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American Morning
One Week Ago That Elizabeth Smart Was Rescued
Aired March 19, 2003 - 08:10 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: It was one week ago today that Elizabeth Smart was rescued after nine months in captivity and today her alleged kidnappers are scheduled to be arraigned, convictions on the charges that could land them in jail for life.
Let's check in with Ed Lavandera, who is standing by in Salt Lake City this morning.
He has the very latest on the investigation -- good morning, Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, as the news broke of the formal charges that have been filed against Brian Mitchell and his wife Wanda Barzee, it has come to be expected that this will be good news for the Smart family. They want to see that Brian Mitchell spends the rest of his life in prison.
Here's a breakdown of the specific charges that have been filed against both of them -- aggravated burglary, aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated sexual assault and the last two are aggravated burglary and aggravated attempting kidnapping. Now, those final two charges have to do with what prosecutors believe was the attempted kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart's cousin, which happened about a month and a half after Elizabeth Smart was abducted.
Now, some of the details that emerged yesterday in the court filings that were filed by prosecutors show that the day that Brian Mitchell abducted Elizabeth Smart that he walked her through, several miles through the hills behind the Smart's family home here in Salt Lake City and then forced himself upon her with the help of Wanda Barzee.
They also show that they stayed in his makeshift camp site for about four months in those hills behind the Smart's home and also used a cable to tie her to a tree, to restrain her there, and repeatedly threatened her life and also the life of her family.
Now, the Smart family has been very worried about how Elizabeth will be able to handle the public disclosure and the public details that will probably emerge as this trial moves forward, the details of what happened to her during her nine months in captivity. But prosecutors say they have good reason to pursue the sexual assault charges, even though it means Elizabeth Smart will have to testify publicly about what happened to her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DAVID YOCOM, SALT LAKE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: We do believe that these defendants, particularly Mitchell, should be prosecuted as a predator sex offender, be given that label when he's convicted and if he ever hits the streets, to carry that label as a sex offender the rest of his life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: During a press conference yesterday here in Salt Lake City, prosecutors say that they would be willing, it sounded like, to negotiate a lesser deal with Wanda Barzee in exchange for her testimony against Brian Mitchell. But that decision is far from being made. And it doesn't appear likely either that prosecutors will favor any kind of motion to move this trial outside of Salt Lake City, given all of the publicity that it's received over the course of the last nine months.
And again, Paula, as you mentioned, both of them are expected to appear in a Salt Lake City courtroom at 11:00 a.m. Eastern for a formal arraignment hearing -- Paula.
ZAHN: And I know you'll be keeping your eyes on that for us this morning.
Thanks so much, Ed.
Appreciate the update.
LAVANDERA: Sure.
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 19, 2003 - 08:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: It was one week ago today that Elizabeth Smart was rescued after nine months in captivity and today her alleged kidnappers are scheduled to be arraigned, convictions on the charges that could land them in jail for life.
Let's check in with Ed Lavandera, who is standing by in Salt Lake City this morning.
He has the very latest on the investigation -- good morning, Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, as the news broke of the formal charges that have been filed against Brian Mitchell and his wife Wanda Barzee, it has come to be expected that this will be good news for the Smart family. They want to see that Brian Mitchell spends the rest of his life in prison.
Here's a breakdown of the specific charges that have been filed against both of them -- aggravated burglary, aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated sexual assault and the last two are aggravated burglary and aggravated attempting kidnapping. Now, those final two charges have to do with what prosecutors believe was the attempted kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart's cousin, which happened about a month and a half after Elizabeth Smart was abducted.
Now, some of the details that emerged yesterday in the court filings that were filed by prosecutors show that the day that Brian Mitchell abducted Elizabeth Smart that he walked her through, several miles through the hills behind the Smart's family home here in Salt Lake City and then forced himself upon her with the help of Wanda Barzee.
They also show that they stayed in his makeshift camp site for about four months in those hills behind the Smart's home and also used a cable to tie her to a tree, to restrain her there, and repeatedly threatened her life and also the life of her family.
Now, the Smart family has been very worried about how Elizabeth will be able to handle the public disclosure and the public details that will probably emerge as this trial moves forward, the details of what happened to her during her nine months in captivity. But prosecutors say they have good reason to pursue the sexual assault charges, even though it means Elizabeth Smart will have to testify publicly about what happened to her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DAVID YOCOM, SALT LAKE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: We do believe that these defendants, particularly Mitchell, should be prosecuted as a predator sex offender, be given that label when he's convicted and if he ever hits the streets, to carry that label as a sex offender the rest of his life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: During a press conference yesterday here in Salt Lake City, prosecutors say that they would be willing, it sounded like, to negotiate a lesser deal with Wanda Barzee in exchange for her testimony against Brian Mitchell. But that decision is far from being made. And it doesn't appear likely either that prosecutors will favor any kind of motion to move this trial outside of Salt Lake City, given all of the publicity that it's received over the course of the last nine months.
And again, Paula, as you mentioned, both of them are expected to appear in a Salt Lake City courtroom at 11:00 a.m. Eastern for a formal arraignment hearing -- Paula.
ZAHN: And I know you'll be keeping your eyes on that for us this morning.
Thanks so much, Ed.
Appreciate the update.
LAVANDERA: Sure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
