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CNN Live Today
State Officials Under Fire For Losing Girl
Aired May 13, 2002 - 14:02 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to begin this hour in Miami with the case of Rilya Wilson, the 5-year-old girl missing for more than a year.
Today, not only are state officials under fire for losing track of her, the caregiver who claims to be the young girl's grandmother is under increasing scrutiny herself.
The latest from Susan Candiotti, tracking this story, again, in Miami.
Susan, good afternoon.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Bill.
There is no new news about the whereabouts of missing 5-year-old Rilya Wilson.
She was first reported missing, you will recall, at least three weeks ago -- discovered missing, by her caretakers, and reported to the State of Florida Child Welfare Agency at that time.
A blue ribbon panel is meeting again today to discuss her case, and police indicate they have no new leads, and that they are investigating everyone.
That includes the caseworker, who is under investigation for possibly faking reports, as well as Rilya's caretakers, including Geralyn Graham.
In addition to her criminal background and aliases that she has used, and we have reported on in the past, CNN has now documented another 10 aliases listed in connection with a law suit she filed against a car rental company back in the 90's.
I asked prosecutors about how the aliases and Graham's criminal background may impact her credibility.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHERINE FERNANDEZ, MIAMI-DADE STATE ATTORNEY: It really says to everyone is that the state did not do a very good job in making sure that its system worked for this girl. This is just another piece, really, that didn't work for this young girl. (END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: Geralyn Graham denies that she played any role in Rilya Wilson's disappearance, and her lawyer told me today that the reason she used some aliases, he understands, if because he says she had an abusive husband in the past, and was constantly changing her name.
Now, police have said in the past that when she took a polygraph, that she shoed signs of deception. However, sources said that she showed deception in areas that were not of significance to the girl's whereabouts.
Now, police have questions, they say, about just about everyone that they're questioning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARLOS ALVAREZ, MIAMI-DADE POLICE: There's been a number of people that have said a number of things in this case, and they don't sem to be trustworthy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: What it boils down to, Bill, is this, at this juncture, police say they have got nothing new to report about this matter. They continue to question a number of people, and they don't think they're getting a straight shot from the people with whom they're speaking -- Bill.
HEMMER: Still disturbing. Again, today, Susan, thanks. Susan Candiotti in Florida.
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