Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Police Say Smart's Younger Sister Not Threatened by Abductor

Aired June 19, 2002 - 07:08   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to go back now to Salt Lake City and the continued search for Elizabeth Smart. As we had mentioned a few moments ago, police now say Elizabeth's younger sister, Mary Catherine, was in fact not threatened by the abductor. In fact, they say he never even talked to the young girl while inside the home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. SCOTT ATKINSON, SALT LAKE CITY POLICE: This person appeared to be calm, but was concerned that the victim not make any noise that would awaken other family members, including the younger sister, whom the suspect assumed was asleep. No conversations were made between the younger sister and the suspect at any time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Ted Wilson is a former mayor in Salt Lake City, and the man heading up the newest search effort. Ted Wilson is with us live this morning.

Good to see you, sir, and thanks for your time.

TED WILSON, FORMER SALT LAKE MAYOR: Good morning. Glad to be with you.

HEMMER: I want to know from your perspective, what accounts for the change in the story that we heard yesterday from police?

WILSON: Well, I would only know by speculating. Personally, I have no inside knowledge. We are leaving that to the police. But I would guess a 9-year-old is a moving target when it comes to investigations. And we tend to assign an adult standard to her, and I guess the police have just found out something new, at least that's what they said, and we have to accept that.

HEMMER: What's your understanding of how Mary Catherine is doing today?

WILSON: I think she is fine. I think it's obviously an enormous strain on a wonderful family. But if you look at the Smarts, they have vast personal, spiritual and other resources to call on. They have had tremendous support from the community. And I think Mary Catherine, though she is certainly in the limelight, is doing very, very well as a child, and I think she will continue to cooperate and provide information as she can.

HEMMER: Yes. Police yesterday said this may be -- it may be a trusted person in the neighborhood or one who is familiar with the neighborhood. I want you to stop a moment and listen to what Tom Smart, one of the uncles for Elizabeth, had to say for reporters yesterday -- here is the outgo (ph).

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM SMART, ELIZABETH'S UNCLE: We think that this is a sick, misguided person, who probably didn't meet her somewhere. And the fact that we don't believe it's a psychotic killer gives us great hope.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Ted, what are we to take from that statement?

WILSON: Well, I have no way of knowing what Tom meant there. But I do know this family, and I have known them for over 20 years, it would be the farthest thing from my mind that someone, you know, in the family or that kind of thing would be involved. But the police are indicating something on the inside track as opposed to searching for broader criminals. And they have to go with what they think is appropriate at this time, and I think everyone in Salt Lake City, including the Smart family, supports them on any adventure or any tentacle of their investigation.

HEMMER: I am wondering how that parlays into what operation you are now running, a decentralized search is our understanding. Give us a better idea and description for what your efforts may do.

WILSON: Well, what we have tried to do is move this from the central command post, which we have had here at the Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City and at the Mormon Ward behind me -- I don't know if you can see that -- out to captains throughout all the counties and cities of Utah. And so far, we have organized most of the 29 counties of Utah, I think we still have one or two to go, and around 50 cities, the larger cities. And we are asking people to go out and search their neighborhoods. We are asking all Utahans to be a searcher. If you are jogging, if you are driving to work, if you are driving home, whatever you are doing during the day, consider yourself to be someone looking for something unusual and letting us know what it is.

HEMMER: We want to...

WILSON: So it is a decentralized operation.

HEMMER: We want to give our viewers an opportunity to contact you and your group, in fact, if indeed they have information. There is a tip line that you have up and operating. I want to give out the number right now. In fact, it is 801-536 -- we'll put it up on the screen for our viewers -- 536-3706, in addition to the police line, 800-932-0190. A promise to our viewers we'll get it up there. There is the police tip line, but again, Ted, your line, 801-536- 3706. Tell us what information you have gathered from that phone connection thus far?

WILSON: Well, we have had a lot of stuff come in. People calling that have found interesting things in the back country, sheets of plastic, you know, the kinds of things that people would find a little suspicious. All of that has gone to the police, and of course, we don't know what status any of that material has. We have people calling all of the time saying they have seen green Camaros and so forth and so on. And again, we do not know. The police simply are not talking about individual search items and what their status might be at this time.

HEMMER: In the short time...

WILSON: A lot has come in.

HEMMER: In the short time I have left, and I apologize for the interruption, I mentioned the police said yesterday it might be a trusted person in the neighborhood. Do you have a sense for the mood or the atmosphere in that neighborhood around the Smart house?

WILSON: Well, we are crushed. You know, it has been a very hard thing in our neighborhood. They police were on the main street going into our neighborhood last night actually passing out questionnaires to people to find out why they were there. So, yes, it has put a pretty gloomy pall on our neighborhood.

On the other hand, all of these neighbors are rallying around the Smarts and trying to be positive, and a lot of positive energy has come out of it. At the same time, we are all very downtrodden and feeling very bad about what's going on.

HEMMER: Ted Wilson, former mayor in Salt Lake City, our guest this morning in Utah. Thank you and best of luck to you, OK?

WILSON: Thank you. We need it.

HEMMER: OK.

WILSON: And we appreciate your putting those phone numbers out.

HEMMER: You got it -- sure thing.

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