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CNN Live Today
Interview of Charles Mathews, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Oregon Office
Aired January 03, 2002 - 11:43 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We don't have to wait for that to find out more information about this, because John Walsh isn't the only crime fighter looking for Christian Longo. The FBI is in the thick of the hunt. The special agent in charge of the Oregon office, Charles Mathews, joining us now from Portland.
Special Agent Mathews, good morning, and thank you for joining us today.
CHARLES MATHEWS, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: Thank you. Good morning.
KAGAN: What are the latest clues on the search for Christian Longo? Where do you think he is?
MATHEWS: Well, the last confirmed sighting was in San Francisco on December 26th, and since that time, frankly, there have been no further sightings and no further information on his whereabouts.
KAGAN: Does he have ties to the Bay area, or you think he's just heading south?
MATHEWS: Actually, probably just heading south. There are no ties that we know. He apparently was working at trying to find employment in a coffee shop or a fast food restaurant in the area, but actually since December 26th, we haven't been able to come up with any information about his whereabouts.
KAGAN: But if he is looking for a job, that might make you think that he is short on cash, and might be kind of desperate there.
MATHEWS: Well, yes, and actually, he is not even from Oregon. His -- the family settled in Oregon in September, and we're not even aware of why they chose Oregon to stop in at that time.
KAGAN: But you do know a lot about this guy. He has quite a history even before these accusations that he killed his own family.
MATHEWS: Well, of course, we've worked on his background, and we understand who his relatives are, who his associates are, and those types of interviews are ongoing and underway, but what we are doing, the FBI, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, and the Lincoln County district attorney are soliciting the help of the American people in finding Christian Longo.
KAGAN: And as people are getting familiar with the story, can you piece us together what you think happened?
MATHEWS: As far as the underlying offense, I'm going to have to refer to you the district attorney on that. The FBI's interest right now started with his flight to avoid prosecution from Oregon. Our efforts are to help the Lincoln County authorities find him, wherever he is in the world, and return him to Oregon to face the charges that are outstanding.
KAGAN: And is he on the Ten Most Wanted list?
MATHEWS: Not yet.
KAGAN: What is it going to take for that to happen?
MATHEWS: Probably just a few more days.
KAGAN: That's just a matter of getting it done, I guess.
MATHEWS: That's right.
KAGAN: And any indication what area -- I mean, you said he was last seen in the San Francisco Bay area. Does that mean he could be anywhere from California to Michigan to back in Oregon?
MATHEWS: Well, it could. Outstanding, still, is a 2001 Durango sports utility vehicle that was stolen in Oregon shortly before Longo left the state, and we are associating that vehicle with him at this time. It may be bearing a Michigan license, "KIDVAN," a vanity-type, personalized-type license plate. That license plate is also still missing, and that is associated with Longo.
KAGAN: So, that green Dodge Durango, that's not his own car, he stole -- you believe he stole that car?
MATHEWS: Well, that car is definitely stolen. It was stolen from a new car dealership in Wilsonville (ph), Oregon. In the same vicinity, the minivan that he was known to be operating was recovered and found, and the disappearance of the Durango occurred at the same time that his vehicle was found in the same vicinity.
KAGAN: And it could also be -- I mean, he could do that switcheroo again, he could drive that somewhere else and switch out vehicles with another stolen vehicle.
MATHEWS: Well, he is certainly adept at that, and it is something we're alert for, but the vehicle has not been recovered as of yet, so we're obviously also asking the American people to be on the look out for that particular car and that license plate, Michigan license plate, "KIDVAN."
KAGAN: Did that license plate originally go with that car?
MATHEWS: No. KAGAN: He put that on?
MATHEWS: Well, if it is on the vehicle, yes.
KAGAN: There you go. And again, that is not a very usual car, a green Dodge Durango, so that might just go ahead and stick out.
MATHEWS: We hope so.
KAGAN: We do to. Special Agent Charles Mathews from the FBI. Thank you. We wish you good luck in your search for Christian Longo.
MATHEWS: Thank you.
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