Internet erupts after Dylan Mortensen is compared to Mary Katherine, 9, who froze as Elizabeth Smart got abducted
MOSCOW, IDAHO: The Moscow community is still shaken by the horrific murders that took place on November 13, 2022. Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen, were found stabbed to death. It was later revealed that one of the surviving roommates Dylan Mortensen, saw the alleged killer Byran Kohberger, but was shocked and froze at the moment. Now, one person has compared her situation to Mary Katherine who saw her sister Elizabeth Smart get kidnapped in front of her. However, many people have opposed this view with respect to theirs.
The user started a debate on the Facebook group University of Idaho Murders - Case Discussion. The user wrote, "For anyone judging DM, remember back when Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped? Her Sister, Mary Katherine Smart, witnessed the entire kidnapping. She laid still in the same bed, and watched him lead Elizabeth to get shoes, and down the hall. Had she alerted her parents immediately, they would have had a chance to run after them. She went back to bed and was so afraid. She waited 2 hours to tell her Parents. When interviewed, she said that she was terrified that he was still in the house, and would kidnap her too. Sometimes, it may not make sense to people on the outside, but Freezing, fear, and that type of trauma are a huge thing that most of us have never experienced." However, many people did not like the idea of comparing Dylan to a nine-year-old child who had been startled by a random person.
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The kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart
On June 5, 2002, 9-year-old Mary Katherine Smart and her 14-year-old sister Elizabeth were asleep in their shared bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah. This is when an intruder came in through an open kitchen window and kidnapped Elizabeth. Mary was awake and witnessed the entire incident. However, she did not wake her parents up at that moment as the intruder was still in the house. Mary broke the news to her parents two hours later. Tragically, Elizabeth was raped daily, tied up, and threatened with death if she attempted to escape for the next nine months. Now, the user has compared Dylan Mortensen's situation to Mary's and people are not respecting the tangent.
'Comparing apples to oranges'
One user wrote, "9. She got out of bed immediately but spotted the guy in the hallway. Went back in her room for like 2 hours and then went to wake hee parents. The situations are completely different and not at all comparable." Another user commented, "Elizabeth Smart's sister was only 9 years old! No comparison! And even this child didn't wait as long as the adult DM did!" One more user wrote, "Why are we comparing the mentality of a 9 year old to that of a young adult? Weird." One more user said, "Knock it off with the DM is a little girl, little baby, just a child, young girl, etc.! She’s an adult!!"
One disgruntled user said, "Oh please, Mary Katherine was like 9yrs old, and she got up right away to tell her parents, but then she saw the guy down the hallway and went back to her bedroom and waited for 2 hrs not “8”. No one is blaming DM. It’s just her action is puzzling." Another user said, "1-She was a child. 2-She actually witnessed the crime. So you’re comparing apples to oranges." One more user commented, "Couple key differences: DM is an adult not a child, had a phone in her possession that she could have called 911 on, and she did not get help after two hours like the little girl did." Another user wrote, "First people were calling 20 year old woman a kid and now you’re comparing her to a 9 year old child."
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