The Elizabeth Smart case.

[JazzManJim]

The more I hear reports about her recovery, the more truly weird vibes I'm getting.

There's a lot to this case that gives me the willies and just seem odd to me. I can't put my finger on any one thing, though. I wish I could be more specific, but I can't. I just have a gut feeling that things weren't as they might appear they were.

Anyone else feel like this?

 

[lobito]

I heard a report this morning, that she supposedly claimed when confronted by a cop, that she was not E.S. but I don't know enough of anything else top make anymore comments.

 

[CarolineOh]

The more I hear reports about her recovery, the more truly weird vibes I'm getting.

There's a lot to this case that gives me the willies and just seem odd to me. I can't put my finger on any one thing, though. I wish I could be more specific, but I can't. I just have a gut feeling that things weren't as they might appear they were.

Anyone else feel like this?

I do feel that there are any number of unanswered questions. But it is a little dismaying to see how many people are jumping to conclusions without proof.

 

[CarolineOh]

I heard a report this morning, that she supposedly claimed when confronted by a cop, that she was not E.S. but I don't know enough of anything else top make anymore comments.

I heard that report as well. But keep in mind, she may have been told that she or her family would be hurt if she ever answered otherwise.

 

[rosco rathbone]

Look at her creepy family. They look like escapees from a Todd Solondsz movie. They make her play the HARP for gods sake. I'd run off with the first mountain man who made eyes at me.

 

[LovetoGiveRoses]

Was it true that she "married" the old guy?

 

[JazzManJim]

Was it true that she "married" the old guy?

I have no idea.

I just know that every time I hear a story about this case, my Spidey Sense tingles like crazy.

 

[CarolineOh]

I have no idea.

I just know that every time I hear a story about this case, my Spidey Sense tingles like crazy.

I know what you mean.
The SLC police just said "Yeah, they suppose they should have looked at this Emmanuel character sooner".
He was known to have worked at the Smart's house, he fit the sister's description, and his ex-wife had told them previously that he was a pedophile that they should keep an eye on.
But they did nothing to check on him until John Walsh made an issue out of it.

 

[LovetoGiveRoses]

I have no idea.

I just know that every time I hear a story about this case, my Spidey Sense tingles like crazy.

14 year olds are very impressionable. I'm sure the kidnappers spun a strange new "reality" for her and many sordid details will come to light. If they can protect her from too much public disclosure, that would be good.

 

[LovetoGiveRoses]

Caroline, you all healthy yet or are you still recovering?

Did you hear about the old guy marrying the young lass too? I saw a quick scene on the news that said "this is where they married, right near her home" or something to that effect. I wasn't paying close attention though, for all I know, they could have been talking about Brad Pitt's marriage.

 

[CarolineOh]

14 year olds are very impressionable. I'm sure the kidnappers spun a strange new "reality" for her and many sordid details will come to light. If they can protect her from too much public disclosure, that would be good.

I agree. The "Stockholm syndrome" is well documented, and if it effects adults, how much more susceptible to it would a child be?
What bothers me in this case are the apparent lapses in law enforcement that seem to have occurred.
Some people are saying that the police in Utah shy away from anything that shines a light on the issue of polygamy, as they don't want to open that box of worms, and therefore, they sort of semi-intentionally ignored Mitchell as a suspect.
I certainly hope that is only idle speculation.

 

[J.B.]

Poor girl. I don’t care what the man made up. What he told her. Who’s involved. The bottom line is this child has been hurt from the day she was taken to the day she was found and whatever she’s been through she’ll never really recover completely from. That’s the only thing that runs through my mind when I hear about this case.

 

[CarolineOh]

Caroline, you all healthy yet or are you still recovering?

Did you hear about the old guy marrying the young lass too? I saw a quick scene on the news that said "this is where they married, right near her home" or something to that effect. I wasn't paying close attention though, for all I know, they could have been talking about Brad Pitt's marriage.

I am pretty much recovered, although I still have some problems with pain in my jaw, and when the weather is cold, in my shoulder. Other than that I am fine. Thank you for asking.

I didn't hear that they were "married" but in this context, I wonder what exactly that would mean.
I did see an interview with his step daughter that was chilling. She said that she left Mitchell and her mother to live with her father at about Elizabeth's age, and that she believed he intended to "replace her" when he took Elizabeth.

 

[LovetoGiveRoses]

whatever she’s been through she’ll never really recover completely from. .

