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American Morning

Looking for Answers in Smart Case

Aired March 13, 2003 - 09:32   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: Now back to our top story this morning. The joyous reunion of Elizabeth Smart with her family after a nine- month challenge. But with her return comes a flood of new questions about her disappearance. Let's go live to Salt Lake City now where Rusty Dornin -- Rusty Dornin is standing by with the very latest.
Good morning, Rusty.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula. A flood of questions. Two of them got answered and they were in the headlines of the "Salt Lake City Tribune." Alive and well, a smiling Elizabeth Smart right here.

But also in the paper are some photographs and sightings that are coming up locally of the suspect, Brian David Mitchell, with two women, who are disguised in these robes. One of them is believed to be Elizabeth Smart. A lot of folks here in Salt Lake City are saying they saw these people, the three, Mitchell, his wife, and possibly Elizabeth Smart in some areas.

We now understand too that they -- that they may have gone on a cross-country trip. They were camping in the desert. They may have been camping just above Elizabeth Smart's home, gone to San Diego, Florida, and that sort of thing, raising the question of why didn't she try to escape? Why didn't she try to get away at some point? When the Sandy Police did pick them up yesterday and found Elizabeth Smart, and they asked her some questions, she did not immediately say who she was. She was a little bit reticent. But the police chief there says he definitely thinks that there were some other factors going on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF STEPHEN CHAPMAN, SANDY 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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, we'll have a lot of details, of course, coming up in the next few days, as she tells her families and tells investigators what happened. There will be a press conference with the family in just a couple of hours, and the police are expected to hold one later today, also -- Paula. ZAHN: Now, Lori Gaylor (ph), who is the stepdaughter of Brian David Mitchell, has suggested not only on television this morning, but in a number of published accounts that there may be a motive in all of this. She left home to go live with her biological father, and she says she thinks that broke her mother's heart. What are you hearing about a possible motive for this duo?

DORNIN: Of course, there is a lot of speculation going on right now, Paula, because the police are not releasing any details, but one of those things is that this stepdaughter, when she left home, upset the mother so deeply that, perhaps, Elizabeth Smart was abducted as sort of a replacement daughter, to replace this young woman who left home, apparently, at age 12 or 13, which was just emotionally very distressing for the mother.

There are also a lot of other -- there is a lot of other speculation out there, that possibly she was being groomed to be some kind of a second wife, that sort of thing.

No details yet. No facts yet, but a lot of stories about what could have happened.

ZAHN: And Rusty, if you would, run one more time for us how it is that Brian Mitchell came into the life of the Smart family?

DORNIN: Well, Lois Smart, apparently, went down to an area where there are people who are pan handling, but they also offer themselves up for work. And she was rather impressed with this Brian Mitchell. He was clean-shaven at the time. She hired him to come do some work at the house. He came to the house, worked for about five hours repairing the roof. But the thing that is so interesting is that Elizabeth Smart's younger sister, Mary Katherine, apparently a couple months later went to her father and said, Dad, I really think I know who it is. It's this Emmanuel. She remembered a familiar voice, and remembered the feeling that it was perhaps him that came into the bedroom that night.

But it took nearly four months to identify this man for the police. And it really -- the relentless pursuit by the Smart family to figure out who this man was, and of course, his eventual capture.

ZAHN: Rusty Dornin, thanks for the update. Appreciate it -- Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Certainly, Elizabeth Smart is among the few lucky children who are find alive. Her father says she appears healthy, but it is unclear right now what her mental condition might be.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED SMART, FATHER OF ELIZABETH SMART: I don't know what she's gone through, and I'm sure she's been through hell. But I just know that she's a part of our family. She's loved, and we love her so much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: How does a 15-year-old now cope after all this, and what are the psychological effects she may face now? Shirley Goins is the executive director of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. She is our guest now live in Los Angeles -- great to have you with us, Shirley. Good morning to you.

SHIRLEY GOINS, NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN: Good morning and thank you.

HEMMER: How do you begin to work, now, with this young girl?

GOINS: Well, you know, the Swift (ph) family has been an emotional roller coaster for the past nine months. Each of them have experienced this tragedy and this trauma in a different way. It is going to take some, really, support from the community and outside support in terms of the family, as well as the extended family and their friends.

