Updated June 28, 2002, 9:43 a.m. ET
Knife, hat taken from father-in-law of man questioned in girl's disappearance  

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A man whose son-in-law was questioned in the disappearance of Elizabeth Smart said the FBI took a knife and a golf hat from his home.

Dave Morse Sr.'s son-in-law, Richard Ricci, worked at the Smart home as a handyman more than a year ago. He is now in custody on an unrelated parole violation and has not been charged in the disappearance of the 14-year-old girl.

Morse, 68, said one of his Scottish-style golf hats was taken from his home. Police have said the girl's sister told them the man who took Elizabeth from their bedroom June 5 wore a tan-colored Scottish-style golf hat.

"I think they're grasping at straws," Morse said Thursday. "There's always a chance, but I don't think he did it."

Morse said both hats had remained in his home and were never loaned to Ricci.

"A lot of people have golf caps here in Salt Lake, as elsewhere," Ricci's lawyer, David K. Smith, said Friday on NBC's "Today" show.

The lawyer also discussed a neighbor's statement that Ricci had been seen digging a hole outside his mobile home.

"There was an area that was apparently under the home where cats were getting in and out of, and he was trying to cover that up," Smith said. "Apparently the police also have investigated that, they've gone out, they've dug up the area, they took off the porch. To my knowledge, they haven't found anything."

At Ricci's father-in-law's home, the FBI also took a machete-like knife with a foot-long blade from a shed, Morse said. Morse said he uses the knife to knock limbs off trees. He said it was always locked in the shed, and Ricci didn't have a key.

Investigators and the girl's family refused to comment Thursday.

Also Thursday, a federal grand jury met for a second day to question potential witnesses.

One of them, mechanic Neth Moul, told The Associated Press that Ricci brought his 1990 sport utility vehicle into his shop on May 30. When Ricci returned the SUV to the shop June 8 for more work, Moul said he noticed that about 1,000 more miles were on the car's odometer.

Moul said Ricci never came back to pick up the Jeep. The FBI and Salt Lake City police later came and took it.

Moul said he wasn't sure when authorities took the car, but thought it was about a week ago.

Smith said Friday that he couldn't comment on the mileage.

On Tuesday, police handed out fliers with pictures of three vehicles Ricci has driven, including the SUV. Ed Smart, Elizabeth's father, gave Ricci the car in exchange for doing handyman work last year.

Ricci has spent 29 years in and out of prison on burglary, attempted homicide, armed robbery and other convictions.

Ricci's wife has said her husband was asleep in bed on the night Elizabeth was kidnapped. Investigators have said they aren't satisfied with his alibi.

"So many comments by the police are suggesting they are focusing in on him directly," Smith said. "He remains steadfast that he had nothing to do with anything relating to the Smart abduction."

 


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