Was Elizabeth so Smart? (case, syndrome, lawyer, friend)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Some months ago a thread was started on this forum extolling the virtues of Elizabeth Smart's recovery from her allegedly traumatic kidnapping ordeal.
But there was always a lot of controversy about her abduction: why did she not escape even though she had ample opportunity? Many, many people have wondered this. Including police.
A friend of mine was a detective who worked on the case; he has since transferred to the Austin PD. He has taken part in some blogs.
Though you guys might be interested. Here's the link:
Thanks for posting. I think people just assume that all these complex psychological theories should be used to explain her seeming complacence but in this case I think not. There was no real explanation for why she was so close yet chose not to escape. I always wondered if she wanted to be away from home. Something tells me everything wasn't that great in her home before she disappeared.
Stockholm Syndrome is what it is called. And what is more commonplace nowdays is for the imbeciles who choose to to blame the victim rather than the child rapist.
Thanks for posting. I think people just assume that all these complex psychological theories should be used to explain her seeming complacence but in this case I think not. There was no real explanation for why she was so close yet chose not to escape. I always wondered if she wanted to be away from home. Something tells me everything wasn't that great in her home before she disappeared.
Yeah, I think you're right, and in fact the police also explored that possibility. Which is why her parents immediately "lawyered-up" as my cop friend said. That always sends up a red flag to the police!
Thanks for your responses; it's an intriguing possibility, I think, that she rather enjoyed her time away from home. That also goes a long way to explain why she got over it all so quickly, with no trauma.
There was always more to this case than what was reported. But, nonetheless, things got out of hand, and the end of the story is that she was recovered safely.
What people don't understand is the mindset of being raised as a good Mormon girl. There are so many layers to this, that explaining it would take a book, starting with understanding the religion, beliefs, and extremism in the Mormon church.
I always wondered if she wanted to be away from home. Something tells me everything wasn't that great in her home before she disappeared.
What on earth would lead you to that conclusion, when absolutely none of the facts point in that direction? How many 14-year-old girls would describe everything in their homes as perfect. Elizabeth said that she'd had an argument with one or both (can't remember which) of her parents earlier in the evening the night she was kidnapped. At that very moment, she was probably angry with them. But to suggest that "she wanted to be away from home" because "everything wasn't that great [there]" is absolutely preposterous. How many 14-year-old girls would trade an occasional disagreement with their mother for being raped daily for months on end by a filthy, disgusting pervert?
Last edited by DrummerBoy; 06-11-2011 at 07:19 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
