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CNN Live Today

Police Expected to Charge Ricci with Burglary

Aired July 09, 2002 - 13:37   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.
PHILLIPS: Law enforcement sources say prosecutors are preparing to charge a Utah handyman with burglarizing the home of Elizabeth Smart well before she disappeared.

CNN's Mark Potter brings us the latest now from Salt Lake City. Mark?

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. Well, police are saying that overnight there were no major developments in this investigation, but as you said, authorities are telling us that they are expecting to file some charges against Richard Ricci, the handyman who is the focus of the abduction investigation. We are told that that will likely happen on Thursday; it could happen a little later. But Thursday is probably the target date.

And what we are being told is that he is likely to be charged with stealing from the Smart home where he worked a year ago. Also, with burglarizing other homes in the Federal Heights neighborhood, also with a theft from a hardware store. These alleged crimes occurred long before the abduction. They are not related to the abduction, which Richard Ricci has denied any involvement with. Now, meanwhile, law enforcement sources are telling us that unless there is a major break in the Elizabeth Smart investigation, they will not be filing any charges in connection with the abduction for quite some time.

One source said it could at least be several weeks away. Another source said that the time table on this is indefinite. They just are not in any hurry. They want to put together an airtight case built on forensics, not just circumstantial evidence. And so they are saying that unless someone walks in the door right away with information that closes this -- this case, it could be weeks if not more before charges are brought in this case.

Now, as to the family news conference, something that's held every day here in Salt Lake City, we are told that family members say they are urging Richard Ricci to be more open with investigators about where he was, around the time of the abduction, and Elizabeth Smart's aunt, Cynthia Smart, is saying that -- that she doubts that the young girl had any sort of secret life with her friends that could help explain the abduction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CYNTHIA SMART-OWENS, ELIZABETH SMART'S AUNT: I think it is very unlikely, knowing Elizabeth, that she would be having a separate life like that. She just spent -- she chose to spend too much time at home and with her family when she could have even been out with her close, good friends.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POTTER: Now for the last several weeks, we've been talking about a videotape that was taken from a security camera at a hospital. In fact, it's right across the street from us; it's about a half mile from the Smart home. The security officer has been on air for several weeks now, talking about this. And we're told that -- that this tape shows two cars in the parking lot meeting on the on the night of the abduction.

Today, we're told the FBI is expecting an enhanced version of that tape to come back from its crime lab, and investigators here will be looking at. But we're told that the law enforcement officials here still doubt that that tape will help their investigation very much. It's poor quality, plus some officers have said they doubt that these cars were even involved in the kidnapping.

One source said that if you look elsewhere on the tape, you can see the cars going from the parking lot, not toward the Smart home, and not from the Smart home. So that may a dead end, but there are other leads being followed as this investigation continues. Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: Mark Potter, live from Salt Lake. Thanks, Mark.

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