This riveting inside story of the intense search for the Salt Lake City
teenager who was kidnapped from her bed reveals never-before-told
details of the largest investigation in Utah state history. Paced like a
thriller, this true account moves between the parallel stories of the
searchers and the abductor. 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. Tom Smart is donating half of his royalties to
the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Rape Crisis
Center, and other charities.
