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American Morning
Charges Expected to be Filed Today Against Brian David Mitchell
Aired March 17, 2003 - 08:22 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Charges are expected to be filed today against Brian David Mitchell, the self-proclaimed prophet accused of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart. Mitchell is now speaking out on his feelings for Elizabeth and what happened to her during her nine month ordeal.
Jeanne Meserve is standing by in Salt Lake City with all the details -- good morning, Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
We have heard indirectly from Brian Mitchell. An attorney, Larry Long, visited him in jail yesterday, came out and told a local television station, "He wanted me to tell the world that Elizabeth is his wife and he still loves her and knows that she still loves him, that no harm came to her during the relationship and the adventure that went on."
Meanwhile, a statement also from the Smart family spokesman. He says Elizabeth did what she had to do in this situation and if she had not, the outcome might have been much different.
Also, some disturbing insights into Brian Mitchell in a conversation with his father.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE (voice-over): Since Brian Mitchell's arrest for the abduction of Elizabeth Smart, his father has written a time line of events that might help explain how his son ended up here.
SHIRL MITCHELL, BRIAN MITCHELL'S FATHER: Like the guy falling off a skyscraper, he can't reverse the direction of gravity.
MESERVE: The list begins with and accidental conception, a difficult birth, suspicions that Brian might have been abused in day care and goes on to catalog their own troubled relationship. The time he hit Brian with a hose and another incident when Brian was 12.
MITCHELL: I just drove out to Rose Park and said now, Brian, you're on your own.
MESERVE: Shirl is a self-confessed voyeur who has written two volumes about his personal theology that are full of explicit sexual content. He admits showing his 7 or 8-year-old son pictures of human genitalia and he believes his erotic literature contributed to an episode of indecent exposure one day after school when Brian was a teenager.
MITCHELL: And then this little girl walks into the house, you know, and I don't know how she got there, but she did, when he's the only one there, and then goes and tells her daddy that Brian showed his privates to her.
MESERVE: Shirl Mitchell says that though there may be an explanation for what his son has done, there is no justification. But he says his son's actions should be put in perspective.
MITCHELL: How many of these fiends, degenerates take little kids and dismember their bodies or kill them outright and bury them? Now, they are -- when they're getting to be over critical of Brian, they should remember that. They're continuing to say he's a monster for taking away a minor. But they've got to back up a little and realize compared to these other things, he's a saint.
MESERVE: As he sifts through his son's life trying to find explanations, what happy memories can Shirl recall?
MITCHELL: Hmm, well, you know, with all the other things I said, it's hard to find one.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: Shirl Mitchell has not visited his son in jail and says he has no plans to do so. The two have never been close. But Shirl Mitchell says he feels partially responsible for what has happened to his son and he wants to help by explaining as best he can his son's troubled past -- Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks, Jeanne.
We hope to see you in our next hour, as well.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Mitchell>
Aired March 17, 2003 - 08:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Charges are expected to be filed today against Brian David Mitchell, the self-proclaimed prophet accused of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart. Mitchell is now speaking out on his feelings for Elizabeth and what happened to her during her nine month ordeal.
Jeanne Meserve is standing by in Salt Lake City with all the details -- good morning, Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
We have heard indirectly from Brian Mitchell. An attorney, Larry Long, visited him in jail yesterday, came out and told a local television station, "He wanted me to tell the world that Elizabeth is his wife and he still loves her and knows that she still loves him, that no harm came to her during the relationship and the adventure that went on."
Meanwhile, a statement also from the Smart family spokesman. He says Elizabeth did what she had to do in this situation and if she had not, the outcome might have been much different.
Also, some disturbing insights into Brian Mitchell in a conversation with his father.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE (voice-over): Since Brian Mitchell's arrest for the abduction of Elizabeth Smart, his father has written a time line of events that might help explain how his son ended up here.
SHIRL MITCHELL, BRIAN MITCHELL'S FATHER: Like the guy falling off a skyscraper, he can't reverse the direction of gravity.
MESERVE: The list begins with and accidental conception, a difficult birth, suspicions that Brian might have been abused in day care and goes on to catalog their own troubled relationship. The time he hit Brian with a hose and another incident when Brian was 12.
MITCHELL: I just drove out to Rose Park and said now, Brian, you're on your own.
MESERVE: Shirl is a self-confessed voyeur who has written two volumes about his personal theology that are full of explicit sexual content. He admits showing his 7 or 8-year-old son pictures of human genitalia and he believes his erotic literature contributed to an episode of indecent exposure one day after school when Brian was a teenager.
MITCHELL: And then this little girl walks into the house, you know, and I don't know how she got there, but she did, when he's the only one there, and then goes and tells her daddy that Brian showed his privates to her.
MESERVE: Shirl Mitchell says that though there may be an explanation for what his son has done, there is no justification. But he says his son's actions should be put in perspective.
MITCHELL: How many of these fiends, degenerates take little kids and dismember their bodies or kill them outright and bury them? Now, they are -- when they're getting to be over critical of Brian, they should remember that. They're continuing to say he's a monster for taking away a minor. But they've got to back up a little and realize compared to these other things, he's a saint.
MESERVE: As he sifts through his son's life trying to find explanations, what happy memories can Shirl recall?
MITCHELL: Hmm, well, you know, with all the other things I said, it's hard to find one.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: Shirl Mitchell has not visited his son in jail and says he has no plans to do so. The two have never been close. But Shirl Mitchell says he feels partially responsible for what has happened to his son and he wants to help by explaining as best he can his son's troubled past -- Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks, Jeanne.
We hope to see you in our next hour, as well.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Mitchell>
