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CNN Live At Daybreak

Pentagon to Lend Air Watch on Sniper Search

Aired October 17, 2002 - 07:02   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Patty Davis, back with me again.
I want to talk about a number of things -- Patty. Good morning again to you.

First of all, how the Pentagon right now is joining this chase. They're going to put some planes in the sky at some point -- and maybe they're already there -- to help.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, spy planes -- RC- 7s, U-21s. The Pentagon putting those up in the air over the skies of Washington to help track this killer or killers down.

They also, as you were saying, have not been able to come up with a composite sketch -- very frustrating to police. They have some of their best witnesses on Monday at that Home Depot shooting, and still those witnesses not able to agree.

The police have come up with basically witness 101, giving tips to the public on how to be a good witness.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. NANCY DEMME, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE: Commit what you saw to memory. Have a pen available on your person, and if it's not -- and if paper is not available, write it on your hand. Remain on the scene in a safe place until police arrive. Do not allow other witnesses or the media to contaminate your memory. Do not compare or discuss what you saw with another witness. But remember, first of all, safety is the most important thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: Police do say that they -- these are sources now saying that they've got a number of people under surveillance, Bill, but they say that those people are not considered suspects. They're just keeping an eye on them. Obviously, they didn't have this person who killed Linda Franklin on Monday under surveillance; otherwise, that wouldn't have happened.

HEMMER: It's fascinating, though, to hear the police come out yesterday, trying again to educate the public what to look out for, what not to look out for, what to keep in mind if you see something and keep your own facts straight.

You mentioned surveillance. Apparently, on Monday night, there were half a dozen people or so who were under surveillance when the killing took place. What do we know right now about other potential suspects, other people who may be under the same watch at this point?

DAVIS: Well, we had some witnesses at two of the shootings who were saying -- excuse me -- that they saw an olive-skinned man. The police are just -- witnesses are just up in the air. They cannot agree specifically on a description. So, police are basically starting over from square one.

HEMMER: And if you watched the reports from Bob Franken at that Home Depot yesterday, it now appears, based on sources within the investigation, that this gunman took the life of Linda Franklin perhaps at a distance of 30 yards...

DAVIS: Yes, amazing.

HEMMER: ... which is as close as any firing has come to date.

DAVIS: That's right. It appears from what sources have told us that the gunman or gunmen were actually in the parking lot, and then shot her, had a straight line as they saw her packing her things into the trunk of her car, aimed at her, hit her in the head, and then took off.

You know that the little service road is right there as you come out, and you've been there in that parking area.

HEMMER: Yes.

DAVIS: And they can hop right on that and then onto Route 50, and they're out of there.

HEMMER: And the other thing Bob pointed out in his reporting, though, is every turn was a right-hand turn, so that the killer in his chance to get away would never have to wait for traffic. He could always keep moving around the area, lending credence to some theories that he knew the area quite well in that Seven Corners region.

DAVIS: That Seven Corners region is pretty confusing traffic.

HEMMER: That it is.

DAVIS: But that's right. If you take -- there's a right turn on red in Virginia. If you take right turns all the way, you can hit -- it will put you up onto Route 7, which then you can get onto any number of roads right from there -- easy to get out of the area. A lot of back roads a person can get lost in.

And as we were talking about that person, of course, the killer had a head start, and he's out of there before even 911 is dialed. So, before police could start choking off traffic, he's on his way.

HEMMER: Thank you, Patty. We'll talk later this morning. Patty Davis here in Rockville, Maryland.

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 17, 2002 - 07:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Patty Davis, back with me again.
I want to talk about a number of things -- Patty. Good morning again to you.

First of all, how the Pentagon right now is joining this chase. They're going to put some planes in the sky at some point -- and maybe they're already there -- to help.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, spy planes -- RC- 7s, U-21s. The Pentagon putting those up in the air over the skies of Washington to help track this killer or killers down.

They also, as you were saying, have not been able to come up with a composite sketch -- very frustrating to police. They have some of their best witnesses on Monday at that Home Depot shooting, and still those witnesses not able to agree.

The police have come up with basically witness 101, giving tips to the public on how to be a good witness.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. NANCY DEMME, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE: Commit what you saw to memory. Have a pen available on your person, and if it's not -- and if paper is not available, write it on your hand. Remain on the scene in a safe place until police arrive. Do not allow other witnesses or the media to contaminate your memory. Do not compare or discuss what you saw with another witness. But remember, first of all, safety is the most important thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: Police do say that they -- these are sources now saying that they've got a number of people under surveillance, Bill, but they say that those people are not considered suspects. They're just keeping an eye on them. Obviously, they didn't have this person who killed Linda Franklin on Monday under surveillance; otherwise, that wouldn't have happened.

HEMMER: It's fascinating, though, to hear the police come out yesterday, trying again to educate the public what to look out for, what not to look out for, what to keep in mind if you see something and keep your own facts straight.

You mentioned surveillance. Apparently, on Monday night, there were half a dozen people or so who were under surveillance when the killing took place. What do we know right now about other potential suspects, other people who may be under the same watch at this point?

DAVIS: Well, we had some witnesses at two of the shootings who were saying -- excuse me -- that they saw an olive-skinned man. The police are just -- witnesses are just up in the air. They cannot agree specifically on a description. So, police are basically starting over from square one.

HEMMER: And if you watched the reports from Bob Franken at that Home Depot yesterday, it now appears, based on sources within the investigation, that this gunman took the life of Linda Franklin perhaps at a distance of 30 yards...

DAVIS: Yes, amazing.

HEMMER: ... which is as close as any firing has come to date.

DAVIS: That's right. It appears from what sources have told us that the gunman or gunmen were actually in the parking lot, and then shot her, had a straight line as they saw her packing her things into the trunk of her car, aimed at her, hit her in the head, and then took off.

You know that the little service road is right there as you come out, and you've been there in that parking area.

HEMMER: Yes.

DAVIS: And they can hop right on that and then onto Route 50, and they're out of there.

HEMMER: And the other thing Bob pointed out in his reporting, though, is every turn was a right-hand turn, so that the killer in his chance to get away would never have to wait for traffic. He could always keep moving around the area, lending credence to some theories that he knew the area quite well in that Seven Corners region.

DAVIS: That Seven Corners region is pretty confusing traffic.

HEMMER: That it is.

DAVIS: But that's right. If you take -- there's a right turn on red in Virginia. If you take right turns all the way, you can hit -- it will put you up onto Route 7, which then you can get onto any number of roads right from there -- easy to get out of the area. A lot of back roads a person can get lost in.

And as we were talking about that person, of course, the killer had a head start, and he's out of there before even 911 is dialed. So, before police could start choking off traffic, he's on his way.

HEMMER: Thank you, Patty. We'll talk later this morning. Patty Davis here in Rockville, Maryland.

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