New York – Few people understand the horror of being abducted better than Elizabeth Smart.
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In 2002, a man snuck into her bedroom and took her away as her parents slept in their beds.
Smart was tormented for 9 months before she was found. David Novarro sat down with her and her dad, Ed to talk about what happened to Leiby Kletzky.
The Smarts can’t help but remember their own nightmare as they follow the latest developments in the Kletzky case. “I know how I felt during my kidnapping, during my experience, and I never want another child feel that way,” said Elizabeth Smart.
Smart was 14-years-old when she was abducted out of her home and sexually abused for 9 months by a handyman that been hired to do work around their house.
Elizabeth and her dad say the Kletzky tragedy can be turned into a lesson on how to prepare for the worst.
“Sadly, there is nothing we can do to rewind the past. But I think we can prepare for the future. I think it is important to talk with your kids,” she said.
To help start the conversation, Smart and her family, through their Elizabeth Smart Foundation are promoting the website, www.radkids.org which stands for: Resist Aggression Defensively.
Ed and Elizabeth say it’s not about pointing a finger of blame on anyone. Their hearts go out to the Kletzky family but they know this tragedy is having a ripple effect on families throughout the country.
“Our hearts are just broken for this family. I mean losing a child, I don’t think there is anything worse in life. And we just want them to know how much we care and how we don’t want to see this happen again,” adds Ed Smart.
Elizabeth adds, “My advice to children is not to live life in fear, to talk to your parents.”
Smart now contributes for Good Morning America and ABC News.
Some think that if the search would have been done more quietly (which was under the circumstances impossible) then maybe he wouldn’t have killed him. OTOH, had the search not taken place with such fast tempo; then Leiby might have ended up being tortured by this monster for months like Elizabeth Smart. Either scenario not good.
She truly is a walking miracle who should be celebrating two birthdays. Statistically, children kidnapped by strangers and who are not found with in 24 hours have a low chance at survival.
It is pashut and barur that the murderer said this only to lay blame elsewhere. He wants you to feel guilty. “It wasn’t my fault! It was you do-gooders! Had you meddlers just left well enough alone EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE! I AM NOT TO BLAME! YOU ARE! YOU HAVE ALWAYS RUINED THINGS FOR ME! YOU ARE ALL TO BLAME – NOT ME!”
So, number one forget about it – this is what he was thinking. In his own mind he is a tzaddik.
#4 , I agree, and am not C”V blaming the search; but we do need to ask the question. The more discourse the better.
if it wouldn’t have been on the news then the person that gave the survellience video might not have known about it and given it over to police
The asked that question as the press conf yesterday and of course Kelly responded that they did everything they could. If there is a missing child, I would imagine any community would look at ours and say wow I wish we would come together like that.
he upped the charges from kidnapping to first degree murder or he couldve just thrown the kid out of his house the kid clearly had no clue where he was…he didnt have to kill him
(Reply to #5 ):
You are one of the more intelligent, insightful commenters on this topic.
You describe precisely the thoughts and rantings of a narcissistic, dispassionate, manipulative and
cold-blooded
child murderer.
Lets be honest here. He could have let the child go if he panicked. He could have taken him to Monsey and let him go there. He could have dropped him off in Lakewood or anywhere else. The child would not necessarily have known how to get back to his apartment. His intentions were bad to begin with. There was no way he could sneak the child out of his apartment alive. Honestly, Leiby was just laying on the bed waiting for him to come home? The police said he had burn marks on his wrists from being tied up. He had no intention of letting him go, and what was he doing to Leiby since he picked him up around 5:00 till he claims he got home at 11:30 pm?
What didn’t he want Leiby to disclose that was so bad, that he had to kill him to keep him quiet? Why was killing Leiby his only option? What did he do to Leiby and disclose to Leiby that made keeping him alive dangerous?
Regarding Elizabeth Smart’s Father, Ed Smart, he was the one who hired the kidnapper (he recruited him from the street) to do work on his home. If he would have hired a reputable contractor, instead of hiring a vagrant, his daughter probably wouldn’t have been kidnapped. What person in their right mind, hires an individual to come into their home, without checking their background?
Nonsense. The search had nothing to do with Leiby’s a’h fate. The whole notion that Aron panicked is ridiculous. Sociopaths don’t panic. Sociopaths lie to blame others. The feel no pain, no remorse, and no guilt. Without the massive search, the sicko might still be out there.
Is anyone else concerned that Levi did this just a few days after all of this publicity about Jaycee Dugard, the girl who was abducted and kept prisoner for 18 years? Could he have been copying that crazy guy’s scheme?
This comment is in no way to cast blame on the child’s parents.
However, since this incident everything has changed and parents have no excuse now to let a child who is not familiar with an area to walk alone,
The child throws a tantrum that he wants to walk alone too bad, a little temper tantrum is a lot better than Ch’v what happened here.