The trauma of the terror of having a child kidnapped is something that few of us will ever experience, and we're very happy about that. But each of them have gone through this in a different manner. And of course, there has been feelings of guilt, blame, anger, frustration, on the part of each of the family members, and none of us really know what Elizabeth has been experiencing, so...

HEMMER: I'm sorry. Continue, please.

GOINS: That's OK.

HEMMER: Here's what I want to know -- I don't know if this is a fair question or not, but is it out of the realm of possibilities that there could be concern that Elizabeth might want to leave again?

GOINS: Well, that's -- that's been speculated on and, of course, written about. I think that what needs to happen is that the family needs some time just to gather themselves together. They will be the ones that are going to decide the depth of the trauma, and they are the ones that's going to decide how they're going to put the family back together again.

They're all different individuals than they were nine months ago, obviously, with the experiences that they've had. But this family is strong. The one thing they have done is they have really kept the hope, and I think they'll work it out. They will need some support. If Elizabeth, at 15, decides to leave, I would be surprised, because I think this family is very strong. I think that no matter what she has experienced, they can work through it. But regardless of what I think or you think, they need time and space to work that out themselves.

HEMMER: Yes. You mentioned the trauma in your answer a short time ago. What do you make of this 24-year-old kid, Daniel Trotter, a young man out in Salt Lake. He believes Elizabeth was actually living in the basement of his apartment since she seldom talked, wore a veil the entire time. When he asked her name -- this other man that was with her said, Don't answer that question. Can you give us an idea about the trauma she was experiencing over nine months?

GOINS: Well, we haven't heard from her yet, but obviously her identity was taken from her, obviously her whole lifestyle has been changed. Obviously, she was under some kind of circumstance which she had no control over.

If you look at a 14 to 15-year-old girl who obviously thinks she's invincible most of the time and they are very bright, and have that kind of situation taken away from her -- she is a child. She doesn't really know or has not experienced these kinds of circumstances. I think the one thing we must be careful to do at this time is not speculate and not blame the child, because she obviously didn't ask to be abducted by knife-point.

HEMMER: Point well taken.

GOINS: So I think we've -- we've got to let her talk with her family, let her find out, really, what she has experienced, and give them some space and some time to do that.

HEMMER: Thank you, Shirley. Shirley Goins in L.A.

GOINS: You're quite welcome.

HEMMER: All right.

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 - 09:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to our top story this morning. The joyous reunion of Elizabeth Smart with her family after a nine- month challenge. But with her return comes a flood of new questions about her disappearance. Let's go live to Salt Lake City now where Rusty Dornin -- Rusty Dornin is standing by with the very latest.
Good morning, Rusty.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula. A flood of questions. Two of them got answered and they were in the headlines of the "Salt Lake City Tribune." Alive and well, a smiling Elizabeth Smart right here.

But also in the paper are some photographs and sightings that are coming up locally of the suspect, Brian David Mitchell, with two women, who are disguised in these robes. One of them is believed to be Elizabeth Smart. A lot of folks here in Salt Lake City are saying they saw these people, the three, Mitchell, his wife, and possibly Elizabeth Smart in some areas.

We now understand too that they -- that they may have gone on a cross-country trip. They were camping in the desert. They may have been camping just above Elizabeth Smart's home, gone to San Diego, Florida, and that sort of thing, raising the question of why didn't she try to escape? Why didn't she try to get away at some point? When the Sandy Police did pick them up yesterday and found Elizabeth Smart, and they asked her some questions, she did not immediately say who she was. She was a little bit reticent. But the police chief there says he definitely thinks that there were some other factors going on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF STEPHEN CHAPMAN, SANDY 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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, we'll have a lot of details, of course, coming up in the next few days, as she tells her families and tells investigators what happened. There will be a press conference with the family in just a couple of hours, and the police are expected to hold one later today, also -- Paula. ZAHN: Now, Lori Gaylor (ph), who is the stepdaughter of Brian David Mitchell, has suggested not only on television this morning, but in a number of published accounts that there may be a motive in all of this. She left home to go live with her biological father, and she says she thinks that broke her mother's heart. What are you hearing about a possible motive for this duo?

DORNIN: Of course, there is a lot of speculation going on right now, Paula, because the police are not releasing any details, but one of those things is that this stepdaughter, when she left home, upset the mother so deeply that, perhaps, Elizabeth Smart was abducted as sort of a replacement daughter, to replace this young woman who left home, apparently, at age 12 or 13, which was just emotionally very distressing for the mother.

