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CNN Live At Daybreak
Investigation Into Baylor University Program
Aired August 19, 2003 - 06:34 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: On to the Dennehy case now. Accused killer Carlton Dotson is expected to appear in a Maryland court today. It will be his first court appearance since the day after he was arrested in connection with the murder of Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehy.
Prosecutors want more time before extradition hearings to send Dotson back to Texas to face murder charges. In Texas, they're holding grand jury hearings into the case this week.
Also, investigators at Baylor University have mounds of material to go through. They're trying to figure out what really went on behind the scenes with former Coach Dave Bliss.
Ed Lavandera live on the phone with us right now from Waco.
You know, Ed, if all of this stuff is true, it's certainly an example of a basketball program that wants to win at any cost.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's what a lot of Baylor alumni and Baylor University officials are the most worried about. You know, all of this that has come out in the last three or four days really has to do with NCAA violations, and really nothing to do with the Dennehy murder case, the evidence in that particular case. But what went on during the search for Patrick Dennehy has alarmed a lot of people here.
COSTELLO: You're not kidding. Tell us about some of the allegations, because they're pretty shocking.
LAVANDERA: Well, essentially, what the investigators are saying that are on these three hours of taped conversations that the Baylor assistant coach had with Coach Dave Bliss in late July -- July 30, 31 and August 1 -- is that as investigators started asking questions about how Patrick Dennehy, a non-scholarship athlete, was paying for private school tuition, the investigative committee had figured out that -- they allege that two players on the basketball team were getting their tuition paid for by someone at the university. Dave Bliss has admitted to that.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: And worse than that, Ed, apparently he was telling players to tell investigators that Patrick Dennehy was a drug dealer.
LAVANDERA: Exactly. As a way, apparently from what these tapes say, and we've only heard a portion of these tapes. You know, in the vast majority, you know, of the transcripts that have come out, the suggestion is that if they could figure -- Bliss was saying that if they could figure out a way of how Dennehy might have $7,000 in cash that that would explain how he could pay for private school tuition.
COSTELLO: And, of course, there is no evidence that Patrick Dennehy had anything to do with drugs. So, couldn't Mr. Bliss be charged with interfering in a criminal investigation?
LAVANDERA: We're trying to figure that out at this point. The investigators at the university are a little hesitant to take it that far, but they will say that the taped conversations, copies have been made of them. We understand that those copies will be available for whatever law enforcement agency, outside of the university, might want to use it. So, we presume it could be used for something like that, although we're still trying to get more specifics and more information from law enforcement agencies here in the Waco area.
COSTELLO: I'm sure you're going to be doing that all day long. Ed Lavandera live on the phone with us from Waco, Texas, this morning.
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 19, 2003 - 06:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: On to the Dennehy case now. Accused killer Carlton Dotson is expected to appear in a Maryland court today. It will be his first court appearance since the day after he was arrested in connection with the murder of Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehy.
Prosecutors want more time before extradition hearings to send Dotson back to Texas to face murder charges. In Texas, they're holding grand jury hearings into the case this week.
Also, investigators at Baylor University have mounds of material to go through. They're trying to figure out what really went on behind the scenes with former Coach Dave Bliss.
Ed Lavandera live on the phone with us right now from Waco.
You know, Ed, if all of this stuff is true, it's certainly an example of a basketball program that wants to win at any cost.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's what a lot of Baylor alumni and Baylor University officials are the most worried about. You know, all of this that has come out in the last three or four days really has to do with NCAA violations, and really nothing to do with the Dennehy murder case, the evidence in that particular case. But what went on during the search for Patrick Dennehy has alarmed a lot of people here.
COSTELLO: You're not kidding. Tell us about some of the allegations, because they're pretty shocking.
LAVANDERA: Well, essentially, what the investigators are saying that are on these three hours of taped conversations that the Baylor assistant coach had with Coach Dave Bliss in late July -- July 30, 31 and August 1 -- is that as investigators started asking questions about how Patrick Dennehy, a non-scholarship athlete, was paying for private school tuition, the investigative committee had figured out that -- they allege that two players on the basketball team were getting their tuition paid for by someone at the university. Dave Bliss has admitted to that.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: And worse than that, Ed, apparently he was telling players to tell investigators that Patrick Dennehy was a drug dealer.
LAVANDERA: Exactly. As a way, apparently from what these tapes say, and we've only heard a portion of these tapes. You know, in the vast majority, you know, of the transcripts that have come out, the suggestion is that if they could figure -- Bliss was saying that if they could figure out a way of how Dennehy might have $7,000 in cash that that would explain how he could pay for private school tuition.
COSTELLO: And, of course, there is no evidence that Patrick Dennehy had anything to do with drugs. So, couldn't Mr. Bliss be charged with interfering in a criminal investigation?
LAVANDERA: We're trying to figure that out at this point. The investigators at the university are a little hesitant to take it that far, but they will say that the taped conversations, copies have been made of them. We understand that those copies will be available for whatever law enforcement agency, outside of the university, might want to use it. So, we presume it could be used for something like that, although we're still trying to get more specifics and more information from law enforcement agencies here in the Waco area.
COSTELLO: I'm sure you're going to be doing that all day long. Ed Lavandera live on the phone with us from Waco, Texas, this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
