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American Morning

More Questions About Suspicious Letter in Teenager's Kidnapping

Aired July 11, 2002 - 12:04   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: In Salt Lake City, Utah, a handyman is due to be charged today with breaking into Elizabeth Smart's house. Meantime, there are more questions about a suspicious letter in the teenager's kidnapping. CNN's Mark Potter brings us the latest now from Salt Lake City. Mark, what are the developments?

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are several developments today. It's a busy day here in Salt Lake City. Law enforcement sources tell us that later today, 48-year-old Richard Ricci, the former Smart handyman and the focus of the police investigation into the abduction, will face state charges of Burglary and Theft.

A source said that he will be charged with taking two bracelets and a perfume bottle from the Smart home, that's well before the abduction, some jewelry from a neighbor home, and tools, a pressure sprayer, and a welder from the Home Depot nearby. We're told that in connection with the break-in at the neighbor home, that allegedly occurred at night while the family was still inside.

Now, these charges are not in connection with the abduction. There have been no charges filed there. Richard Ricci has denied any connection with that abduction. Now, we're told that in about an hour, we will have a news conference here, right behind me, which will feature the police chief of Salt Lake City, the head of the FBI office, and the district attorney, and they will be here talking about those expected state charges.

Now, on to the other story that you were talking about the letter, yesterday Ed Smart, the father of the missing girl, 14-year- old Elizabeth Smart, said the family received an anonymous letter from someone, probably a woman, who claimed to have heard from the abductor. The letter writer said the kidnapper wanted to negotiate the release of the young girl. Ed Smart is now reaching out publicly to this purported abductor, even though the police have said that they have serious doubts about the validity of that letter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED SMART, ELIZABETH SMART'S FATHER: I believe that they don't feel that it's credible, and so I don't know that they're going to do anything with it, but to me, it was the first even potential communication that we had had from anyone that was trying to say that they wanted to release Elizabeth.

I still don't know why they took Elizabeth. I don't know why, and you know it's driving me crazy. I just, I want to hear from whoever it is out there to know why or what they want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POTTER: Now, Ed Smart has said that he too questions the credibility of this letter. Among other things, it has no details about how this supposed negotiation is to be worked out. There's no ransom demand, no credible information on the young girl herself, no credible proof that she is alive.

The police say that they've already had hoaxes in this case, including three phony ransom demands, and so as sad and as cruel as it might be, police fear that this might be another hoax, another false lead in this very difficult case here in Salt Lake City. Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Mark, when police do look at these letters, and I know you mentioned they receive thousands of them, how is it that they analyze them? Do they analyze the handwriting? Do they take fingerprints off the paper and the envelope? What's sort of the process of checking out for authenticity or any type of lead?

POTTER: Sometimes they do all that. Sometimes they just look at the quality of the writing. Sometimes from that, they can tell the psychological state of the person who's writing. The other very important thing they do is they compare this letter against what they believe they already know to be the scenario in this kidnapping, and in this case, nothing seems to fit. They have very serious doubts that this letter has any bearing on this case. They fear that this is another sad hoax.

PHILLIPS: Mark Potter from Salt Lake. Thanks, Mark.

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