Elizabeth Smart Found Alive
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Folsomite
, Mar 12 2003 03:56 PM
6 replies to this topic
#1
Folsomite
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Posted 12 March 2003 - 03:56 PM
can you believe after 8 months, they found that little girl from Utah, and alive??? That just made my day!
The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.
Ben Stein
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#2
cybertrano
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Posted 12 March 2003 - 06:25 PM
That's just amazing. Thank God!!!!! That's good news for my day too. I though she was kidnapped and murdered, which is usually the case nowadays.
Teenager Elizabeth Smart Found Alive
10 minutes ago Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo!
By PATTY HENETZ, Associated Press Writer
SALT LAKE CITY - Elizabeth Smart, the 15-year-old girl who vanished from her bedroom nine months ago, was found alive Wednesday walking down a suburban Salt Lake City street with a drifter who had once done work at the family's home. The man was taken into custody and the teenager was whisked away for a long-awaited reunion with her jubilant family.
AP Photo
AP Photo
Slideshow: Elizabeth Smart Found Alive
Wife of Suspect in Smart Case Relieved
(AP Video)
Latest news:
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AP - 39 minutes ago
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AP - Wed Mar 12, 5:03 PM ET
Special Coverage
"Miracles do exist," said Tom Smart, the girl's uncle.
Relatives said Elizabeth was in good condition and was being questioned by police about her ordeal. She was expected to go home late Wednesday.
"All of the children out there deserve to come back to their parents the way Elizabeth has come back to us," father Ed Smart as he broke into sobs.
He added: "I don't know what she's gone through and I'm sure she's been through heck. I just know that she's a part of our family, she's loved and we love her so much."
The police and Elizabeth's family offered no details of where the teenager had been since she vanished last June.
Authorities were tipped off by members of the public who spotted the drifter known as Emmanuel on a street in suburban Sandy, about 20 miles south of Elizabeth's home in Salt Lake City. The man, a woman believed to be his companion and Elizabeth were all wearing wigs when they were stopped.
Relatives of Emmanuel, whose real name is Brian Mitchell, have described him as a self-appointed prophet for the homeless who has lived in a teepee in the mountains outside the city. He was hired by the Smarts in November 2001 to work on their roof. Elizabeth disappeared seven months later.
Mitchell and the second suspect, identified only as Wanda Barzee, were in custody at the Sandy police station. No charges were immediately filed, but Salt Lake City Police Chief Rick Dinse said: "We are convinced she was kidnapped."
Asked whether he believed Elizabeth was held against her will, he said: "At this point, yes, I do." He did not offer a potential motive.
Police stopped Mitchell and the others after receiving calls a minute apart from Rudy and Nancy Montoya and Anita and Alvin Dickerson. Both couples had spotted the trio carrying bedrolls and bags as they walked down the street.
Anita Dickerson, thinking the man resembled the suspect, left her car and looked him in the eye. At the time, she thought Elizabeth she was an older woman wearing a scarf.
"Lots of people had to see them, they just didn't put two and two together," Alvin Dickerson told The Associated Press.
Elizabeth disappeared last summer, part of a frightening string of incidents involving children that included the slayings of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam of San Diego and 5-year-old Samantha Runnion of Orange County, Calif.
News that Elizabeth was alive touched off a celebration in front of the Smarts' home in affluent Federal Heights, with neighbors and members of the family's Mormon ward holding blue and yellow balloons.
"How can I even talk? This is such a miracle," said Lynne Godfrey, 57, a neighbor. "I had given up hope — I mean, where would she have been? Who would have taken care of her for a year?"
A month ago, the Smarts held a news conference and released a sketch of a clean-shaven Mitchell. As recently as Tuesday, 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, Mark Thompson, gave investigators photos of a long-haired, bearded 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.
Mitchell was often seen panhandling and preaching to the homeless in downtown Salt Lake City before Elizabeth's disappearance.
Elizabeth's mother, Lois Smart, has said she met Mitchell downtown when he asked for money. She gave him $5 and hired him to help her husband work on the roof. He worked for about five hours and the family didn't see him again.
Elizabeth was 14 when she vanished early on the morning of June 5. Her 9-year-old sister, Mary Katherine, said Elizabeth was taken by a man who may have gotten into the house by cutting a window screen near the back door. The sister pretended to be asleep, and she said the gunman threatened to hurt Elizabeth if she didn't keep quiet.
