Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Baton Rouge Police Investigate Sniper

Aired November 01, 2002 - 11:03   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: We expect to learn more today about the murder in Montgomery, Alabama, that provided a big break in the sniper case.
Our Charles Molineaux is following that part of the story, and he joins us live from Montgomery, Alabama.

Charles, good morning.

CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN REPORTER: Good morning, Daryn.

We're standing by to hear what the police have to tell us in what looks like a very interesting and strange development. You know, the same ballistics tests that proved the connection to the Baton Rouge case have, apparently, drawn a stronger connection to Montgomery in beverage store here where this murder happened on the 21st of September.

However, it has also thrown this case for something of a loop and raised the possibility of there being a third person involved. Now, police had suspected that D.C. sniper suspects were involved in this case and the new test results seemed to draw a stronger connection to them, but they also seem to blow up some prevailing theories.

Back on September 21, Claudine Parker, was shot and killed in an apparent robbery at the store. Another woman was wounded, as they closed the place up. A fingerprint from John Malvo was found at the scene. Witnesses saw a man matching Malvo's description, and holding what looked like an ammo clip. A Montgomery cop chased a man identified -- he identified as Muhammad, who was carrying a pistol. Nobody reported seeing anybody with a rifle.

But, yes, the latest ballistics tests indicate Claudine Parker was killed by a bullet from that same Bushmaster rifle found in the car with Muhammad and Malvo, which raises the question, if the two people seen on the scene were, in fact, Muhammad and Malvo, neither of them had a rifle, then the question is who actually fired the shot?

And that is a major question for investigators, as they try to unravel this unravel this. The original speculation had been that the victim was shot with a .22, possibly the handgun that the person described as Muhammad was seen carrying at the scene. Now that we know the victim was actually killed by the Bushmaster, who then was firing the shot?

There's another wrinkle in this story. This may be just a coincidence or it may be significant, the police officer who actually chased the man he described as, looking like Muhammad, said he was abruptly brought up short, when a blue car pulled in front of him. At the time, that was regarded as nothing more than a coincidence but, of course, now we know that Malvo and Muhammad were found sleeping in that blue 1990 Chevy Caprice. Question: Could that have been the same car and, if so, who was driving it? Another question.

This is still a possibility that it maybe nothing but a coincidence but, all of a sudden, police are now taking a closer look at that blue car, trying to figure out what the connection may have been and they're looking at whole new series of questions as to who actually fired the shot and who it was that they saw at the scene -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Charles Molineaux, a lot of information out of Montgomery, Alabama. Thank you so much. You know, police are looking into a lot of those questions, as we speak.

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 November 1, 2002 - 11:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We expect to learn more today about the murder in Montgomery, Alabama, that provided a big break in the sniper case.
Our Charles Molineaux is following that part of the story, and he joins us live from Montgomery, Alabama.

Charles, good morning.

CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN REPORTER: Good morning, Daryn.

We're standing by to hear what the police have to tell us in what looks like a very interesting and strange development. You know, the same ballistics tests that proved the connection to the Baton Rouge case have, apparently, drawn a stronger connection to Montgomery in beverage store here where this murder happened on the 21st of September.

However, it has also thrown this case for something of a loop and raised the possibility of there being a third person involved. Now, police had suspected that D.C. sniper suspects were involved in this case and the new test results seemed to draw a stronger connection to them, but they also seem to blow up some prevailing theories.

Back on September 21, Claudine Parker, was shot and killed in an apparent robbery at the store. Another woman was wounded, as they closed the place up. A fingerprint from John Malvo was found at the scene. Witnesses saw a man matching Malvo's description, and holding what looked like an ammo clip. A Montgomery cop chased a man identified -- he identified as Muhammad, who was carrying a pistol. Nobody reported seeing anybody with a rifle.

But, yes, the latest ballistics tests indicate Claudine Parker was killed by a bullet from that same Bushmaster rifle found in the car with Muhammad and Malvo, which raises the question, if the two people seen on the scene were, in fact, Muhammad and Malvo, neither of them had a rifle, then the question is who actually fired the shot?

And that is a major question for investigators, as they try to unravel this unravel this. The original speculation had been that the victim was shot with a .22, possibly the handgun that the person described as Muhammad was seen carrying at the scene. Now that we know the victim was actually killed by the Bushmaster, who then was firing the shot?

There's another wrinkle in this story. This may be just a coincidence or it may be significant, the police officer who actually chased the man he described as, looking like Muhammad, said he was abruptly brought up short, when a blue car pulled in front of him. At the time, that was regarded as nothing more than a coincidence but, of course, now we know that Malvo and Muhammad were found sleeping in that blue 1990 Chevy Caprice. Question: Could that have been the same car and, if so, who was driving it? Another question.

This is still a possibility that it maybe nothing but a coincidence but, all of a sudden, police are now taking a closer look at that blue car, trying to figure out what the connection may have been and they're looking at whole new series of questions as to who actually fired the shot and who it was that they saw at the scene -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Charles Molineaux, a lot of information out of Montgomery, Alabama. Thank you so much. You know, police are looking into a lot of those questions, as we speak.

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