In Plain Sight: The Startling Truth Behind the Elizabeth Smart Investigation

by Tom Smart, Lee Benson

This riveting inside story of the intense search for the Salt Lake City teenager reveals never-before-told details of the largest investigation in Utah state history. The firsthand account of Tom Smart, Elizabeth's uncle and one-time suspect, reveals the details of the flawed police investigation, the media's manipulation of the family, and the eyewitness account of nine-year-old Mary Katherine Smart that went largely ignored by investigators. New research is presented on the family background of disturbed street preacher Brian David Mitchell, who kidnapped Elizabeth as part of a bizarre polygamous plot. Also examined is the critical role of the media, revealing the essential part played by John Walsh and others in facilitating Elizabeth's safe return, and the manipulative influence of Fox News and Bill O'Reilly. Going beyond a mere eyewitness account, the book includes information culled from interviews with more than 150 people involved in the search and investigation, notes from family meetings, and memos from law enforcement officials.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook, Crime, Memoir, Sociology

405 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 18, 2005

Reviews

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really detailed and informative, albeit lengthy. Even though I was listening to it over two days, it felt much longer. But it's good to know what Elizabeth's family went through when she was kidnapped.

3.5

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Elizabeth's parents first came out with their book "Bringing Elizabeth Home," I kind of wanted to read it, and kind of was repulsed by the idea of reading it, because it seemed like an intrusion of privacy. But this past year, I requested their book as well as this one (by Elizabeth's uncle) from the library. I read the parents' book earlier this summer, but wasn't able to get this one till now. I would say this book was the more interesting of the two -- it gives detailed information about the upbringings of the two people who kidnapped Elizabeth and where Elizabeth was after her kidnapping. It also points fingers at the Salt Lake city police for totally messing up the investigation. If it weren't for the Smarts finally releasing the information about Immanuel without the police department's approval, I don't know if they ever would have found her because the department was so convinced that Ricci was the kidnapper, who died taking his secret to the grave. (Never mind the fact that the only eyewitness knew it wasn't Ricci and knew it was Immanuel!) Anyway, I'm glad they found Elizabeth, and am kind of annoyed at the people in the police department and at the Salt Lake Tribune that made life so much more difficult for the Smarts.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I became interested in reading this book after reading Elizabeth Smart's book "My Story." I was curious what the family was doing the whole time she was gone. This book answered many of those questions and gave great insight into both the family and the investigation. The authors did a good job of keeping the story moving and clearly explaining all of the many, many leads and tips they received. It was insightful and interesting and while it was primarily investigation-oriented (which I liked,) I did get a sense of the family dynamics and the heartache and joy they experienced. Would recommend!

[Sue FItzsimmons · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very boring, not sure how anyone could remember all those details and conversations. And the description of all the family members was way too much. Where they were when they heard the news, what they did to get there. Was always glad to see she was found but it really shows that if you have substantial
Wealth and come from an upper class, you receive more attention and resources into finding an abducted child. The negativity towards the police department was very apparent and because we don’t know their side or their protocols it is hard to know if it was justified. They received thousands of tips, and as this was written afterwards, when the abductor was known, the author knew which tips should have gone to the top of the list.
I ended up skimming through the book virtually bypassing the family and police squabbles but found the parts about the abductors life to be much more interesting.

[Janet Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I noticed the author was Tom Smart, I thought he was Elizabeth’s father, and assumed that this book would be a maudlin as-told-to account of a large LDS family sticking and praying together. I was pleasantly surprised to discover Tom is actually Elizabeth’s uncle and a seasoned photojournalist; his co-writer is his colleague on a Salt Lake City newspaper. This true story is better than any crime novel I’ve ever read My instincts told me to include it in my study of cults, and it turns out they were right: Brain David Mitchell was the leader of a cult with a single follower: his wife Wanda.
The book is intriguing for several reasons, most obviously, the search. During the nine-month hunt for fourteen-year-old Elizabeth, the Salt Lake City police, FBI, media, and Smart family were in constant conflict about how to proceed. Just as the title suggests, Elizabeth was in plain sight most of the months of her captivity, and at one time a detective even walked up to her in a SLC public library and questioned her. Once the SLC police was convinced that Richard Ricci, who died of an aneurysm in prison, was the kidnapper, they seemingly did nothing to pursue Mitchell, when, in fact, Elizabeth’s little sister Mary Katherine, the only witness to the crime, identified him.
Another aspect of the book is the complicated psyches of the Mitchells. Brian got direct messages from God that instructed him to take young plural wives, so in essence he was kidnapping and raping for the Lord. Wanda, an accomplished organist, had visions of her own, including some from angels, her deceased father, and Johann Sebastain Bach.
Most fascinating of all was Mitchell’s thorough brainwashing of Elizabeth so that even when she was rescued it took some minutes of interrogation to convince her she was not Augustine Marshall, the identity Mitchell assigned her, but indeed, Elizabeth Smart.
I’m certain the telling is biased, and law enforcement and others involved in the search have their own versions of the story, but this one is a marvelous rendering.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet another reason to despise Bill O'Reilly...and "Fix" News. Of course, the PD didn't come off that much better, although some of them tried.

