GUILTY VA - Tina Smith, 41, slain, 12yo daughter abducted, Salem, 2 Dec 2010 - #6

[duckingoff]

ty to those who gave the gist of the presser. I am sure dad will finally get a good nights sleep.

Dad looked plum wore out. But he looked so happy knowing kiddo was coming back to them. Outside looking in opinion but I think she will be in good hands with her family.

 

[my_tee_mouse]

Her outcome really depends totally on what happened and how traumatized she is by it and most importantly how much support she has going forward. May her family find her really good, experienced counselors to help proces whatever needs processing.

Having just seen a bit of her support system, I feel that they will get her the counseling she needs, and they will give her whatever support they can. I think she is in very good hands. Her dad seems like a peach.

 

[MBLover]

I loved her Dad's accent and his humble nature.

I figure the presser was a diversion to keep press away from the airport while she was coming home.

 

[LaLaw2000]

I wonder if TS talked with JE about her relatives pointing out his behavior toward Brittany. Maybe on Friday instead of shopping, TS took Brittany in to see a doctor to determine if she had been molested. IIRC, it was said that TS and Brittany went shopping on Friday, but they could have left the home and had a very intimate mother/daughter talk and a doctor visit.

It could have been TS telling JE what she had found out (pure speculation on my part) in regard to Brittany on Friday that escalated into murder. TS had supposedly already told JE he had to move out, and her relative had told TS to call her when he had.

I would be very surprised, even shocked, if JE has not violated poor Brittany. If he was going to the extent he went to on Thanksgiving, then with TS gone, there would have been no reason he would have not continued and gone further.

I want this to admit what he has done and plead guilty if he is charged. I do not need all the details if JE is going to be put away forever.

Brittany may have tried to grow up too fast, but I am steadfastly believing that she has done no wrong. The wrongdoing was done by JE, IMO, and no one else.

JMO

 

[LaLaw2000]

Brittany's dad...

Thank you so much, belimom! Going to watch it now!

Missed it! Going to have to wait until it is out online!

 

[Gizmorose]

"There is no better feeling than saving a child so I'm glad I could help her." ~ Theresa Shanley

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&id=7841826

 

[belimom]

As for Brittany not being able to be a normal 7th-grader, I agree to some extent, but I also think that the best thing for her may be to return to normalcy as quickly as possible while working on the deeper issues with therapy/family. More than anything she is probably craving nothing more than being "normal" right now. I really don't know if she sees the big picture of what all has happened - the national media, the grooming, etc - just all of it, kwim?

Although by far a different experience, a girl in our middle school ran off with the circus. Huge deal in our little town. Her parents tracked her down after several days and she came back. Folks gawked at first but then life was back to normal again. I think the good thing is that other 7th-graders - and maybe Brittany as well - don't realize the many crimes that were committed against Brittany. That a grown man really took advantage of her in so many ways... So to them, the whole experience will probably blow over more quickly than it will with adults.

What I am trying to say is that there is a good chance that with the correct support, Brittany has alot of potential to be a normal 7th-grader again - and 8th-grader, 9th-grader, etc. No one wants to live their life as a victim forever, and I bet she eventually gets to that point.

 

[impatientredhead]

As for Brittany not being able to be a normal 7th-grader, I agree to some extent, but I also think that the best thing for her may be to return to normalcy as quickly as possible while working on the deeper issues with therapy/family. More than anything she is probably craving nothing more than being "normal" right now. I really don't know if she sees the big picture of what all has happened - the national media, the grooming, etc - just all of it, kwim?

Although by far a different experience, a girl in our middle school ran off with the circus. Huge deal in our little town. Her parents tracked her down after several days and she came back. Folks gawked at first but then life was back to normal again. I think the good thing is that other 7th-graders - and maybe Brittany as well - don't realize the many crimes that were committed against Brittany. That a grown man really took advantage of her in so many ways... So to them, the whole experience will probably blow over more quickly than it will with adults.

