Sunday, November 21, 2010

Richard Ricci got a raw deal.

KING: One of the dangers is, though, we convicted Richard Ricci, who had nothing to do with the Smart kidnapping.WALSH: Absolutely. It was -- it was a terrible thing. Richard Ricci was the logical suspect. Absolutely. He had a rap sheet. He had spent 10 years in jail for attempting to kill a cop. He admitted burglarizing the home, and he spent -- he, you know, had been working in the house for two months.

The down side was that little Mary Katherine, the 9-year-old -- you know, I talked to Ed Smart all the time during that and profiled her five times on "America's Most Wanted." Ed said the police are ignoring the fact that Mary Katherine says it is not Richard Ricci, it's a man named Emmanuel.And you -- and this is hats off to you because you allowed me to show that composite, against the advice of the police, against the advice to the Smarts. I showed the composite of Emmanuel on this show, a week later on "America's Most Wanted." Two weeks later, we found out his real name, where he was, who was with him, Linda Barzee and all that stuff. And those two couples eventually, who watched every episode of "America's Most Wanted," spotted him. And the bonus was Elizabeth.

Now, I know the chief -- Salt Lake City chief of police feels that, you know, maybe I was a loose cannon. He thought I was burning the bridges with law enforcement. He called... KING: The truth is, they found him.

WALSH: The truth is, I did the composite, and we got Elizabeth back alive.

KING: But Richard Ricci got a raw deal.WALSH: He got a raw deal. And it was my wife who said to me one time, she says, John, I think you're convinced that he killed Elizabeth Smart and put her body out in the desert. I said, All the odds, Revay, point to Richard Ricci. She says, Don't give up. I said, I can't. I'm never going to give up for Ed Smart.

COMMENT:
Ed said the police are ignoring the fact that Mary Katherine says it is not Richard Ricci, it's a man named Emmanuel.


ONLY after Riccis death