping to everyone on my Ping List. Something breaking to me is if they find
Elizabeth or actually arrest a person for kidnapping her. It is up to you to visit this thread several times daily
as others and I will continue to add the latest breaking news reports as they are released throughout the day.

Links

Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping - Daily News/Chat Thread - Day 24
Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping - Daily News/Chat Thread - Day 23
Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping - Daily News/Chat Thread - Day 22
Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping - Daily News/Chat Thread - Day 21
Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping - Daily News/Chat Thread - Day 20
Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping - Daily News/Chat Thread - Day 19
Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping - Daily News/Chat Thread - Day 18
Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping - Daily News/Chat Thread - Day 17
Salt Lake City Police Department Website
FBI Kidnappings/Critical Missing Persons - Elizabeth Smart
FBI - Salt Lake City Branch
Elizabeth Smart Website
Smart Residence Real Estate Listing
Brigette's Scanned Copy of House Layout from Newsweek Magazine
(Please do not link to the picture on my server space, if you wish to use it...
copy and paste it to your own hard drive and move it to your own server space)

Short Timeline

May 30th, 2002 -Thursday
~ Ricci returns to pick up his Jeep at the auto repair shop before the shop has a chance to fully fix it
He tells the repairman that it needed for an emergency.

June 4th, 2002 - Tuesday
~ Ricci is at work from about 9am to 5:30pm
~ Ricci claims he spends the evening with friends

June 5th, 2002 - Wednesday
~ 1:05am - 2 cars are spotted on the SLC Shriner's Hospital Parking Lot by a hospital security guard
~ 1:30am (approx) - Elizabeth is kidnapped from her home
~ 1:30am - Ricci claims to be in bed asleep with his with wife.
~ Ricci is scheduled to be off work all day today.
~ 8:30am - Ricci and his neighbor talk about the kidnapping of Elizabeth, Ricci seems to know too much information about it.
~ Sometime during this day Ricci is visited by police in regards to Elizabeth's kidnapping as reported by Angela Ricci (Richard A. Ricci's Wife which is an ex-convict herself)
~ Ricci is seen by his neighbor digging a hole by his (Ricci's) trailer early in the morning. (heard the neighbor say this on TV)

June 6th, 2002 - Thursday
~ Ricci is scheduled to work from 9am to 5:30pm today, but instead works from 10:30am to 7:00pm
~ Police talk to Ricci this day about the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping. (The media is reporting this, so it could be wrong)

June 8th, 2002 - Saturday
~ Ricci returns the Jeep to the repair shop to get it fix. The Jeep is muddy and the repair shop owner sees Ricci
remove seat covers from the back of the jeep and place them into a plastic garbage bag that already contains
other stuff in it. Also the repair shop owner said a muddy post hole digger tool was in the back of the Jeep, Ricci removes
this also from the Jeep. Ricci has a man waiting across the street to give him a ride. Ricci takes the plastic bag
and contents along with the post hole digger with him. Also there is 500 to 1000 extra miles on the Jeep since
Ricci picked it up on May 30th, 2002.

June 14th, 2002 - Friday
~ Ricci is taken into custody for a parole violation, this being the 2001 robbery of the Smart Home in which he admitted to.



A note to the people who read this thread because they hope and pray that Elizabeth will be returned to her family and who wish to stay up to date with the facts in the case. Please do not let yourself get sucked into a heavy HEATED discussion or argument from someone who wishes to come on this thread and make posts that will disrupt this thread. The best thing to do it not to bring attention to these post or reply to them.

[terilyn]

I have never seen it reported either. I did see the boss give him a nice review though. So did Elizabeth's dad when he spoke of his work around their house. The neighbor, (who IMHO reeks), also said he was a good guy.

The neighbor who strongly resembles the first sketch put out by the police of the guy with the hat and missing front tooth. Now he's being ever so helpful so the police. I'm not buying it.

[IamHD]

I just hope and pray that whomever it was that kidnapped Elizabeth, is the RIGHT guy! I would hate for anyone to be blamed/accused for this, no matter what their status in life, to be sent to prison, or charged with the death penalty, for something that they did not do!

[terilyn]

You and me both!

