# Elizabeth Smart found alive!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 12, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952 "2003-03-12T22:17:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/61 "2003-03-13T01:37:29Z")
> [@](#): > > She’s been missing since June 2002…I think they have some homeless man in custody, and there was another girl found with her… Two things - The other girl was not a young girl but the man’s wife. They were not pulled over in a car but were walking down the street carrying a tarp and bedrolls. The press conference was held very close to my office. It is the first time that I didn’t mind an afterwork traffic jam! 😃 YAY! ---
**Author:** ![Cosmopolitan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/94ad74/32.png) [@Cosmopolitan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cosmopolitan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/62 "2003-03-13T01:48:18Z")
So surprised, but so very glad. I’m glad that she’s finally back home, rather than another sad statistic in the child kidnapping/homicide charts. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/63 "2003-03-13T01:48:36Z")
Nothing really to add – just overjoyed, like everyone. There are things to discuss, but for now, I don’t really care – I’m just enjoying the wonderful news. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/64 "2003-03-13T02:10:34Z")
I just got this link [http://www.ldslivingonline.com](http://www.ldslivingonline.com) via e-mail. They’re saying they’re focusing on this story. Otto: Your comment, though, did get an answer from the Smart family during the press conference. It wasn’t just that family who got helped by this search, but rather quite a few other families and missing children. Fear Itself: Did you bother to read the story about Ricci? He wasn’t in jail for kidnapping Elizabeth Smart. He was in jail for something that he actually did: Parole Violation. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/65 "2003-03-13T02:31:15Z")
Right. But all that got splashed all over the media was Ricci’s alleged link to the case and his “prime suspect” status at the time. We’ll have to wait and see if police were in any way slowed down or distracted by focusing on Ricci. ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/66 "2003-03-13T02:37:36Z")
There is still a lot of information the police haven’t release and more then don’t yet know. It isn’t impossible that Ricci and Emmanuel knew each other and even worked together. Only time will tell. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/67 "2003-03-13T03:36:12Z")
> [@](#): > > Why, unless she is a direct relative, does anyone care? Yeah! Let’s quit donating money to charities! All those non-relatives don’t need food or medicine or clothing! I’m going to quit donating blood too, I don’t want those non relatives getting a drop of my blood! Forget about the Giving Tree sponsored by my company at Christmas, why would I want to make a 5 year old non relative’s Christmas dreams come true? I was so happy to read this thread and hear that Elizabeth Smart was alive and reunited with her family…it’s disheartening to read a comment like that. The idea that we shouldn’t care about anyone outside of our family is perplexing. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/68 "2003-03-13T03:38:04Z")
> [@](#): > > It isn’t impossible that Ricci and Emmanuel knew each other and even worked together. Only time will tell. Nope. One of the police detectives said definitively today that Ricci had nothing to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/69 "2003-03-13T04:34:55Z")
I was glad to see some television airtime given to the father speaking out for a national “Amber Alert”. I am from the area where this was originated and I think it is a great way to try to prevent kidnappers from making it very far. Whenever a child turns up missing and kidnapping is suspected, an alert immediately goes out on radio and television stations giving a description of the child and any possible suspects and vehicles. They interrupt programming just like an Emergency Broadcast System announcement. ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/70 "2003-03-13T05:09:36Z")
I just saw “Emanuel”'s ex-stepdaughter on _48 Hours Investigates_, talking about how she ran away from the home she shared with him, at the age of 15. Her statements implied that it was because of his religious beliefs, and also because he was hugging and kissing her in a way that didn’t “feel right”. This sent shivers down my spine. God only knows what Elizabeth has had to endure for 9 months. Thank God she is alive and at home. But who knows what the aftermath of all this will be. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/71 "2003-03-13T05:18:00Z")
I heard this just before I left the office this evening. This is just great. I can imagine that the family must have just given up hope after this long, and for her to show up after so long must be so wonderful for them right now. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/72 "2003-03-13T06:12:06Z")
I am happily stunned. I really thought she was dead, given what happens so frequently in these cases. I’m watching the 48 hours special right now. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/73 "2003-03-13T07:11:43Z")
w00t! ---
**Author:** ![hyperjes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df705f/32.png) [@hyperjes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyperjes)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/74 "2003-03-13T08:02:04Z")
This is the best news I’ve seen on tv in months! Amazing, after more than 225 days… I’m so glad that she’s back with her family! 😃 😃 😃 (And I’m not even related… **Otto**. :rolleyes: ) ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/75 "2003-03-13T12:33:28Z")
This just makes me so happy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dragongirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@dragongirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragongirl)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/76 "2003-03-13T12:52:37Z")
I was shocked to see it on the news last night. But very happy to hear such good news. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/77 "2003-03-13T13:17:52Z")
It was so nice to see the newscasters telling this story, while grinning ear-to-ear. I think everyone in the country should be overjoyed. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/78 "2003-03-13T14:25:28Z")
OK, let’s put it another way: Why, given the fact that any number of children go missing every year who aren’t pretty little blond girls, does everyone buy into the media hype over this one (and other pretty little blond girls) largely to the exclusion of, say, missing black girls or missing Latina girls or missing boys of any race? Why is the disappearance of one child national news while the disappearance of another who may not be as pretty or blond or white or wealthy ignored? Aren’t there maybe more important things that we as a nation should be coincerned about than what in all honesty is a state or local story? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/79 "2003-03-13T14:32:50Z")
And I’m sure that Brian STOKES Mitchell, currently starring in Broadway’s “Man of La Macha” is very glad he uses his middle name. And that the media calls her abductor Brian DAVID Mitchell. “To dream the impossible dream” really applies here. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952/80 "2003-03-13T14:53:25Z")
I am very happy she was found, but I do have to ask one question. Over 9 months she wasn’t able to get to a phone once in all the cities they visited? Forgive me if I am missing a part of the topic, but I don’t understand it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elizabeth-smart-found-alive/160952.md?page=5)