Last month, Elizabeth's parents said Mary Katherine had come to them recently to say "Emmanuel" bore some resemblance to the kidnapper. After Elizabeth was found, relatives called the little girl a hero.
"It is truly a miracle to me that she was able to come up with him," Ed Smart said. He had earlier expressed "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 besides those they came up with themselves.
For months, the top potential suspect was Richard Ricci, a handyman who once worked in the Smart household. He insisted he had nothing to do with the kidnapping, and he died Aug. 30 after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage while in prison on a parole violation.
Ricci's widow, Angela, called it a "joyous day for us and the Smarts."
Over the summer, the Smarts held twice-daily news briefings and thousands of volunteers combed the foothills of Salt Lake City, searching under brush for any sign of the blonde girl.
The family often got calls from the police alerting them to grisly discoveries that might be linked to their missing daughter; they wanted the Smarts to know before the story hit the news.
Sometimes, the news beat the police. Hands and feet had been found in a canyon, or bones had been discovered in the desert. The Smarts would call police to ask if it was Elizabeth. Every time, the answer was no.
On Wednesday, the family renewed its call for a national "Amber Alert" system to swiftly notify the public of missing children through the media. 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."
Teenager Elizabeth Smart Found Alive
10 minutes ago Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo!
By PATTY HENETZ, Associated Press Writer
SALT LAKE CITY - Elizabeth Smart, the 15-year-old girl who vanished from her bedroom nine months ago, was found alive Wednesday walking down a suburban Salt Lake City street with a drifter who had once done work at the family's home. The man was taken into custody and the teenager was whisked away for a long-awaited reunion with her jubilant family.
AP Photo
AP Photo
Slideshow: Elizabeth Smart Found Alive
Wife of Suspect in Smart Case Relieved
(AP Video)
Latest news:
· U.S. Seeks U.N. Vote on Iraq on Friday
AP - 39 minutes ago
· U.S. Claims Progress on Iraq Resolution
AP - 2 hours, 6 minutes ago
· Iraq Shows Drone Powell Called Dangerous
AP - Wed Mar 12, 5:03 PM ET
Special Coverage
"Miracles do exist," said Tom Smart, the girl's uncle.
Relatives said Elizabeth was in good condition and was being questioned by police about her ordeal. She was expected to go home late Wednesday.
"All of the children out there deserve to come back to their parents the way Elizabeth has come back to us," father Ed Smart as he broke into sobs.
He added: "I don't know what she's gone through and I'm sure she's been through heck. I just know that she's a part of our family, she's loved and we love her so much."
The police and Elizabeth's family offered no details of where the teenager had been since she vanished last June.
Authorities were tipped off by members of the public who spotted the drifter known as Emmanuel on a street in suburban Sandy, about 20 miles south of Elizabeth's home in Salt Lake City. The man, a woman believed to be his companion and Elizabeth were all wearing wigs when they were stopped.
Relatives of Emmanuel, whose real name is Brian Mitchell, have described him as a self-appointed prophet for the homeless who has lived in a teepee in the mountains outside the city. He was hired by the Smarts in November 2001 to work on their roof. Elizabeth disappeared seven months later.
Mitchell and the second suspect, identified only as Wanda Barzee, were in custody at the Sandy police station. No charges were immediately filed, but Salt Lake City Police Chief Rick Dinse said: "We are convinced she was kidnapped."
Asked whether he believed Elizabeth was held against her will, he said: "At this point, yes, I do." He did not offer a potential motive.
Police stopped Mitchell and the others after receiving calls a minute apart from Rudy and Nancy Montoya and Anita and Alvin Dickerson. Both couples had spotted the trio carrying bedrolls and bags as they walked down the street.
Anita Dickerson, thinking the man resembled the suspect, left her car and looked him in the eye. At the time, she thought Elizabeth she was an older woman wearing a scarf.
"Lots of people had to see them, they just didn't put two and two together," Alvin Dickerson told The Associated Press.
Elizabeth disappeared last summer, part of a frightening string of incidents involving children that included the slayings of 7-year-old Danielle van Dam of San Diego and 5-year-old Samantha Runnion of Orange County, Calif.
News that Elizabeth was alive touched off a celebration in front of the Smarts' home in affluent Federal Heights, with neighbors and members of the family's Mormon ward holding blue and yellow balloons.
