Posted on 06/22/2002 10:17:01 PM PDT by stlnative
June 22, 2002 - Late Evening Report
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (AP) _ A hospitalized drifter sought for questioning in the disappearance of a teenager in Utah was alert and talking with investigators Saturday.
Bret Michael Edmunds, 26, was cooperating with investigators, said FBI spokesman Kevin Eaton. Salt Lake City police sought Edmunds for questioning in connection with the disappearance of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart from her family's home June 5.
Bret Michael Edmunds
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"He's talking to us. He's not telling us, 'go away, I want a lawyer,"' Eaton said.
But investigators won't say what information Edmunds is giving them. They will release information after Salt Lake City detectives have a chance to interpret Edmunds' responses.
Questioning Edmunds likely will not substantially affect the Smart case because he was only a possible witness and not a suspect, Eaton said.
"We've been hitting five to six promising areas, and we've been concentrating on a lot of important stuff" not related to Edmunds, Eaton said.
Edmunds remained in serious condition in a secure section of intensive care at City Hospital under the watch of U.S. marshals. He is being treated for a drug-related liver damage.
"He's conscious, he's coherent and he's talking," hospital spokeswoman Teresa McCabe said.
Edmunds, who appeared at the hospital Friday, began talking with a Salt Lake City police officer and FBI agent Saturday morning. Doctors monitored Edmunds' condition to ensure he was up to the questioning.
McCabe said Edmunds would stay at the hospital at least three or four days. She would not divulge details of his condition, citing confidentiality rules.
Edmunds is being held on a federal warrant charging him with fleeing to avoid prosecution for a probation violation. The charges are unrelated to the Smart case.
"He is still not a suspect at this time," Police Chief Rick Dinse said. "He's a question mark, and we want to put a period on that question mark."
Edmunds, who was living out of his Saturn sedan, had been seen in the Smart neighborhood the week the girl vanished. While Elizabeth's sister described the alleged kidnapper as a 5-foot-8 man, Edmunds stands 6-foot-2.
A Saturn found in the hospital parking lot was photographed, impounded and towed away. Police saw nothing suspicious through the windows, and are seeking a search warrant.
Also Saturday, sheriff's deputies said cadaver dogs were unable to find a scent at a subdivision near Salt Lake City. A police search was prompted after dogs owned by search volunteers apparently picked up an unusual scent.
Edmunds has been sought since last fall for outstanding warrants on charges of fraud and assault on a police officer in Utah. He had served 60 days and was put on probation in 2000 for stealing and forging checks.
When he is physically able, Edmunds will be taken to a magistrate for a hearing, the marshals service said.
The only problem though is that you then have a LOT of people out there helping with the search that are NOT ebing given good info. Hard to do good searches on no or bad info.
Time will tell, of course, but they may have traded time for keeping their info to themselves.
Indeed they have......bribe or threaten. It's amazing how younger siblings will stay quiet about things they have seen.......for a while, anyway.
Police probing the mysterious abduction of 14 year old Elizabeth Smart have made a discovery that's rocked them to the core - a shocking gay sex scandal involving her father Edward and two uncles, The Enquirer has learned exclusively.
Beneath the family's respectable facade authorities are unearthing horrendous facts that will forever change the devoutly religious city of Salt Lake, and perhaps explode the case wide open.
Shortly after Elizabeth's disappearance, police conducted a search of the family mansion.
And the Enquirer learned there was a lot to hide.
1.The police confiscated Edward's computer - and found several explicit pornographic homosexual pictures on the hard drive.
2. During one search of a family member's home, police found a horrifying journal alleging the mind-boggling activities of all three brothers.
3. It contained explicit allegations of homosexual activity concerning Dave, Ed and Tom, including preferences for sadomasochism.
4. Ed and his wife were reportedly having marriage problems.
5. Tom's computer showed attempts at deletion, but more than 100 pages of gay porn were retrieved.
Yes it is. Like looking for an alleged kidnapper without being given a physical description. I have to believe that the police have done what they have done for a reason......we just don't know the whole story yet.
I understand that we have all seen the news about this story and have even commented on it in different threads, but creating a daily thread for a girl being kidnapped is rediculous.
There thousands of Children that are missing every year in this country. Why is it that many of you are following this one? Because you keep your face in the News too much.
Focusing in on one situation and harping on it, simply because the mainstream media does is pretty lame. We are by and large, conservatives who shouldnt get caught up in the hype.
We're all concerned for any child that is kidnapped but this is no longer about us commenting on the news as much as it is just plain vanity.
It smacks of Jon Benet Ramsay and OJ Simpson civil trial or the Condit nonsense as well as the other kind of stories we were focused on while Muslim terrorists were here preparing themselves to bring down the World Trade Center, Pentagon and White House and in doing so kill thousands of Americans.
I dont mean to imply that we are to not hear anything else but "Terrorism Terrorism Terrorism" but be real you guys.
We are currently involved in a War. Thousand of people have been killed so far and I am sure that thousands more will die in the days weeks and months to come. Harping on this story to the point of creating a daily thread is just nonsense.
Some of the people here have surrounded themselves with this story....get a grip.
I agree that there are other missing children out there that need the same attention. I think what is so interesting about this case is that with all the high profile law enforcement involvement it means that they have a good idea of what is going on... with others cases the trail seems to go cold pretty quick. Besides that the VAST majority of "missing children" more often than not have to do with custody issues - it's not every day that a child is taken from her room.
As to the issue of the daily thread - I think this is the perfect example of when a daily thread should be used. There's not a lot of clutter with other posts, and if someone's not interested in - THEY SHOULDN'T READ IT!
I lurk on these threads..and am interested in reading what others, besides CNN and FOX have to say about the case.
Suggest you change the channel.
sw
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