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Smart Family Comments on Coping With Their Tragedy

Aired July 02, 2002 - 14:37   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: Members of Elizabeth Smart's family spoke publicly today about how they are coping with all of the unanswered questions. The Salt Lake City teenager was reported kidnapped from her bedroom nearly a month ago. And CNN's Mark Potter joins us live now from Salt Lake City with more.

Hi, Mark.

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. Well, the investigation of Richard Ricci continues, with him still the main focus of the FBI and the Salt Lake City police, although no charges have been filed. This morning agents executed a search warrant at his home and at the shed on his property, near Salt Lake City.

A source said that agents went there again just to see if there was anything that they missed in previous searches. They were there for a couple of hours. And people on the scene said that they saw the agents taking several bags of material from the home that Richard Ricci shares with his wife, Angela.

Now, as for Angela, she has been on television over the last few days defending her husband, saying that he was with her at home in bed on the night of Elizabeth Smart's disappearance. And she told CNN's Larry King that there was just no way that her husband was involved in that kidnapping.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")

LARRY KING, HOST: Would you ever conceive of him harming a child?

ANGELA RICCI, RICHARD RICCI'S WIFE: Never. Never. Especially, as I said before, he had a son that died. And that put a very big hole in his heart. And I just know that he would never put another hole in another human being's heart, such as that.

KING: So it wouldn't have even been a kidnapping for ransom?

RICCI: Absolutely not.

KING: You could not see him doing that?

RICCI: No, no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POTTER: Now, law enforcement officials are describing their investigation right now as frustrating and difficult. But they are saying that it is by no means hopeless. Their big push right now is to find the man who reportedly was spotted with Ricci on June 8 after Ricci brought his white jeep back to a repair shop and then took items from that jeep, and then reportedly joined the man across the street.

Investigators say finding that man and those items are critical to their investigation. Although sources say that Ricci himself has denied ever taking the jeep from the shop and returning it. The owner of the shop, however, whose name is Neth Moul, has said that he is absolutely certain that it was Ricci. And he has told his story to the federal grand jury.

Meanwhile, the Smart family, Kyra, as you said earlier, gathered today. They praised the law enforcement officials who are spending so much of their time now investigating their former handyman, Richard Ricci.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED SMART, FATHER: I know that the police have definitely had a focus on Richard. I know that they are taking other possibilities out there. And above all, I want them to know how much we appreciate their support.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POTTER: Now, the family says, almost a month after the kidnapping, it has still not given up hope of Elizabeth's safe return. And the family is asking the public over the July Fourth weekend to keep an eye out for her. Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right, our Mark Potter in Salt Lake City. Thanks, Mark.

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