"How can I even talk? This is such a miracle," said Lynne Godfrey, 57, a neighbor. "I had given up hope — I mean, where would she have been? Who would have taken care of her for a year?"
A month ago, the Smarts held a news conference and released a sketch of a clean-shaven Mitchell. As recently as Tuesday, 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, Mark Thompson, gave investigators photos of a long-haired, bearded 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.
Mitchell was often seen panhandling and preaching to the homeless in downtown Salt Lake City before Elizabeth's disappearance.
Elizabeth's mother, Lois Smart, has said she met Mitchell downtown when he asked for money. She gave him $5 and hired him to help her husband work on the roof. He worked for about five hours and the family didn't see him again.
Elizabeth was 14 when she vanished early on the morning of June 5. Her 9-year-old sister, Mary Katherine, said Elizabeth was taken by a man who may have gotten into the house by cutting a window screen near the back door. The sister pretended to be asleep, and she said the gunman threatened to hurt Elizabeth if she didn't keep quiet.
Last month, Elizabeth's parents said Mary Katherine had come to them recently to say "Emmanuel" bore some resemblance to the kidnapper. After Elizabeth was found, relatives called the little girl a hero.
"It is truly a miracle to me that she was able to come up with him," Ed Smart said. He had earlier expressed "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 besides those they came up with themselves.
For months, the top potential suspect was Richard Ricci, a handyman who once worked in the Smart household. He insisted he had nothing to do with the kidnapping, and he died Aug. 30 after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage while in prison on a parole violation.
Ricci's widow, Angela, called it a "joyous day for us and the Smarts."
Over the summer, the Smarts held twice-daily news briefings and thousands of volunteers combed the foothills of Salt Lake City, searching under brush for any sign of the blonde girl.
The family often got calls from the police alerting them to grisly discoveries that might be linked to their missing daughter; they wanted the Smarts to know before the story hit the news.
Sometimes, the news beat the police. Hands and feet had been found in a canyon, or bones had been discovered in the desert. The Smarts would call police to ask if it was Elizabeth. Every time, the answer was no.
On Wednesday, the family renewed its call for a national "Amber Alert" system to swiftly notify the public of missing children through the media. 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."
#3
carlar1
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Posted 12 March 2003 - 07:21 PM
I am very excited by this news! I am the mother of a 14 year old daughter and just the thought of this happening to a young girl her age broke my heart. I was in tears watching the news conference and am so happy for her family that they were able to have a happy ending and have their little girl back. I guess miracles do happen!
#4
Chad Vander Veen
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Posted 13 March 2003 - 10:56 AM
It is great they found this girl. The people I really feel sorry for are the other 5000 families whose missing child doesn't get national attention because it wasn't a slow news day. Hopefully, this case will help the nationwide Amber Alert system come into existence.
#5
camay2327
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Posted 13 March 2003 - 12:43 PM
I as a lot of other did not expect this outcome.
We are all happy for the Smart family.
They have a lot to go through now, what happened while she was
gone, the court case and all
We are happy for them !!!!
We are all happy for the Smart family.
They have a lot to go through now, what happened while she was
gone, the court case and all
We are happy for them !!!!
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Whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount "up to and including their life".
That is HONOR, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.
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#6
cybertrano
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Posted 13 March 2003 - 01:35 PM
She appears to be oked physically.
Fox network America Most Wanted show did it again.
Fox network America Most Wanted show did it again.
#7
tbarry
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Posted 14 March 2003 - 10:50 AM
Frustrated With Police, Family Turns to 'America's Most Wanted' to Get Word Out
Salt Lake City Police Chief Rick Dinse on Thursday rebutted criticism about not pursuing Brian Mitchell vigorously enough.
(Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune)
BY VINCE HORIUCHI
© 2003, THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
Feeling down and defeated, the family of Elizabeth Smart was looking for help.
By December, police had refused to publicize that the only witness to the kidnapping, Elizabeth's sister Mary Katherine, had named a new suspect.
With police opting to keep the new information quiet, the family turned to John Walsh, the host and creator of television's "America's Most Wanted."
"I had several times a feeling in my heart that she was out there," said her father, Ed Smart, on Thursday. "I talked with John Walsh back in December at a point when I was very low, and I didn't know."
In the end, it was tips generated from the Fox program, which had profiled alleged kidnappers Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee in two segments, that helped lead to the rescue of Elizabeth.
