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American Morning

In Utah, Authorities Waiting for Daylight to Resume Searching For Elizabeth Smart

Aired June 07, 2002 - 08:05   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In this country in Utah, authorities waiting for daylight to resume searching for a possible suspect in the abduction of Elizabeth Smart. She's been missing since early Wednesday morning, after she was taken from inside her home at gunpoint in Salt Lake.

Acting on a tip, authorities searched well into the night.

James Hattori in Salt Lake City now this morning with a live update -- James, good morning to you.

JAMES HATTORI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

A Salt Lake City police official this morning tells CNN that there is a new development in the case of the kidnapped girl. They're being very unclear about what it is and we expect that police officials are apparently being briefed this morning and as soon as we get word obviously we'll bring it on to you.

And this comes in the wake of a report of shots fired and a possible sighting of the suspect in the latest mysterious twist in this kidnapping case. Sheriff's deputies, including bloodhounds and a helicopter equipped with heat sensing equipment was searching an area south of the home where Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped last night, about five miles, an area called Emigration Canyon.

Now, this is Wednesday, this is the area where a crew member says he stumbled onto a man who looked like the kidnapping suspect last night.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were just walking down the road at first and I just had a gut feeling to go look at a tree. And once I got to that tree, I found some footprints and I decided to follow it and I didn't take, I took about three steps before I saw a guy with, you know, just as guy with a white hat, white shirt. And so I just hid myself and basically followed him for a little while.

HATTORI: Now, the searcher says he saw the man on the ground apparently trying to wipe out footprints in the dirt. He says he didn't see the footprints actually. The man then apparently he lost him in the brush. The search went on and then after that the searcher says he heard two gunshots. The search went on for this man for several hours into the night. He apparently disappeared back into the canyon and there's no word as to whether, of course, it was the suspect or not.

Now, Bill, we expect to hear from law enforcement officials later on this morning as to what this latest new development is -- Bill.

HEMMER: James, thanks.

We've mentioned throughout the morning here the police chief in Salt Lake is going to join us next hour here on AMERICAN MORNING.

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