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Anonymous Letter Offers Some Hope in Elizabeth Smart Case

Aired July 10, 2002 - 14:02   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: We begin with the letter that Elizabeth Smart's family can't help but hope is real. As you may have heard live here about an hour ago, Ed Smart says the anonymous writer claims to be in a position to negotiate Elizabeth's return. Smart also says that he has no idea whether this letter, like others he's received since Elizabeth disappeared, is a hoax. CNN's Mark Potter is live from Salt Lake City. Mark, what's the word?

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, the word here is that there are some very serious questions about the creditability of this letter, both among the police and the family itself. So we need to be careful about assuming too much here.

What happened is that an hour ago, Ed Smart, the father of the abducted girl, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart, said that the family received a letter from someone unidentified purportedly writing on behalf of the abductor. The letter says supposedly that the abductor wants to negotiate the release of the girl, but doesn't know how to do that. And so, it has raised some questions in the mind of the family. Ed Smart himself is understandably desperate for information about his daughter. Even he himself questions the creditability of this letter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED SMART, ELIZABETH'S FATHER: The person indicated that the perpetrator or abductor was wanting to release Elizabeth. And I don't know how credible the correspondence was. It seemed kind of questionable to me, but I felt that it was very important to come out today and to ask the abductor or the person that is out there holding Elizabeth to, you know, please communicate or correspond with me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POTTER: Now, Ed Smart said the letter gave no details on how to negotiate the release. There was also no ransom demand. Police point out that in this case already, there have been three phony ransom demands. The police and the family have received hundreds and hundreds of letters and e-mails. So this may be just one more. The police say as to this specific letter, however, they are investigating, but they have no comment on it now.

Now, in the last few days, we have been talking to a number of law enforcement sources about this case, and they have been bemoaning the lack of a major break in the case. And that may be instructive as we consider how to read this letter. They have said that they have not gotten that major break, that any arrest or charges in the abduction case could be a long way away, weeks, months, if not more. And so, there are very serious questions about this letter at all levels right now. But it has come in and the family is talking about it. So there is some buzz here in Salt Lake City right now, but again, with very serious questions attached -- Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Mark Potter -- thanks, Mark.

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