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Elizabeth Smart Lived Under Veil of Secrecy, Homelessness, Constant Supervision

Aired March 13, 2003 - 10:03   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Police say Elizabeth Smart lived under a veil of secrecy, homelessness and constant supervision.
Today, investigators are tracing those footsteps and the shadowy details of the two drifters who are now in custody. So many questions remain.

For some answers on this developing story, we take you live to Salt Lake City and CNN's Rusty Dornin.

Good morning.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, we have at least two answers. That was in the "Salt Lake City Tribune" this morning, a picture of a big smiling Elizabeth Smart, holding hands with her mother. But you were talking about the disturbing details, also a photo here in the same newspaper, a lot of things popping up, sightings, people who claim to have seen Brian David Mitchell, his wife, and perhaps Elizabeth Smart in the area, perhaps even camping, above her home, Taken to the desert, taken to San Diego, on cross-country treks.

And of course questions are coming forth, why didn't she escape? I think police are reminding folks that she was abducted at knifepoint. When the suspect was captured, she was found yesterday by the Sandy Police, the police chief talked to her, said she was reticent at first to tell police who she was, and there could be good reasons for that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF STEPHEN CHAPMAN, SANDY UTAH POLICE: I think there's a fear factor that we have to look at in reference to what was going on immediately as we approached that group and the circumstances that she was under, in reference to being with those two persons at the time.

ZAHN: Of course, word spread like wildfire throughout the community, and her siblings rushed down to the Salt Lake City Police Department to see Elizabeth Smart and hug her once again. And also, her father, Ed Smart, talked about when he first called his wife.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED SMART: I called her on the cell phone. I said, I've got her right here with me. You're not going to believe this but I've got her here, and she is here, and she is alive and she is well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, of course, a lot of folks keep bringing up the word miracle when they describe what has happened with Elizabeth Smart. The elation in this community has been incredible. You can see the blue balloons back here behind me. They are all over Salt Lake City, and they've chosen that color, because it was Elizabeth's favorite color, and that was sort of a homecoming for her. We're at the prayer meeting area, where the family will be holding a press conference in just a couple of hour -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Rusty, I know what you said. I know what the police said. But many people are saying that Elizabeth could be brainwashed. Because the first thing that comes to mind is Patty Hearst, who was also abducted in a violent way.

DORNIN: That's right. There could be a lot of psychological stress. Of course, they call it Stockholm Syndrome, where someone is abducted and then they become empathetic toward their captors, for one reason or another. Usually it's inspired by fear initially. So there could be many reasons.

And often, people say, why didn't she run away when she was at that party? And often, they say hostages feel they just can't do it, they're afraid to do it. Even though, to us, it may seem like an easy thing to do.

ZAHN: Rusty Dornin, live from 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




Constant Supervision>


Aired March 13, 2003 - 10:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Police say Elizabeth Smart lived under a veil of secrecy, homelessness and constant supervision.
Today, investigators are tracing those footsteps and the shadowy details of the two drifters who are now in custody. So many questions remain.

For some answers on this developing story, we take you live to Salt Lake City and CNN's Rusty Dornin.

Good morning.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, we have at least two answers. That was in the "Salt Lake City Tribune" this morning, a picture of a big smiling Elizabeth Smart, holding hands with her mother. But you were talking about the disturbing details, also a photo here in the same newspaper, a lot of things popping up, sightings, people who claim to have seen Brian David Mitchell, his wife, and perhaps Elizabeth Smart in the area, perhaps even camping, above her home, Taken to the desert, taken to San Diego, on cross-country treks.

And of course questions are coming forth, why didn't she escape? I think police are reminding folks that she was abducted at knifepoint. When the suspect was captured, she was found yesterday by the Sandy Police, the police chief talked to her, said she was reticent at first to tell police who she was, and there could be good reasons for that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF STEPHEN CHAPMAN, SANDY UTAH POLICE: I think there's a fear factor that we have to look at in reference to what was going on immediately as we approached that group and the circumstances that she was under, in reference to being with those two persons at the time.

ZAHN: Of course, word spread like wildfire throughout the community, and her siblings rushed down to the Salt Lake City Police Department to see Elizabeth Smart and hug her once again. And also, her father, Ed Smart, talked about when he first called his wife.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED SMART: I called her on the cell phone. I said, I've got her right here with me. You're not going to believe this but I've got her here, and she is here, and she is alive and she is well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, of course, a lot of folks keep bringing up the word miracle when they describe what has happened with Elizabeth Smart. The elation in this community has been incredible. You can see the blue balloons back here behind me. They are all over Salt Lake City, and they've chosen that color, because it was Elizabeth's favorite color, and that was sort of a homecoming for her. We're at the prayer meeting area, where the family will be holding a press conference in just a couple of hour -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Rusty, I know what you said. I know what the police said. But many people are saying that Elizabeth could be brainwashed. Because the first thing that comes to mind is Patty Hearst, who was also abducted in a violent way.

DORNIN: That's right. There could be a lot of psychological stress. Of course, they call it Stockholm Syndrome, where someone is abducted and then they become empathetic toward their captors, for one reason or another. Usually it's inspired by fear initially. So there could be many reasons.

And often, people say, why didn't she run away when she was at that party? And often, they say hostages feel they just can't do it, they're afraid to do it. Even though, to us, it may seem like an easy thing to do.

ZAHN: Rusty Dornin, live from 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




Constant Supervision>