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CNN Live Sunday

Utah Investigators Frustrated by Lack of Leads in Smart Case

Aired June 09, 2002 - 18:18   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Frustration is mounting for Utah investigators with each passing day, because police say leads are leading them nowhere in the kidnapping case of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart. CNN national correspondent Frank Buckley joins us with the latest from Salt Lake City there -- Frank.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Carol, certainly no one giving up hope here, however. Certainly not the volunteers who are coming here to Shriners Hospital at the rate of more than 1,000 people per day, including today, a Sunday. Certainly not the detectives who continue to work the leads that they do have, who continue to look at the information that they've developed. They continue to hope that someone will see the video of Elizabeth Smart, will see the photos or the fliers that are up all around Salt Lake City and around the Western United States, and will then see her and call in some information. And of course, her parents and family members have not given up hope.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED SMART, ELIZABETH'S FATHER: I want you to know that I absolutely know that Elizabeth is still alive. I know it. I -- I just know within my heart that she is still alive, and I know that we're going to find her. I absolutely know that we are going to find her.

CYNTHIA SMART-OWENS, ELIZABETH'S AUNT: Send Elizabeth back where she feels most at home. Let her walk alone where someone can recognize her, and that person will take care of the rest for you.

Elizabeth is a beautiful young woman, inside and out. She misses her family. Please let her go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: And people here certainly miss her. Tonight, in Salt Lake City, there will be a community-wide candlelight vigil. They are expecting thousands of people to show up. In fact, I just talked to a representative from the mayor's office. They have 7,000 candles that they intend to bring to this candlelight vigil. Yesterday, Elizabeth's parents told us that they feel the prayers of many people who are praying for Elizabeth's safe return. Her uncle Tom was here today, and he was saying that he hopes the entire nation will pray for Elizabeth's safe return. As he put it, "if this nation prays, Elizabeth comes home" -- Carol.

LIN: Frank, what are the experts telling you in terms of how much time is passing, her chances of still being alive?

BUCKLEY: Well, each case is different. Obviously in terms of the investigation itself, officers, detectives like to get as much information as early as possible. They often talk about a 48-hour period when they have the most access to evidence, when people's recollections are the freshest. That's usually considered the crucial period.

But every case is different. Some people come back weeks later. You can't really say that this is the moment where there's a cutoff. And so far, people here continue to have hope and optimism.

LIN: Yeah, Frank, I'm just wondering, you know that the 9-year- old sister witnessed Elizabeth's kidnapping. Has the family said anything about how the 9-year-old girl is doing?

BUCKLEY: Well, yesterday we asked Elizabeth's parents about that. They said that she was fine, that the entire family -- there's six kids in this family -- are all with family and are being looked after. This is a very large family, extended family, and they're all taking care of each other, loving each other, trying to get through this period. We didn't pry too much about exactly what they're doing with the children, but they say they're doing OK.

LIN: All right, thank you very much, Frank Buckley, following that story in Salt Lake City.

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