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Crime Reporter Discusses Baton Rouge Murders

Aired August 06, 2002 - 10:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Mystery is building on the banks of the Mississippi this morning, authorities in Louisiana looking for a serial killer in connection with the murders of three women. Police are looking into the possibility that the killer may be someone in, uniform because he didn't force himself in the homes of any of the victims.
Joining us now to talk more about this case is Melissa Moore. She's a crime reporter for the Baton Rouge "Advocate." Thank you very much for your time this morning, Melissa.

MELISSA MOORE, BATON ROUGE "ADVOCATE": Good morning.

HARRIS: This case, as I understand it, has been getting some incredible public response there from the general public, who has been trying to come up with more tips and details for the police to work with.

MOORE: The police told yesterday that as of Friday, they had gotten 1,500 tips to their tip line.

HARRIS: Fifteen hundred? That means it's got a lot of work to go lieu those tips, then.

MOORE: That's what they said. They said it takes some time to sort through all of these things, decide which ones are the most important and follow up on them.

HARRIS: Have they been tipping their hand at all as to whether or not any of these tips have been fruitful?

MOORE: Not at all. They've told us from the very beginning that they're not going to say anything publicly that might let the killer know what they are up to. They are keeping everything pretty close to the vest at this point.

HARRIS: Can you explain to those of us who are across the country watching this story unfold on the outside here, there has been talk about the links between the different ladies -- three ladies in this particular case so far that have been, I guess, determined that they were all killed by the same person -- is that correct?

MOORE: Right. The DNA evidence at the crime scenes and collected from the body of the third victim point to the same killer killing all three of them.

HARRIS: Got you. So now what is this maybe about a fourth case now, possibly? I understand someone was abducted by a man in a pickup truck with police lights mounted on the inside of it. In this case, he did not kill the woman. It is thought that perhaps that case is also linked to these three ladies.

MOORE: That what happened in Slidell, which is closer to New Orleans than to Baton Rouge. And it happened very shortly after Pam Kinamore, the third victim here, disappeared. A woman was pulled off by a white truck with flashing red and blue lights. The man, who convinced her he was a police officer, got her into the truck, took her to another place and raped her, and then brought her back to her car and released her. The police say they are looking at whether it's related. but they haven't gotten any conclusions.

HARRIS: What is it that makes them think it could be related? Do you know?

MOORE: The rapist was driving a white pickup truck, and the person believed to have dumped Pam Kinamore's body also was driving a white pickup truck.

HARRIS: So I see. In this case, though, the woman was not killed.

MOORE: No, she was released unharmed.

HARRIS: And that points up another thing that's a little curious here. The ladies who were killed, they weren't killed in the same way, correct?

MOORE: No, they weren't. Gina Wilson Green was strangled back in September, Charlotte Murray Pace was stabbed to death, and Pam Kinamore had her throat cut.

HARRIS: And yet still -- but the DNA evidence is so strong police believe that they may have been all done by the same person.

MOORE: Right.

HARRIS: So what's the next step here in this case? If the public has now kicked into high gear, as I hear that they have, there has to got to be, I guess the expectation is that what whatever happens to help solve this case is going to come from the public?

MOORE: That's what law enforcement has said repeatedly, that it's probably going to be some small detail, somebody noticing something that's just a little bit out of the ordinary and taking the time and trouble to report it that is going to make the difference. Right now, it seems like they are just hoping that they catch a break.

HARRIS: Let me ask you one last thing. I also read something about this this morning about the people who were related to the three ladies who were identified as being killed by the same person. They have all been getting together amongst themselves and talking and perhaps planning meetings to get together and see what each other of them knows and combine all that information together? What do you know about that? MOORE: Yes, they have been doing that since the first two victims were linked. Anne Pace, Murray Pace's mother, got in touch with Gina Green's family so that they could compare notes about nail salons, hair dressers, auto shops, anything they could think of that might be a link between the two women. Since the announcement that Pam Kinamore's death was also related, that family has been involved in the same thing.

HARRIS: So the families are pretty much operating almost as amateur detectives themselves, then?

MOORE: They are. They are trying to get together to combine what they know and see if they -- on the off chance that they may be able to make a connection.

HARRIS: That's fascinating. Well, here's hoping they all come up with some good answers -- quickly as well.

Melissa, thank you very much for your time. We sure do appreciate it.

MOORE: Thanks.

HARRIS: Good luck to you.

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