Netflix skipped heartbreaking details in the story of Elizabeth Smart suspect Richard Ricci

During the new Netflix documentary about the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart, we learn about a suspect called Richard Ricci. Ricci was a criminal, and was brought in for intense questioning as police believed he was the person behind Elizabeth’s disappearance.

Despite having an extensive criminal past, Richard Ricci had nothing to do with what happened to Elizabeth Smart. He had been falsely accused. Police would find this out when they discovered Elizabeth, and arrested Brian David Mitchell. But it was all too late, as by then Ricci had passed away following his interrogations.

via Netflix

Richard Ricci died after he was interrogated in the Elizabeth Smart case

A couple of months before his death, Ricci’s wife Angela spoke to ABC News’ Good Morning America, and said her husband was “devastated” at the news of Elizabeth’s disappearance. She said: “He put his face in his hands. He knows that pain and he just felt that for Mr Smart. He knew the kids, he worked in the home, he spoke with them. He was devastated.”

In the Netflix documentary, it is revealed that Richard Ricci died in his cell after suffering from a suspected brain haemorrhage. But, a lot of details about this were missed out.

In August 2002, Richard Ricci died at the age of 48. He had undergone six hours of emergency surgery to correct a spontaneous brain haemorrhage. He had been complaining of a headache whilst being held in prison. Ricci slipped into a coma and died on August 30th 2002, at the University Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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via Netflix

Years later, his wife passed away too

But, the story didn’t end there. In 2015, Richard Ricci’s wife Angela took her own life. Posting about a fundraiser following her death, Angela’s son Trevor Morse said: “The official cause of death was suicide, but I believe she died from a broken heart.

“He [Richard] was convicted by the police and the public, and was intensely interrogated, all the while trying to tell anyone who would listen that he was innocent. Our lives changed drastically from the moment he was falsely accused.”

Angela sued and won $150k over her husband’s death and wrongful accusation, but according to her son “since the day Richard Ricci died, my mother’s broken heart never healed.”

Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.