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Smart Calls for Amber Alert

Aired March 13, 2003 - 14:08   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get more on the return of Elizabeth Smart. If you were with us in the last hour, you heard a very emotional news conference from Ed Smart. Miles was just talking a little bit about that. For more on that, let's go to Salt Lake City and our Rusty Dornin, who is covering the story -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, following that emotional news conference, a lot of the family members have been talking to the press. People are also talking about how many sightings there were of this Brian David Mitchell during the past nine and a half months in the Salt Lake area and up in the mountains here.

And as a matter of fact, Elizabeth Smart's aunt, one of her aunts apparently believes now that she ran into him when she went to Kinko's either the day of the abduction or afterwards to make up posters much like this one. She believes that she had an encounter with the man known as Emmanuel. And of course, Elizabeth Smart's father, Ed, talked about his encounter when the family hired him to do work around the house.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED SMART, FATHER OF ELIZABETH SMART: You know, when I was up there on the roof with him, I never could have guessed. He was so soft spoken. He was so, so quiet. I would have never guessed that such an animal could exist behind a person that looked so reasonable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, Elizabeth Smart was not here at the press conference today. She apparently is at home with her mother. Her father and family say that she is doing very well, although seems a little bit overwhelmed by the whole thing, and has been very quiet. And once again, her father, Ed, talked about how incredible it was when he walked into that room and saw his daughter sitting on the couch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SMART: I could not believe it. I absolutely could not believe it. I saw her sitting there on the sofa. She was sitting there with her arms folded. I just went up and I just grabbed her and held her, and was crying and crying and crying. And I said, is it really you, and she said, yes.

And I just -- not many words were said, but a lot of emotion was felt. And I just can't thank enough those people who were willing to come forward with tips and otherwise to help us, and I thank you so much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: It was a very emotional press conference, of course, with Ed Smart and his family, but he dedicated a great deal of it to the national Amber alert system. He said it should -- it's got to be stand-alone legislation, not one more day should go by without it -- Daryn.

KAGAN: We're watching that kind of unfold on Capitol Hill today. Just one thing I'm wondering, Rusty, as I'm listening to the story and Ed Smart talking, did the police actually not call the Smarts and tell them the news? They just had Ed Smart come down without his knowing that his daughter had been found?

DORNIN: I don't know what the purpose of that was. He actually thought that he was going down to the police station in Sandy. He thought, perhaps, there was a man there that was supposed to be Brian David Mitchell, and that he would have to identify him. He had absolutely no idea that it was his daughter. When they walked in, they just led him to the room and opened the door.

KAGAN: All right. That seems a little different. But speaking of Brian David Mitchell, what kind of charges does he face, along with Wanda Eileen Mitchell, and what potential other charges are still out there?

DORNIN: Well, we understand that the state and federal prosecutors, along with the Salt Lake City Police Department, have been meeting this morning, sort of garnering evidence and figuring out what other charges may be in store, but so far they're likely to be charged with aggravated kidnapping. And as you may know, he already had an outstanding warrant, apparently, for shoplifting.

KAGAN: All right. Rusty Dornin in Salt Lake City. Thank you for the latest on that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired March 13, 2003 - 14:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get more on the return of Elizabeth Smart. If you were with us in the last hour, you heard a very emotional news conference from Ed Smart. Miles was just talking a little bit about that. For more on that, let's go to Salt Lake City and our Rusty Dornin, who is covering the story -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, following that emotional news conference, a lot of the family members have been talking to the press. People are also talking about how many sightings there were of this Brian David Mitchell during the past nine and a half months in the Salt Lake area and up in the mountains here.

And as a matter of fact, Elizabeth Smart's aunt, one of her aunts apparently believes now that she ran into him when she went to Kinko's either the day of the abduction or afterwards to make up posters much like this one. She believes that she had an encounter with the man known as Emmanuel. And of course, Elizabeth Smart's father, Ed, talked about his encounter when the family hired him to do work around the house.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED SMART, FATHER OF ELIZABETH SMART: You know, when I was up there on the roof with him, I never could have guessed. He was so soft spoken. He was so, so quiet. I would have never guessed that such an animal could exist behind a person that looked so reasonable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, Elizabeth Smart was not here at the press conference today. She apparently is at home with her mother. Her father and family say that she is doing very well, although seems a little bit overwhelmed by the whole thing, and has been very quiet. And once again, her father, Ed, talked about how incredible it was when he walked into that room and saw his daughter sitting on the couch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SMART: I could not believe it. I absolutely could not believe it. I saw her sitting there on the sofa. She was sitting there with her arms folded. I just went up and I just grabbed her and held her, and was crying and crying and crying. And I said, is it really you, and she said, yes.

And I just -- not many words were said, but a lot of emotion was felt. And I just can't thank enough those people who were willing to come forward with tips and otherwise to help us, and I thank you so much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: It was a very emotional press conference, of course, with Ed Smart and his family, but he dedicated a great deal of it to the national Amber alert system. He said it should -- it's got to be stand-alone legislation, not one more day should go by without it -- Daryn.

KAGAN: We're watching that kind of unfold on Capitol Hill today. Just one thing I'm wondering, Rusty, as I'm listening to the story and Ed Smart talking, did the police actually not call the Smarts and tell them the news? They just had Ed Smart come down without his knowing that his daughter had been found?

DORNIN: I don't know what the purpose of that was. He actually thought that he was going down to the police station in Sandy. He thought, perhaps, there was a man there that was supposed to be Brian David Mitchell, and that he would have to identify him. He had absolutely no idea that it was his daughter. When they walked in, they just led him to the room and opened the door.

KAGAN: All right. That seems a little different. But speaking of Brian David Mitchell, what kind of charges does he face, along with Wanda Eileen Mitchell, and what potential other charges are still out there?

DORNIN: Well, we understand that the state and federal prosecutors, along with the Salt Lake City Police Department, have been meeting this morning, sort of garnering evidence and figuring out what other charges may be in store, but so far they're likely to be charged with aggravated kidnapping. And as you may know, he already had an outstanding warrant, apparently, for shoplifting.

KAGAN: All right. Rusty Dornin in Salt Lake City. Thank you for the latest on that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com