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CNN Live Event/Special
Parents of Elizabeth Smart Speak to Press
Aired June 08, 2002 - 18:03 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to try to get you back now to Salt Lake City for that news conference with the police department.
ED SMART, FATHER OF ELIZABETH SMART: ...they're not going to stop until she's home, and we -- that is what -- that's what keeps us going. We just know that she is going to be coming home, and we want to thank you all for helping us. Thank you.
LOIS SMART, MOTHER OF ELIZABETH SMART: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Ed, how are you feeling?
ED SMART: I'm feeling much better. I was just at a point of complete exhaustion and collapse. I just -- I had to have the two people there at my home help me up to bed the other night, and I was just completely wiped out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: What can you tell us about the man that was put out in the sketch today? Is there anything you can tell us about his...
ED SMART: You know, I really don't know anything about that. I know that the police -- the police have been in here with their whole heart. Every time I go down to the station, you know, I know that everyone down there is working their guts out. I just know that they are 100 percent behind us; there is no question in my mind that they are doing everything physically possible to help us get Elizabeth back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
LOIS SMART: I don't know. I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) family members who also know this person or know of him (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
ED SMART: You know, I think that they're -- they have a protocol that they go through in trying to eliminate people and everything, and I -- you know, it may very well be that somebody is, but we don't know -- we have no idea -- it's -- you know -- it's so hard to imagine that this has even occurred. It's just, it's unbelievable, and -- you know... LOIS SMART: We're going to make it, though...
ED SMART: We're going to make it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: When you saw the sketch, did the face come as a complete surprise to you?
LOIS SMART: I haven't seen the sketch. I haven't.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Police say that you came to them with this information about this man who somehow came in contact in a social setting with Elizabeth. Can you talk about that?
LOIS SMART: I don't know anything about it.
ED SMART: You know, the -- we haven't come to them with -- I mean, we've tried to supply them with any information we possibly knew.
This person is something that they have worked on and -- you know -- a lot of people have been helping. I know that there have been a million clues and tips that have come because of the Laura Foundation and because of everyone here.
I mean, everyone here that is been helping us search have brought back tips, they're compiling them and they're -- you know -- they've got a protocol that they're going through to try to make the most sense of everything that they can, and I know that they are doing their absolute best. I know -- you know -- I want to thank them personally.
I know that this whole thing has been so hard, and people have gone without sleep and -- you know, have just done everything that they could possibly do. To bring Elizabeth back to us, and I know that that is their only -- the only thing that they are trying to do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: What types of information have you had to supply law enforcement with?
ED SMART: Well, you know, we've had -- we had people that were working on our house -- you know -- I have -- it's hard for me to imagine that any of them had anything to do with this, but you get -- you don't know, so we've just put lists of people that we've known the past two months together. You know...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
ED SMART: No. You know, we've given names and numbers of people that we know, and they're following up, they're doing all of that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
LOIS SMART: No.
ED SMART: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) LOIS SMART: It's overwhelming. It is absolutely overwhelming to see so many people that love Elizabeth, love us, that would take their time and energy and money and food and everything to help us locate her. We're just indebted and grateful to them.
ED SMART: You know my wife has -- the past couple of days -- she has just had this weight on her chest, and it has been overwhelming to her. And, coming down here and seeing everyone and the support that we have in knowing what everyone's trying to do is just absolutely bolstering our spirits and -- you know -- and we know that it's because of this that we're going to pull through it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: How are your other children doing? Specifically Elizabeth's 9-year-old sister?
LOIS SMART: They're all doing fine.
ED SMART: It's...
LOIS SMART: It's hard but they're doing fine, they're with family and cousins and they're fine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
ED SMART: You know, the police have talked to her; they've had interviews with her. I'm sure that they have, you know, done everything to try and get the information necessary to do what they need to do. And I think that they're taking care of all of that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
LOIS SMART: You know, I don't know that. I don't -- I can't answer that, because I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Could we just have one more question?
LOIS SMART: Thank you.
ED SMART: Thank you. Thanks for your support and for being here for us.
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