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Sources: Sniper Seeking $10 Million

Aired October 23, 2002 - 10:01   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 LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Fear and apprehension and frustration as parents are trying to make the decision today of whether to send their kids to school, and whether they themselves can even run their normal, everyday errands in the wake of some specific threats by the sniper, which we're learning a little bit more about in the wake of yesterday's fatal shooting in Aspen Hill, Maryland.
And also, a very unusual relationship now, or at least a sense of communication developing between the man police believe is the sniper and the investigators themselves via a couple of letters that we're reporting on; these letters making specific demands.

CNN's Patty Davis, in fact, is here. She has been reporting on it. She's going to be with us in just a moment.

I want to give you a quick update, though, on Conrad Johnson, 35 years old. He was what we believe and what investigators probably believe to be the latest sniper victim. It has not been confirmed.

There is a briefing, a regular briefing at noon today here in Montgomery County, where we're expecting and hoping to hear the final ballistics report on Conrad Johnson but, investigators are going ahead as if he may very well be the 13th victim, the 10th fatality in a string of killings that started on October 2.

CNN's Patty Davis has been working her sources all morning long for the latest on this investigation.

Patty -- why don't we start with this latest report out of the "Baltimore Sun" this morning that there was yet some other form of communication, the "Baltimore Sun" saying, a letter to investigators once again making demands.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Well, the "Baltimore Sun" is reporting a second letter to police from somebody who is believed to be the sniper, indeed echoing language we saw in a first letter left at a shooting on Saturday night.

So, we know that there has, indeed, been another communication by this sniper.

Now, in the first letter to police left at the scene of the Ashland, Virginia shooting, this handwriting, we are told, is not similar to that from a tarot card that was left at the scene of a Bowie, Maryland shooting, that 13-year-old boy shot at that scene. That tarot card saying, "Mr. Policeman, I am God." In the first letter, we are told, there is a demand for $10 million, "The Baltimore Sun" reporting that demand again in this second letter. This person obviously angry at police, the letter rambles, it complains that he has tried six times to contact police and failed in those attempts.

Now, sources tell us that they do believe that there are at least two attempts that they know of where this sniper called and was hung up on by accident.

Police trying everything they can to open a dialogue with this person or persons and get them to stop this killing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE: In the past several days, you have attempted to communicate with us. We have researched the option you stated, and found that it is not possible electronically to comply in the manner that you requested. However, we remain open and ready to talk to you about the options you have mentioned. It is important that we do this without anyone else getting hurt. Call us at the same number you used before to obtain the 800 number that you have requested.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: Now, Chief Moose coming out twice yesterday with cryptic messages that are believed to be for the sniper. One of them also offered him, Carol, a post office box or another form of secure communication, just keep the lines open.

LIN: Did it sound like to you at yesterday's briefing that they were trying to make the open lines of communication contingent upon the killings stopping?

DAVIS: I think police at this point are trying to do anything they can to stop it, and it doesn't sound like they've got control over what this person does or does not do.

And you'll recall yesterday one very ominous note that came out, that Chief Moose came to the cameras and said, in fact, this killer had said, "Your children are not safe anywhere at any time."

LIN: Right.

DAVIS: So, they're obviously very worried about...

(CROSSTALK)

LIN: Very quickly, I know you've got an update on the 37-year- old victim from the Ashland, Virginia shooting over the weekend.

(CROSSTALK)

DAVIS: That's right. I just talked to a hospital spokeswoman who said that indeed he is still in critical but stable condition. That's better than he was doing in the beginning. He was in guarded condition. It was really touch-and-go there at the beginning.

But now they're saying he has stabilized so much that they believe they can go ahead with additional surgeries to stem the infection, and that's the real problem right now. And they may be able to go with that as early as today.

LIN: All right, good news, indeed. Thank you very much, Patty -- great reporting this morning.

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 23, 2002 - 10:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Fear and apprehension and frustration as parents are trying to make the decision today of whether to send their kids to school, and whether they themselves can even run their normal, everyday errands in the wake of some specific threats by the sniper, which we're learning a little bit more about in the wake of yesterday's fatal shooting in Aspen Hill, Maryland.
And also, a very unusual relationship now, or at least a sense of communication developing between the man police believe is the sniper and the investigators themselves via a couple of letters that we're reporting on; these letters making specific demands.

CNN's Patty Davis, in fact, is here. She has been reporting on it. She's going to be with us in just a moment.

I want to give you a quick update, though, on Conrad Johnson, 35 years old. He was what we believe and what investigators probably believe to be the latest sniper victim. It has not been confirmed.

There is a briefing, a regular briefing at noon today here in Montgomery County, where we're expecting and hoping to hear the final ballistics report on Conrad Johnson but, investigators are going ahead as if he may very well be the 13th victim, the 10th fatality in a string of killings that started on October 2.

CNN's Patty Davis has been working her sources all morning long for the latest on this investigation.

Patty -- why don't we start with this latest report out of the "Baltimore Sun" this morning that there was yet some other form of communication, the "Baltimore Sun" saying, a letter to investigators once again making demands.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Well, the "Baltimore Sun" is reporting a second letter to police from somebody who is believed to be the sniper, indeed echoing language we saw in a first letter left at a shooting on Saturday night.

So, we know that there has, indeed, been another communication by this sniper.

Now, in the first letter to police left at the scene of the Ashland, Virginia shooting, this handwriting, we are told, is not similar to that from a tarot card that was left at the scene of a Bowie, Maryland shooting, that 13-year-old boy shot at that scene. That tarot card saying, "Mr. Policeman, I am God." In the first letter, we are told, there is a demand for $10 million, "The Baltimore Sun" reporting that demand again in this second letter. This person obviously angry at police, the letter rambles, it complains that he has tried six times to contact police and failed in those attempts.

Now, sources tell us that they do believe that there are at least two attempts that they know of where this sniper called and was hung up on by accident.

Police trying everything they can to open a dialogue with this person or persons and get them to stop this killing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE: In the past several days, you have attempted to communicate with us. We have researched the option you stated, and found that it is not possible electronically to comply in the manner that you requested. However, we remain open and ready to talk to you about the options you have mentioned. It is important that we do this without anyone else getting hurt. Call us at the same number you used before to obtain the 800 number that you have requested.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: Now, Chief Moose coming out twice yesterday with cryptic messages that are believed to be for the sniper. One of them also offered him, Carol, a post office box or another form of secure communication, just keep the lines open.

LIN: Did it sound like to you at yesterday's briefing that they were trying to make the open lines of communication contingent upon the killings stopping?

DAVIS: I think police at this point are trying to do anything they can to stop it, and it doesn't sound like they've got control over what this person does or does not do.

And you'll recall yesterday one very ominous note that came out, that Chief Moose came to the cameras and said, in fact, this killer had said, "Your children are not safe anywhere at any time."

LIN: Right.

DAVIS: So, they're obviously very worried about...

(CROSSTALK)

LIN: Very quickly, I know you've got an update on the 37-year- old victim from the Ashland, Virginia shooting over the weekend.

(CROSSTALK)

DAVIS: That's right. I just talked to a hospital spokeswoman who said that indeed he is still in critical but stable condition. That's better than he was doing in the beginning. He was in guarded condition. It was really touch-and-go there at the beginning.

But now they're saying he has stabilized so much that they believe they can go ahead with additional surgeries to stem the infection, and that's the real problem right now. And they may be able to go with that as early as today.

LIN: All right, good news, indeed. Thank you very much, Patty -- great reporting this morning.

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