What a strange story, one of those made-for-Nancy-Grace ones with the blond-in-danger. And she PLAYED THE HARP over and over on the news...sort of like Jon Benet performing in her little beauty-queen getup. UGH.

Better ending than Jon Benet, for sure. Hopefully people learn from these things, like "oh we had an eyewitness, even though she is only 9 years old, maybe we should LISTEN TO HER???" I mean, the sister SAW the guy. Described him. And although she was right, another suspect (who didn't really fit the description) got into the spotlight of the PD's suspect focus and they never let up. Until the guy died, and even then people didn't listen to the eyewitness. Good grief.

Lessons: be careful about hiring day labor, listen to the eyewitness, being blond doesn't hurt when you want publicity, and when Bill O'Reilly comes on, change the damn channel.

[Raina · Rating 2 out of 5]

All I heard throughout this book was "I'm not crazy", "See, I was right", "We're affluent", "The police messed up", etc. The intensity (and excessive nature) of the finger pointing, defending himself and deflecting blame was so much that it almost took away from the real point of the story. I feel the story could have been conveyed in an equally informative matter without all the bashing and negativity. A well written book will help the reader see your point, when you continually have to point it out or remind them it seems shady (in my opinion, as though the offer has something to hide...guilt maybe?)You can't force your version of events onto a reader as right....plead your case and let the reader decide. I feel like the "4 hour rule" should have been amended to include this book (and any other publications) because the lack of class and taste is doing the family no favors. I gave this book a 2 as there was some interesting information in it and at times was an easy read. But mainly it was painful and aggravating. I hope he gets some help.

[Genoa Yox · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sooooooooo......Boring.

[Robyn P · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine, eye opening for sure on how SLCPD handled the case. It was very in depth.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written by a newspaper reporter and Elizabeth Smart's uncle who is a professional newspaper photographer. As a result the book doesn't read like a true crime novel but like a newspaper account that is trying to make sure all relevant actions and conversations are correctly and fully documented. The authors take special care to document all contact with the Salt Lake City Police Department and the FBI and in the end show that the professional law enforcement agency were very lacking in most areas of the investigation. When Elizabeth is found 9 months after the kidnapping, it is because the family acted against the wishes of the local police. Two extremely bizarre religious fanatics broken away from the Church of the Latter Day Saints, kidnap 14 year old Elizabeth to be their sister and wife. The book primarily tells the story to the family's and the community's reaction to the kidnapping and their struggle to find Elizabeth and doesn't reveal much about Elizabeth's ordeal. I assume that this was done to protect Elizabeth's privacy and to encourage her healing rather than adding to her trauma. Perhaps in the future when Elizabeth is an adult she will share her memories and insights into her 9 month time as a religious captive.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may be a little biased on this because I vividly remember Elizabeth being kidnapped just 40 minutes from my home. We were almost the exact same age, and I was unbelievably invested in the outcome of this case. It was fascinating to hear what happened behind the scenes and infuriating to learn how many times SLC PD dropped the ball (but let’s be real, the police force here isn’t great.)

It was emotional to hear this story and learn of all the things her family had to deal with among the suspicion that family was involved. I definitely cried at the end, and it is so lucky that Elizabeth made it home. I wish this was the case with every kidnapping case, but I’m glad she was one of the lucky ones.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very detailed account of the search for Elizabeth Smart, written by her uncle, a newspaper photographer with a lot of media connections. A remarkable amount of effort and resources went into the search, and the well-connected and tight-knit family did all it could to keep the story in the news. Documents several near-misses in finding Elizabeth, as well as the fate of suspects that turned out not to be involved. I was bothered by the fact that it took the author about 250 pages to acknowledge that most missing children and their families don't get this kind of assistance and attention, especially if they are not white, blonde, and demonstrably angelic and pure.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Smart family. What amazing, inspirational people.

