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CNN Live Today

Search for Missing Utah Girl Continues

Aired June 07, 2002 - 14:43   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Police in Salt Lake City, Utah say they still have no solid leads, two days after 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart disappeared. CNN's James Hattori has been following the search. He joins us now with a live report. Anything new to report, James?

JAMES HATTORI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Leon. Well, let me tell you, we're at Emigration Canyon, which is where 150 years ago, Brigham Young brought the Mormons west to the Great Salt Lake.

Today it's the focus of a search for clues. Dozens of sheriff's deputies are out in the scrub. Very difficult terrain, as you can see. Following up on a report, a sighting last night of a suspicious man who seemed to fit the description of the kidnapping suspect and reports of gunfire.

Now, two helicopters are also taking part in this search for about 5 miles or so, as the crow flies, from the house where Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped. Now, in fact, a helicopter this morning actually spotted a vehicle with a man and a small girl in it. Actually forced the vehicle over to the side of the road. It turned out to be nothing.

The deputies are also searching the area where a suspicious man was spotted, high atop one of these bridges. That was -- that turned out to be nothing as well. Meantime, Salt Lake City Police are still continuing to sift through thousands of clues and leads, including a report from a milkman who spotted a suspicious vehicle in the neighborhood where Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. SCOTT ATKINSON, SALT LAKE CITY POLICE: The milkman did give us information on a vehicle that he saw the day before, I believe it was Monday morning. We have been looking for that vehicle. He gave us a license plate that we have been unable to match it to any specific car.

I believe the license plate that he gave us was 266-RDA. Again, that doesn't match anything in the database. Anybody that has information about a similar kind of car, I believe they described it as a Nissan or a Honda, gray colored. If anybody has information on that, if they'd call the 799-3000 number and give us information on that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HATTORI: Again, seemingly a dead end. That's the kind of frustration investigators are facing and they realize that as each day passes, their odds of getting their job done, finding the young girl, gets that much harder -- Leon.

HARRIS: This is just mystifying. James Hattori reporting live for us from outside Salt Lake City, Utah. Thank you very much.

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