What I am trying to say is that there is a good chance that with the correct support, Brittany has alot of potential to be a normal 7th-grader again - and 8th-grader, 9th-grader, etc. No one wants to live their life as a victim forever, and I bet she eventually gets to that point.

I think she can overcome it, especially with a supportive family. I wonder if she will be in the same school when living with her father. Unfortunately with myspace and facebook and all the detail on the internet a lot of her friends are going to know the intimate details, especially if it goes to trial.

The information age helped find her and bring her home but it is going to expose many of the details with great ease for a long time to come.

 

[Japandaaa]

Another thing that I just noticed from the Apple Market surveillance video. When JE is paying, he flexes his right hand like it's hurting.

I noticed this as well. If you look also, he examines his hand, which reminds me of someone examining their hand for cuts, etc.

I know that since another party is in the video that the LE probably kept it on the hush hush, but what gets me is when they released the Walmart video, they said that was the last they had been seen. All this talk about them dropping off the face of the Earth was kind of misleading for me because here they are in this surveillance video from the Apple Market almost an hour later !

:banghead:

I'm catching up on Nancy Grace now, even though she pisses me off sometimes. LOL.

 

[my_tee_mouse]

belimom snip:

More than anything she is probably craving nothing more than being "normal" right now

More than anything she is probably wishing she could go back to the time before her mom died. Before she can deal with anything else, she has to deal with the loss of her momma. That is a gut-wrenching, earth-jolting experience for someone that age. That alone will make "normal" out of reach for a good time to come.

 

[tlcya]

This business will never be undone but it most assuredly can be moved past. We need only look around here at fellow members to see that.

BS' innocence, if JE acted on what we all feel pretty strongly his impulse was, can never be returned. But children are resilient. With the proper support, she may bounce back very quickly. Often, submerging oneself in the normal little things, such as school, friends, can help in that healing. Can help ward off trauma that creeps back up too close when least expected.

I am really hopeful that this child can rediscover normalcy as much as possible. It may be the life preserver needed.

 

[impatientredhead]

I noticed this as well. If you look also, he examines his hand, which reminds me of someone examining their hand for cuts, etc.

I know that since another party is in the video that the LE probably kept it on the hush hush, but what gets me is when they released the Walmart video, they said that was the last they had been seen. All this talk about them dropping off the face of the Earth was kind of misleading for me because here they are in this surveillance video from the Apple Market almost an hour later !

:banghead:

I'm catching up on Nancy Grace now, even though she pisses me off sometimes. LOL.

I think the guy who bought the SUV is a friend of some sort and it was very smart to not release that information, and to be vague about how/where they recovered the SUV.

There was the slight possibility that JE would call that friend for more money, or to get information. I would bet anything that guys phone lines were tapped as soon as he was identified.

 

[Japandaaa]

This woman who found her and is telling the story is giving me the chills. MY GOD! I take back everything I said after hearing her account and I dont' think Brittany left willingly.

I'm listening now on Nancy Grace and it has my stomach in knots, especially when she talks about making eye contact with her and them just staring at each other and her noticing BS's brown eyes. It makes me so grateful that woman came in contact with them.

 

[KR2tonenow]

"There is no better feeling than saving a child so I'm glad I could help her." ~ Theresa Shanley

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&id=7841826

Teresa Shanley - hair was standing up on her arms...amazing job Theresa.

 

[belimom]

belimom snip:

More than anything she is probably wishing she could go back to the time before her mom died. Before she can deal with anything else, she has to deal with the loss of her momma. That is a gut-wrenching, earth-jolting experience for someone that age. That alone will make "normal" out of reach for a good time to come.

Agreed... But I actually think the healing needs to start with her brother. I don't think she ever processed it, from what I saw on MS/FB...

