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CNN Saturday Morning News
Elizabeth Smart's Abductor May Have Tried Same With Her Cousin
Aired March 15, 2003 - 08:11 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Great pictures to see. Investigators in Salt Lake City say the man accused of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart may have tried to abduct her 18-year-old cousin about a month later.
For more on the investigation and the Smart family, CNN's Jeanne Meserve, up early in Salt Lake City -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Anderson.
First, a boisterous rally last night at a downtown park, as the city of Salt Lake celebrated the return of young Elizabeth Smart. Elizabeth wasn't there, although there was a poster on the stage thanking people for their love and prayers.
Her parents were there and for the first time we heard from her mother, Lois Smart, since her daughter's return.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOIS SMART, ELIZABETH'S MOTHER: I am the luckiest mother in the world. I am so happy and so thrilled. I am overjoyed with the return of Elizabeth and thanks to you for your love, your prayers, your support. It was a priceless gift that we couldn't have done without you. So thank you, thank you, thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: The Salt Lake County sheriff announced yesterday that he expects to bring charges against Brian David Mitchell. He is the man who is held in connection with Elizabeth's disappearance. But the sheriff says he may charge him with attempted kidnapping of Elizabeth's cousin.
There was a break-in at the cousin's home, attempted break-in, last summer, which was eerily similar to the break-in at the Smart home. The girl awoke. The intruder was sent, left the scene. However, the sheriff says he's developed evidence since Elizabeth's recovery which links Mitchell with that disappearance and he does expect to bring charges, perhaps as early as next week.
Meanwhile, video has been released of a court appearance of Mitchell last month in San Diego where he had been picked up after breaking into a church.
Here's an excerpt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN DAVID MITCHELL, ACCUSED KIDNAPPER: My wife and my daughter are staying with some friends presently in Lakeside and I'll be there, too. We're staying with some friends in the Lord, Jesus Christ. I'm a minister for the lord and...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are you living, Mr. Jansen (ph)? Do you have a place to stay?
MITCHELL: With these friends, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Yesterday, courtesy of the Associated Press, we were given a copy of this religious tract allegedly written by Mitchell. In it, Mitchell makes several references to polygamy -- back to you.
COOPER: All right, Jeanne Meserve live in Salt Lake City. Thanks for that.
You know, I've just got one question for you. Have police responded at all to some of the criticism that has been made and sort of hinted at by the Smart family about them not really following up on leads, not really pursuing the Mitchell angle early enough?
MESERVE: They have. There's been very strong criticism from some people in this town and outside that they dropped the ball when Mary Katherine, the younger sister, told them that Emmanuel, a man she knew as Emmanuel who had worked one day on the house was, in fact, the person who had taken her sister. Police say there were several reasons they didn't pursue him harder. One was that he had no criminal record, no history of sexual abuse. And so they didn't pursue him as strongly as they might have. They say in hindsight, that was a mistake -- back to you.
COOPER: All right, Jeanne Meserve, thanks very much -- Arthel.
ARTHEL NEVILLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, Anderson.
Well, of course, police believe psychological damage kept Elizabeth Smart from calling out for help or trying to escape from captivity. After a nine month ordeal, the teen returned home physically unharmed, but not unchanged.
So what lies ahead for the Utah teenager?
Michael Popkin, author of "Getting Through To Your Kids: Easy Conversations About Difficult Things," a parenting specialist and child psychologist, can help us tackle that issue.
Good morning, Dr. Popkin.
MICHAEL POPKIN, CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST: Good morning.
NEVILLE: First of all, people want to know why didn't Elizabeth escape? She had ample opportunities. POPKIN: In a situation like this, where your whole survival depends on the other person, it's very easy to be "brainwashed" to believe that they are now your friend, any kind of small kindness they give you, blankets and food, if your life is dependent on them, it's easy to start listening to their ideology and their rantings and their beliefs and to believe you'd better not do anything that they don't want you to do.
NEVILLE: Because also not only is in this case Elizabeth's life, perhaps, dependent on that person, but also what about the parents or the family?
POPKIN: Absolutely.
NEVILLE: There could have been threats of harm, which would keep her silent, correct?
