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CNN Saturday Morning News

Salt Lake City Police Head to West Virginia to Question Edmunds

Aired June 22, 2002 - 08:14   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: Salt Lake City police are heading to West Virginia to question Bret Edmunds in connection with the Utah kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart. He is hospitalized there, recovering from an apparent drug overdose after trying to check himself in using a false name.

We get the latest now from CNN's Bob Franken, who is in Martinsburg, West Virginia, where we must underscore Mr. Edmunds is not a suspect, correct?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The officials are not calling him a suspect now. They are saying that they want to question him about any knowledge he may have because there are some reports he was spotted in the vicinity of the disappearance, at the time of the disappearance of Elizabeth Smart. But let us not forget that his status could always change.

But right now it is his medical status which is the focus of attention. He is in serious condition. He suffered liver problems, significant liver problems after the drug overdose, according to officials here. And so he is being treated. He is being treated in the intensive care unit.

He's also being guarded very, very closely. The same FBI officials and marshals who came here and saw his green Saturn car in the parking lot, the one that they'd been looking for nationwide, went in and identified him, are now keeping a heavy guard.

As for the car, it was towed from this lot. It was taken to an undisclosed location where the FBI officials and the marshals are waiting for the proper warrants to be executed so they can search the car, can look for clues, can look for anything which might give them some clues about the disappearance of Elizabeth Smart.

As for Bret Edmunds, the treatment will go on. There has been no successful attempt yet to interrogate him. That is down the road once his health improves. As I said, he's in serious condition, not critical, but serious at this point. Assuming that he recovers, he would then be taken to a federal magistrate, we're told, and would be extradited, presumably back to Utah -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Bob Franken in West Virginia.

Let's stay on the same story but switch datelines.

Salt Lake City is the place. Jeanne Meserve is there -- Jeanne, what's going on there?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, first to tell you a search will resume in a couple of hours time in Draper. That's a bit south of Salt Lake City. Last night volunteer searchers were working in that area with dogs. The dogs hit on something in a pile of dirt at a construction site. So law enforcement will be back at that site this morning with cadaver dogs. They're trying to determine exactly what they're dealing with and if it has any relevance to this case.

Investigators, of course, most interested in determining if Bret Edmunds has any relevance to this case. They have been interested in him for some time because of his criminal record, because of his familiarity with Elizabeth Smart's neighborhood and also because of recent sightings of him in that area.

His criminal record is quite extensive. It has included things like writing checks. He pleaded guilty to a charge there. There also was a case where police officers approached him. They'd been told there was somebody sleeping or passed out in a car. When they went up to him he gave them an I.D. He then fled at a tremendous rate of speed. And then actually a third incident with police where he attempted to spray an officer with pepper spray.

So he's very well known to them and as I mentioned, their big concern right now has to do with recent sightings in the neighborhood.

Here's Police Chief Rick Dinse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF RICK DINSE, SALT LAKE CITY POLICE: Mr. Edmunds has been somebody we want to talk to. He was seen in the area some time around the time of the incident, or at least the vehicle, a vehicle similar to what he had been driving, and we know he had been, since his April, at least April, had been on the run and had been in the Avenues area.

So he was somebody we wanted to talk to. I mean I use the example, he's a question mark and we want to put a period on that question mark.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: The police being very careful at this time to say he is not a suspect, but they do want to determine if he has any involvement with this crime and if not, what he might have seen and who he might have seen in the neighborhood of Elizabeth Smart's home around the time of the abduction -- Miles, back to you.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Jeanne Meserve, thank you very much.

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