Salt Lake City
A man police had questioned about the kidnapping of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart died in a Utah hospital last week. Detectives considered Richard Ricci, 48, a potential suspect in the case, and said his death from a brain hemorrhage would hamper their investigation. “What he knows goes with him,” Police Capt. Scott Atkinson said. Ricci had once worked for the Smart family as a handyman, and had been accused of stealing items from their house. Ricci maintained he was at home with his wife on the June night when an intruder snatched Elizabeth from her bed as her younger sister watched. Smart disappeared without a trace.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Magazine solutions - July 4, 2025 / July 11, 2025Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - July 4, 2025 / July 11, 2025
-
Magazine printables - July 4, 2025 / July 11, 2025Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - July 4, 2025 / July 11, 2025
-
Controversial GOP plan to sell millions of federal acres hits major roadblockIN THE SPOTLIGHT Republican Sen. Mike Lee says he'll revisit legislation to sell millions of acres of federally held land to create 'freedom zones' of single family homes