POPKIN: Yes, but it goes beyond just I'd better behave and do what I'm told. That's the way it starts. But eventually that so- called Stockholm Syndrome or brainwashing or whatever you want to call it, your unconscious mind starts to believe hey, these people are starting to make sense to me. Maybe, you know, what they say is somewhat right because you want to be their friend. You want to identify with them because your survival again...
NEVILLE: I mean you're there. Exactly.
POPKIN: Yes. When we, when I say getting through to your kids, it's about how do you talk to your kids about your values, your beliefs, how go you get through to them in a way that changes their beliefs. But we don't have as parents the techniques that they have in terms of abducting and brainwashing.
NEVILLE: Right. And more specifically to this case, what do the parents, how do they begin to help her heal?
POPKIN: Well, they're making a good start from what I've heard through the media. She needs a lot of love and acceptance right now. She needs to be back in a nurturing environment. But the acceptance also extends to the fact that they need to let her know somehow or another that whatever she did over the past nine months, whatever she thought, whatever she felt she did because at some point in her mind she believed she needed to do that for survival. And we love you and we accept you fully, in spite of any of that.
Second, she's going to need some good psychotherapy. I mean she has gone through some significant changes and she won't be the child that left home nine months ago.
NEVILLE: Now, should they force any conversation? Should they force any conversation, should they force Elizabeth to open up about anything?
POPKIN: No, absolutely not. That needs to be slow and, again, I've heard her father say that they're not doing that. But, again, that's where a good therapist can help her reprocesses what happened to her in a way that really helps her become stronger. Actually, a child in this situation can either have it scar her life forever or she can become a stronger person out of it.
She'll also need an advocate to help her through the judicial system. And we've got some wonderful child advocacy centers in this country that can help kids through that judicial process. I'd suggest they find one of those.
NEVILLE: A quick, quick answer here for me, doctor. How soon should Elizabeth get back to school, sooner or later?
POPKIN: That would, I'd do that in conjunction with a good therapist.
NEVILLE: OK.
POPKIN: I certainly wouldn't think about this year, maybe next fall. Again, getting back to some normal activities, the small ones first, you know, let her play the harp and do those things first, then work up to the bigger ones.
NEVILLE: OK, Dr. Michael Popkin, thank you so much for joining us here this morning.
POPKIN: You're welcome.
Thanks for being here.
NEVILLE: OK.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Cousin>
Aired March 15, 2003 - 08:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Great pictures to see. Investigators in Salt Lake City say the man accused of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart may have tried to abduct her 18-year-old cousin about a month later.
For more on the investigation and the Smart family, CNN's Jeanne Meserve, up early in Salt Lake City -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Anderson.
First, a boisterous rally last night at a downtown park, as the city of Salt Lake celebrated the return of young Elizabeth Smart. Elizabeth wasn't there, although there was a poster on the stage thanking people for their love and prayers.
Her parents were there and for the first time we heard from her mother, Lois Smart, since her daughter's return.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOIS SMART, ELIZABETH'S MOTHER: I am the luckiest mother in the world. I am so happy and so thrilled. I am overjoyed with the return of Elizabeth and thanks to you for your love, your prayers, your support. It was a priceless gift that we couldn't have done without you. So thank you, thank you, thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: The Salt Lake County sheriff announced yesterday that he expects to bring charges against Brian David Mitchell. He is the man who is held in connection with Elizabeth's disappearance. But the sheriff says he may charge him with attempted kidnapping of Elizabeth's cousin.
There was a break-in at the cousin's home, attempted break-in, last summer, which was eerily similar to the break-in at the Smart home. The girl awoke. The intruder was sent, left the scene. However, the sheriff says he's developed evidence since Elizabeth's recovery which links Mitchell with that disappearance and he does expect to bring charges, perhaps as early as next week.
Meanwhile, video has been released of a court appearance of Mitchell last month in San Diego where he had been picked up after breaking into a church.
Here's an excerpt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN DAVID MITCHELL, ACCUSED KIDNAPPER: My wife and my daughter are staying with some friends presently in Lakeside and I'll be there, too. We're staying with some friends in the Lord, Jesus Christ. I'm a minister for the lord and...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are you living, Mr. Jansen (ph)? Do you have a place to stay?
MITCHELL: With these friends, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Yesterday, courtesy of the Associated Press, we were given a copy of this religious tract allegedly written by Mitchell. In it, Mitchell makes several references to polygamy -- back to you.