This book was written by Tom Smart, Elizabeth's uncle, who is also a veteran photojournalist. If I didn't already have massive respect for the Smarts, this wonderfully written book would have done it.

I especially appreciated this very honest observation from Tom: "We knew the massive amount of media attention the Elizabeth Smart case had generated was in part because the Smarts were an affluent, well-connected Caucasian family. However, kidnapping crosses all boundaries and all children deserve the same resources."

[Elise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting more.

I believe that this book was more of a tease than anything else. The book primarily focuses on the family's search for Elizabeth and all of the challenges and heartbreaks they encountered throughout the search. Granted, the story is humbling and terrifying. A missing child is every parent's worst nightmare; however, when I bought the book, I hoping to receive more insight into Elizabeth's experience and how she was able to keep hope alive and survive. No insight here.

Sorry Smart family, but Jaycee Dugard set the bar very high.

[Candice · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m counting this “read” though I truly could not finish it. Life is too short to muscle through something that doesn’t engage me. It’s not that I was looking to be titillated by the creepiness of the abductors (okay, not TOTALLY titillated) but the author’s voice fell flat and the telling never got traction. You win some, you lose some. This read too much like The Polygamist’s Daughter and I already made that mistake once.

[Karianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt so conflicted with this book. It was interesting to hear the more news side of the search and the logistics, however the family (understandably) did not start things in a great state of mind, with the author relentlessly pushing suspect after suspect to the point of almost having a breakdown. Then the police and FBI seemed so much more worried about red tape and egos than finding her. This made me just disappointed in most people involved because more should’ve been done to set aside bias and preconceptions.

[Bianca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was hard to read. The content was disturbing and upsetting. But as the epilogue stated, the book would be a total retelling of the entire search and everything that happened. Every detail was truly included. The book was very thorough because of that, but I struggled to get through it. It became very tedious to me and at times, unfortunately, uninteresting.

I will say, the community that came to support Elizabeth Smart and her family was absolutely outstanding. It was amazing all the resources that the Smart family was able to attain because of the giant community response. From volunteers for searches, to money being offered for a reward on information, donations on food and supplies, and so much more. To be exact: “8,115 registered volunteer searchers had participated in 87 recorded group searches. Thirty-three fixed-wing aircraft and seven helicopters had own more than 300 missions. Searchers used trained search dogs, more than 150 all-terrain vehicles, and more than 100 horses. Another 135 amateur radio operators also helped.”

I also appreciated the state of Utah as a whole. When the Enquirer printed an absolute ludicrous article about Elizabeth’s uncle, Tom, that he failed his polygraph and had something to do with Elizabeth’s kidnapping, many Utah stores pulled that particular magazine of their shelves. Other stores returned their copies, refusing to sell them at all.

I thought it was interesting how religion played a part in this story. Brian Mitchell and his wife Wanda, used religion to push their agendas. Agendas that involved abduction and rape. “Breaking into the house on Kristianna Circle in the middle of the night to take the pretty blond girl from her bed had been a directive from God.”Meanwhile many people were using their religion to pray for the safe return of Elizabeth Smart.

The horrors Brian put his biological and step children through, as well as his wife Debbie, was horrible to read. I was happy he put his two oldest children into foster care, and I was even happier to read that they were promptly adopted. They didn’t have to have their lives altered forever by the psychological damage their father would inflict on his other children. I mean this guy put dead mice in the oven because he knew his wife was scared of them. He would wake his family up by screaming in their faces. He even went on to inappropriately touch some of the children.

