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CNN Live Today
Interview with Casey Jordan
Aired October 14, 2002 - 10:40 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: As we mentioned at the top of the hour, things have with been quiet here over the weekend. We haven't heard any word of any sniper-related shootings since last Friday. That could be significant in the investigation.
And to try to learn more about where this investigation might be going and who might be doing these shootings, let's go ahead and bring in Casey Jordan, criminologist. She is joining us from our New York bureau -- Casey, good morning, thanks for being with us.
CASEY JORDAN, CRIMINOLOGIST: Good morning, Daryn.
KAGAN: This weekend has been playing out very much like last weekend has. What would you make out of the sniper not attacking on weekend days?
JORDAN: Well, there's two takes on this. One is that he actually can't get away from whatever weekend obligations he has. Maybe he has a partner, a wife, children, visitation rights. Maybe he lives with his parents. It is interesting to see that virtually all of the shootings have happened on work days, usually within work hours, in the mornings and in evenings when people are on their way to work or on their way home from work, that sort of thing.
It could, on the other hand, be part of his God complex, because on the seventh day, God rested, of course. Maybe he takes weekends off from shooting. Maybe he is -- this is all part of his little chess strategy game with the police to keep them guessing what he's going to do next.
KAGAN: Some organizations in the Washington, D.C. area, Casey, are going on the theory that police are looking for more than one person, that this could be a team of people that are doing this together. When you look at how these crimes have played out, does that look correct to you?
JORDAN: My initial reaction is that the shooter was acting alone, although we've had enough people indicate that there might be two shooters. That would not be inconceivable that he would have a partner, but the partner would be, probably, the driver of the car, the get-away vehicle, so to speak, and probably somebody who completely affirms his God complex, something of a disciple, somebody who isn't actually a shooter, but whose adoration keeps the shooter motivated to prove himself.
So even though it's inconsistent with what I would have originally guessed about these incidents, it certainly wouldn't surprise me if there is a second -- a second perpetrator as well.
KAGAN: Police didn't release a lot of information over the weekend, the biggest piece of information is the composite of the truck, the white, box-type truck that they're looking for. When you look at that picture, what kind of clues do you see there?
JORDAN: Well, I'm very impressed with the accounts by the witnesses that remember very specific details, such as the damaged right bumper, that there is writing on the side of the truck, that it's the possible make and model. They remember details about the window shape and so on. This is very good, and I understand that a lot of tips have come in since they did release these pictures, because graphics have a tremendous potential to jog people's memories. And this does, of course, mean that the police have a tremendous task in terms of siphoning through all of the new tips, but if it turns up to get us closer to finding who the killer is, it's absolutely worth it.
KAGAN: We can't help but notice that police have definitely ratcheted down the number of news conferences they've been holding. The next one is due up in about an hour and 15 minutes.
But some people are saying it's because they have less information to release, but a lot of people thinking too that they just don't want to stroke the ego of this shooter. Do you think that that's something important to take into account?
JORDAN: It is absolutely important to take into account. The public needs to be aware that there might be a lot of information that the police are holding back, and that is for everyone's benefit, but they could just have started a new psychological tact with this particular perpetrator, because if, indeed, he thinks he is God, well then, let's not try to let him have power over the police, over the media, over the public.
Let's ignore him and see what he does then. I don't really think that there is a right or a wrong tact to take at this point. Because this so-called X factor, the unknown motivation of this particular shooter, I don't really think that it can hurt or help to keep information back at this point. I don't think the police have anything the public needs to know. I think they're just doing their jobs.
KAGAN: Casey Jordan, New York City. Casey, thank you so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 14, 2002 - 10:40 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: As we mentioned at the top of the hour, things have with been quiet here over the weekend. We haven't heard any word of any sniper-related shootings since last Friday. That could be significant in the investigation.
And to try to learn more about where this investigation might be going and who might be doing these shootings, let's go ahead and bring in Casey Jordan, criminologist. She is joining us from our New York bureau -- Casey, good morning, thanks for being with us.
CASEY JORDAN, CRIMINOLOGIST: Good morning, Daryn.
KAGAN: This weekend has been playing out very much like last weekend has. What would you make out of the sniper not attacking on weekend days?
JORDAN: Well, there's two takes on this. One is that he actually can't get away from whatever weekend obligations he has. Maybe he has a partner, a wife, children, visitation rights. Maybe he lives with his parents. It is interesting to see that virtually all of the shootings have happened on work days, usually within work hours, in the mornings and in evenings when people are on their way to work or on their way home from work, that sort of thing.
It could, on the other hand, be part of his God complex, because on the seventh day, God rested, of course. Maybe he takes weekends off from shooting. Maybe he is -- this is all part of his little chess strategy game with the police to keep them guessing what he's going to do next.
KAGAN: Some organizations in the Washington, D.C. area, Casey, are going on the theory that police are looking for more than one person, that this could be a team of people that are doing this together. When you look at how these crimes have played out, does that look correct to you?
JORDAN: My initial reaction is that the shooter was acting alone, although we've had enough people indicate that there might be two shooters. That would not be inconceivable that he would have a partner, but the partner would be, probably, the driver of the car, the get-away vehicle, so to speak, and probably somebody who completely affirms his God complex, something of a disciple, somebody who isn't actually a shooter, but whose adoration keeps the shooter motivated to prove himself.
So even though it's inconsistent with what I would have originally guessed about these incidents, it certainly wouldn't surprise me if there is a second -- a second perpetrator as well.
KAGAN: Police didn't release a lot of information over the weekend, the biggest piece of information is the composite of the truck, the white, box-type truck that they're looking for. When you look at that picture, what kind of clues do you see there?
JORDAN: Well, I'm very impressed with the accounts by the witnesses that remember very specific details, such as the damaged right bumper, that there is writing on the side of the truck, that it's the possible make and model. They remember details about the window shape and so on. This is very good, and I understand that a lot of tips have come in since they did release these pictures, because graphics have a tremendous potential to jog people's memories. And this does, of course, mean that the police have a tremendous task in terms of siphoning through all of the new tips, but if it turns up to get us closer to finding who the killer is, it's absolutely worth it.
KAGAN: We can't help but notice that police have definitely ratcheted down the number of news conferences they've been holding. The next one is due up in about an hour and 15 minutes.
But some people are saying it's because they have less information to release, but a lot of people thinking too that they just don't want to stroke the ego of this shooter. Do you think that that's something important to take into account?
JORDAN: It is absolutely important to take into account. The public needs to be aware that there might be a lot of information that the police are holding back, and that is for everyone's benefit, but they could just have started a new psychological tact with this particular perpetrator, because if, indeed, he thinks he is God, well then, let's not try to let him have power over the police, over the media, over the public.
Let's ignore him and see what he does then. I don't really think that there is a right or a wrong tact to take at this point. Because this so-called X factor, the unknown motivation of this particular shooter, I don't really think that it can hurt or help to keep information back at this point. I don't think the police have anything the public needs to know. I think they're just doing their jobs.
KAGAN: Casey Jordan, New York City. Casey, thank you so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
