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Elizabeth Smart who vanished from Utah home found safe
Seattle Times ^ | March 12, 2003 | Mike Carter

Posted on 03/12/2003 8:01:09 PM PST by Shermy

Elizabeth Smart, the 15-year-old Salt Lake City girl kidnapped from her home last June, had been held in a polygamous relationship by a man who believed God had told him to take her as another wife.

Police sources in Utah, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the man had kidnapped the girl more than 8 months ago and she was living with him and at least one other woman in a house in suburban Sandy, Utah, about 20 miles south of the girl’s home.

The girl was found alive — against all hope — in a car stopped by police.

“Miracles do exist,” said the girl's uncle, Tom Smart. He said the girl was in good condition.

Elizabeth was wearing a wig when police in Sandy pulled over the drifter, a man known as Emmanuel, authorities said. She was taken to the Salt Lake City police department, where her family was with her.

Brian David Mitchell

The man, whose real name is Brian David Mitchell, had worked “for about five hours” at the girl’s parents' luxurious home in the foothills near the state Capitol more than a year earlier, the source said. Police say he had become enamored of the girl at that time and prayed about taking her as another wife.

“It was a religious thing,” the source said. “This guy just wanted another wife and God told him this was the one.”

A month ago, the Smarts held a news conference where they released a sketch of Mitchell, who did work at their home in November 2001. As recently as yesterday, the family openly criticized police for not devoting enough attention to the former handyman.

Mitchell’s sister called authorities with his identity after the family’s Feb. 3 news conference. The man’s stepson gave investigators photos of Mitchell and said his stepfather was “capable” of kidnapping a child.

He also said Mitchell believes he is a prophet who needs to preach to the homeless and has no source of income other than handouts.

On the night of June 5, 2002, a man cut the screen in the girl’s bedroom window and climbed inside. Armed with a handgun, he took the child from her bed while her little sister, Mary Katherine, witnessed the kidnapping. The sister, afraid the man was still in the house, laid in bed for several hours before waking her parents and reporting the kidnapping.

Last month, Elizabeth’s younger sister was re-interviewed by detectives and told them that the man who broke into the bedroom that night resembled the man she knew as Emmanuel. Elizabeth Smart’s parents issued a new reward and released a sketch of the man.

Until then, police were disheartened over the disappearance. Their main suspect, a convicted burglar named Richard Albert Ricci, had died in prison of a brain hemorrhage last August. He had steadfastly denied any role in kidnapping the girl.

Investigators have said they believe Ricci was involved but may not have acted alone.

“They should have caught this guy by now,” said Tom Smart. “The police are too vested in Ricci.”

Elizabeth’s father, Ed, was less harsh but expressed his “frustration” at public statements made by police dismissing Mitchell as a potential suspect.

Police said they followed up more than 16,000 leads from the public in addition to those they came up with themselves.

Children’s advocates were elated by the good news.

“We are very, very relieved,” said Marilyn Ward, director of Child Search, a national missing children center based in Houston. “This should help the cause of missing children everywhere. We are thankful she’s alive. It gives hope to people to never give up.”


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; US: Utah; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: elizatethsmart
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To: Shermy
Too many things wrong with this report.

No mention of their travels.
LEA knows the transient camp where Mitchell et al stayed.
No home.
No mention of pologamy on SLC tv.

This report need to be taken with a ton of salt.


21 posted on 03/12/2003 8:26:38 PM PST by Lokibob (62.4 % of all statistics you see on the internet are made up on the spot.)
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To: Welsh Rabbit
but I don't feel the public is entitled to know all the sick details of her captivity (not that I'm buying this Seattle Times story right off the bat).

I agree, but it's out there - and the networks were mentioning it.

There's going to be plenty of axe grinding on this one - count on it.

22 posted on 03/12/2003 8:27:12 PM PST by Shermy
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To: Shermy
The girl was found alive — against all hope — in a car stopped by police.

Just to keep things straight, there was NOT a car and a traffic stop!

Apparently the three were walking along South State street in Sandy, and they were seen by quite a number of people, two of whom called the (Sandy) police. The trigger was the odd dress of the three, most notably the male, Brian David Mitchell. (He goes by the name Emmanuale, but I refuse to grace him with that name. He is Brian David Mitchell.)

