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CNN Live At Daybreak
Cold Case Now Solved
Aired July 09, 2003 - 05:32 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it was February 1987 and the rape-murder of a 10-year-old girl in her bedroom shocked the City of Philadelphia. Detectives interviewed scores of people, tracked down numerous leads, but the case went cold, until now.
CNN's Jason Carroll reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For 16 years, Heather Coffin's family lived with the pain of not knowing who killed their 10-year-old girl. Someone quietly broke into her bedroom one night, raped and then strangled her.
But now a break in the case, an arrest of a former friend of the family and, sources close to the case say, a written confession to the crime.
RANDALL COFFIN, FATHER: And I never knew that I would ever know anybody could come in, rape, strangle and kill your daughter. And I hope he's looking at me, looking into the TV to look at me. This is all I have left.
CARROLL: Early Tuesday, police arrested Ray Sheehan at his Philadelphia home, located just a few miles from the Coffin home. Police say new DNA technology enabled them to match samples taken from Sheehan years ago.
COMM. SYLVESTER JOHNSON, PHILADELPHIA POLICE: This individual defendant was on our radar screen at the time this thing happened. I understand he had been interviewed two or three times before, but we didn't have any physical evidence to tie him into the case until we got the results back that we have now.
CARROLL: If she were alive today, Heather would have been 26, the oldest sister. Now, Danielle, the oldest at 23, says for most of her years, she has had to defend her father against accusations.
DANIELLE COFFIN, SISTER: My dad went through so much, everybody saying that it was my dad, everybody saying when I would go to school, people saying oh, yes, you're the sister that your dad killed your other sister.
CARROLL: For Heather's father, finally a sense of vindication. But the anger toward the suspect is as strong as ever.
RANDALL COFFIN: Because I would killed you instantly, the same way you did my daughter. I hope you rot in hell, you bastard.
CARROLL: Sheehan has yet to enter a plea.
Jason Carroll, CNN, Philadelphia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 July 9, 2003 - 05:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it was February 1987 and the rape-murder of a 10-year-old girl in her bedroom shocked the City of Philadelphia. Detectives interviewed scores of people, tracked down numerous leads, but the case went cold, until now.
CNN's Jason Carroll reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For 16 years, Heather Coffin's family lived with the pain of not knowing who killed their 10-year-old girl. Someone quietly broke into her bedroom one night, raped and then strangled her.
But now a break in the case, an arrest of a former friend of the family and, sources close to the case say, a written confession to the crime.
RANDALL COFFIN, FATHER: And I never knew that I would ever know anybody could come in, rape, strangle and kill your daughter. And I hope he's looking at me, looking into the TV to look at me. This is all I have left.
CARROLL: Early Tuesday, police arrested Ray Sheehan at his Philadelphia home, located just a few miles from the Coffin home. Police say new DNA technology enabled them to match samples taken from Sheehan years ago.
COMM. SYLVESTER JOHNSON, PHILADELPHIA POLICE: This individual defendant was on our radar screen at the time this thing happened. I understand he had been interviewed two or three times before, but we didn't have any physical evidence to tie him into the case until we got the results back that we have now.
CARROLL: If she were alive today, Heather would have been 26, the oldest sister. Now, Danielle, the oldest at 23, says for most of her years, she has had to defend her father against accusations.
DANIELLE COFFIN, SISTER: My dad went through so much, everybody saying that it was my dad, everybody saying when I would go to school, people saying oh, yes, you're the sister that your dad killed your other sister.
CARROLL: For Heather's father, finally a sense of vindication. But the anger toward the suspect is as strong as ever.
RANDALL COFFIN: Because I would killed you instantly, the same way you did my daughter. I hope you rot in hell, you bastard.
CARROLL: Sheehan has yet to enter a plea.
Jason Carroll, CNN, Philadelphia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
