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American Morning

In Virginia, No New Leads in Case of Missing Girl

Aired August 19, 2002 - 08:30   ET

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

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In Virginia, not even bloodhounds apparently have helped turn up new leads in the case of a missing girl. Jennifer Short's parents found shot to death inside their home on Thursday of last week. She has not been seen since.
Jeanne Meserve live in Collinsville, Virginia with more on that case now.

Jeanne, good morning.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: H.F. Cassell confirms this morning that phone lines at the Short home was cut before the parents were murdered and Jennifer was apparently abducted. Apart from that revelation, the state of the investigation appears to be very much status quo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE (voice-over): Scent dogs were used at the short home on Sunday. They tracked Jennifer's scent to a nearby convenience store and motel. She went to the store frequently and the sheriff didn't put too much significance on the scent there, or at the motel, which is next door.

SHERIFF H.F. CASSELL, HENRY COUNTRY, VIRGINIA: The scent will flow through the air, and whatever it hits, like a wall or a fence row or a hedge, it will kind of lodge there. So there's nothing too unusual about the motel in that respect.

MESERVE: Investigators also collected additional evidence at the short home Sunday, no word on what it was or how significant that might be. We also saw plastic being put on some of the windows. The sheriff said that was to allow the use of luminol which detects blood under flouroscent light. The passing of time always a concern, now growing more acute.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The longer a case like this goes unsolved with a missing child is more desperate as far as the child's safety is concerned. As far as running out of time, we will follow this case until we solve it. I just hope it's in time for the child.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: Authorities have repeatedly interviewed the young man who is the last person known to see the family alive on Wednesday night, and who found the parents' bodies on Thursday morning. Authorities say no one is a suspect at this point, but anyone could become one -- Bill.

HEMMER: Jeanne, thanks. Jeanne, Meserve in Collinsville, Virginia this morning.

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