There seemed like there were so many people in this case who seemed like they were against the search for Elizabeth. Take Cory Lyman for example. He was very offhandish with Tom and would not take his concerns seriously. I laughed when I read of the running joke the Smart family had. That anyone who would go to Lyman's house and find out if he actually owned a posthole digger would get fifty dollars. In another major example, the police did not believe that it was Brian trying to kidnap Elizabeth’s cousin. They thought it was a prank. (Later on down the line, Brian would attempt to abduct yet another minor, but this time he was thwarted by the family dog). In yet another example, the patrolman of the city did not even know they were suppose to be looking amongst the homeless population for a man named Emmanuel. If that information was relayed, there were several officers, as well as a homeless advocate, who could have confirmed “Emmanuel’s” identity. When Debbie called the police two times to let them know that she suspected the sketch she saw on Americas Most Wanted was her ex-husband, they told her they would call her back, which never happened. The third time she got in touch with the police, they brushed her off as a disgruntled ex-wife. Derrick Thompson, Daniel Trotta, and Karl West both sensed a similar lack of enthusiasm from the police department when they failed to call them back.

But for all the bad people, there were some good people. Mick Fennerty answered the Smart families questions and helped assuage all the fears they had. He treated them like they were a part of his team.

I am thankful for Brian’s decision to walk north on State Street, the main highway, in the direction of the Sandy light rail terminal and, beyond that, Salt Lake City. Along the way, two couples in separate cars, Rudy and Nancy Montoya, and Alvin and Anita Dickerson, noticed them. Both couples independently believed that the bearded man on the sidewalk resembled Emmanuel, the person they had seen on America's Most Wanted.

Officer Karen approached the group and blocked their path with her squad car. She questioned the bearded man, who identified himself as Peter Marshall, traveling with his wife Juliette and their daughter Augustine, claiming to be messengers of God with no identification. Elizabeth confirmed her identity when asked by the officers. Officer Troy Rasmussen arrived and noted that the girl looked like Elizabeth Smart.

Despite the presence of uniformed police officers and patrol vehicles, the terrified girl struggled to maintain her fabricated story. The psychological hold her captors had on her persisted as she stood surrounded. The skinny, bearded man and his sun-baked wife, who had manipulated her for nine months and a week, remained about forty feet away. They had filled her impressionable mind with irrational beliefs, convincing her that the world was evil except for them, her family, and her community. They had exploited her compliant nature, tarnishing her identity and virtue. During her captivity, she endured poor living conditions, strange attire, lack of privacy, inadequate food, exposure to the elements, and psychological abuse, all while her captors used religious texts as a means of control, systematically robbing her of her innocence.

I started to tear up when Elizabeth finally let her guard down and told the police who she was. I felt like I was a part of her family, absolutely elated to have her back home.

I was delighted to read Kevin Cantera and Michael Vigh got the karma they deserved for constantly trashing the Smart family.

The irony in this story revolves around the author's grandmother, Lois Cannon Sharp, who used to hire high school girls for household help, including opening the family's beloved Weber cabin. In 1963, Loisie hired a young girl named Wanda Barzee, who later became involved in the bizarre events of this saga. Fate played a peculiar role in their connection.

Now on to Ricci.. Ricci was definitely guilty of things in life, but he was not guilty of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart. It absolutely devastates me to think of what happened to him because the SLCPD wanted to point the fingure at him so bad, even though Mary Katherine adamantly said it was not Ricci. I hope Don Bell gave an apology to Ricci’s wife Angela on behalf of the late Ricci.

Ricci did not deserve the treatment he got in state prison. He was denied visitors, phone calls, shaves, haircuts, hot water, hot meals, and yard time. He was confined to a hot cell in the maximum security unit. There he spent twenty-three hours a day. His only contact with the outside world was his lawyer, and when they met at the prison, the guards shackled and cuffed Ricci and put a hood over his head to deliver him to the sessions.

Ricci had a troubled history with prison, but at age 41, he appeared reformed and won parole. Inside, he excelled as a prison firefighter, played sports, and even earned a botany degree. However, he returned to prison after a food theft conviction. Despite promising never to return, he faced several challenges and relapsed into heroin use. In 2002, he made progress by attending a recovery program, securing employment, and finding support in his wife, Angela. Angela staunchly defended him against accusations related to a crime, even as Ricci described the harsh prison conditions in his letters. Ricci used letters to stay connected with the outside world. In one letter, he mixed seriousness with humor, suggesting a T-shirt slogan that read "Ricci Didn't Do It" on the front and "Where Were You on June 4th?" on the back.

