Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Interview With Marc Klaas

Aired December 05, 2003 - 07:49   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.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: In North Dakota, the desperate search for a college student goes on. Twenty-two-year-old Dru Sjodin disappeared November 22 after leaving her job at a Grand Forks mall. Her alleged kidnapper is being held on $5 million bail.
Marc Klaas knows all too well what Dru Sjodin's family is going through. Ten years ago, his daughter, Polly, was abducted and murdered. In fact, it was 10 years ago yesterday that her body was found. He later founded the Klaas Kids Foundation.

Marc Klaas joins us from Memphis, Tennessee.

Marc, thanks for being with us this morning.

I want to ask you, your daughter, Polly, it was two months from the time the man who killed her was apprehended to the time he confessed. What is it like waiting?

MARC KLAAS, FOUNDER, KLAAS KIDS FOUNDATION: Well, actually it was just maybe four or five days between the time that he was apprehended and the time that he confessed. It was the most unimaginably sinking time that I've ever had. I mean, have you very little to hold on to, maybe just a tiny thread of hope.

And, you know, people will say, you have to start getting used to this, you have to start getting used to that. This guy is a sexually- sadistic psychopath. There is no good scenario. But you can't really let yourself go there, although you kind of know that that's where it's going.

There are really very few people that have gone through anything like this, and it's certainly something you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. It's just -- there is no good case scenario, and everybody knows that. It's terrible.

COOPER: Dru Sjodin's father has been speaking publicly. He says his connection with his daughter has always been very strong. I want to play some of what he said recently, and then talk about it.

KLAAS: OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALLAN SJODIN, DRU SJODIN'S FATHER: What we want is everyone to continue doing what they've been doing, just like these folks have been saying. Check your shelter belts. Check your buildings. Check anything. Check everything. We want information. We have the strength and wherewithal to be out there. We're going to continue to be there. Honey, we're going to find you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: It was two months that your daughter was missing before she was found. How important is it to keep hope alive, I mean, to stay positive?

KLAAS: That's all you've got. In fact, the words that he just spoke are eerily similar to many of the things that we were saying, because everybody wanted to give up but nobody could give up. I mean, there's a beautiful, vibrant young woman out there someplace, and she has to be brought home. This piece of this ordeal has to end. Unfortunately, there's one individual who can make that happen, and he can make it happen right now. He knows that they know, and he's not giving it up. This is just so grim.

COOPER: You know, yesterday, we saw Dru's father sitting in a courtroom with Mr. Rodriguez -- I mean, close enough to touch him really. A similar circumstance to what you faced. What is it like being in a room with someone who -- I mean, in this case, Mr. Rodriguez has just been accused of kidnapping. But what is it like being in the same room with someone like that?

KLAAS: Well, you know, I did not have to face Richard Allen Davis (ph) until he went to trial or, in fact, until the trial process started. We knew where Polly was by the time I sat face-to-face with Davis. But the thing is, these guys are such cowards, Anderson. These guys lurk in the dark, and they go after young women from behind. I mean, think about that for a second. So, they put on this whole bravado in a courtroom and they try to stare you down for about 10 or 15 seconds, and then their eyes drop. And it's just -- you know, these are weak, hideous, horrible, gutless, little men.

COOPER: Marc Klaas, we appreciate you joining us this morning. We just want to emphasize that Alfonso Rodriguez, of course, the man in custody right now, been accused of kidnapping Dru Sjodin, has not been convicted of anything at this point.

Thanks very much, Marc.

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 December 5, 2003 - 07:49   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: In North Dakota, the desperate search for a college student goes on. Twenty-two-year-old Dru Sjodin disappeared November 22 after leaving her job at a Grand Forks mall. Her alleged kidnapper is being held on $5 million bail.
Marc Klaas knows all too well what Dru Sjodin's family is going through. Ten years ago, his daughter, Polly, was abducted and murdered. In fact, it was 10 years ago yesterday that her body was found. He later founded the Klaas Kids Foundation.

Marc Klaas joins us from Memphis, Tennessee.

Marc, thanks for being with us this morning.

I want to ask you, your daughter, Polly, it was two months from the time the man who killed her was apprehended to the time he confessed. What is it like waiting?

MARC KLAAS, FOUNDER, KLAAS KIDS FOUNDATION: Well, actually it was just maybe four or five days between the time that he was apprehended and the time that he confessed. It was the most unimaginably sinking time that I've ever had. I mean, have you very little to hold on to, maybe just a tiny thread of hope.

And, you know, people will say, you have to start getting used to this, you have to start getting used to that. This guy is a sexually- sadistic psychopath. There is no good scenario. But you can't really let yourself go there, although you kind of know that that's where it's going.

There are really very few people that have gone through anything like this, and it's certainly something you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. It's just -- there is no good case scenario, and everybody knows that. It's terrible.

COOPER: Dru Sjodin's father has been speaking publicly. He says his connection with his daughter has always been very strong. I want to play some of what he said recently, and then talk about it.

KLAAS: OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALLAN SJODIN, DRU SJODIN'S FATHER: What we want is everyone to continue doing what they've been doing, just like these folks have been saying. Check your shelter belts. Check your buildings. Check anything. Check everything. We want information. We have the strength and wherewithal to be out there. We're going to continue to be there. Honey, we're going to find you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: It was two months that your daughter was missing before she was found. How important is it to keep hope alive, I mean, to stay positive?

KLAAS: That's all you've got. In fact, the words that he just spoke are eerily similar to many of the things that we were saying, because everybody wanted to give up but nobody could give up. I mean, there's a beautiful, vibrant young woman out there someplace, and she has to be brought home. This piece of this ordeal has to end. Unfortunately, there's one individual who can make that happen, and he can make it happen right now. He knows that they know, and he's not giving it up. This is just so grim.

COOPER: You know, yesterday, we saw Dru's father sitting in a courtroom with Mr. Rodriguez -- I mean, close enough to touch him really. A similar circumstance to what you faced. What is it like being in a room with someone who -- I mean, in this case, Mr. Rodriguez has just been accused of kidnapping. But what is it like being in the same room with someone like that?

KLAAS: Well, you know, I did not have to face Richard Allen Davis (ph) until he went to trial or, in fact, until the trial process started. We knew where Polly was by the time I sat face-to-face with Davis. But the thing is, these guys are such cowards, Anderson. These guys lurk in the dark, and they go after young women from behind. I mean, think about that for a second. So, they put on this whole bravado in a courtroom and they try to stare you down for about 10 or 15 seconds, and then their eyes drop. And it's just -- you know, these are weak, hideous, horrible, gutless, little men.

COOPER: Marc Klaas, we appreciate you joining us this morning. We just want to emphasize that Alfonso Rodriguez, of course, the man in custody right now, been accused of kidnapping Dru Sjodin, has not been convicted of anything at this point.

Thanks very much, Marc.

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