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CNN Saturday Morning News

Edmunds Still in Serious Condition in Martinsburg, WV Hospital

Aired June 22, 2002 - 09:21   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: All right. Just before we dropped in on the president, who was celebrating the run in Washington, we were hearing from Theresa McCabe, spokesperson for City Hospital in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and that's where Bret Edmunds is, the fugitive who is wanted for questioning in connection with the disappearance of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart of Salt Lake City.

CNN's Bob Franken was one of the people asking those questions there, you probably recognized his voice in there.

Bob, my news ear didn't hear anything new, did you?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, as I took my notes, the headline comments were, I don't know, and I can't comment. The reasons are that this was a law enforcement matter, and so much of this is sensitive in that area. And of course there are constraints upon reporting medical information.

Well, let's tell you what we do know. First of all, continues to be in serious condition. He checked into this hospital very early, checked himself into this hospital very early in the morning Thursday, driving the same Saturn automobile that has been the subject of a nationwide search.

I should point out that we're almost 2,000 miles away from Salt Lake City, and nobody yet has given an explanation about why he was here. We're told on background that he came in after an overdose of drugs and has significant liver problems and has been fading in and out of consciousness.

We're also told, and we had it reiterated just a moment ago, that federal officials, FBI agents, marshals, and the like have very heavy security on the sixth floor of this hospital, which is the critical care/intensive care unit where he is being held.

The hospital very much wants to get rid of him. After the news conference was over, Theresa McCabe went on to say they would like to get him out of here as soon as possible. He's been placed under arrest, she said. We're a hospital, not a jail.

But at the moment, that's exactly what it is. He has not been arraigned. Under normal circumstances, Bret Edmund would be taken to the magistrate in Clarksburg, West Virginia, not too far from here, and would be arraigned on the charges of unlawful flight and the state charges in Utah and returned.

But, of course, the medical problems are a major complication. One possibility, the magistrate could come here. But we don't know yet if that's going to occur, because none of the officials who will make those decisions, none of them, has arrived, none of the FBI agents who would be coming from Salt Lake City, none of the local officials who are overdue, in the minds of the hospital, because they'd like to know what's going on, and they'd like to know how they have the burden of taking care of this man who just checked himself to an hospital and totally disrupted everything that goes on around here -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, CNN's Bob Franken in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Let's turn our attention now to Salt Lake City, where this story all began. CNN's Jeanne Meserve is there, where the Smart family continues its vigil and its efforts to recover 14-year-old Elizabeth -- Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, first, a couple of responses, why Salt Lake City, Bob asked? One reason is, it's a -- or excuse me, why Martinsburg, West Virginia? It's a long way from here. I had a conversation with police earlier this week in which they had thought that Edmunds might still be here in the Salt Lake City area because this is where he had family and friends. He'd lived here his whole life. This is where his drug connections were.

But apparently he saw some virtue in getting out of town, and apparently law enforcement had anticipated this somewhat, seeking this unlawful flight from prosecution charge against him that will be prosecuted today.

Separate and apart from that, volunteer search efforts will resume here in Salt Lake City today, in particular they're going to be taking cadaver dogs down to a town a bit south of Salt Lake City where last night volunteer searchers with dogs had the dogs hit on a pile of dirt at a construction site. They do not know exactly what they're dealing with there. They're taking the cadaver dogs in today to figure out what it is and whether it has any relevance at all to this case.

There will not be a briefing today from police or family members unless there are significant developments in this case. We suspect that will hinge on events in West Virginia. Apart from that, a benefit concert tonight by members of a harp ensemble that Elizabeth Smart was a member of.

But people here, very enthusiastic about the fact that Edmunds, after a long search, has indeed been found, and they will be able to question him and determine what involvement, if any, he had with this crime. If none, what he might have seen or who he might have seen in the vicinity of the Smart home.

Miles, back to you. O'BRIEN: Well, Jeanne, on the one hand, I'm sure there's a fair amount of -- maybe relief is the word, that Edmunds has been apprehended. But nevertheless, he's not being called a suspect, so I assume that tempers some of their feelings at the moment.

MESERVE: Well, you know, there's a wide degree of opinion about Edmunds and how significant he is to this case. There are some people who really feel he could be a player in some respect if not a participant, someone who observed something.

There are others who frankly wanted to see him caught because they've spent a lot of time and money looking for the guy, a lot of resources. They want to be able to at least cross his name off the list and free up time and money to pursue other avenues in this investigation.

So a mixed opinion about him and just how relevant he might be -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: So it's -- at the very least, it's part of the process of elimination, I guess.

MESERVE: That's exactly right.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Jeanne Meserve in Salt Lake City, thank you very much.

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