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CNN Sunday Morning

Police Question Bret Michael Edmunds

Aired June 23, 2002 - 07:36   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now the case of 14-year old Elizabeth Smart. She is still missing this morning, but police and authorities are questioning a person who they say might know something. Bret Michael Edmunds, who turned up at a hospital in Martinsburg, West Virginia, apparently suffering from a drug overdose.

CNN's Bob Franken is there and has the latest.

Bob, good morning to you.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. And the latest is he's still listed in serious condition, but police officials, the Salt Lake City police and FBI officials who came in from Salt Lake yesterday, have been able to question him extensively about the only time that they've stopped, according to officials in Salt Lake City where our information is coming from, the only time they've had to stop is when doctors have interrupted. His medical condition, as I said, is still serious. And that was one of the factors for leaving him here, as opposed to transferring him to another hospital, a decision that was made yesterday.

Officials say that he's talking quite freely, when they're able to talk with him, that he gave permission to search his green Saturn automobile, which he brought to this parking lot on Thursday and which was discovered by officials on Friday, when Bret Edmunds' alias was found out and it was turned out that it was him. And this whole chain of events has occurred.

We, of course, are not being told what the officials have been told by Bret Edmunds, only that he's being entirely cooperative. And officials will now have to wait to -- for his health to improve before they go before a magistrate and begin the extradition procedures on a variety of charges, not related to Elizabeth Smart.

We have to emphasize that he is not listed as a suspect by officials, just a potential witness. That, of course, could always change -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Bob Franken in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Thank you very much, sir.

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