I'd still like to know why TPS posted a picture of Gabriel on her FB asking people to pray for him on December 15th. Pray for what?
The Smiths came out of the gate on NG lying about their contact with EJ while she was on the run.
January 7th...
GRACE: How often did the mom -- mommy, 23-year-old Elizabeth Johnson contact you while she was between Tempe, San Antonio, and Miami Beach?
J. SMITH: Well, between.
T. SMITH: Do you mean once she left?
GRACE: Yes.
J. SMITH: She didn`t contact us any between here and there. We only found out when we did the MySpace thing and found her account and then we.
(I find it interesting that JS answered this. Maybe he really didn't know there had been contact between EJ and TS?)
T. SMITH: And then she texted us that message.
(Texted what message? Did she mean myspace private messaged her? Or the message that she didn't really kill Gabriel that she supposedly sent right after her text to LM?)
J. SMITH: We text her and all that.
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Now I`ve got that message and it says -- I`ve got it right here. It says, "I am ever worried this e-mail can be traced to where I am, so I probably won`t e-mail again. But I had to let you know, we are all right, because I know you must be worried sick and I am so sorry for that. I really am."
What was she worried about? Why was she worried about being traced if she had done nothing wrong, Tammi?
T. SMITH: Well, once we did start to talk to her, she said that her plan was to keep running.
They also stated during that same interview that they believed at that time, before EJ left, that EJ had physical custody and that LM only had visitation rights?
JULIA: How long was it before the father knew the child was going to be adopted, that the mother and the adoptive parents were planning to put the -- or she was planning to put this baby up for adoption before the father knew?
GRACE: Right. To Jack and Tammi Smith, when did you guys try to get the father to agree and learn that he was not part of this. I believe she represented you at the beginning that he was OK with it?
J. SMITH: She represented in the very beginning that he was back and forth.
GRACE: Yes.
J. SMITH: Back and forth with that. And so he did not have -- we asked to speak with him. He did not have a cell phone at that time. I think he`s living with his father. We couldn`t get a hold of him so that`s when we took the...
(they had no problem reaching him by cell phone on the 22nd when they send that text)
T. SMITH: We were supposed to meet up with him and the father at court. When we went to court that day, it was all settled and set up for us to go have lunch together. And go to the park and have them spend time with the baby and discuss it all.
But when Elizabeth won custody, they just walked past us and left and they didn`t -- they didn`t come back and we waited for about 40 minutes and they didn`t come back.
(they believed she won custody on December 17th?)
GRACE: Now, it`s my understanding, Elizabeth never had formal custody.
T. SMITH: She did. She had -- she had the custody -- physical custody. And then when she went to court, when he was.
GRACE: Let me rephrase. It`s my understanding she had shared custody with the father. They had shared custody.
T. SMITH: No.
GRACE: That he would get to visit. No?
T. SMITH: You`ll have to look at the documents, but I can tell you that she had physical custody and then when they went to court, he was trying to get custody.
J. SMITH: Sure.
T. SMITH: And the judge gave her custody and said that he could have a visit.
GRACE: OK, hold on.
T. SMITH: That`s all I know.
GRACE: Matt Zarrell, you`ve got the documents, I`ve got the documents. What do they say and give it to me in a nutshell, Matt.
MATT ZARRELL, NANCY GRACE STAFFER, COVERING STORY: Mom and dad had shared custody. They had split the week. Mom took her for -- mom took Gabriel for a couple of days, dad took the baby for a couple of days.
So before EJ took off, the Smiths had Gabriel living with them because EJ let them keep him at their home and they apparently believed that she still had full physical custody? When did LM apply for the hearing on the 28th? Was it before or after she left? I thought it was after. If that is the case, they didn't know she had to be back for the 28th? This just keeps getting more confusing the more I look at it.
If the Smiths didn't have anything to do with EJ leaving, why would they lie about their contact with her while she was gone on NG when it's obvious by the text exchange with LM on the 22nd that they were in contact with her?
Going back to their statements on NG right near the beginning is really interesting reading I find.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1001/07/ng.01.html
