Missing girl's dad 'still very optimistic'

Elizabeth Smart has been missing since June 5.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (CNN) -- The father of missing 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart appealed Monday for people who spent time with his former handyman Richard Ricci to tell authorities what they know about his whereabouts during the past two years.

"All tips and leads are very important to us," Ed Smart told reporters. "I feel that it's very important that anyone who associated with Richard who have previously not been contacted with law enforcement, please call in."

Authorities are trying to determine where Ricci was in the hope that by searching those areas they might find clues to the whereabouts of Elizabeth, who was abducted June 5 at gunpoint from her home.

"We're still very optimistic that Elizabeth is out there," Smart said.

Police say Ricci is a focus of their investigation, although they have not named him as a suspect.

Ricci and his wife said they were asleep together in their home the night Elizabeth was taken, and he denied any involvement.

EXTRA INFORMATION Images of Elizabeth Smart  • Missing children facts    Elizabeth Smart information Web site: ElizabethSmart.com Tip lines: 800-932-0190 or 801-799-3000

Smart expressed skepticism about Ricci's alibi, particularly his contention that his Jeep was in a repair shop when Elizabeth was taken.

Repair shop owner Neth Moul said Ricci took the Jeep out of the shop May 30 and returned it June 8, with 500 to 1,000 more miles on the odometer. Ricci denied he took the Jeep.

Authorities interviewed many of Ricci's acquaintances, including his former jail cellmates, Smart said. "Knowing the places that he previously went is important."

Smart also urged anyone who might have seen a blue-and-gray GMC Safari or Astro van with license plate ECJ1368 to call authorities.

On July 11, witnesses said they saw a girl similar in appearance to Elizabeth crying inside the van, which was parked at a gas station convenience store in Lincoln, Nebraska.

"If anyone remembers seeing this vehicle in any part, I guess you could say, any part of the U.S., please call them," Smart said.

Ricci, 48, who has a 29-year criminal record, is charged with stealing items from the Smart home last year when he performed odd jobs for the family for $8 an hour.

He is charged under Utah's habitual criminal statute, which means that if convicted he could get life in prison.