COOPER: All right, Jeanne Meserve live in Salt Lake City. Thanks for that.
You know, I've just got one question for you. Have police responded at all to some of the criticism that has been made and sort of hinted at by the Smart family about them not really following up on leads, not really pursuing the Mitchell angle early enough?
MESERVE: They have. There's been very strong criticism from some people in this town and outside that they dropped the ball when Mary Katherine, the younger sister, told them that Emmanuel, a man she knew as Emmanuel who had worked one day on the house was, in fact, the person who had taken her sister. Police say there were several reasons they didn't pursue him harder. One was that he had no criminal record, no history of sexual abuse. And so they didn't pursue him as strongly as they might have. They say in hindsight, that was a mistake -- back to you.
COOPER: All right, Jeanne Meserve, thanks very much -- Arthel.
ARTHEL NEVILLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, Anderson.
Well, of course, police believe psychological damage kept Elizabeth Smart from calling out for help or trying to escape from captivity. After a nine month ordeal, the teen returned home physically unharmed, but not unchanged.
So what lies ahead for the Utah teenager?
Michael Popkin, author of "Getting Through To Your Kids: Easy Conversations About Difficult Things," a parenting specialist and child psychologist, can help us tackle that issue.
Good morning, Dr. Popkin.
MICHAEL POPKIN, CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST: Good morning.
NEVILLE: First of all, people want to know why didn't Elizabeth escape? She had ample opportunities. POPKIN: In a situation like this, where your whole survival depends on the other person, it's very easy to be "brainwashed" to believe that they are now your friend, any kind of small kindness they give you, blankets and food, if your life is dependent on them, it's easy to start listening to their ideology and their rantings and their beliefs and to believe you'd better not do anything that they don't want you to do.
NEVILLE: Because also not only is in this case Elizabeth's life, perhaps, dependent on that person, but also what about the parents or the family?
POPKIN: Absolutely.
NEVILLE: There could have been threats of harm, which would keep her silent, correct?
POPKIN: Yes, but it goes beyond just I'd better behave and do what I'm told. That's the way it starts. But eventually that so- called Stockholm Syndrome or brainwashing or whatever you want to call it, your unconscious mind starts to believe hey, these people are starting to make sense to me. Maybe, you know, what they say is somewhat right because you want to be their friend. You want to identify with them because your survival again...
NEVILLE: I mean you're there. Exactly.
POPKIN: Yes. When we, when I say getting through to your kids, it's about how do you talk to your kids about your values, your beliefs, how go you get through to them in a way that changes their beliefs. But we don't have as parents the techniques that they have in terms of abducting and brainwashing.
NEVILLE: Right. And more specifically to this case, what do the parents, how do they begin to help her heal?
POPKIN: Well, they're making a good start from what I've heard through the media. She needs a lot of love and acceptance right now. She needs to be back in a nurturing environment. But the acceptance also extends to the fact that they need to let her know somehow or another that whatever she did over the past nine months, whatever she thought, whatever she felt she did because at some point in her mind she believed she needed to do that for survival. And we love you and we accept you fully, in spite of any of that.
Second, she's going to need some good psychotherapy. I mean she has gone through some significant changes and she won't be the child that left home nine months ago.
NEVILLE: Now, should they force any conversation? Should they force any conversation, should they force Elizabeth to open up about anything?
POPKIN: No, absolutely not. That needs to be slow and, again, I've heard her father say that they're not doing that. But, again, that's where a good therapist can help her reprocesses what happened to her in a way that really helps her become stronger. Actually, a child in this situation can either have it scar her life forever or she can become a stronger person out of it.
She'll also need an advocate to help her through the judicial system. And we've got some wonderful child advocacy centers in this country that can help kids through that judicial process. I'd suggest they find one of those.
NEVILLE: A quick, quick answer here for me, doctor. How soon should Elizabeth get back to school, sooner or later?
POPKIN: That would, I'd do that in conjunction with a good therapist.
NEVILLE: OK.
POPKIN: I certainly wouldn't think about this year, maybe next fall. Again, getting back to some normal activities, the small ones first, you know, let her play the harp and do those things first, then work up to the bigger ones.
NEVILLE: OK, Dr. Michael Popkin, thank you so much for joining us here this morning.
POPKIN: You're welcome.
Thanks for being here.
NEVILLE: OK.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Cousin>