[MadisonA]

I just want to expand a bit..as my question may not be clear, sorry. Why not do the kidnapping and THEN bring the car in for repairs. Not bring it in one day, take it out the next day, and then return it again, several days later?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes good observation. I was thinking to myself the same thing. Why bring in the Jeep for repairs when you could wait until the crime was over to bring in the Jeep for repairs?

The only thing I can come up with is Ricci and acomplice(s) thought cars would be good enough for the kidnapping or were planning on using an acomplices off road vehicle but that plan fell threw so he brought in the Jeep not knowing this and then after he already brought it in the accomplice told him "we need that Jeep because I can't get access to the one we were going to use" or "maybe we better have close access to your Jeep just incase so go get it". Then they changed their plan.

Then why didn't they just wait to do the kidnapping job when the Jeep was fixed just to be safe?

Maybe they needed to get the kidnapping done right away for whatever reason and couldn't wait.

Maybe Ricci and accomplice? thought there was absolutely no way the Jeep and they would ever be connected to the crime so they didn't care that the mechanic saw them take a Jeep and bring it back. They probably never thought to think the cops would discover he ever took out the Jeep or question his mechanic. I guess they would have be keystone crooks. Ricci was caught at many of his other crimes so maybe he just isn't cut out for a life of crime.

[Jolly Green]

How 'bout this: the mechanic's buddy had to build a shed and needed a vehicle to carry tools and lumber....

Let's see if I've got it figured out from your theory? We have a 5-time convicted felon who used to work in the Smart home, admited burglarizing it as well as other homes in the area, is back in prison for parole violation, married to a Somatose woman who has been convicted of 10 counts of forgery and dealing drugs, who incidently the cops/FBI claim has an alibi full of holes.

Then we have an auto mechanic who keeps meticulous records including the mileage of every vehicle he repairs. A mechanic who had loner cars available for some of his customers as reported on Banfield.

Gee, I wonder who I should believe?

[IamHD]

"The only thing I can come up with is Ricci and acomplice(s) thought cars would be good enough for the kidnapping or were planning on using an acomplices off road vehicle but that plan fell threw so he brought in the Jeep not knowing this and then after he already brought it in the accomplice told him "we need that Jeep because I can't get access to the one we were going to use" or "maybe we better have close access to your Jeep just incase so go get it". Then they changed their plan."

That's possible, but why would you need to take the Jeep out of the shop, 5/6 days BEFORE the kidnapping? It just doesn't make sense to me. I could see 1/2 days...but 5/6???

[TheDon]

It would seem more likely that they have some unaccounted forensic evidence, with DNA, from the house, and they are trying to eliminate the neighbors. If true, and it does not belong to any of the neighbors, this could be a good break. Of course, considering how many people have ever been in their house, I wonder how useful it could be. The ironic thing is that even forensic evidence in the house related to Ricci could be explained away since he worked there. That is if Ricci was the abductor, of course.

I agree, they must have found some forensic evidence that did not match Ricci. Of course, they may have several samples they are trying to match with someone. It would be good police work to account for all the evidence they have. This would not preclude that they have already matched some of it to Ricci.

[submarine]

My understanding is that the main repair -- of the fuel pump -- had been completed when he picked the Jeep up on May 31.

Why was it important to use the Jeep? It's a 4-wheel drive off-road vehicle. It can go into areas where there are no roads, and up steep inclines.

[IamHD]

LOL..oops! I'm not a criminal, and don't have a criminal's mind, but RICCI does! 29 years worth; and he's stupid enough to make a mistake like this? Have a good 4th! :)

[TheDon]

Is that a trick question? LOL!

[Jolly Green]

You are very naive.

Oh, am I? I've lived there. I had my apartment burglarized by a felon that was eventually convicted of a double murder. I had some up close and personal experiences with the SLC PD - some of which are still friends.

Please share your great insight i.e. put up or shut up.

[FR_addict]

I'm surprised we are just now hearing about this.

[TheDon]

If Ricci wanted to keep the use of the vehicle secret from those around him, he would have to plan his use of the vehicle during times which may not have been available except in that time period. Perhaps he scouted out a location that he later used for dumping the body. This could have taken several days.

[Bella]

I don't really think that the mechanic is lying, but I saw him with the AB interview, and he appeared to be easily agreeable to whatever AB was saying. First he said the vehicle had an additional 300 or so miles on it, then it went up to "maybe it was 500," finally, with AB's persistence, he agreed on 1,000 miles. ODD.

