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CNN Live At Daybreak

Philadelphia Police Find Girl's Body

Aired August 09, 2002 - 06:05   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: A 6-year-old Philadelphia girl, who disappeared from a sleepover early Wednesday, has been found dead, and police say an 18-year-old man has now confessed to killing her. But his family is raising questions about that.

Reporter Sharon Crowley of our affiliate station WTXF has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COMM. SYLVESTER JOHNSON, PHILADELPHIA POLICE: We have been looking for this little girl for over 24 hours, until he took us to the location.

SHARON CROWLEY, CNN AFFILIATE WTXF REPORTER (voice-over): Philadelphia police discovered the body of 6-year-old Destiny Wright. She was found in a grassy field near the L-train about a mile from the Kensington home, where she was last seen alive.

Detectives say the killer led police to the body.

JOHNSON: He stopped us during the interview, he took us to the body and recovered the little girl.

CROWLEY: Destiny vanished yesterday, after a sleepover at her father's girlfriend's home. Angela Graham's 18-year-old brother is the prime suspect in Destiny's murder. Police say Abdul Malik Shabaz (ph) confessed after two days of interrogation by police and the FBI. Shabaz's (ph) mother insisted the investigators had tried to coerce a confession from her son.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I talked to him on the phone, he said, "Mom, please!" He's begging me, "Please, mom, get somebody down here! They beating me, but they're covering me with the bruises (UNINTELLIGIBLE)!"

CROWLEY: The news was too much for Destiny's mother to handle. Friends surrounded and tried to console her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Abdul, he killed her!

CROWLEY: Police say at this time, they have no idea why anyone would try to murder a 6-year-old girl.

JOHNSON: Nobody could possibly have a motive for killing a 6- year-old girl.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That was reporter Sharon Crowley of our affiliate station WTXF.

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