Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Serial Killer May be Near LSU Campus

Aired August 19, 2002 - 11:02   ET

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

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Students at LSU are adding new classes to their roster: safety and self-defense classes. That's because there is a suspected serial killer lurking somewhere near that campus.
CNN's Charles Molineaux reports now live from Baton Rouge, Louisiana -- Charles.

CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Leon, self-defense has taken on an urgent, new priority here at LSU. In the past, the school's rape prevention program would have had a hard time filling up two small classes in an ordinary semester. This fall, three big classes are filled up, and there is a waiting list for more students to get into new classes, which are currently in the works already.

More than 30,000 students are coming to LSU this fall, and they get here facing the news that the murders of three women close to the campus are now being blamed by a serial killer. One victim was actually an LSU grad student, who had just finished up her program.

LSU police have been tightening up security on a campus they say was already very secure. The school's I.D. card key system has been upgraded, a new free cell phone number is now available for emergencies. The school has been upgrading its lights and cutting back trees and shrubbery to eliminate hiding places and improve visibility.

And since most LSU student do live off-campus and the murders happened off-campus, the school is working even more closely than it already was with area law enforcement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK EMMERT, CHANCELLOR, LSU: I think in an odd way, almost an ironic way, it brings the community together, like any crisis does. And so, we're working more effectively with the city and the parish and the state than probably we ever have before. And the same thing psychologically. You know, it has gotten everyone to recognize that we're all in this together, the whole community. And I think it's had that effect of bringing everyone together to work on this horrendous problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOLINEAUX: And police have also been meeting with students, parents, faculty, staff, to get the message out about what kind of awareness needs to be developed. In some instances, they say it involves doing things that students should have been doing all along, simple ideas, like not propping the door of the dormitory open. It locks for a very good reason.

There's a task force of 50 from local law enforcement, including local sheriffs and police and the FBI looking for this serial killer -- Leon.

HARRIS: And, Charles, let me ask you if there is any new information about who this serial killer might be. Or maybe if you could confirm this for us, rumors about this man actually impersonating a police officer in some how, some way? What do you know about that?

MOLINEAUX: That's something police aren't talking about a lot, but what they say is that at the scenes of the murders, there was no sign of forced entry, meaning that this guy had either gotten in through a window or an open door or had somehow talked his way in, maybe wearing a uniform, possibly that of a police officer.

And they are underscoring they don't know this to be the case, but that nobody should let anybody in that front door if you didn't expect them. They say that if you see even a police officer or someone who looks like one shows up at the front door, to, if you're not expecting somebody, call. A real cop will stand there and wait while it's confirmed that he is supposed to be there, and that is a very simple measure that you can take to ensure that you're safe.

The likelihood of this guy dressing up like a cop is not very great, but they say that it is something that must be considered. It is a real possibility. Don't take any chances and don't let anybody in you're not expecting.

HARRIS: Exactly. Good advice. And folks, don't take anything for granted down there. Charles Molineaux reporting live from Baton Rouge -- thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.