Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Utah Police Face Continued Frustration in Smart Case

Aired July 01, 2002 - 14:28   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: It's been almost a month since 14- year-old Elizabeth Smart disappeared. Utah investigators searching for clues are asking the Smart's neighbors to voluntarily provide their fingerprints.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is covering this story from Salt Lake City.

How are they reacting, Ed?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the family here starting to grow very tired, very worrisome about the fate of Elizabeth Smart. They said -- they have said up to this point that they're holding out for a miracle.

And at this point, I think what a lot of people are wondering about is just the status of this investigation; where things stand now as investigators continue to work this, almost a month-long case now.

And we've had a chance to speak with several law enforcement officials over the last couple of days and throughout the weekend. And one senior law enforcement official tells CNN, just kind of summing up where everything stands at this point for us, saying that there three main goals to this investigation at this point. The very top goal is, of course, finding Elizabeth Smart anywhere, whether it dead or alive at this point; authorities say that is just their number one goal.

Their second goal is for a successful prosecution in this case. And they continue to say that Richard Ricci is at the top of the focus, and the top of the list of the people they're focusing on at this point.

And then their third goal is to prevent this from happening again. And by that, what they mean is that if it takes putting away someone that they believe might be suspected in this crime, putting them away for as long as they possible can so that this doesn't happen again.

Now, to describe the investigation at this point, the senior law enforcement official telling CNN that the focus remains on Richard Ricci -- the main focus does -- but at this point, that it's a very, very frustrating case at this point because they don't have enough evidence that is beyond a reasonable doubt, anything that they can go to trial with at this point. But that -- but by no means does that mean this investigator was telling us that they're at a dead end. They're still happy with the information that they're getting in. It's just something that might take some time, to put all the pieces of this puzzle together.

One of the things they're trying to do is just to get as much information as possible. And we've gotten evidence of this because we're told that residents that live near Elizabeth Smart, several neighbors have been asked to provide fingerprint samples, so the police can use this information in perhaps ruling people out or ruling people in, as to what might happen. So several residents have been asked to provide this information.

We're also told by a family spokesperson that people are voluntarily providing this. The family is cooperating with all of this as well. And, Kyra, as you might imagine, now that we're almost a month into this case and the search for Elizabeth Smart still hasn't found her, that this is becoming very worrisome, very tiresome for the entire family.

Her grandmother speaking today to whoever abducted her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOROTHA SMART, ELIZABETH'S GRANDMOTHER: Our family feels strongly that she is alive. And we so appreciate this search to continue. And that you people are still covering this. And we still plead with that person or those people who have Elizabeth, to please give her up. Let her walk out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: So, Kyra, Richard Ricci still the focus of this investigation at this point. And police say that there are -- as we have mentioned before -- that they're happy with the way things are going, the information that they're getting. But they want people to realize this is a very difficult case to solve and it has become very, very frustrating. But they still think and they're still confident that they will find and reach the goals that they're trying to reach at this point -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Ed, what about the questioning that's taking place with Angela Ricci, the wife of Richard Ricci? How much of an impact has that had?

LAVANDERA: Well, we're being told that what Angela Ricci is telling investigators, that the investigators aren't confident about what she's telling them. If you remember, she's been telling everybody that Richard Ricci was at home sleeping the night Elizabeth Smart was abducted.

But we're being told by our sources that they're just not confident with the kinds of information she's giving them. So they have reason to not be confident about what she's telling them, and to not exactly believe everything she's telling them at this point.

PHILLIPS: All right, Ed Lavandera, live from Salt Lake. Thanks, Ed.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com