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Investigation into Washington-Area Sniper Attacks Takes Unexpected Turn

Aired December 23, 2002 - 10:04   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.


LEON HARRIS, ANCHOR: The investigation into the Washington-area sniper attacks has taken an unexpected turn, with a published report saying the teenage suspect is now believed to be the primary killer. The "New York Times" reports that evidence is increasingly pointing to 17-year-old John Lee Malvo, and that he may, in fact, be the triggerman in all of the shootings.
Early this morning, I spoke with CNN law enforcement analyst Mike Brooks about the evidence against Malveaux.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Malveaux has given a lengthy statement when he was first arrested to investigators. Muhammad has said about 12 words the whole time in custody. Statementwise, Malveaux has not given up anything on Muhammad, and Muhammad didn't say anything at all.

Now, a lot of the evidence they have is leading to say Malvo, the 17-year-old, is the shooter, is the triggerman in most of the shootings, but everyone's saying now, will Muhammad be able to get the death sentence, because if they can't prove that he himself was the triggerman in some of the shootings?

You look at the shootings, Leon, a lot of the shootings were well planned out. Went on scouting missions, they drove around, they scouted out the locations, went back. Muhammad did drive. We know, on some of the -- investigators know, on some of the cases, Muhammad did drive with Malvo in the back of the trunk in the little sniper's lair in the back of the Caprice they say.

If you didn't pull the trigger, can you still get the death penalty? I think so. I think he can get the death penalty, because he was so involved in the planning and the carrying out of the murders.

HARRIS: But if you he's still not talking, even up to this point, don't you need to get something from him at some point to corroborate what you're hearing from Malvo? How do you know that everything that he's saying is true?

Could it be that perhaps they worked out some deal, where they know he's a 17-year-old boy and won't get the death penalty, so he does all the talking?

BROOKS: Exactly, and that's some talk early on, that they were thinking that maybe, what is the relationship between these two, first of all? There is no blood -- they're not blood relatives. Muhammad was apparently attached to him in the islands before coming to the United States and sponsored him coming here, lived with him, you know, as a mentor relationship between Muhammad and -- here, you have a 17- year-old and a 41-year-old. I think it's a little strange either way.

But I think that has been talked about, that, yes, in fact, you know, he is 17 years old, maybe they would have him do the shootings, but, again, Muhammad's not saying a word at all, he's mum.

HARRIS: Has anything come out yet about what the motive might possibly be? Is Malvo talking about that?

BROOKS: Early on, they though the motive was monetary. What is the whole motive? The true motive has not yet come out. I think as investigators continue to run down leads in this case, I think the real motive will come out. There has been talk that Muhammad is a Muslim, and is a devout Muslim. Does that have anything to do with Islam? There's been talk about that. But they have not been able to really pin down the true motive, I don't think, of -- behind the shootings.

HARRIS: They're still running down leads. What kind of leads? Do you know? What are they still checking out?

BROOKS: They're still getting statements in. There are no witnesses -- for most of the shootings, there are no witnesses. But you have the shootings in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia, but you also had the ones in Alabama, Mississippi, you had here in Atlanta that they're all running down to see if there's any ties at all with them. There's also, when they were in Tacoma, Washington, were involved with some thing there's. And there was some thought that the shootings were being planned so Muhammad wanted -- because Muhammad wanted to kill his wife, and they were using this as kind of a buffer, and were trying to cover up that shooting. That remains to be seen, too. They're still looking into those facts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Prosecutors saying that Malvo and 41-year-old John Muhammad are to blame for 13 shootings in October, and similar attacks in at least four other states.

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




Unexpected Turn>


Aired December 23, 2002 - 10:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, ANCHOR: The investigation into the Washington-area sniper attacks has taken an unexpected turn, with a published report saying the teenage suspect is now believed to be the primary killer. The "New York Times" reports that evidence is increasingly pointing to 17-year-old John Lee Malvo, and that he may, in fact, be the triggerman in all of the shootings.
Early this morning, I spoke with CNN law enforcement analyst Mike Brooks about the evidence against Malveaux.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Malveaux has given a lengthy statement when he was first arrested to investigators. Muhammad has said about 12 words the whole time in custody. Statementwise, Malveaux has not given up anything on Muhammad, and Muhammad didn't say anything at all.

Now, a lot of the evidence they have is leading to say Malvo, the 17-year-old, is the shooter, is the triggerman in most of the shootings, but everyone's saying now, will Muhammad be able to get the death sentence, because if they can't prove that he himself was the triggerman in some of the shootings?

You look at the shootings, Leon, a lot of the shootings were well planned out. Went on scouting missions, they drove around, they scouted out the locations, went back. Muhammad did drive. We know, on some of the -- investigators know, on some of the cases, Muhammad did drive with Malvo in the back of the trunk in the little sniper's lair in the back of the Caprice they say.

If you didn't pull the trigger, can you still get the death penalty? I think so. I think he can get the death penalty, because he was so involved in the planning and the carrying out of the murders.

HARRIS: But if you he's still not talking, even up to this point, don't you need to get something from him at some point to corroborate what you're hearing from Malvo? How do you know that everything that he's saying is true?

Could it be that perhaps they worked out some deal, where they know he's a 17-year-old boy and won't get the death penalty, so he does all the talking?

BROOKS: Exactly, and that's some talk early on, that they were thinking that maybe, what is the relationship between these two, first of all? There is no blood -- they're not blood relatives. Muhammad was apparently attached to him in the islands before coming to the United States and sponsored him coming here, lived with him, you know, as a mentor relationship between Muhammad and -- here, you have a 17- year-old and a 41-year-old. I think it's a little strange either way.

But I think that has been talked about, that, yes, in fact, you know, he is 17 years old, maybe they would have him do the shootings, but, again, Muhammad's not saying a word at all, he's mum.

HARRIS: Has anything come out yet about what the motive might possibly be? Is Malvo talking about that?

BROOKS: Early on, they though the motive was monetary. What is the whole motive? The true motive has not yet come out. I think as investigators continue to run down leads in this case, I think the real motive will come out. There has been talk that Muhammad is a Muslim, and is a devout Muslim. Does that have anything to do with Islam? There's been talk about that. But they have not been able to really pin down the true motive, I don't think, of -- behind the shootings.

HARRIS: They're still running down leads. What kind of leads? Do you know? What are they still checking out?

BROOKS: They're still getting statements in. There are no witnesses -- for most of the shootings, there are no witnesses. But you have the shootings in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia, but you also had the ones in Alabama, Mississippi, you had here in Atlanta that they're all running down to see if there's any ties at all with them. There's also, when they were in Tacoma, Washington, were involved with some thing there's. And there was some thought that the shootings were being planned so Muhammad wanted -- because Muhammad wanted to kill his wife, and they were using this as kind of a buffer, and were trying to cover up that shooting. That remains to be seen, too. They're still looking into those facts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Prosecutors saying that Malvo and 41-year-old John Muhammad are to blame for 13 shootings in October, and similar attacks in at least four other states.

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




Unexpected Turn>