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CNN Live Saturday

Police Question Edmunds

Aired June 22, 2002 - 17:03   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: A man wanted for questioning in the kidnapping of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart is talking to authorities from his hospital bed. Twenty-six-year-old Bret Michael Edmunds is being treated for an apparent drug overdose at a hospital in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

We have two reports for you. CNN's Ed Lavandera has been with the searchers in Salt Lake City, and CNN's Patty Davis is tracking the story from West Virginia. Patty, let's begin with you.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Salt Lake City police and the FBI questioned Bret Michael Edmunds today. No word on whether he's being cooperative or what, if anything, he has told them. The 26- year-old drifter has been charged -- he's been arrested and charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution in the Smart case.

Edmunds checked himself into this hospital, a city hospital in Martinsburg, West Virginia early Thursday under a fake name. He was suffering from an apparent drug overdose. Authorities saying that has caused his liver to stop functioning.

He gave his mother's number in Salt Lake City. The hospital contacted her. A family member told them that indeed, this was Edmunds who was in their hospital, and authorities were contacted. A hospital spokeswoman says that Edmunds is expected to remain here for the next several days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERESA MCCABE, HOSPITAL SPOKESWOMAN: His condition has still remained the same, he is still in serious condition in the intensive care, critical care unit.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: By implication can we determine that he's lucid enough and conscious enough...

MCCABE: He is conscious. I can also tell you that he is conscious, he is alert, and he is speaking with -- law enforcement said that I could release that he is speaking with them and is talking with them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: The hospital says detectives have not only been questioning Edmunds but hospital staff as well. Detectives have also impounded his green Saturn, which was found in the parking lot here at the hospital. They looked inside, they also opened the trunk, found no sign of Elizabeth Smart. Edmunds remains under guard here at the hospital. Questioning expected to continue, but they are stressing that he is not a suspect -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Patty Davis, thank you. Now to the latest on local efforts to find Elizabeth Smart, who's been missing for two weeks, a little more than two weeks. CNN's Ed Lavandera is following that part of the story -- joins us live from Salt Lake City. Hi, Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra, the search effort continues, as you have mentioned here, in Salt Lake City -- not just here in Salt Lake City but across the entire state, and family members and search organizers are confident they've organized a lot of people in the surrounding states to be on alert this weekend no matter where they go, and perhaps if they're out camping, or if recreative purposes, to be on the lookout for Elizabeth Smart.

There was one search area that was under heightened attention this morning. Late last night there was a volunteer search group that had been working with some search dogs that came across what they thought was some sort of scent. They had to stop for the evening because it was too dark, and in case it had turned out to be something, they didn't want to tamper with the area, but sheriff's deputies here in Salt Lake City brought out a cadaver dog this morning, and searched the site for what they thought might have been a trace of a body out there, but it turned out to be nothing.

While we were out there, there were several dozen volunteer groups searching through the area, combing through the brush, very tough terrain up in these mountains just south of Salt Lake City, and all these search groups are making their ways through the underbrush and cutting through trees, looking for any kind of clues.

While we were out there, Elizabeth Smart's uncle, David Smart, showed up, and he has reason to believe and to be at heightened attention as to what was going on out there. He says there was a lot of search areas and search groups being focused on that particular area just south of Salt Lake City. We caught up with him to explain why he was paying attention to that area.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID SMART, UNCLE OF MISSING GIRL: Edmunds' vehicle had been seen in this area a number of times. They -- I think his vehicle, as a matter of fact, was pulled out from just up here. All of this grading has taken place in the last week and a half to two weeks from what I understand. So when he was pulled out, his -- the grading hadn't been done up here yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: That sighting that David Smart is talking about had to have taken place before the disappearance of Elizabeth Smart, that area just south of Salt Lake City is being developed, some beautiful homes that are being built up in that area, and a lot of development going on and paving of construction of roads, and that sort of thing going on. So that area has changed quite a bit in the last few weeks.

As far as the investigation, continues although they've sent a police officer and FBI agent from Salt Lake City to go to West Virginia to question Bret Michael Edmunds. There are -- other work is being done here in the city. There's forensic evidence that is being tested in lab analysis and we understand that includes one of the screens from the windows that was believed to be cut open, so that's one of the things that's being done here in Salt Lake City. Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: Ed Lavandera, thank you.

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