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CNN Live Saturday

Police and Family Continue Search for Elizabeth Smart

Aired June 15, 2002 - 17:08   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: In the high-profile missing persons case involving a Utah teen, investigators are refocusing on the Salt Lake City area. CNN's Michael Okwu is tracking the investigation from Salt Lake City and he joins us with an update now. Hi there, Michael.

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka. It is Day 11 and still there is no sign of Elizabeth Smart.

Phase Two of the search effort began in earnest this morning, with volunteers shifting from a centralized effort to one revolving around and essentially relying on individual and local community organizations and associations.

Now the Smart family is asking for individuals in the Utah area, and specifically here in Salt Lake City, to search in barns that might have been abandoned, in doghouses, in hen houses, even along mountain trails.

They say that anywhere in this community could be a place where Elizabeth is or offers -- might be able to offer some shred of evidence of where she might have gone to.

Now to date, about 8,500 volunteers have offered their services. The people here and the organizers here say that the phones have been ringing off the hook with people who want to offer their volunteer services some more here. But it is unclear, based on what we have seen this morning whether they will attract the same kinds of numbers as they did during Phase One of the search. Elizabeth's father, Ed, we spoke to him this morning. He said he was feeling very optimistic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED SMART, FATHER OF MISSING GIRL: I had this inner peace today, where I don't know if she's coming today or what's happening. I know that the police are doing everything that they possibly can to help this go forward, and I want them to know how much I appreciate them. I just -- I just think they're wonderful.

The FBI and all of those who are in this together -- but I feel very strongly that things are moving in the right direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP) OKWU: In the meantime, the search continues for Bret Michael Edmunds, a drifter police continue to say, even at this stage, is not, is not, a suspect.

WHITFIELD: Michael, have Salt Lake City police given any indication as to how much longer they can afford to pour so many resources into this one missing persons case?

OKWUL There's absolutely no indication here that anybody here is going to stop in their efforts. Clearly the kind of national news attention that this has generated, I think is probably going to put some pressure on members of the police department here and certainly also the centralized and focused effort on the part of the Smart family.

As I mentioned, some 8,500 volunteers have come here to offer their services. And they have received letters from all over the country and even from locations around the world.

So there's a great deal of attention on this particular case. They say that they are not giving up hope, that they will continue searching for Elizabeth until they find her. They say that they do not care how long that takes. And one can only assume that the police department is behind that effort as well -- Fredricka.

From Salt Lake City, Michael Okwu, thank you very much.

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