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CNN Live At Daybreak
Manhunt Ends: Latest Developments
Aired January 09, 2004 - 06:14 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: The suspect in the Georgia killings and kidnappings is right now in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He's in a hospital there in critical condition.
Charles Molineaux of CNN affiliate WGCL is live outside of that hospital. He has an update for us now.
Good morning -- Charles.
CHARLES MOLINEAUX, WGCL-TV REPORTER: Well good morning, Carol.
Latest word we have is that Jerry Jones went into surgery overnight for a gunshot wound he apparently inflicted upon himself after a police chase and is reported in critical condition this morning. This all came to a rather violent end last night after police from both Tennessee and Georgia pursued him over the state line into East Ridge, Tennessee, and apparently nudged his SUV into a collision with a telephone pole. He was hauled off in handcuffs on a stretcher here to Erlanger Hospital. He shot himself in the vehicle after the car crashed.
The three little girls, his two daughters and the daughter of his estranged common law wife or girlfriend, depending upon how you hear -- who you talk to about this, they are all fine. They were taken here to the hospital, checked out and released.
This is after a violent ordeal that started on Wednesday when Jones allegedly killed his parents-in-law, his estranged wife's sister and his own 10-month-old daughter and then kidnapped the little girls, this according to police. A nationwide Amber Alert was issued. And lo and behold, a motorist found out about that alert and saw the red SUV that Jones was driving, driving north on I-75 in Georgia. And the police chase ensued ending with the crash and Jones suffering a self- inflicted gunshot would to his face.
Now according to the cops, there was no difficulty in apprehending him. That he simply was found shot in the car. The little girls were safely removed without any serious injury. But, of course, he is going to be facing some very serious criminal charges, including four counts of murder, as well as kidnapping, assuming he pulls through. But again, the latest word that we have is that he was operated on overnight here at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee and is in critical condition this morning -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And the mother, as far as we know, still trapped in Portland because of the weather there? MOLINEAUX: Yes, Melissa Peeler (ph), who relatives describe as something between an ex-girlfriend or estranged common law wife, she was apparently the target of this violent rampage, in a way, because he had apparently threatened her. Their relationship was described as tumultuous and violent. He was reported to have a temper.
He had called her, threatening her family, and then police say he called her after the rampage and told her that he had done it and that he had little girls, threatening to kill them as well. She, however, is yes, stranded in Oakland, in rather in Oregon because of the rough weather. She was away seeing some friends and has not yet been able to come back to be with her daughters, now safe, and the rest of her family in mourning because of their horrible loss.
COSTELLO: Charles Molineaux reporting live from Chattanooga, Tennessee this morning.
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Aired January 9, 2004 - 06:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The suspect in the Georgia killings and kidnappings is right now in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He's in a hospital there in critical condition.
Charles Molineaux of CNN affiliate WGCL is live outside of that hospital. He has an update for us now.
Good morning -- Charles.
CHARLES MOLINEAUX, WGCL-TV REPORTER: Well good morning, Carol.
Latest word we have is that Jerry Jones went into surgery overnight for a gunshot wound he apparently inflicted upon himself after a police chase and is reported in critical condition this morning. This all came to a rather violent end last night after police from both Tennessee and Georgia pursued him over the state line into East Ridge, Tennessee, and apparently nudged his SUV into a collision with a telephone pole. He was hauled off in handcuffs on a stretcher here to Erlanger Hospital. He shot himself in the vehicle after the car crashed.
The three little girls, his two daughters and the daughter of his estranged common law wife or girlfriend, depending upon how you hear -- who you talk to about this, they are all fine. They were taken here to the hospital, checked out and released.
This is after a violent ordeal that started on Wednesday when Jones allegedly killed his parents-in-law, his estranged wife's sister and his own 10-month-old daughter and then kidnapped the little girls, this according to police. A nationwide Amber Alert was issued. And lo and behold, a motorist found out about that alert and saw the red SUV that Jones was driving, driving north on I-75 in Georgia. And the police chase ensued ending with the crash and Jones suffering a self- inflicted gunshot would to his face.
Now according to the cops, there was no difficulty in apprehending him. That he simply was found shot in the car. The little girls were safely removed without any serious injury. But, of course, he is going to be facing some very serious criminal charges, including four counts of murder, as well as kidnapping, assuming he pulls through. But again, the latest word that we have is that he was operated on overnight here at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee and is in critical condition this morning -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And the mother, as far as we know, still trapped in Portland because of the weather there? MOLINEAUX: Yes, Melissa Peeler (ph), who relatives describe as something between an ex-girlfriend or estranged common law wife, she was apparently the target of this violent rampage, in a way, because he had apparently threatened her. Their relationship was described as tumultuous and violent. He was reported to have a temper.
He had called her, threatening her family, and then police say he called her after the rampage and told her that he had done it and that he had little girls, threatening to kill them as well. She, however, is yes, stranded in Oakland, in rather in Oregon because of the rough weather. She was away seeing some friends and has not yet been able to come back to be with her daughters, now safe, and the rest of her family in mourning because of their horrible loss.
COSTELLO: Charles Molineaux reporting live from Chattanooga, Tennessee 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
