March 31, 2003

From City Hall News Releases

Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson took the national spotlight after the safe return of Elizabeth Smart to his community. The safe return of the kidnapped teenager, following months of captivity, received prominent and widespread media attention, both in this country and abroad.

On March 14, the mayor called for a community-wide celebration to mark her safe return, mobilizing local businesses and individuals to donate services and products. The festive event featured live music, comments from the Smart family, fireworks, food and drinks.

Three days later, Mayor Anderson — seeking answers to many questions raised regarding her disappearance — announced the appointment of a 5-member Independent Review Commission.

Mayor Anderson's statement follows:

"The entire Salt Lake City community, and much of our nation, is elated about the return of Elizabeth Smart to the safety of her home and family. Now that Elizabeth is home, we want to make certain that any significant questions raised regarding the investigation into her disappearance are answered. Some of those questions deal primarily with the focus by some investigators on Richard Ricci and the level of attention by investigators in relation to Brian David Mitchell. Questions have also been raised with respect to possible unauthorized leaks of information during the course of the investigation.

Similarly, for many years, there have been significant unanswered questions concerning the investigation of the murders of Christine Gallegos, Tiffany Hambleton, Lisa Strong, and Carla Maxwell, particularly with respect to the focus of Salt Lake City Police investigators on Paul Ezra Rhoades as the suspected murderer and the level of attention by investigators in relation to Forrest Whittle (who, after intervention by Salt Lake County authorities, was convicted of the murder of Lisa Strong) and others who might have been involved in the murders, three of which still remain unsolved. Families and friends of those murder victims are still without answers concerning an investigation that some of them believe to have been inadequate.

The questions raised with respect to these investigations will continue to linger unless answers are provided by means of an independent review.

Families and friends of the kidnap and murder victims deserve answers. The Police Department deserves a fair and objective assessment beyond what the media has been able to provide. Our entire community deserves a resolution of these matters. For those reasons, I have formed an Independent Review Commission to assess the adequacy of these investigations and to suggest what measures, if any, should be taken to (1) improve future investigations, and (2) prevent inappropriate leaks of information. Also, recommendations might be forthcoming concerning accountability, either individually or institutionally.

I will ask the Commission to refrain from any inquiry into the Smart matter until judgment has been entered by a trial court relative to claims against Brian David Mitchell. The inquiry regarding the Gallegos, Hambleton, Strong and Maxwell cases can proceed as the Commission deems advisable.

The formation of this Commission should not be taken as an implication that anything inappropriate occurred. Rather, it is a means of shedding light, by means of a fair and objective review, on important questions that have been raised and of learning from any mistakes that may have been made.

I have asked the members of the Commission to refrain from making any public statements with regard to their inquiry until final findings or recommendations are made."