There are also a lot of other -- there is a lot of other speculation out there, that possibly she was being groomed to be some kind of a second wife, that sort of thing.

No details yet. No facts yet, but a lot of stories about what could have happened.

ZAHN: And Rusty, if you would, run one more time for us how it is that Brian Mitchell came into the life of the Smart family?

DORNIN: Well, Lois Smart, apparently, went down to an area where there are people who are pan handling, but they also offer themselves up for work. And she was rather impressed with this Brian Mitchell. He was clean-shaven at the time. She hired him to come do some work at the house. He came to the house, worked for about five hours repairing the roof. But the thing that is so interesting is that Elizabeth Smart's younger sister, Mary Katherine, apparently a couple months later went to her father and said, Dad, I really think I know who it is. It's this Emmanuel. She remembered a familiar voice, and remembered the feeling that it was perhaps him that came into the bedroom that night.

But it took nearly four months to identify this man for the police. And it really -- the relentless pursuit by the Smart family to figure out who this man was, and of course, his eventual capture.

ZAHN: Rusty Dornin, thanks for the update. Appreciate it -- Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Certainly, Elizabeth Smart is among the few lucky children who are find alive. Her father says she appears healthy, but it is unclear right now what her mental condition might be.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED SMART, FATHER OF ELIZABETH SMART: I don't know what she's gone through, and I'm sure she's been through hell. But I just know that she's a part of our family. She's loved, and we love her so much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: How does a 15-year-old now cope after all this, and what are the psychological effects she may face now? Shirley Goins is the executive director of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. She is our guest now live in Los Angeles -- great to have you with us, Shirley. Good morning to you.

SHIRLEY GOINS, NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN: Good morning and thank you.

HEMMER: How do you begin to work, now, with this young girl?

GOINS: Well, you know, the Swift (ph) family has been an emotional roller coaster for the past nine months. Each of them have experienced this tragedy and this trauma in a different way. It is going to take some, really, support from the community and outside support in terms of the family, as well as the extended family and their friends.

The trauma of the terror of having a child kidnapped is something that few of us will ever experience, and we're very happy about that. But each of them have gone through this in a different manner. And of course, there has been feelings of guilt, blame, anger, frustration, on the part of each of the family members, and none of us really know what Elizabeth has been experiencing, so...

HEMMER: I'm sorry. Continue, please.

GOINS: That's OK.

HEMMER: Here's what I want to know -- I don't know if this is a fair question or not, but is it out of the realm of possibilities that there could be concern that Elizabeth might want to leave again?

GOINS: Well, that's -- that's been speculated on and, of course, written about. I think that what needs to happen is that the family needs some time just to gather themselves together. They will be the ones that are going to decide the depth of the trauma, and they are the ones that's going to decide how they're going to put the family back together again.

They're all different individuals than they were nine months ago, obviously, with the experiences that they've had. But this family is strong. The one thing they have done is they have really kept the hope, and I think they'll work it out. They will need some support. If Elizabeth, at 15, decides to leave, I would be surprised, because I think this family is very strong. I think that no matter what she has experienced, they can work through it. But regardless of what I think or you think, they need time and space to work that out themselves.

HEMMER: Yes. You mentioned the trauma in your answer a short time ago. What do you make of this 24-year-old kid, Daniel Trotter, a young man out in Salt Lake. He believes Elizabeth was actually living in the basement of his apartment since she seldom talked, wore a veil the entire time. When he asked her name -- this other man that was with her said, Don't answer that question. Can you give us an idea about the trauma she was experiencing over nine months?

GOINS: Well, we haven't heard from her yet, but obviously her identity was taken from her, obviously her whole lifestyle has been changed. Obviously, she was under some kind of circumstance which she had no control over.

If you look at a 14 to 15-year-old girl who obviously thinks she's invincible most of the time and they are very bright, and have that kind of situation taken away from her -- she is a child. She doesn't really know or has not experienced these kinds of circumstances. I think the one thing we must be careful to do at this time is not speculate and not blame the child, because she obviously didn't ask to be abducted by knife-point.

HEMMER: Point well taken.

GOINS: So I think we've -- we've got to let her talk with her family, let her find out, really, what she has experienced, and give them some space and some time to do that.

HEMMER: Thank you, Shirley. Shirley Goins in L.A.

GOINS: You're quite welcome.

HEMMER: All right.

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