At Ricci's funeral, a diverse group of attendees, including old prison friends, family, neighbors, church members, nursery coworkers, and media, gathered to pay their respects. Rick Olsen, a former prison guard, praised Ricci's popularity among inmates and staff. Bishop Morrow highlighted Ricci's role as a loving husband and father who supported church activities. Angela, Ricci's wife, eulogized him as her soulmate, emphasizing their short but meaningful time together. Notably, no one mentioned the Smart kidnapping during the formal remarks, but the funeral displayed supportive emails from around the country. Angela shared half of Ricci's ashes with his family and kept the rest in a vase at home, remembering him as a healthy man before his last prison term. I am happy Angela Ricci sued the Utah Department of Corrections and the Salt Lake City Police Department. In September 2004, the State of Utah settled the case for $150,000, although they frustratingly did not admit to any wrongdoing.

I really liked the addition of the pictures, and that they were in color. It is always nice to be able to visualize what I’m reading. The pictures of the camp where Elizabeth was held was shocking.

A question I’m left with: Who took the Jeep that was supposedly Ricci’s from the auto shop?

[Jenifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In reading a book like this, one must remember that this story is a first person memoir with all the angst, pitfalls and subjectivism that such a memoir contains. That being said, Tom Smart is a frank and likable narrator - a no-nonsense guy who fought for home, family and decency. He has let the reader into the inner sanctum of law enforcement, media and family with an honesty about "the good, the bad and the ugly". So many individuals were invested and committed to this case, one should be cautious not to let the collective generalizations about departments and organizations taint the dedicated and sincere efforts of the many hard-working individual women & men who helped bring this case to its successful closure. Indeed I am sure that many lessons have been learned and procedures and policies updated to possibly avoid future pit-falls.

Sometimes this book was so hard to read I had to put it down; other times, so gripping I couldn't put it down. It's interesting to compare and contrast the facts provided by Tom and the facts provided by Elizabeth in her own memoir. For one example, the media and even Tom report that Elizabeth was called "Augustine" during her captivity and Wanda called Hepsibuh, but in Elizabeth's memoir, she refers to herself being called "Hepsibuh ". The two books together provide interesting insights into this bizarre case that, for reasons I won't articulate here, has me morbidly fascinated.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book fills in the information about the investigation into Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping that her book, My Story, doesn't describe. Tom Smart, Elizabeth's uncle, tells the story well from his first-person point of view. The only flaw in the book is Smart's tendency to go on too long, especially in the first third of the book, about his own experiences. He's trying to justify acting a little crazy (due to sleep deprivation, the desire to find out what happened to Elizabeth, and the whipsawing the family took from the media and the police), but he could have told in a few paragraphs what he spent two or three chapters telling. Smart does a good job of refraining from telling the details of Elizabeth's story--he leaves that to her--while keeping the reader updated on her whereabouts and the broad outlines of her experience. He also helps the reader feel the frustration and tragedy of the several near-misses that, had they been successful, would have rescued Elizabeth sooner, as well as the machinations of some of the media and the incompetence of some members of the Salt Lake City police department. How heartbreaking that she suffered even a minute longer due to the failures of the police department--of course, hindsight is 20/20, but it does seem that the investigation was botched, in many ways. This book was well done, but it was sad because of the tragic situation involved.

[Dan Stern · Rating 2 out of 5]

. The SLCPD belongs in a criminal category for the obstruction of justice, not following up on relative's calls identifying Mitchell…. Tom Smart's story shows "me" how IF "America's Most Wanted" hadn't done their story and put out the photos of Mitchell, (That's how the 2 couples who recognized Mitchell were able to call the police and identify his whereabouts to end this ordeal!) Elizabeth's story would have probably had a sad end; like so many other abducted children - never returning home. This book gives step-by-step details of "the miracle" of her rescue.
Elizabeth and her kidnappers return to Utah from Lakeside, CA, in March 2003 just as the photos of Brian David Mitchell, the kidnapper, were released on TV. No other book spells it out so well with photos and the details of what went on behind the scenes in the nine-month search for Elizabeth Smart.) This book is the culmination of all the books with a total concentration on the rescue efforts. So much would have been missing without this book, "In Plain Sight"! Thank YOU Tom/Lee!
The tentacles that grip and intertwine "so many" over the loss of "one person" was again staggering as I read this story. The ���Smart” family, and all branches, brings us inspiration. This book is full of nuggets to help in other such cases. I can't say enough good about this book!

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the book was well written thought repetitive and lengthy. I was fascinated by the interface between the Police, the FBI, Politicians, TV Celebrities (America's Most Wanted) and the Smart Family.