When the police encountered them, it was not immediately obvious that Elizabeth Smart was one of the three. It was only after the police officers (a female and a male) began questioning them and getting strange and inconsistent answers were their suspicions aroused. On further questioning it bacame rather clear that one of the three was Elizabeth.

It has been interesting here around the Salt Lake valley this afternoon.

23 posted on 03/12/2003 8:27:31 PM PST by rundy
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To: r9etb
**Do you mean "chunky" as in pregnant?**

My thoughts exactly.
24 posted on 03/12/2003 8:28:18 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Shermy
[“It was a religious thing,” the source said. “This guy just wanted another wife and God told him this was the one.” ]

How many reports have come from Seattle descirbing 9-11 as a "Religeous thing", and that "God told them to do it...". </rhetorical question regarding Seattle PC politics>

25 posted on 03/12/2003 8:28:31 PM PST by Mad_Tom_Rackham (Let's Roll Already!)
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To: Wrigley; CCWoody; JesseShurun
ping
26 posted on 03/12/2003 8:29:26 PM PST by drstevej
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To: Utah Girl
A former SLC prosecuter on MSNBC just said that no matter what the charges are, "Emmanuel" is facing life. They also said Elizabeth is home with her family tonight.
27 posted on 03/12/2003 8:29:31 PM PST by Partisan Hack
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To: Shermy
The guy at Seattle Times knows Tom Smart... he was just on MSNBC Abrahms Report
28 posted on 03/12/2003 8:29:37 PM PST by stlnative
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To: Utah Girl
Did they say if she looked pregnant..that would be the worse nighmare because he looks mentally ill
29 posted on 03/12/2003 8:29:44 PM PST by RnMomof7
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To: I still care
Mormons get unfairly razzed a lot about a perceived history of plural marriages/child brides. In this case the prejudices will be reinforced, it appears.
30 posted on 03/12/2003 8:29:46 PM PST by Shermy
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To: A_perfect_lady

Admittedly, not a great or very revealing photo.

31 posted on 03/12/2003 8:30:13 PM PST by Kevin Curry
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To: brigette; Joe Hadenuf
Knows him personally? A friend? That explains a lot.
32 posted on 03/12/2003 8:31:05 PM PST by Shermy
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To: Shermy
“This guy just wanted another wife and God told him this was the one.”

Clue: it wasn't God telling him. God doesn't tell men to kidnap peoples' children to satisfy their lust.

33 posted on 03/12/2003 8:31:11 PM PST by sweetliberty ("To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.")
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To: FirstTomato
Actually I agree with you. I threw in the word psychotherapy when what I want to say is she'll need a lot of help and love after this year long kidnapping by a guy who probably had his way with her.
34 posted on 03/12/2003 8:31:35 PM PST by dennisw ( http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/weblog.php)
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To: I still care
This abduction had nothing to do with mormanism. The fellow involved is a total fruitcake; he's not the typical morman splinter group polygamist.
35 posted on 03/12/2003 8:32:34 PM PST by SarahW
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To: r9etb
Do you mean "chunky" as in pregnant?.

Yes, pregnant. See Utah Girl's post above. There seems to be a little "buzz" about this rumor.

36 posted on 03/12/2003 8:32:53 PM PST by Partisan Hack
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To: sweetliberty
“This guy just wanted another wife and God told him this was the one.”

Clue: it wasn't God telling him. God doesn't tell men to kidnap peoples' children to satisfy their lust.

Sounds like the life and times of Muhammad

 

37 posted on 03/12/2003 8:33:16 PM PST by dennisw ( http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/weblog.php)
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To: Partisan Hack
Why would you say that?
38 posted on 03/12/2003 8:33:21 PM PST by cubreporter
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To: Salvation
I just had a scary thought ..the "other woman" looks a bit old..could they have taken her to have a baby for them..a kind of Abraham and Sarah thing?
39 posted on 03/12/2003 8:33:36 PM PST by RnMomof7
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To: Salvation
No, not pregnant. Chunky as in chunky...fatter.

This is a little girl who is a lot chunkier than when she was taken.

40 posted on 03/12/2003 8:33:59 PM PST by rundy
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