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CNN Live Saturday
Investigators Work to Find Out Details of Smart's Kidnapping
Aired March 15, 2003 - 15:27 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.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, ANCHOR: Welcome back. Now, for the latest on the Elizabeth Smart kidnap case, the Salt Lake City teen may have to undergo some tough questioning about her nine-month odyssey with a self-styled prophet and his wife.
Ed Lavandera joins us now from Salt Lake City with an update -- Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Renay, over the next couple of days, and it's already been going on, investigators here in Salt Lake City, Utah, have been trying to piece together exactly where and why Elizabeth Smart was taken away by, as they say, Brian David Mitchell and his wife. They will spend the next couple of days, trying to piece everything together as to what might have happened over the course of the last nine months.
And of course, all of this done because charges will be filed -- are expected to be filed against these two. And just a matter of putting all that evidence together. And we understand that authorities here predict that some sort of charges, perhaps, will be filed starting early next week at some point, although all of that is still very much up in the air at this point.
But what has been getting a lot of attention here in the Salt Lake area is a 27-page religious manifesto that was written by Brian David Mitchell. And here in these 27 pages of writings, alludes to the issues of polygamy that Brian David Mitchell had been talking about.
In it he says, "Thou shalt take into thy heart and home seven times, seven sisters to love and to care for, 49 precious jewels in thy crown and thou art the jubilee of them all, first and last, for all are given unto thee for thy glory and honor."
And this has been getting a lot of attention, although authorities here are very tight-lipped as to specifically what it is, perhaps, that they're looking into as they read through a lot of these pages.
Now, one of Brian David Mitchell's wife's friends, a woman named Vicki Cotrell, who lives here in the Salt Lake City area, was able to visit in jail yesterday and spoke with Wanda Barzee. And she said that -- had a long conversation with her and shared with us several of the things that Wanda had told her, specifically as to the reason why the couple decided to return to Salt Lake City with Elizabeth Smart.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICKI COTRELL, MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE: She said she knew, when she left San Diego, that they would be coming back to Salt Lake and they would be going to jail. That they would be taken into custody by the evildoers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Now, this brings -- highlights where Brian David Mitchell and his wife Elizabeth Smart had been during the month of February. If you remember, it was early February when Brian David Mitchell was arrested for vandalism after being found sleeping alone in a church. At the time of that arrest, he was actually by himself and had given a different name to police.
And in the San Diego area, he was photographed, by people who saw the three of them walking together, dressed in the veils. And we understand that people had taken a picture of it: curiosity seekers just taking pictures and then realized later what it is exactly that they had taken pictures of.
But in that court appearance, Brian David Mitchell, although authorities there didn't know that that was his real name at the time, spoke with the judge, and you can hear what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN DAVID MITCHELL, ACCUSED KIDNAPPER: My wife and my daughter are staying with some friends presently lakeside, and I'll be there, too, with -- we're staying with friends and the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm a minister for the Lord and...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are you living? Do you have a place to stay?
MITCHELL: With these friends, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the day that you broke into the church, where were you living at?
MITCHELL: With these friends.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. I'm going to release you from custody...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Now, in that speech as he's talking to the judge there, he refers to his daughter, we presume that he's talking about Elizabeth Smart during those moments.
Now the family has remained low-key today, they are planning on attending church services here. The location here where we do most of our live reports here, Renay, is in front of the family's church, just a few blocks away from their home. We are told that the family is planning to attend church services Sunday morning, but Elizabeth will not be with them -- Renay.
SAN MIGUEL: Ed Lavandera, live at Salt Lake City. Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Kidnapping>
Aired March 15, 2003 - 15:27 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, ANCHOR: Welcome back. Now, for the latest on the Elizabeth Smart kidnap case, the Salt Lake City teen may have to undergo some tough questioning about her nine-month odyssey with a self-styled prophet and his wife.
Ed Lavandera joins us now from Salt Lake City with an update -- Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Renay, over the next couple of days, and it's already been going on, investigators here in Salt Lake City, Utah, have been trying to piece together exactly where and why Elizabeth Smart was taken away by, as they say, Brian David Mitchell and his wife. They will spend the next couple of days, trying to piece everything together as to what might have happened over the course of the last nine months.
And of course, all of this done because charges will be filed -- are expected to be filed against these two. And just a matter of putting all that evidence together. And we understand that authorities here predict that some sort of charges, perhaps, will be filed starting early next week at some point, although all of that is still very much up in the air at this point.
But what has been getting a lot of attention here in the Salt Lake area is a 27-page religious manifesto that was written by Brian David Mitchell. And here in these 27 pages of writings, alludes to the issues of polygamy that Brian David Mitchell had been talking about.
In it he says, "Thou shalt take into thy heart and home seven times, seven sisters to love and to care for, 49 precious jewels in thy crown and thou art the jubilee of them all, first and last, for all are given unto thee for thy glory and honor."
And this has been getting a lot of attention, although authorities here are very tight-lipped as to specifically what it is, perhaps, that they're looking into as they read through a lot of these pages.
Now, one of Brian David Mitchell's wife's friends, a woman named Vicki Cotrell, who lives here in the Salt Lake City area, was able to visit in jail yesterday and spoke with Wanda Barzee. And she said that -- had a long conversation with her and shared with us several of the things that Wanda had told her, specifically as to the reason why the couple decided to return to Salt Lake City with Elizabeth Smart.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICKI COTRELL, MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE: She said she knew, when she left San Diego, that they would be coming back to Salt Lake and they would be going to jail. That they would be taken into custody by the evildoers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Now, this brings -- highlights where Brian David Mitchell and his wife Elizabeth Smart had been during the month of February. If you remember, it was early February when Brian David Mitchell was arrested for vandalism after being found sleeping alone in a church. At the time of that arrest, he was actually by himself and had given a different name to police.
And in the San Diego area, he was photographed, by people who saw the three of them walking together, dressed in the veils. And we understand that people had taken a picture of it: curiosity seekers just taking pictures and then realized later what it is exactly that they had taken pictures of.
But in that court appearance, Brian David Mitchell, although authorities there didn't know that that was his real name at the time, spoke with the judge, and you can hear what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN DAVID MITCHELL, ACCUSED KIDNAPPER: My wife and my daughter are staying with some friends presently lakeside, and I'll be there, too, with -- we're staying with friends and the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm a minister for the Lord and...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are you living? Do you have a place to stay?
MITCHELL: With these friends, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the day that you broke into the church, where were you living at?
MITCHELL: With these friends.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. I'm going to release you from custody...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Now, in that speech as he's talking to the judge there, he refers to his daughter, we presume that he's talking about Elizabeth Smart during those moments.
Now the family has remained low-key today, they are planning on attending church services here. The location here where we do most of our live reports here, Renay, is in front of the family's church, just a few blocks away from their home. We are told that the family is planning to attend church services Sunday morning, but Elizabeth will not be with them -- Renay.
SAN MIGUEL: Ed Lavandera, live at Salt Lake City. Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Kidnapping>