I hope she can recover. Some people are very resilient and can handle it. Others, not so. I hope she's one of the resilient ones.

 

[LovetoGiveRoses]

I am pretty much recovered, although I still have some problems with pain in my jaw, and when the weather is cold, in my shoulder. Other than that I am fine. Thank you for asking.

I'm glad that you're doing better.

 

[J.B.]

I hope she can recover. Some people are very resilient and can handle it. Others, not so. I hope she's one of the resilient ones.

this is what pray for.

 

[JazzManJim]

Wow.

Fox is reporting that apparently this "Emmanuel" guy attempted to kidnap Elizabeth's favorite cousin. The reason, the SLCPD believes, was because she was lonely and wanted to get her favorite cousin to keep her company. This comes from the MO of the two break-ins being nearly identical, and from stuff apparently gleaned from the police investigation in the last couple of days.

More strange stuff:

1) The woman with him has apparently stated that "Emmanuel" believed that he was to take seven wives, all of them young girls. Elizabeth was to be Wife #2.

2) Apparently, he was really, really stuck on the "Behold. A virgin shall conceive" part of the Bible. This appears also to have played into his motivation.

3) "Emmanuel" had been in police custody in San Diego (I believe) not long ago. Due ot the piss-poor state of cross-jurisdictional communication, the SDPD didn't know that another agency was looking for him.

Weird. Just weird all the way around....

 

[Gilly Bean]

The case does give me an odd feeling. I am not sure exactly what about it feels wrong, but all the small oddities just don't add up to a 'right' picture.

The father gives me the willies to begin with. It's almost like he's doing more 'acting' than being just being a concerned parent.

The fact that she was SO close to home, and that she was sitting right near where they were looking back when she was first taken.

I don't buy that she wouldn't tell the police who she was. She knew people were looking for her, and if a police officer is doing the asking, most people would feel safe. Maybe she was scared, but she was kidnapped, and a police office asked right then who she was. He was standing there and able to protect her if anything happened to wig out the creep who took her.

There's more, but it all just spells out creepy to me.

 

[J.B.]

I’m not voicing my opinion one way or another, but when you’ve been hurt. I mean really hurt but someone. Mentally and physically you don’t think anyone can help you. It took me 10 years. Ten years to be able to tell my mother that I’d been raped. Why? Because no matter how tough you think you are when someone fucks you up bad you just… don’t really trust anyone anymore.

Fear becomes this…. Tangible thing that surrounds you and honestly keeping quiet and going along with it gives you this false sense of security that the risk of telling the truth and asking for help is just too scary to think about.

 

[JazzManJim]

Wow JB and yuo're right. There was also more than one allegation of some brainwashing going on which would work against her being able to think clearly enough to ask for help, even if help were right there.

And Gilly hit on something that's giving me the creeps - her family. They don't ring right to me, though I really can't tell you for sure why. And this "Emmanuel" guy - he's not just some dirtbag drifter. There's something else there.

 

[morninggirl5]

I'm sure there are going to be many more questions as more information becomes known.


Unfortunately, there will always be people eager to blame the victim for being a young, impressionable victim.

 

[Todd-'o'-Vision]

there is a lot more on this particulary with the family side of the issue.

as bad as the "emmanual" may seem it is nothing by comparison.

if i say more i know i willbe labeled a mormon basher/hater. all I can say is dig deep, your spidey senses can lead you to a much bigger picture of accuracy than what the public is being fed.

Waco Texas will seem minor in comparison to what is going on

 

[April]

Are y'all thinking maybe her family sold her to this guy?

Whatever happened, there is something definitely off about the case. Something beyond the sloppy police work.

 

[]ooooo(chained)]

I think she ran away.

Lots of teen runaways...

 

[kotori]

I find it hard to believe people are making allegations (at least by inuendo) about the victim's movtives. She's a kid, for chrisake, a kid who lead what seems to be a fairly affluent life, in what seems a fairly restrictive (maybe not by Utah standards) family. Take it all away, in an instant: you think she could avoid not feeling totally dependent on this new "family"? I'm definitely seeing Stockholm Syndrome, cubed. I've heard, "he was in jail for five days, why didn't she run away then?" Where to? The kid was probably never out of the house after dark before then without a parent. No way. This man kidnapped her from her parents, but stole her childhood from her. I think it's incredibly sad.