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CNN Live Today

Police Continue Search for Elizabeth Smart

Aired June 17, 2002 - 14:33   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: Now to the case of Elizabeth Smart. Today authorities continue their search for a man wanted for questioning in the little girl's disappearance. And a family continues its search for the 14-year-old. For the latest we turn to CNN's Ed Lavandera. He's in Salt Lake City.

What's the latest from there, Ed?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, over the weekend about 400 to 500 people spent the weekend looking throughout Utah for Elizabeth Smart. Officials here say they have covered about a third of this state looking for the 14-year-old girl, who has been missing since June 5.

But police very honest about the fact that they still don't have any hard leads, any firm evidence that they can follow up on, as to who might have abducted Elizabeth Smart. They also say in a briefing this morning with news media here at the Smart, the church where the Smart family attends, that the garage door to the family house was left open at the Smart family house the night and the afternoon leading up to the night of the abduction.

Now, exactly what this means and how all this might have played out, the police won't say at this point. But they did confirm that the garage was left open for a certain amount of time leading up to the abduction.

Elizabeth Smart's parents were out here this morning. And of course, yesterday was Father's Day. And for Mr. Smart, he said it was a very difficult day for him. And both parents expressing, sending a message through the news media, to their daughter. And they're hopeful she's still alive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LOIS SMART, ELIZABETH'S MOTHER: Elizabeth, do you remember when you were a young girl, and your favorite story was called "Snake Girl"? It was a story about your great grandmother, and how she had been bitten by a snake and survived, lived to tell about it?

Elizabeth, you're just like her. You're strong and you're brave. And you're going to make it through this. Elizabeth, we love you. Everybody loves you. We can't wait until you come home. And we're looking forward to the happy reunion and being together again. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: Now, there are about 100 officers working this case here in Salt Lake City alone. And of course, they're still working around the clock, searching any kind of leads that come in. There has been a telephone hot line set up here in Utah, where folks have been calling in offering tips and perhaps any kind of clues that they might be able to pass on to police.

We understand they've gotten about 6,500 tips over the last couple of weeks. But police also acknowledge that the flow of tips, the information coming in from these calls, is now starting to slow down. Of course, the man they're still looking for, Bret Michael Edmonds, who's considered a transient and lives here in Salt Lake City, is a man they're still looking for. Still no clue as to where he might be at this point as well.

There had been, of course, you might remember, a false sighting of him in west Texas on Friday afternoon. There was also another possible sighting which did not pan out here in Salt Lake City over the weekend. So police here continue to search for this man.

And of course, for many of the volunteers -- thousands of volunteers -- who have been spending the last couple weeks looking for Elizabeth Smart, Fredricka, this is starting to become a frustrating and tiresome adventure for them.

WHITFIELD: Yes, to say the very least. Thank you very much, Ed Lavandera from Salt Lake City.

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