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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Elizabeth Smart's younger sister Mary Katherine is among those nominated for the $295,000 in rewards offered in the kidnapping case, a family spokesman said.
Mary Katherine told her father in October that the homeless handyman they knew only as Emmanuel might have been the one who abducted her sister from their bedroom in June.
The man was identified later as Brian David Mitchell and he and his wife, Wanda Barzee, were arrested after Elizabeth was found in their company on March 12.
Smart family spokesman Chris Thomas said Wednesday that one or more "outside parties" nominated Mary Katherine for the rewards.
If she receives any of the money, it will be donated to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Thomas said.
"The family hasn't solicited the rewards (on Mary Katherine's behalf); they're officially neutral," Thomas said.
Salt Lake City officials are to determine who receives any reward money.
"The family feels there are a number of people who are heroes in this case . . . There are a number of people who are deserving," Thomas said.
The deadline for claims or nominations to receive the award money is Friday. The city will spend some time after that date deciding who should get the money, Mayor Rocky Anderson's spokesman Josh Ewing said Wednesday.
He said there were "about 10 claims and nominations" as of Wednesday.
Rudy and Nancy Montoya of West Jordan were the first to call police after recognizing Mitchell walking down State Street in Sandy with Barzee and Elizabeth on March 12.
Alvin and Anita Dickerson of Sandy also spotted Mitchell and called police about a minute later. The Montoyas and Dickersons have told The Salt Lake Tribune that they have each filed for a share of the money.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
