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Sniper Suspects: Close Encounters

Aired October 28, 2002 - 11:29   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.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: As authorities retrace the movements of the two sniper suspects, people who came in contact with them are reflecting on their close encounters. John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo were spotted several times as a coffee house in Washington State, and Mark Windover is the assistant manager of Stuart's Coffee House. he joins us live Bellingham, Washington.
Thanks for being with us.

MARK WINDOVER, STUART'S COFFEE HOUSE: Thank you.

COOPER: So, Mark, how did you come across these two?

WINDOVER: I believe they started coming in here around December or January of last year. They were around for a little while, and came back again around June. They...

COOPER: Sorry, this would have been about the time they were living in the Lighthouse Shelter. Is the shelter anywhere nearby where your coffee shop is?

WINDOVER: Yes, it's about four blocks down the street from us. We're about the first thing anyone from the mission hits when they're walking towards town in the morning. It's a popular spot with those guys.

COOPER: What were these two like when they came into the coffee shop?

WINDOVER: Well, Mr. Muhammad always did all the talking. Malvo kind of hung out on the side. And I don't believe I ever actually spoke to him at all. Muhammad would come to the counter, order anything they would get, and he was the only one I ever had a conversation with. It seemed like the kid was very demure and didn't really want to talk to anybody else.

COOPER: And you said they always had a large bag with them? What kind of bag are you talking about?

WINDOVER: It was one of the large military-type duffel bags, the five-foot kind, always packed really full. You could fit just about anything in there. And it was always in Mr. Muhammad's possession, and he never left it out of his sight.

COOPER: I'm going to ask you a question, and it sounds a little bit ridiculous, but we've heard a lot about this sort of -- this diet that Mr. Muhammad allegedly followed, crackers and honey and nutritional supplements. Did they eat anything when they were in the coffee shop?

WINDOVER: I don't remember them ever ordering any food here. We frequently found our honey dispenser at the table with Mr. Malvo. It seemed that he would bring in his own bread and would use the honey and make honey sandwiches with the bread.

COOPER: These were really like dream customers? I mean, they would come to your place and not really order much.

WINDOVER: Well, they were quiet, and they never gave us any problems, with the exception of the time that Mr. Muhammad tried to take the duffel bag into the bathroom with him, which the only rule of ours they ever broke. But they really kept themselves and didn't disturb anybody else.

COOPER: He one time tried to take the duffel bag into the bathroom?

WINDOVER: Yes, he never wanted to let it out of his sight and didn't want to take his hands off the thing most of the time. But we saw him going into the bathroom with it, and we -- because of security, you know, drug concerns and stuff, we don't want anybody doing that. So he wound up sneaking into the back bathroom that we can't see as well from's counter when we weren't looking.

COOPER: When you found out these two guys were perhaps involved, allegedly involved, what went through your mind? Were you just stunned?

WINDOVER: Yes, I was in a bit of shock, and I really don't think it's hit me yet. I saw the picture of Muhammad in the paper, as soon as it came out, the local paper, and instantly recognized and thought, gee, that guy comes into my coffee house and the entire time, you know, I just couldn't stop thinking about how normal these guys -- you know, how quiet they were, anyway, and didn't seem like the types that would be doing any crazy things like this.

COOPER: All right, Mark Windover, thanks a lot. I know you only had a little bit of interaction with them, but we're all trying to piece together as much of a picture as we can of these , and every bit helps.

WINDOVER: Sure. Thank you.

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 28, 2002 - 11:29   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: As authorities retrace the movements of the two sniper suspects, people who came in contact with them are reflecting on their close encounters. John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo were spotted several times as a coffee house in Washington State, and Mark Windover is the assistant manager of Stuart's Coffee House. he joins us live Bellingham, Washington.
Thanks for being with us.

MARK WINDOVER, STUART'S COFFEE HOUSE: Thank you.

COOPER: So, Mark, how did you come across these two?

WINDOVER: I believe they started coming in here around December or January of last year. They were around for a little while, and came back again around June. They...

COOPER: Sorry, this would have been about the time they were living in the Lighthouse Shelter. Is the shelter anywhere nearby where your coffee shop is?

WINDOVER: Yes, it's about four blocks down the street from us. We're about the first thing anyone from the mission hits when they're walking towards town in the morning. It's a popular spot with those guys.

COOPER: What were these two like when they came into the coffee shop?

WINDOVER: Well, Mr. Muhammad always did all the talking. Malvo kind of hung out on the side. And I don't believe I ever actually spoke to him at all. Muhammad would come to the counter, order anything they would get, and he was the only one I ever had a conversation with. It seemed like the kid was very demure and didn't really want to talk to anybody else.

COOPER: And you said they always had a large bag with them? What kind of bag are you talking about?

WINDOVER: It was one of the large military-type duffel bags, the five-foot kind, always packed really full. You could fit just about anything in there. And it was always in Mr. Muhammad's possession, and he never left it out of his sight.

COOPER: I'm going to ask you a question, and it sounds a little bit ridiculous, but we've heard a lot about this sort of -- this diet that Mr. Muhammad allegedly followed, crackers and honey and nutritional supplements. Did they eat anything when they were in the coffee shop?

WINDOVER: I don't remember them ever ordering any food here. We frequently found our honey dispenser at the table with Mr. Malvo. It seemed that he would bring in his own bread and would use the honey and make honey sandwiches with the bread.

COOPER: These were really like dream customers? I mean, they would come to your place and not really order much.

WINDOVER: Well, they were quiet, and they never gave us any problems, with the exception of the time that Mr. Muhammad tried to take the duffel bag into the bathroom with him, which the only rule of ours they ever broke. But they really kept themselves and didn't disturb anybody else.

COOPER: He one time tried to take the duffel bag into the bathroom?

WINDOVER: Yes, he never wanted to let it out of his sight and didn't want to take his hands off the thing most of the time. But we saw him going into the bathroom with it, and we -- because of security, you know, drug concerns and stuff, we don't want anybody doing that. So he wound up sneaking into the back bathroom that we can't see as well from's counter when we weren't looking.

COOPER: When you found out these two guys were perhaps involved, allegedly involved, what went through your mind? Were you just stunned?

WINDOVER: Yes, I was in a bit of shock, and I really don't think it's hit me yet. I saw the picture of Muhammad in the paper, as soon as it came out, the local paper, and instantly recognized and thought, gee, that guy comes into my coffee house and the entire time, you know, I just couldn't stop thinking about how normal these guys -- you know, how quiet they were, anyway, and didn't seem like the types that would be doing any crazy things like this.

COOPER: All right, Mark Windover, thanks a lot. I know you only had a little bit of interaction with them, but we're all trying to piece together as much of a picture as we can of these , and every bit helps.

WINDOVER: Sure. Thank you.

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