Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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Quite a few people said they saw Elizabeth Smart in the months after she was kidnapped-- but they didn't realize it until now!
As photographs of her dressed in the veiled outfits are now being published, people are saying-- "If I only knew!"
KSL New Media Director, Russell Banz knows that feeling!
"I feel really stupid now, looking back , you know, how could you be so close and not have done anything, you know." Banz said.
Nicole Richardson had the same realization too.
Richardson said, "I saw them about three times... on the bus... yeah, in August."
Nicole saw Elizabeth with two adults on a UTA bus, on three different days last August. Usually late at night. Sitting right across the aisle.
"It's actually kind of scary, just knowing that you were sitting right next to kidnappers, and not even knowing it..." Richardson continued.
Russell Banz said he kind of felt sick to his stomach last night, when he saw this photo of Elizabeth.
Six months ago, his family was having dinner with his parents at this restaurant. He says Elizabeth walked past his table 3 times to get food, and she kept making eye contact...
"I don't know if she recognized me, but she definitely made some distinct eye contact for quite some time...sort of made some eye gestures... maybe I'm reading more into it, but it seemed she was trying to do something with her eyes." Banz continued.
Banz says that probably makes sense...because he is in the same LDS Stake as the Smart's... and has seen Elizabeth many times.
Both Banz and Richarson are very glad that Elizabeth is OK... but they admit, they feel kind of bad that they weren't able to put two and two together before now...
Nicole Richardson "Knowing you could've done something," said Richardson, " It actually made make me sick when I first realized what was going on."
"You can see how they went for quite some time being undetected... because, I mean two feet, literally two feet away from me as she walked by... her outfits would brush against our chairs as she walked by." said Banz
Russell Banz and Nicole Richardson's sightings of Elizabeth were weeks apart... but in terms of location... only a few blocks apart.
Both say, when they saw Elizabeth, one of the adults was always right next to her.
