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CNN Live At Daybreak
Suspect Silent in Case of Missing Florida Girl
Aired February 06, 2004 - 05:04 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the story on the missing Florida girl, Carlie Brucia. Police say charges will be filed against Joseph Smith in the abduction of the 11-year-old girl. Smith is being held now on unrelated drug charges.
CNN's Susan Candiotti is in Sarasota.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDITOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At Carlie Brucia's home, friends try to soften a mother's agonizing wait. Yet as CNN first reported Wednesday, suspect Joseph Smith is not cooperating.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) talking at all?
SHERIFF BILL BALKWILL, SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA: He's not talking at all. He may be talking to counsel, and we're hoping that counsel will come to us. But until then, we can't talking to him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And - and...
BALKWILL: That's not good for the system.
CANDIOTTI: Smith's public defenders aren't talking with their client at the jail, but won't comment further.
Meantime, investigators are focusing on the station wagon they say was used to abduct the 11-year-old Sunday night. They put the vehicle on display in hopes of finding anyone who saw it between Sunday when Carlie was kidnapped, and Tuesday, when Smith was picked up.
BALKWILL: We're looking for leads in the whereabouts of this vehicle right now. If we can secure an area, then of course we're going to start any searches that we need to.
CANDIOTTI: Authorities also looking for the girl's backpack that looked like this except for the color. Carlie was carrying a pink one when she was abducted.
SUSAN SCHOHPEN, CARLIE'S MOTHER: I need your help. Please help me bring my baby home. Carlie Brucia is a beautiful, intelligent girl and - and she's got to come home.
CANDIOTTI: At a friend's home, where Smith had been living when he was arrested Tuesday, an unidentified woman told CNN she tipped off police he was there. An arrest form said Smith did possess a yellow powdery substance which tested positive for cocaine, a probation violation that allowed police to keep him behind bars for now while they look for Carlie.
Smith has a history of mostly drug arrests, and did a little more than a year in prison.
(on camera): In tracing Smith's past, this additional point of interest: late last year, probation officers reported to the court two alleged violations that could have put Smith back in jail for as many as five years. State records indicated no action was taken.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Sarasota, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 6, 2004 - 05:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the story on the missing Florida girl, Carlie Brucia. Police say charges will be filed against Joseph Smith in the abduction of the 11-year-old girl. Smith is being held now on unrelated drug charges.
CNN's Susan Candiotti is in Sarasota.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDITOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At Carlie Brucia's home, friends try to soften a mother's agonizing wait. Yet as CNN first reported Wednesday, suspect Joseph Smith is not cooperating.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) talking at all?
SHERIFF BILL BALKWILL, SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA: He's not talking at all. He may be talking to counsel, and we're hoping that counsel will come to us. But until then, we can't talking to him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And - and...
BALKWILL: That's not good for the system.
CANDIOTTI: Smith's public defenders aren't talking with their client at the jail, but won't comment further.
Meantime, investigators are focusing on the station wagon they say was used to abduct the 11-year-old Sunday night. They put the vehicle on display in hopes of finding anyone who saw it between Sunday when Carlie was kidnapped, and Tuesday, when Smith was picked up.
BALKWILL: We're looking for leads in the whereabouts of this vehicle right now. If we can secure an area, then of course we're going to start any searches that we need to.
CANDIOTTI: Authorities also looking for the girl's backpack that looked like this except for the color. Carlie was carrying a pink one when she was abducted.
SUSAN SCHOHPEN, CARLIE'S MOTHER: I need your help. Please help me bring my baby home. Carlie Brucia is a beautiful, intelligent girl and - and she's got to come home.
CANDIOTTI: At a friend's home, where Smith had been living when he was arrested Tuesday, an unidentified woman told CNN she tipped off police he was there. An arrest form said Smith did possess a yellow powdery substance which tested positive for cocaine, a probation violation that allowed police to keep him behind bars for now while they look for Carlie.
Smith has a history of mostly drug arrests, and did a little more than a year in prison.
(on camera): In tracing Smith's past, this additional point of interest: late last year, probation officers reported to the court two alleged violations that could have put Smith back in jail for as many as five years. State records indicated no action was taken.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Sarasota, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
