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CNN Live Today

Interview With Steve Francis

Aired October 23, 2003 - 10:09   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: Well authorities are hoping to speak with anyone who visited this remote but popular area, especially anyone who might have seen the couple. The investigator you just saw in that report is joining us on the phone right now, Lieutenant Steve Francis with the Yavapai County Sheriff's office. Lieutenant, thank you for being here with us.
LT. STEVE FRANCIS, YAVAPAI CO., SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Thank you.

KAGAN: Going up this area of i-17 heading north out of Phoenix, clearly this is not a heavy populated area, that's why they went there camping. But this is far what you would consider remote.

FRANCIS: That's correct. On the weekend that area had the population jumps up sometimes over a thousand people with all the folks riding their quadds (ph) and camping.

KAGAN: I know you have had unusually warm weather this year in Arizona. Have you heard from people who had seen the young couple or perhaps were giving you good tips?

FRANCIS: Yes, in fact thanks to the media, thanks to the fact they are keeping this story in front of everyone on a daily basis, we're having literally hundreds of calls coming in. And our detectives are following each and every lead as fast as they can.

KAGAN: That piece we just looked into talks about some disturbing clues that were around this couple. Can you share any of that with us?

FRANCIS: I don't have a lot right now other than -- like I say we have had tons of folks who were actually camped very close to the crime scene. And we're still looking to talk to many of them.

KAGAN: And do people say they saw or heard anything?

FRANCIS: Well, we are still chasing that down, but we are starting to get calls where people did see the truck and we're starting to get other vehicles that might have been in the area identified. So we're making some good progress.

KAGAN: In terms of things you're trying to eliminate, this does not appear to be a case of murder-suicide?

FRANCIS: No, it does not.

KAGAN: No kind of robbery or any kind of anything like that? FRANCIS: There are no indications of robbery at this time.

KAGAN: And as we're referring to the weather, things do still stay nice in Arizona are you warning people to stay out of this area if they want to go camping over the weekend?

FRANCIS: We simply don't have enough information to warn people away but we're telling people to be on the alert and take extra precautions. We don't have a specific threat we can point to.

KAGAN: We wish you well in trying to find the killers of this young couple. Lieutenant Steve Francis from the sheriff's office. And that sheriff's department has established a tip line for anyone with information on the killings or may have simply seen the campers on Friday, that number 800-932-3232.

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 October 23, 2003 - 10:09   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well authorities are hoping to speak with anyone who visited this remote but popular area, especially anyone who might have seen the couple. The investigator you just saw in that report is joining us on the phone right now, Lieutenant Steve Francis with the Yavapai County Sheriff's office. Lieutenant, thank you for being here with us.
LT. STEVE FRANCIS, YAVAPAI CO., SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Thank you.

KAGAN: Going up this area of i-17 heading north out of Phoenix, clearly this is not a heavy populated area, that's why they went there camping. But this is far what you would consider remote.

FRANCIS: That's correct. On the weekend that area had the population jumps up sometimes over a thousand people with all the folks riding their quadds (ph) and camping.

KAGAN: I know you have had unusually warm weather this year in Arizona. Have you heard from people who had seen the young couple or perhaps were giving you good tips?

FRANCIS: Yes, in fact thanks to the media, thanks to the fact they are keeping this story in front of everyone on a daily basis, we're having literally hundreds of calls coming in. And our detectives are following each and every lead as fast as they can.

KAGAN: That piece we just looked into talks about some disturbing clues that were around this couple. Can you share any of that with us?

FRANCIS: I don't have a lot right now other than -- like I say we have had tons of folks who were actually camped very close to the crime scene. And we're still looking to talk to many of them.

KAGAN: And do people say they saw or heard anything?

FRANCIS: Well, we are still chasing that down, but we are starting to get calls where people did see the truck and we're starting to get other vehicles that might have been in the area identified. So we're making some good progress.

KAGAN: In terms of things you're trying to eliminate, this does not appear to be a case of murder-suicide?

FRANCIS: No, it does not.

KAGAN: No kind of robbery or any kind of anything like that? FRANCIS: There are no indications of robbery at this time.

KAGAN: And as we're referring to the weather, things do still stay nice in Arizona are you warning people to stay out of this area if they want to go camping over the weekend?

FRANCIS: We simply don't have enough information to warn people away but we're telling people to be on the alert and take extra precautions. We don't have a specific threat we can point to.

KAGAN: We wish you well in trying to find the killers of this young couple. Lieutenant Steve Francis from the sheriff's office. And that sheriff's department has established a tip line for anyone with information on the killings or may have simply seen the campers on Friday, that number 800-932-3232.

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