Picture of Elizabeth and her Kidnappers in San Diego.

Rick Roberts website ^ | March 13, 2003 | Hildy

[Hildy]

A woman unknowingly snapped a picture of the three here in Lakeside California. She just thought it looked so odd to see this here. She called the Rick Roberts Radio show and they contacted Utah police. Also, it seems that Emmanual spent some time in our El Cajon jail for vandizing a church. Here's the picture:

[Alouette]

Where in the US is this normal looking?

Dearborn, Michigan.

[Illbay]

I think that it is a combination of things.

For one thing, the "Mormon" community in Utah is VERY close-knit, and the furor and hubbub surrounding this incident was quite a thing to see.

Second, it happened as part of a string of similar child-nabbings.

Third, there were so many bizarre twists to the tale (Mary Katherine saw the guy, Ricci, the sighting in Iowa of a girl in a minivan, etc.)

Fourth, the Smarts played the media very, very well. They wouldn't let people forget.

Anyone who says that she wasn't "special" and that these kinds of abductions go on all too frequently are VERY correct. But it is all in how you play the media.

There are still many children missing, and I pray that at least some of them might return to their loved ones as Elizabeth did. For the others, may the Lord bless and keep them wherever they are, in this world or the next.

[veronica]

Amazing photos. Bizarre garb. The whole things is so strange. Just glad that poor girl is out the clutches of those crazies.

[Lokibob]

Everybody is calling the area behind Federal Heights "HILLS", but I can tell you that they are mountains.

In addition, I heard that Mitchell and wife had lived in those same mountains for a few years prior to the kidnapping. So they knew where they were and the best hiding places.

[veronica]

Overlook my typos please....:)

[Hildy]

I know. Can you imagine what this poor girl went through? Can't believe there are people here at FR that believe she went willingly. Yea, like it's every young girl's dream to run away with two middle-aged crazy people, trudge around the country and wear veils on their face!

[alnick]

Thank God Ed Smart kept all of this in the news.

Thank God. I'm surprised by the venom aimed at this family by so many freepers. I pray that the little girl and her family can get back to normal as soon as possible.

[veronica]

I don't understand the hostility and cynicism.

[slimer]

In what part of San Diego were they?

[Hildy]

The pictures were taken in Lakeside, but apparently they were in El Cajon for a time, because he did 6 days jail time for vandalizing a church!

[Hildy]

Also in Fallbrook.

[Deb]

One of the reporters at the press conference said the Mitchells were Bahai. Has anyone else heard anything about that?

[FITZ]

Maybe she didn't go willingly but it seems she stayed willingly ---I don't see anyone holding a gun to her head in those pictures ---if she's in those pictures. I would hope my own kids would have found an opportunity in that city to cry out for help ---or run into that open door. Or if stopped by the police to get help. There was a little girl recently who escaped a kidnapping that had far less opportunity to get a way ---but she took her chance when she could.

I saw a weird family ---more clean shaven, more kids and younger kids several months ago ---dressed a lot like this ---in some weird white hooded robes walking along the interstate ---and here that is weird. I figured they were some weird cult but didn't pay any more attention to them.

[Jesse]

Maybe I missed something, but how dumb do you have to be to pick up vagrants to come work at your house? Smart isn't very, is he?

[Djarum]

On what grounds would the police have stopped them?

What were they arrested for at the bus station? Kidnapping?

[slimer]

Thanks for the info.

[Hildy]

In some circles, it's called charity. Apparently you don't travel in those circles.

[inflorida]

Maybe I missed something, but how dumb do you have to be to pick up vagrants to come work at your house? Smart isn't very, is he?

I read today that Elizabeth's mom saw Mitchell panhandling downtown so she gave him $5 and then asked him if he wanted to do some work on their home. That's how he ended up in the Smart house.

[alnick]

Very often good people are naive enough to give people the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure that they've learned a lesson about who they allow into their home, although from the news reports that I've heard they did not allow this man into their home. He did work outside of their house only.

While it's true that the parents made a mistake in trusting the wrong people, there are posters here spinning wild tales of sexual abuse by the father and ignoring the fact that Elizabeth was kidnapped at gunpoint because they'd rather believe that she ran away. The family is not to blame; the kidnapper is to blame.

[vikingchick]

!