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American Morning

Search for 14-year-old Continues

Aired June 10, 2002 - 08:01   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Up front this morning, police in Salt Lake City say they are frustrated by the lack of leads in the case of missing teenager Elizabeth Smart. But Elizabeth's parents say they believe in miracles.

You might remember the 14-year-old was taken from her bedroom at gunpoint last Wednesday. Neighbors and friends have been out there searching for her ever since.

And CNN's James Hattori is in Salt Lake City. He joins us now with the very latest.

Good morning -- James.

JAMES HATTORI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

After hitting dead end after dead end, Salt Lake City Police Chief Rick Dinse says investigators will question for a third time Elizabeth Smart's 9-year-old sister, Mary Catherine, the only witness to the crime, in hopes of shedding some light into this mystery.

Now, yesterday, up to 1,000 people attended a candlelight vigil in a local park to show their support for the missing girl and her family, Salt Lake City's mayor urging the community to keep up that support.

Meantime, the number of volunteers out searching dropped off a bit Sunday. Still, hundreds did go out looking for clues.

Earlier on AMERICAN MORNING, Elizabeth's parents talked to Paula Zahn.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED SMART, ELIZABETH'S FATHER: This person needs to realize that we love her. We love her so much. She is the light of our lives, and he just needs to let her go. He just...

LOIS SMART, ELIZABETH'S MOTHER: Please let her go.

E. SMART: Please, please be good to her. Please let her go and come home to us. I just really pity this person. I don't know why. I just can't even conceive of why he would come in and take her. Please, please have pity on our family and release her. Please. And please know that we really, really need her home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HATTORI: The Smarts say investigators have received literally thousands of clues, from as far away as Brazil. We have an 800 number for tips: 800-932-0190.

The Smarts also say they've tried to shelter their five other children from the stress of this investigation. Obviously, having their 14-year-old missing takes a tremendous toll.

However, as I did mention, police do want to talk to 9-year-old, Mary Catherine. She was in the bedroom at the time the kidnapping occurred. There are some gaps in the information they've gotten, perhaps new information they could glean from her. This questioning might help in the investigation -- Paula.

ZAHN: I know, James, over the weekend the family got some false hope when there was a potential suspect that was questioned. He was released. Have police identified that man or why they looked at him in the first place?

HATTORI: Well, they never really called him a potential suspect. They called him more or less a person of interest, an acquaintance, apparently, they had seen at some social event where he had some contact with Elizabeth. They did find him, literally hours after releasing a sketch, talked with him, and they're convinced that he has nothing to do with this. And they are respecting his privacy, and they're not identifying him.

ZAHN: And James, in the meantime, a huge volunteer effort will continue as well?

HATTORI: The headquarters actually shifting from this Shriner's Hospital to an LDS Mormon church. But again, we expect hundreds of more volunteers to be out beating the bushes, literally, in hopes of finding some new information -- Paula.

ZAHN: All right, James Hattori, thanks so much.

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