With hindsight of the Elizabeth Smart abduction, law enforcement decision makers look quite foolish. At the time, however, I suspect most were doing what they felt was most likely to produce results. The authors have done a good job of sharing what happened and thereby exposing some of the shortcomings now acknowledged in the investigation.

I gained additional respect and admiration for the Smart Family and the thousands of volunteers who gave time and money to assist in the search for Elizabeth.

The story was a testimony to the value we place on human life and the willingness of so many to help a family in need. Inspiring.

[Cynthia Sillitoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when it first came out and reread it after Elizabeth's book came out. There are a lot of conflicting details. I know some would assume Elizabeth's version is right, but Tom Smart and Lee Benson are good journalists. I think they relied on what Elizabeth had told relatives about her ordeal and maybe some of that was inaccurate, but there are other things. One of the biggest is that when found, Elizabeth told the police her name was Augustine. That isn't in Elizabeth's book, but everyone else remembers it, and then later Elizabeth mentioned it in an interview after her book came out. It's frustrating to not know what is true.

Anyway, this book is an amazing behind the scenes look at what the family went through and how they dealt with it.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read this book because it was cheap on the Kindle, I suppose in anticipation of Elizabeth Smart's own book about her ordeal. It is by her uncle, who was considered a person of interest in Elizabeth's kidnapping. He didn't tell Elizabeth's story, because he said that was her story to tell. But he did tell about some background in the case, and the investigation that followed. He expressed the family's frustration at the way many of the aspects of the case were handled, as well as their happiness in bringing Elizabeth home safely.

I am now reading Elizabeth's new book, and I'm glad I had that background first.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to see the insider, day-to-day perspective of this public case. It's important to keep in mind that this is only meant to tell one side of this many-sided story. I also strongly recommend that anyone reading the book not stop before they read the epilogue. There are a few things that deserve the clarification that took place after the kidnapping was all over. At least some of them are addressed in the epilogue and they help put day-to-day perspective presented in the body into better perspective. (I don't know if there are others that weren't covered but its conceivable.)

[Louise Hartvigsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this while waiting to get the new Elizabeth Smart book from the Library. Written by her uncle, it is a thorough telling of what happened when Elizabeth was kidnapped, by her family, the police, the media. I followed the story closely as it unfolded (I distinctly remember the day she was kidnapped) and knew most of what was in the book, but I thought it was presented in a compelling way. Tom Smart was very intense during the months Elizabeth was missing and there were many strains on the family, but what they did was remarkable. The police don't look good in this account.

[Megann · Rating 4 out of 5]

How scary for any teen to go through this hardship but with her faith she has shown us how to survive and thrive. It is just amazing to me how people don't look at other people. When I am in public I smile and look at people hoping that if a child or anyone needed help they would be able to signal me and that I would do the right thing. Thankfully, I have never had anyone signal me but I have my faith that I would do something. Maybe GOD will let me prove my love for people one day. In the meantime, read this book and receive the faith and love a family and a victim can give.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me so emotional. I remember following the case and I am just so happy Elizabeth was found and brought home to the family who never gave up. I can't believe the police made their search so difficult. Tom Smart's book talked about that a lot and some of the roadblocks they faced because of the PD were unbelievable. I liked that it wasn't salacious either. It gave the family the privacy they needed without ignoring important details.

[Cheryl Killingsworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading because it is so informative about what NOT to do and who NOT to trust or rely on in such a horrible situation. I believe Mr. Tom Smart wrote this because of the weight of the undocumented ordeal the family went through but it is a thorough diary of events that I can't help but believe would be a balm for Elizabeth to heal. Finally, hmmm... Prayer, family, look under ever rock and pebble, seek expert help beyond the police!

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Smart Family is a powerful force. It was disturbing to read how the Salt Lake Police Dept screwed up the case and how the FBI pulled their best guy off the case because of friction between the family and the police. Tom Smart is quite an intense person. I had wanted to read this as a different perspective on the book written by Elizabeth Smart, her book tells one side (the captive) of the story. Tom Smart tells the other side (the searchers) of the story.

[Monica Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. Evidently I am now enthralled with the Elizabeth Smart Case. I thought this book was wonderfully researched and extremely insightful. That family knows how to love. They were there for one another, they may have not always agreed, but they were there. What a wonderful lesson. As far as the investigation, mistakes were made. Really, really big mistakes, thank heavens she was found, miracles happen every day.