Elizabeth Smart found.....Alive and well ! (2 Viewers)

[Glenn Overholt]

Micheal - From what I remember, her sister thought long and hard about running off to her parents, but when she got to the hall, she saw both of them standing in (I think) it was the kitchen. She went back to her room and tried again later, but I forgot how long.

I am really happy that she is back too, but this whole thing is beginning to smell really bad. I have a feeling that very soon the facts will come out and we'll never find out what happened, including those in SLC.

Glenn

 

[Michael*K]

I suspect that Elizabeth will give this guy up (if she hasn't already), but even w/o her testimony, I would think that her sisters testimony would be sufficient

What testimony would that happen to be? That she got a clear look at the guy when it was pitch dark in the room? She changed her description of the guy 3-4 times. Hardly what I'd call a reliable witness. I would think any defense attorney would be sharpening his carving knife for a crack at cross examining her.

The whole case is too damned weird. The denial to the cops of her real identity, the celebrity-style photo releases, the constant sight of the girl's father in the press. Hell, the day the kid returned her father spent 90 percent of the time in front of microphones. If my kid was gone for nine months, I'd want to be with her every minute of the day she got back and probably every day after it. The family has friends in high places (former U.S. Senator Jake Garn among them), so there will likely never be an explanation as to what really happened. It also helps explain why the case received such widespread media attention last summer. Nothing like a few well connected phone calls to get the newsrooms going full tilt.

 

[Carl Johnson]

That puts a couple of different cards on the table. First off there's a big difference in 'some strange polygamist ceremony' and child rape. If she's admitting to a sexual relationship with the guy thats all they need to lock him up and throw away the key. Secondly I hadn't heard about this alleged marriage. If it's true that she agreed to marry the guy 24 hrs after disappearing then she probably willingly left with him. That doesn't make it legal but I doubt that Stockholm Syndrome would have taken effect that quickly.

 

[Micheal]

What testimony would that happen to be? That she got a clear look at the guy when it was pitch dark in the room? She changed her description of the guy 3-4 times. Hardly what I'd call a reliable witness. I would think any defense attorney would be sharpening his carving knife for a crack at cross examining her.

I couldn't agree more. I also wouldn't be surprised if the father ends up with a part in the "made for TV" movie.

 

[Karl_Luph]

Could it be that she got pregnant and has given birth or is pregnant now? What really is going on here?

 

[Carl Johnson]

Where did that come from? The first thing they would have done is to give her a physical and if she either was pregnant or had given birth they couldn't keep that secret for a million dollars. I literally mean someone would have sold the story to the National Enquirer for $1,000,000 and the whole world would know about it by now.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

I don't know about that, Carl. If a test did come out positive in the hospital and word leaked out they could sue for a bundle.

Also, as a lot of people here are using the SS as a way out (?) for any responsibility in this, are there statistics on the percentage of victims that have fallen to SS compared to those that didn't?

Glenn

 

[Carl Johnson]

Stockholm Syndrome is not a way out for any responsibility. She is a minor so she can't be responsible here. If she flirted with this man while he was working on the house, called him back, begged him to pick her up and proposed to him she still isn't responsible. He is the adult so he was in charge. If she fell for the guy it's because he made himself available.
I see what you're saying about the hospital being liable but I still don't think that they could keep a secret like that. Sure the hospital could get sued for a bundle but the $25,000 per year nurse, technician or janitor who hears about the test would be more concerned with their own bankroll than that of the hospital. Politicians reveal their medical issues all of the time because if they don't it will still get out.

 

[Vickie_M]

First it was a gun, now it's been changed to a knife.

First of all, the little sister probably couldn't tell exactly what the guy had. Maybe she heard him tell Elizabeth that he had a gun, but Elizabeth now tells them he had a knife. Second, even if they knew from the start that the guy had a knife, the police often hold back or slightly change details of a crime scene so they can weed out the crackpots who confess to crimes for the attention. There's a reasonable explanation for the change, and we'll learn what it is soon enough. You're making much too big a deal about this.

 

[Josh Lowe]

The whole story is so bizarre. She's running around in a pillowcase and a veil calling herself "Augustine" and denying her identity to the cops one minute, then the next she's her old self doing fashion show style photo shoots and giving impromptu harp recitals for the family and friends?

Plus she told the cop that found her when she was confronted that "You think I'm that Elizabeth Smart girl that ran away, don't you?"

The whole thing stinks and hopefully won't cause any damage to the overall effort to find missing children in this country. One rich little girl's apparent lark should not somehow lead to softening the image of what abductions are like.

I believe it was a high-profile case because the girl was reported to have been abducted from her bedroom in the middle of the night, by a guy climbing in through the window.

It was a high-profile case because the girl was from a rich, white family that is well-connected. What a shame it would be if it turns out it was all some childish game, think about what the resources wasted on trying to find her could have been otherwise dedicated to.

