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American Morning

Missing Girl Case

Aired August 01, 2003 - 08:33   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A woman suspected of pulling a hoax on the parents of a missing girl will be in court today. Donna Walker surrendered to police in Kansas yesterday. She could face charges in Indiana on suspicion of calling the Sherrill family and pretending to be the daughter who disappeared nearly 17 years ago. Walker's told ABC News that she has nothing to hide and says that she was only trying to help the investigation. Bill Rork is Donna Walker's attorney, and she joins us from Topeka, Kansas this morning.
Good morning to you, Mr. Rork. Thanks for joining us.

As you well know, your client is accused of incredibly cruel hoax. Have you spoken to her? And what does she have to say about this case?

BILL RORK, DONNA WALKER'S ATTORNEY: Well, I have spoken to her. And she has indicated she has talked both to the family and the law enforcement. The exact nature of the conversations that she did have with them, I haven't gone over with her. I expect to do some more today.

O'BRIEN: What's her demeanor been like? how does she appear to you? Is she nervous? Is she anxious? Is she very calm?

RORK: Well, that's hard to describe. Her demeanor has been like anyone accused of an offense. What happens now? What do I Do? what was wrong? How can it be wrong? And those type of natural concern. But really as to her mental state, not an opinion to address that. I think those are being looked at as we talk.

O'BRIEN: She is quoted as saying she was only trying to help the investigation. What could she mean by that?

RORK: Well, I think that's something that we're all going to find out by what she meant. And in her mind, what she may have indicated or may have stated, I think will be brought out and brought forth as the facts develop more.

O'BRIEN: So then when she goes to court today, how do you plan to plead?

RORK: Well, the plea today will just be whether she's going to be released on bond, whether she's going to voluntarily waive extradition back to Indiana, and so she won't really enter a plea at all. She'll just request the court set bond for her.

O'BRIEN: What's the plan, though, for when she does have to make a plea?

RORK: Well, the plan would be to see what the Indiana authorities allege on the basis of the criminal charges, see what Miss Walker indicates she agrees or disagrees with, and then determine if there really was any crime committed, assuming everything that's been said she did is true and did, in fact, happen, whether there was any criminal intent on her part.

O'BRIEN: So she hasn't told you whether or not she made phone calls pretending to be the long-lost daughter of this family? She hasn't said, yes, I made those phone calls.

RORK: I can't really discuss the precise nature of the conversation she has as it would violate the attorney/client privilege. I can advise she admit she has made phone calls. She's admitted what she said to ABC, but the exact nature of those I'm not at liberty to say.

O'BRIEN: Is it too early to ask you the plan for the defense? There's been some indication from earlier reports, previous reports, that maybe she has a mental disorder. Is that accurate? And would that potentially be a strategy in your defense?

RORK: Again, the plan for the defense would be one, assuming the statements that they say she made are true, did she have any criminal intent? Or was there any other contributing factors that may have caused her to make those statements? I believe that's the ultimate issue, and that will be decided.

O'BRIEN: The prosecutor told me yesterday that he'd like to put her in jail, if she's convicted, for four years. Where do you stand on that? Think it's too harsh?

RORK: I heard him make that statement today. But I believe society is a position, and they have all of the facts, to decide whether someone may need treatment, whether they may need mental health needs, or if they need to be locked up and the judge will ultimately make that decision, if there's found to be any criminal culpability.

O'BRIEN: Well, obviously a complicated case and many or questions need to be answered. Billy Rork, thank you for your time this morning, Appreciate it.

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 August 1, 2003 - 08:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A woman suspected of pulling a hoax on the parents of a missing girl will be in court today. Donna Walker surrendered to police in Kansas yesterday. She could face charges in Indiana on suspicion of calling the Sherrill family and pretending to be the daughter who disappeared nearly 17 years ago. Walker's told ABC News that she has nothing to hide and says that she was only trying to help the investigation. Bill Rork is Donna Walker's attorney, and she joins us from Topeka, Kansas this morning.
Good morning to you, Mr. Rork. Thanks for joining us.

As you well know, your client is accused of incredibly cruel hoax. Have you spoken to her? And what does she have to say about this case?

BILL RORK, DONNA WALKER'S ATTORNEY: Well, I have spoken to her. And she has indicated she has talked both to the family and the law enforcement. The exact nature of the conversations that she did have with them, I haven't gone over with her. I expect to do some more today.

O'BRIEN: What's her demeanor been like? how does she appear to you? Is she nervous? Is she anxious? Is she very calm?

RORK: Well, that's hard to describe. Her demeanor has been like anyone accused of an offense. What happens now? What do I Do? what was wrong? How can it be wrong? And those type of natural concern. But really as to her mental state, not an opinion to address that. I think those are being looked at as we talk.

O'BRIEN: She is quoted as saying she was only trying to help the investigation. What could she mean by that?

RORK: Well, I think that's something that we're all going to find out by what she meant. And in her mind, what she may have indicated or may have stated, I think will be brought out and brought forth as the facts develop more.

O'BRIEN: So then when she goes to court today, how do you plan to plead?

RORK: Well, the plea today will just be whether she's going to be released on bond, whether she's going to voluntarily waive extradition back to Indiana, and so she won't really enter a plea at all. She'll just request the court set bond for her.

O'BRIEN: What's the plan, though, for when she does have to make a plea?

RORK: Well, the plan would be to see what the Indiana authorities allege on the basis of the criminal charges, see what Miss Walker indicates she agrees or disagrees with, and then determine if there really was any crime committed, assuming everything that's been said she did is true and did, in fact, happen, whether there was any criminal intent on her part.

O'BRIEN: So she hasn't told you whether or not she made phone calls pretending to be the long-lost daughter of this family? She hasn't said, yes, I made those phone calls.

RORK: I can't really discuss the precise nature of the conversation she has as it would violate the attorney/client privilege. I can advise she admit she has made phone calls. She's admitted what she said to ABC, but the exact nature of those I'm not at liberty to say.

O'BRIEN: Is it too early to ask you the plan for the defense? There's been some indication from earlier reports, previous reports, that maybe she has a mental disorder. Is that accurate? And would that potentially be a strategy in your defense?

RORK: Again, the plan for the defense would be one, assuming the statements that they say she made are true, did she have any criminal intent? Or was there any other contributing factors that may have caused her to make those statements? I believe that's the ultimate issue, and that will be decided.

O'BRIEN: The prosecutor told me yesterday that he'd like to put her in jail, if she's convicted, for four years. Where do you stand on that? Think it's too harsh?

RORK: I heard him make that statement today. But I believe society is a position, and they have all of the facts, to decide whether someone may need treatment, whether they may need mental health needs, or if they need to be locked up and the judge will ultimately make that decision, if there's found to be any criminal culpability.

O'BRIEN: Well, obviously a complicated case and many or questions need to be answered. Billy Rork, thank you for your time this morning, Appreciate it.

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