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American Morning

Police Chief Discusses Missing Scientist

Aired November 27, 2001 - 09:37   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.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: The FBI has joined local police in Memphis, Tennessee, investigating the disappearance of Harvard Professor Don Wiley. Wiley is a renowned biochemist whose research involved potentially lethal viruses. Wiley was last seen in Memphis November 16, and police say there are no signs of foul play. So what happened to him?

Joining us from Memphis is Walter Crews, the chief of police of the Memphis Police Department.

Chief, it's good to have you with us. Thanks for joining us.

WALTER CREWS, MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT: You're welcome. I'm glad to be here. Thank you.

CAFFERTY: What's the latest on the investigation?

CREWS We have cross-pollinated our investigation, so to speak. We began this investigation as a missing person investigation. From there, it went to a more criminal bent because we wanted our very best investigators to be involved in it. So we've deferred it to homicide in the event there is some criminal activity there.

Is no indication of that whatsoever. As you know, Dr. Wiley's rental car was found on one of our two bridges that cross the Mississippi River from Tennessee into Arkansas, that is from Memphis, Tennessee, to West Memphis, Arkansas.

CAFFERTY: If he weren't a biochemist, you would say it is is a classic suicide, right? A full tank of gas, keys in the ignition, no sign of foul play, car in the middle of the bridge. This is classic suicide -- except for his occupation.

CREWS: That's the indication, yes, sir.

The other thing is we haven't found Dr. Wiley. We can retrace his steps to a certain point in time, and then, suddenly, he is gone, and there is no indication why he should be gone.

There are other details, of course, with the investigation that I prefer not to mention because if there is some criminal activity involved, we would like to have the upper hand on that, and we will maintain that confidentiality.

But quite frankly, it has the appearance of someone who drove to the bridge, got out of their car, and took their life.

After interviewing members of the family and friends of his, there seems to be in indication in his personality that he would do something like that.

CAFFERTY: I was going to ask you, is anything in his background -- mistress, financial problems -- I mean, there are all kinds of reasons that people decide to end their lives -- is there anything in this man's background that would give you any indication he might be thinking about something like suicide?

CREWS: No, sir, there is not. We have not uncovered 1 ounce of evidence to support that theory.

CAFFERTY: What about the theory that perhaps -- this sounds like something out of a Robert Ludlum novel -- that he has met with fowl play at the hands of someone that might to use his expertise in the area of these deadly viruses, as perhaps some sort of weapon against the rest of humanity. Like I say, it sounds like it comes out of a spy novel, but the FBI has joined the investigation with this very thought in mind, has it not?

CREWS: We called the FBI in, yes, sir. We want it cover every angle that would possibly lead us to why this occurred in the first place. Although, as you pointed out, that is, at this point this time, far fetched, for the simple reason that Dr. Wiley's expertise, quite frankly, had to do more with causations of influenza and prevention of that type of illness, however, I'm sure he could contribute to some sort of venture into a biotechnical agent that could be used against the United States. But at this point in time, we don't have any evidence of that. However, we are looking into that.

CAFFERTY: But it's a long shot.

CREWS: Yes, sir, it is.

CAFFERTY: Realistically speaking.

Let me can you to do a little what-if: Let's assume that the long shot is just that, it's a long shot, and that didn't happen, and let's assume just for a minute that he didn't commit suicide. What are the other plausible explanations for what might have happened to this man?

CREWS: Dr. Wiley could have been a victim of a robbery and, God forbid, done away with and his car parked and left abandoned. We know, historically, though, that usually those types of carjackings, as we refer to them in the police vernacular, are committed by young people who take the car and drive it till it runs out of gas, strip it, leave it, and take the keys. In this case, again, the car was left abandoned on a bridge in a very conspicuous location.

So again, it's feasible, but not too plausible that he's the victim of a robbery. But it could have happened. As a matter of fact, with that in mind, tonight on a local TV station, we will run this story in hopes that we will get some Crimestoppers tips from people who can tell us where he was last seen.

CAFFERTY: We wish you luck. I hope you get it solved down there soon.

CREWS: Thank you. We're working on it.

CAFFERTY: Appreciate your being with us. Chief Walter Crews is the head of the Memphis Police Department.

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