 

[Ashley Seymour]

It was a high-profile case because the girl was from a rich, white family that is well-connected. What a shame it would be if it turns out it was all some childish game, think about what the resources wasted on trying to find her could have been otherwise dedicated to.

This comment and many of the other insensitive musings already give an indication of what we will have in store when we get to hear the defense attorney when he gets Elizabeth on the stand.

Last night Patty Hearst said that in no way should Elizabeth have any medical records - possibly showing she had intercorse with Emanuel - made public. Agreed, it will be a million $ tabloid detail.

How can this kidnapper - alleged - this couple, not spend a long time breaking rocks. The prosecution will attempt to keep out any facts of a sexual nature to avoid an attempt by the defense attorney to work a deal for a lesser offense. The Smarts don't want her on the stand. Ed will be glad to testify, but he won't want his daughter up there.

The defense attorney will make some of the comments in this thread seem like a discussion of an overnight girl scout outing. It will be his/her job to get his client off and this will be one of the more sensational trials - just under McVey and Orenthal.

Boldly waking into a home and abducting a young girl is not a garden variety kidnapping. I mentioned before about Polly Klass. Similar situation, but that freaking psycho killed her quickly. Ed Smart was Ed enough to keep this in front of the media. Rich or not, to his credit he was a master promoter. If they had found her remains, it would have been a much shorter story.

This guys ex-wife and step-daughter have been on TV and described him as having a violent nature and a sexual perversion. Another reason to keep close watch on paroled sex offenders.

Two weeks ago, a woman was murdered and her body dumped in the foothills near town. This week the police found the guy, a suspect, in our local county jail. He had been picked up for failure to register as a sex offender.

Emanuel will try to throw up a smoke screen about his mission being a religious calling. In reality, he is just a pervert.

 

[Brandon_T]

It was a high-profile case because the girl was from a rich, white family that is well-connected.

Can you please list how being white has anything to do with it?

And please list who they are connected to.

Thank you

 

[Cees Alons]

Come on, people we're this close to closing the thread. Stop making unnecessary social and/or ethnic remarks.
Thanks.

 

[Michael*K]

Ed will be glad to testify

I have no doubt about that. This guy really seems to enjoy the limelight.

 

[Vickie_M]

Ashley, EXCELLENT post, thank you.

There are a lot of things that have been said in this thread that make me angry and breaks my heart at the same time. I'm not naive (I could tell stories of my own teenage years that would curl your hair), but EVERYTHING points to this girl being a victim of this deranged psycho. Nothing in her life or past even hints at a psyche that would set up a kidnapping (and in the process scare the s*it out of her little sister) in order to run away with an old, scraggy, crazy guy.

 

[Micheal]

There are just so many odd things about this case.

The way that Elizabeth refused to come back home when the Police found her.

The little sister "figuring out" who kidnapped Elizabeth almost 5 months after the fact. (If she couldn't tell a knife from a gun (if a weapon was used) then how could she see who kidnapped her sister and remember it 5 months later?)

The father throughout this entire case has been a spotlight junkie. He spent more time in front of the camera after her return then he did with his daughter.

The way everything is suddenly back to "normal" (fashion show and harp playing photo ops) for the press and TV the day after Elizabeth stated that her "kidnappers" were her real parents and she even refused to come home and didn't even ask 1 question about her real parents while waiting at the station.

All I'm trying to say is that this whole thing is bizarre. I don't want to live in a world where this kind of thing is considered normal. Especially the way that the parents shoved their daughter back into the limelight when that is probably the LAST thing that she needs. Get her some help and keep her off the talk shows and out of the paper. (That goes for Dad too!) If she really was brainwashed then it's obvious that this girl needs some real help. (And the love of her parents, that includes their FULL attention.)

 

[Micheal]

Emanuel will try to throw up a smoke screen about his mission being a religious calling.

Once again, this can't really be discussed in detail due to the rules of the Forum. There are some things I would like to add to this comment but cannot.

 

[Michael*K]

They played an audio clip on the World News Tonight of the Smart's answering machine message. Basically it's instructions for book publishers and television and film producers to "submit proposals in writing." Cha-Ching! :rolleyes

 

[Chris Lockwood]

> http://www.amberalert.com/

hmmm, this just seems like the type of common sense info that would be released in such a case, so why is it being trumpeted like it's some kind of new "system" that's going to solve these cases?

 

[Chris_Morris]

Chris, because there is no such system in place in most states. Many times, the info needed is not released to the public for long periods of time (from 6 hours to days later) With Amber Alert, the information would be plastered on television, radio, roadway signs, and various other mass outlets within hours using the same Alert system that is used for severe weather and such (the EAS system) It is already very prominent in California, and has been credited with saving lives, one as recently as this weekend. Here's a site with alot more info on what the Amber plan really is:

http://www.missingkids.com/html/ambe...20amber%20plan


Chris