FOX just said--6 or 7 MALE NEIGHBORS going to be giving blood samples tomorrow..they were all in the Smart home..interesting..seems something's definitely up..AND, why give blood samples?, what are they comparing it to?

RE the mechanic--Due to the authorities focusing directly on Ricci, Ricci this, Ricci that...as we all know, I bet if we used anyone of us as a target and focused directly on one person, anyone who's asked any questions at all on a person, can and will come up w/ something. He didn't smile (could have been upset or had a headache), he was looking across the street(since when isn't anyone allowed to look across the street or turn their head while talking to someone?), OR, Did he put his hands in his pocket?--Oh yes, he did it, in a way as if he was hiding something, blah, blah, blah.....People's minds work in strange ways..And, if we go to Ashley Banfield's interview, the way she was asking the questions can lead to an indirect or direct response..Can you imagine what this mechanic would have said if anyone went to him and asked him to tell him everything he could about anyone, in this case, Ricci. What would he say? Chances are he would say he's a nice guy, is a hard worker if he knows him that well, or, this guy makes me nuts, always whatever..Supposed the mechanic wasn't aware of Ricci being a suspect, would the mechanic tell anyone anything or, would he call the cops to say this guy was acting weird, OR, would he think NOTHING of it? Being that Ricci's name has been announced as a suspect, everyone who lives in that area mind's are working overtime..Why didn't the mechanic notify the police back then instead of coming out w/ these stories now?

EX--Suppose I brought my Jeep into a garage for servicing...2 days later I realize I left something in the Jeep that I need..I go to the garage and get it..How many mechanics are WATCHING what I'm taking out of my car?? Probably none..All of a sudden, police are asking questions, go to the garage where the car was & start asking questions to the mechanic. Hmmm...the mechanic has no idea what I took from the car, but, being that he's being asked questions, thinks he HAS to say something instead of admitting he doesn't know a thing...The cops are asking all types of questions, instilling thoughts into his head, what's this guy going to do and say?? He feels he has to say something...all of a sudden, because the guy looked across the street, thinks this is strange?? Why would the mechanic be watching Ricci cross the street anyway?

Another thing..it's possible that the mechanic might have used the car while it was in the garage, as is done in some garages without permission..The mechanic doesn't really want anyone to know this...but, he's being asked questions, which are leading, what's he going to do??

[Jolly Green]

why on earth would someone that is plotting/planning a kidnapping, bring their vehicle in for repairs, knowing that something like this wouldn't be noticed? This doesn't make any sense at all.

If you are Ricci and if you assume the mechanic wasn't all that swift AND the mom & pop mechanic didn't keep good records AND if you are a typical perp who thinks they are smarter than everyone else, you think you can establish a perfect alibi for the vehicle i.e. it was in the shop the whole time.

[TheDon]

My understanding is that the main repair -- of the fuel pump -- had been completed when he picked the Jeep up on May 31.

I hadn't heard about that. So Ricci would have had a fully functioning vehicle after all. Perhaps that was what he was waiting for.

[Jolly Green]

most people want their vehicle repaired and in tip top running condition BEFORE they used it to commit a major crime?

He got the fuel pump fixed before he took it out the first time. That was the critical item, which supports your theory.

[IamHD]

If I were Richard Ricci, I would sure hate to have you as one of the jurors for my trial. I'm not saying that he's guilty or innocent, but you already have this guy hanging from the nearest tree! And, he isn't even an "official" suspect, nor has he been charged yet! Have a good 4th. LOL

[submarine]

why would you need to take the Jeep out of the shop, 5/6 days BEFORE the kidnapping? It just doesn't make sense to me. I could see 1/2 days...but 5/6???

My guess: Because May 31 was a Friday. The repair shop may have been closed over the weekend. If they hadn't picked it up on Friday, they may have been forced to wait until Monday, the 3rd. And perhaps that would have cut things too close because the actual abduction process began on the evening of Tuesday, June 4th -- she was abducted in the first couple hours of June 5th.

In any case May 31 to June 4 is only 4 days. Maybe there were preparations that needed to be done -- for example, a set of seat covers may have been purchased and installed.

[Bella]

Maybe they ought to start over from square one again because of the media convicting Ricci due to all the disinformation. Elizabeth still isn't safely home :-(