Posted on 07/09/2002 10:07:02 PM PDT by stlnative
Either involved or knows the reason behind the alleged abduction. Ed Smart sure didn't come across well in this news conference. But if it helps get Elizabeth home, then I'm glad he did it -- bumbling though it might have been.
Also seemed like he very flustered when asked if the letter came from another state.
Reporters are sneeky when they ask questions, they do the same to Bush and he laughs also when they do it.
With all due respect to you Brigette..and I do respect you and all your tiring work here...President Bush may smirk or laugh, but if Jenna or Barbara were missing for 5 weeks, I doubt he would be laughing. This is totally bizaar behaviour on this father's part. # 1...If it were you or me...that letter would be RUSHED to the F.B.I. immediately, and The F.B.I. or the P.D. would be handling it, both in investigation and media attention...and would advise the family to be quiet about it, while they do their work, and that includes testing the ORIGINAL copy. They in my mind, would not thrust him out onto the media with it as a "tidbit" to keep the media satisfied instead of leaving SLC.
There is something wrong here. Think of it....they have waited all these days...a letter comes stating someone knows where she is...and the Dad breaks it to the press ? And then laughs at the questions?
You said in post # 16...(this tells us that the police are not taking the letter seriously) I can't get past the words of that ! What Dad, with his little girl missing for sooooo long,would come out with something that the police are not considering even worth a press conference ?? And #2...What Dad would USE THIS LETTER just to keep the press interested?
I am not trying to be harsh, but there is something wrong with this picture.
Once again, we come to You, believing in Your ominipotence and sovereignty. You are the God of the impossible. Nothing is too difficult for You. We ask You, Father, to use the details and circumstances of this letter to lead the authorities to Elizabeth. Father, we do not know whether the letter is legitimate, but You see all the pieces of this puzzle that are hidden to us. We ask You, Father, to have mercy upon Elizabeth and to allow her to be released to her family. We commit her to You, knowing that You love her and care about every minute of her life. Someone is sitting on the information that is needed, Father. Convict that person's heart to speak. Hear our prayers for Elizabeth, Father, and help her to keep her eyes focused on You. Let not a hair on her head be harmed. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
I would feel the same, but I am going to give you more credit than that, Rotan. I am going to believe that you..and I...would WANT to get out there and handle it ourselves...but common sense and reality say that the F.B.I. AND P.D. are professionals, and I must trust their judgement, because if we take tha law into OUR hands, we can do harm to the case.
But I understand what you are saying.
Burglary Allegations Called 'Premature'
Wednesday, July 10, 2002
BY MICHAEL VIGH and KEVIN CANTERA
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
Discussion of burglary and theft charges against Richard Albert Ricci -- who has repeatedly been questioned in connection with the disappearance of Elizabeth Smart -- may be "premature," Salt Lake City Police Chief Rick Dinse said Tuesday.
On Monday, deputy Salt Lake County District Attorney Kent Morgan estimated a charge could be filed against Ricci as early as Thursday, but Dinse downplayed that possibility a day later.
"To my knowledge, there is no imminent filing of burglary charges against Mr. Ricci," Dinse told The Salt Lake Tribune.
Salt Lake County District Attorney David Yocom agreed Tuesday, saying, "I haven't been told one way or another. I don't know when any filing will take place."
Ricci, who worked as a handyman in the Smart's home last year, is one of a handful of ex-cons being scrutinized by police in connection with Elizabeth's apparent abduction.
The girl disappeared early in the morning of June 5 when an intruder in her Federal Heights home abducted her at gunpoint, police say. The girl's 9-year-old sister -- who shared a bed with Elizabeth that night -- is the only witness to the kidnapping, and has provided investigators with only scant details of the suspect.
"We are continuing to look at Mr. Ricci and his associates, as well as associates of the Smart family," Dinse said. "We are also looking at others who had access to the Smart's neighborhood. No one has been eliminated" as a suspect.
At the Smart family's daily news briefing, one of Elizabeth's aunts expressed frustration that Ricci has not been more cooperative with detectives, who say they are not convinced by the alibi Ricci has given for the night Elizabeth disappeared.
"We would love to have [Ricci] be more open," said Cynthia Smart Owens.
But Ricci, who is being held on an alleged parole violation, maintains he is innocent. In a recent statement he said he has "fully cooperated" with investigators, consented to 26 hours of questioning, given blood, DNA and surrendered his Jeep Cherokee, given to him by the Smart family in exchange for work at their home.
The warrant that returned Ricci to prison for alleged parole violations claimed he had committed a burglary of a dwelling, but did not specify when or where.
Dinse warned against focusing on any one individual. "We are not putting all our eggs in one basket," he said. "We may need to go in another direction. We are going to go where the evidence takes us."
Meanwhile, in the month since Elizabeth's June 5 disappearance, thousands of fliers and posters featuring her smiling visage -- ubiquitous on lamp posts and store fronts throughout Utah -- have become faded and torn.
Family members of the missing 14-year-old asked Tuesday for volunteers to replace the old fliers with a crisp, new version that can be downloaded from the Internet. "We've got groups going through to renew the tattered fliers," said Angela Smart Dumke.
She urged volunteers to visit www.elizabethsmart.com to download fliers and find information about searches planned to hunt for clues for Elizabeth's whereabouts.
mvigh@sltrib.com
kcantera@sltrib.com
I found a Bridget that worked for the Attorney General in SLC. So far, no Bridget that worked for the SLC Police Dept. She refrained from posting Bridget's last name, because as she said, lawyers are the first to sue.
The Bridget that worked for the Attorney General is an Attorney, herself and had worked also in the courtroom of a Judge Behren who is a Juvenile Court judge in SLC. She works for the AG in Utah and did sit in as Representative in the courtroom of the Juvenile Court. He was hearing cases about custody of minors. I don't know why the Assistant to the AG was present. That was Bridget's function, in that court. Found this on the Deseret News, Legal postings.
This family's use of the media is starting to raise some red flags with me. Why does the family not use their camera time to focus on finding Elizabeth, rather than using it to discuss how much fun they had on past family vacations or who may or may not be a suspect in the case? If they truly want the public's assistance in finding their daughter, why do they not come to EVERY press conference armed with photos of who the public should be looking for??? Why do they not come to EVERY press conference armed with the address to the website containing details on who the public should be looking for??? Why would the entire Smart family use their time on Larry King to discuss THEMSELVES rather than focussing on who the public should be looking for???
ELIZABETH is getting more and more lost in this family media circus. I'm beginning to question the family's motives for maintaining it.
Dinse warned against focusing on any one individual. "We are not putting all our eggs in one basket," he said. "We may need to go in another direction. We are going to go where the evidence takes us."
Could mean a lot, or nothing, depending on whether or not there's any evidence to be had.
Can they hold him indefinitely on parole violations, is he automatically sent back to prison?
Bella, what do you think of this letter...to me it must be different from other letters Ed has received...something must stand out for him to come forward with it......or he is using it to keep media attention.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.