SALT LAKE CITY?Police say they are refocusing their investigation into the kidnapping of a 14-year-old girl, taking a closer look at those who knew Elizabeth Smart, while not ruling out a stranger abduction.
“We believe that it is possible that we have already talked to or will soon talk to the suspect that is responsible for this crime,” said Salt Lake Police Chief Rick Dinse.
Dinse said the investigation was looking at those who had access to the neighborhood or the house, although not necessarily a family member. He said they have received some promising leads in the case.
“We don’t have an identified suspect, but we do have some analysis of what this suspect is like,” Dinse said.
“My caution to this suspect, if he is listening: We are going to get you. And if you’ve got Elizabeth, you better release her now,” he said, adding that they believe the kidnapper is still in the area.
Investigators spent several hours in the Smart home early Tuesday morning, searching for clues to the girl’s apparent kidnapping at gunpoint a week ago.
The Salt Lake City Police detectives left the sprawling million dollar Federal Heights home at 3 a.m., said spokesman Fred Louis. They wanted to be in the home at the same time Elizabeth was kidnapped, between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m., he said.
He would not elaborate on what kinds of forensic tests were done.
Seven days after Elizabeth was abducted from the bedroom she shares with her sister, police said they have ruled out the possibility the girl staged her own abduction and was a runaway. Police would only say they based that conclusion on interviews and evidence.
“While we have not located Elizabeth or identified a clear suspect, we have made progress,” Dinse said. Police have received 6,000 leads, of which 600 were worthy of following up. Half of the 600 leads have been cleared.
Ed Smart, Elizabeth’s father, submitted to a polygraph test on Sunday. The test is being evaluated by the FBI.
“It’s just one of the tools we’ve been using to further the investigation,” police Capt. Scott Atkinson said. “We’re looking at every possible angle.”
Police would not say what questions were asked and a family spokesman did not know whether Smart had an attorney present during the questioning. Police did say other family members may be tested.
In a statement released Monday evening, Smart said, “When asked by law enforcement, I fully cooperated because I have nothing to hide. We are doing everything in our power to bring back Elizabeth.”
Police have re-interviewed 9-year-old Mary Katherine Smart, who had told investigators that a gunman came into the bedroom she shared with her older sister and forced Elizabeth to go with him. She said he told her that her sister would be hurt if she told anyone. Police said it was at least two hours before she woke her parents and told them.
“Her story was consistent and we did learn some things about the suspect we didn’t know before,” Dinse said.
Dinse said police are staying with the child’s initial description of the suspect.
“The description that we have is what we want to go with,” Dinse said. “We’ve given all the description out that we think is helpful at this point.”
Police have described the abductor as about 5-foot-8, white, with dark hair, and dressed in a tan denim-type jacket and white baseball cap.
As to whether Elizabeth knew her abductor, Dinse said, “That is a possibility, and I’m not going to comment beyond that.”
Meanwhile, the volunteer search is reportedly tapering off. Volunteer numbers have dropped from 1,200 on the first day of the search to 200 on Tuesday.