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CNN Live Today

Edmunds Spotted in Texas, New Mexico

Aired June 14, 2002 - 14:01   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The story of the missing Utah girl is crossing state lines today. The man wanted for questioning in the case has reportedly been spotted in both Texas and New Mexico. And CNN's James Hattori is in Salt Lake City with the latest on the search for Elizabeth Smart -- hi,, there James. We talked to the Hereford, Texas police chief, and he says that they did notify the Salt Lake City police about the reported sighting of Mr. Edmunds, but of course, Salt Lake City police still have a different version of their story, don't they?

JAMES HATTORI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you heard during the briefing just a little while ago, Captain Scott Atkinson saying that to his knowledge, he had not heard of these reports, sightings in New Mexico and in Texas. That doesn't mean that they didn't happen, of course. It may have been that they happened so quickly that word was not filtered up and down the police channels.

Nonetheless, as we have reported on CNN, there are witnesses there who apparently saw a man who resembled Mr. Edmunds at a convenience store, reports of a car stolen in the area of Hereford, Texas. That would be in North Texas. The last sign of Mr. Edmunds here in Salt Lake City was -- at least that anyone can confirm at this point, was last Sunday during a candlelight vigil for 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart. He was spotted in the crowd by police. They watched him. They chose not to arrest him immediately, but followed him for a time. He apparently noticed them and fled and escaped at that point.

And then last night after being the subject of a lot of publicity and a lot of attention, the license plates from his 1997 Saturn were discovered in a suburban area of Salt Lake City by a couple of youngsters on -- abandoned apparently on the side of the road.

Now, these last reports, if they are true and they are confirmed, place him in New Mexico and Texas, and of course, police here will be wanting to hear more about that -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you very much -- James Hattori from Salt Lake City.

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