 

[Reannan]

Whew.... I am not even going to get into the discussion about BS because at this point the jury is out IMHO. I want evidence. Going on the video here (I hope it posts):

http://www2.wsls.com/news/2010/dec/...-video-easley-brittany-smith-leavi-ar-712919/

1. JE and the guy in the blue sweatshirt/hoodie clothing are DEFINITELY together. They exit their vehicles (a purple car and the red SUV), and they move towards each other. The film is cut at this point. [WHY??? LE would benefit from letting us see this part of the video IMHO - it would help to form opinions of what was hapening.] How SURE are we that the red SUV was 'sold'??? It doesn't make a lot of sense that the guy in the blue hoodie would purchase it and then abandon it... unless he is another shady character with something else to hide. That just seems to be a huge leap for me. Maybe it was found abandoned??? Maybe they found it at his house? What do we KNOW FOR SURE about this SUV?????

2. When JE enters the building he has an agenda. At 00:27 - 00:29 in the video he comes in the door and has something in his hands, but he kicks the door mat under the door so that it stays open. He then continues walking, fidgeting with whatever is in his hands.

3. At approximately 00:37 - 00:41, he goes back to the door and drops whatever he has in his hand (the key to TS's house???) and kicks it under the door.

4. At 00:54, he has fidgeted with "pretending to close the door" so that he can look to verify that whatever he dropped was kicked behind the door.

I think there was a 4th person in the purple car or the red SUV and that they stayed at the convenience store and retrieved whatever the dropped object was. I believe the guy in the dark blue sweatshirt was in on it because he distracts the clerk by asking for directions while JE hides the object. This just boggles my mind!!! Am I insane for seeing what I see and heading down the path my mind is taking me?? I would almost prefer to be insane. At first, I believed Tina was already dead by the WM video.... now - not so much. Looking forward to the always keen eyes of my fellow sleuths!!!

 

[Japandaaa]

I think the guy who bought the SUV is a friend of some sort and it was very smart to not release that information, and to be vague about how/where they recovered the SUV.

There was the slight possibility that JE would call that friend for more money, or to get information. I would bet anything that guys phone lines were tapped as soon as he was identified.

Yeah. I figured they had to hold it for good reasons. In most cases, as my older brother has told me, they already have the cases figured out, but to have everything lined up because one small thing can throw the whole case out. It's just nerve-wracking as spectators, but it's the law.

My mother asked me tonight "Why didn't you become a detective" ? LOL.

 

[my_tee_mouse]

Agreed... But I actually think the healing needs to start with her brother. I don't think she ever processed it, from what I saw on MS/FB...

Very good point.

 

[Patty G]

With all the news coverage of Brittany missing, and now forever embedded on the Internet, it is going to be a very, very long road ahead of Brittany to be able to overcome what happened, IF she will ever be able to overcome what happened.

Many have been sexual abused at somepoint in their lifetime and had a difficult road to try and mend, IF mended at all. Many have never had their story of sexual abuse, rape etc., in the regular hard copy of a newspaper or on the Internet. However, the cyber world is NOT forgiving and it never goes away.

It is hard enough being a pre-teen/teen and dealing with all that happens with hormones bouncing all around. Heck, they don't even like themselves most of the time, and clearly can't handle if someone looks at them the wrong way.

It might be a wise choice on the father's part to change Brittany's last name, perhaps to Tina's maiden name or something like that to make the years ahead of Brittany easier.

I also hope Brittany is not pregnant.

 

[salvarenga]

I just want to clear one thing up. I was not suggesting that Brittany live her life as the "victim". I do not think of myself as a victim. I think of myself as a survivor. I was meaning more that life cannot continue on as if this never happened....swept under the rug so to speak. Of course, going back to school and doing things children her age do will help but she and her family have to face these issues head on and deal with them. This cannot be fixed with expensive gifts and school work. It must be dealt with so that it does not cause her more harm later in life.

Sorry if I did not make myself clear earlier.