Since her kidnapping in June, Ed Smart had developed a relationship with Walsh, who had lost a son to a killer in 1981. They had a long talk in December after the Smarts appeared on Walsh's other television program, a talk show.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"America's Most Wanted" supervising producer Steve Katz said sketches were made of the suspect -- initially known only as "Emmanuel" -- but police did not want any information about him publicized.
"Ed said the police indicated to him that they wanted to handle the matter in their own way that didn't involve a big media push," Katz said.
Police feared that "it might scare him [Mitchell] off, and we should hold back and see what happens to see if he would surface," said Elizabeth's uncle, Dave Smart.
Salt Lake City police Chief Rick Dinse also said "we did not have a clear consensus" on the sketch, which he thought "ran the risk of generating hundreds of leads that could eat up valuable time."
But by February, a "frustrated" Smart family was not getting updates from police and decided to publicize Mitchell on "America's Most Wanted."
"We were not hearing a lot back from law enforcement about it, and we felt this would be the time to do a big push in the public eye," Dave Smart said.
The show broadcast segments Feb. 15 and March 1, which not only generated phone calls from citizens but also from all of Mitchell's stepchildren, who provided police with more information.
More importantly, the broadcasts also led to Elizabeth and her alleged captors.
Rudy and Nancy Montoya first spotted Mitchell on Wednesday on State Street in Sandy, remembered him from the show and called police. A second couple, Alvin and Anita Dickerson, called at nearly the same time when they also saw Mitchell, Barzee and Elizabeth. They recognized Mitchell from the Utah television news.
Nancy Montoya said Thursday she has not heard from police regarding the reward for Elizabeth's safe return, which totals $295,000 and could be shared between her and the Dickersons.
"I haven't really thought about it to be honest," said Montoya. "It's just too soon in the whole thing. We're just glad she is back with her family."
Salt Lake City Police Chief Rick Dinse on Thursday rebutted criticism about not pursuing Brian Mitchell vigorously enough.
(Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune)
BY VINCE HORIUCHI
© 2003, THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
Feeling down and defeated, the family of Elizabeth Smart was looking for help.
By December, police had refused to publicize that the only witness to the kidnapping, Elizabeth's sister Mary Katherine, had named a new suspect.
With police opting to keep the new information quiet, the family turned to John Walsh, the host and creator of television's "America's Most Wanted."
"I had several times a feeling in my heart that she was out there," said her father, Ed Smart, on Thursday. "I talked with John Walsh back in December at a point when I was very low, and I didn't know."
In the end, it was tips generated from the Fox program, which had profiled alleged kidnappers Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee in two segments, that helped lead to the rescue of Elizabeth.
Since her kidnapping in June, Ed Smart had developed a relationship with Walsh, who had lost a son to a killer in 1981. They had a long talk in December after the Smarts appeared on Walsh's other television program, a talk show.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"America's Most Wanted" supervising producer Steve Katz said sketches were made of the suspect -- initially known only as "Emmanuel" -- but police did not want any information about him publicized.
"Ed said the police indicated to him that they wanted to handle the matter in their own way that didn't involve a big media push," Katz said.
Police feared that "it might scare him [Mitchell] off, and we should hold back and see what happens to see if he would surface," said Elizabeth's uncle, Dave Smart.
Salt Lake City police Chief Rick Dinse also said "we did not have a clear consensus" on the sketch, which he thought "ran the risk of generating hundreds of leads that could eat up valuable time."
But by February, a "frustrated" Smart family was not getting updates from police and decided to publicize Mitchell on "America's Most Wanted."
"We were not hearing a lot back from law enforcement about it, and we felt this would be the time to do a big push in the public eye," Dave Smart said.
The show broadcast segments Feb. 15 and March 1, which not only generated phone calls from citizens but also from all of Mitchell's stepchildren, who provided police with more information.
More importantly, the broadcasts also led to Elizabeth and her alleged captors.
Rudy and Nancy Montoya first spotted Mitchell on Wednesday on State Street in Sandy, remembered him from the show and called police. A second couple, Alvin and Anita Dickerson, called at nearly the same time when they also saw Mitchell, Barzee and Elizabeth. They recognized Mitchell from the Utah television news.
Nancy Montoya said Thursday she has not heard from police regarding the reward for Elizabeth's safe return, which totals $295,000 and could be shared between her and the Dickersons.
"I haven't really thought about it to be honest," said Montoya. "It's just too soon in the whole thing. We're just glad she is back with her family."
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