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CNN Live Today

Interview With Parents of Lindsey Ryan

Aired March 06, 2003 - 11:19   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: The parents of a missing Michigan teenager are pleading today for their daughter's return. Lindsey Ryan disappeared on Saturday, and she's been spotted in the West with a known killer.
Our Jeff Flock is covering this story today, and he joins us from Michigan. Jeff, good morning.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, good morning to you.

Carol, Patrick Ryan with me at this hour, and we wanted to get your reaction to the latest sighting, which we just confirmed this morning. Grass Valley, California. She is in California. Good news, bad news? What does your gut tell you?

CAROL RYAN, MOTHER OF MISSING TEEN: She's alive. That's great. That's great. And it got -- that means someone is watching.

FLOCK: It is so frustrating, though, that -- sighted, sighted, sighted and still not back to you.

PATRICK RYAN, FATHER OF MISSING TEEN: It's important that people be calling right away. Law enforcement is doing everything it can, and the news media now is doing everything that they can do. It's just important that hearers will get it out to us right away.

FLOCK: I want to show the home video that you just made available to us that sort of gives a sense for Lindsey, what she really kind of looks like. And that kind of pretty clearly depicts her sort of around the house kind of thing. And she's there with a friend, I know. When you look at those pictures, it's got to be tough for you knowing she's not here.

C. RYAN: The police officer asked me if I was ready, and I said, sure. He said, Let's wait until after the interview. And then when he watched it, Are you sure you're OK?

They are hard. They are very hard to take.

FLOCK: Now, I have got to bring this up. In California, there is not an Amber Alert out yet for Lindsey. It's because it doesn't fit their state's criteria because she's not being held against her will. No. 1, you are not happy about that, but go ahead and say what's on your mind on that issue.

C. RYAN: What is against your will? Is psychological manipulation not against your will? Does she really have choice? (CROSSTALK)

FLOCK: This whole...

P. RYAN: I would like to say something on that that's important to me is -- consent has to be informed. Anybody knows that. She's not informed about who this man is. There can be no consent if there is no information. I'll guarantee you she does not know, because we did not know. And so I believe that the Amber people out in California need a little bit more education on what these kind of predators are.

FLOCK: And what we have learned about Terry Drake, you said you don't know -- she doesn't know what you know. You now know about that 1977 murder. I interviewed yesterday the husband of the woman who was killed. Met her at church, abducted her from her home. Took a gun in the abduction, later used the gun to kill her. I know you don't want to talk about bad outcomes, but when you hear something like that...

C. RYAN: What I hear is help. Help me. Help me find her before he does do what he's going to do.

FLOCK: As the hours tick by on this -- I know good to have spotted her, and she's OK, but...

P. RYAN: Time is running and we need -- we need information now. The sooner the better. This time is critical. That's -- that's the message.

C. RYAN: Someone is going to save a life or not, depending on what they see and what they do. And I thank you, the TV, everybody for bringing that out. Because it has got to get all the way across the country.

FLOCK: And real quick before we get away, if she's out there looking, either her or to Terry Drake, what do you want to look in there and say?

C. RYAN: Be safe, Lindsey. Be smart. We love you. We're praying for you. Your friends are here with us.

P. RYAN: And I'm going to tell you, Lindsey, honey, you are my baby. You've always been my darling and you know that, and you can come home any time you want, and we want you home. Everybody wants you home. I want you home. That is what I am going to tell you. You belong home.

C. RYAN: And, Terry, just let her out of the car. All you have to do is open the door and then you are free. You are free from all of this.

FLOCK: Folks, thank you. Thank you so much, Patrick, Carol. Appreciate the time.

You heard it. What more I can add to that, Daryn? Time, it's ticking and we will continue to watch it. KAGAN: We're going to do that. Jeff, thank you so much for the latest from Michigan.

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 March 6, 2003 - 11:19   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The parents of a missing Michigan teenager are pleading today for their daughter's return. Lindsey Ryan disappeared on Saturday, and she's been spotted in the West with a known killer.
Our Jeff Flock is covering this story today, and he joins us from Michigan. Jeff, good morning.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, good morning to you.

Carol, Patrick Ryan with me at this hour, and we wanted to get your reaction to the latest sighting, which we just confirmed this morning. Grass Valley, California. She is in California. Good news, bad news? What does your gut tell you?

CAROL RYAN, MOTHER OF MISSING TEEN: She's alive. That's great. That's great. And it got -- that means someone is watching.

FLOCK: It is so frustrating, though, that -- sighted, sighted, sighted and still not back to you.

PATRICK RYAN, FATHER OF MISSING TEEN: It's important that people be calling right away. Law enforcement is doing everything it can, and the news media now is doing everything that they can do. It's just important that hearers will get it out to us right away.

FLOCK: I want to show the home video that you just made available to us that sort of gives a sense for Lindsey, what she really kind of looks like. And that kind of pretty clearly depicts her sort of around the house kind of thing. And she's there with a friend, I know. When you look at those pictures, it's got to be tough for you knowing she's not here.

C. RYAN: The police officer asked me if I was ready, and I said, sure. He said, Let's wait until after the interview. And then when he watched it, Are you sure you're OK?

They are hard. They are very hard to take.

FLOCK: Now, I have got to bring this up. In California, there is not an Amber Alert out yet for Lindsey. It's because it doesn't fit their state's criteria because she's not being held against her will. No. 1, you are not happy about that, but go ahead and say what's on your mind on that issue.

C. RYAN: What is against your will? Is psychological manipulation not against your will? Does she really have choice? (CROSSTALK)

FLOCK: This whole...

P. RYAN: I would like to say something on that that's important to me is -- consent has to be informed. Anybody knows that. She's not informed about who this man is. There can be no consent if there is no information. I'll guarantee you she does not know, because we did not know. And so I believe that the Amber people out in California need a little bit more education on what these kind of predators are.

FLOCK: And what we have learned about Terry Drake, you said you don't know -- she doesn't know what you know. You now know about that 1977 murder. I interviewed yesterday the husband of the woman who was killed. Met her at church, abducted her from her home. Took a gun in the abduction, later used the gun to kill her. I know you don't want to talk about bad outcomes, but when you hear something like that...

C. RYAN: What I hear is help. Help me. Help me find her before he does do what he's going to do.

FLOCK: As the hours tick by on this -- I know good to have spotted her, and she's OK, but...

P. RYAN: Time is running and we need -- we need information now. The sooner the better. This time is critical. That's -- that's the message.

C. RYAN: Someone is going to save a life or not, depending on what they see and what they do. And I thank you, the TV, everybody for bringing that out. Because it has got to get all the way across the country.

FLOCK: And real quick before we get away, if she's out there looking, either her or to Terry Drake, what do you want to look in there and say?

C. RYAN: Be safe, Lindsey. Be smart. We love you. We're praying for you. Your friends are here with us.

P. RYAN: And I'm going to tell you, Lindsey, honey, you are my baby. You've always been my darling and you know that, and you can come home any time you want, and we want you home. Everybody wants you home. I want you home. That is what I am going to tell you. You belong home.

C. RYAN: And, Terry, just let her out of the car. All you have to do is open the door and then you are free. You are free from all of this.

FLOCK: Folks, thank you. Thank you so much, Patrick, Carol. Appreciate the time.

You heard it. What more I can add to that, Daryn? Time, it's ticking and we will continue to watch it. KAGAN: We're going to do that. Jeff, thank you so much for the latest from Michigan.

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