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Found in Bunker Alive; Stolen Baby; Capitol Hill Intruder
Aired September 18, 2006 - 10:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Spend a second hour in the NEWSROOM with us this morning and stay informed.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Why would you not spend a second hour?
HARRIS: Oh, come on. Come on.
COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins, everybody.
Ten days of terror for this South Carolina girl. A text message frees her from the kidnapper's underground hideaway, but she is safe now.
HARRIS: The pope's apology to Muslims, it's not enough for some radicals. They're vowing revenge
COLLINS: And bad spinach. The recall expands as more people get sick. The source of the E. coli still a mystery this Monday, September 18th.
And you're in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: You know, it might as well been the gates of hell. A 14-year-old girl imprisoned in this underground bunker for 10 days, but South Carolina police say that Elizabeth "Lizzie" Shoaf had two valuable weapons, a quick mind and a cell phone. Today she is free. Her accused captor is the one locked up.
Joining us with details, CNN Investigative Reporter Drew Griffin.
And Drew, the sheriff spoke a short time ago. What did we learn?
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Well, first thing we learned, Tony, is we're going to see this guy in court at 5:00 today. His name is Vinson Filyaw, an unemployed contract worker, or a construction worker who dug five -- at least five bunkers into the rural South Carolina countryside to evade police on a -- on a rape charge he was facing way back in November.
We also know that his common-law wife is being held with him for aiding and abetting, but we are not quite sure this morning if Cynthia Hall (ph), that common-law wife, knew that her husband had this girl in a bunker, though she was helping him certainly live inside that bunker. We also heard from the sheriff of just how 14-year-old Elizabeth Shoaf was living. They haven't done a real good debriefing on her yet, just because they are trying to let her rest, but take a listen to how she was living underground for 10 days.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF STEVE MCCASKILL, KERSHAW COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA: Just from what we've been able to gather, she was living in this hole in this bunker in the ground, sleeping there on a little makeshift cot or bed that Filyaw had made down there, and of course, he was feeding her. He had food stuff (ph) that he was feeding her.
QUESTION: Was she left alone there for extended periods?
MCCASKILL: I'm not -- we don't know that yet. Like I said, we haven't pressed her on too many of the facts yet. We're just trying to let her, you know, get over some of this trauma.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: On Friday evening, Vinson Filyaw fell asleep, Tony, and that is when this girl picked up the cell phone and dialed her mother, a text message, "Hey, mom. It's Lizzie. I'm OK. I'm in a bunker. I know I'm underground." I think I'm near" -- such and such a road -- "because I can hear the trucks."
That road very near her house. That was the break in the case that led the police into the woods. They found her in that bunker alone. And on early Sunday morning, they found the suspect running down a highway in camouflage, again trying to elude police. This time he didn't get away.
HARRIS: Hey, Drew, just a quick question. Did this Vinson Filyaw, had he agreed to release Elizabeth?
GRIFFIN: I have no indication of that at all. He is being uncooperative with police, showing no remorse, according to the sheriff, and also saying that the original charges against him that he raped a 12-year-old stepdaughter of his are trumped up. So I don't have any indication of that.
HARRIS: OK. All right. That was just something that was -- that we heard this morning in watching "AMERICAN MORNING." I'll take it up with Steve McCaskill, the sheriff there, when we get an opportunity to talk to him perhaps in just a couple of minutes.
Drew Griffin for us.
Drew, thanks. Appreciate it.
Well, police say the most crucial part of any investigation is its earliest hours, but in the case of this kidnapping, authorities never issued an Amber Alert for this missing girl. That's because each case is considered individually and it's not an easy decision. Law enforcement agencies from local to state have to determine that the child was indeed abducted. Only then can the case get an Amber Alert. Once issued, Amber Alerts are broadcast on radio and television. You'll also see them on electronic highway signs found mostly in major metropolitan areas.
By any measure, the national program has been extremely effective. Amber Alerts are credited with the return of 200 missing children.
Teaching your children to be safe. We will talk to a woman who may be a familiar presence in your child's life, the creator of the "Baby Einstein" series, Julie Clark, ahead this hour.
COLLINS: To Missouri now. Police are hoping an Amber Alert will help them out. A newborn snatched from her mother's arms. The mother viciously attacked.
CNN's Jonathan Freed keeping track of this story for us in Union, Missouri.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Police, the FBI, members of the Missouri National Guard and community volunteers are all trying to find any clue to the whereabouts of little Abigale Lynn Woods. The baby was just a week old when her mother was attacked on Friday, and Abby was snatched from her home in rural Lonedell, Missouri, about an hour southwest of St. Louis.
Police say that the mother, 21-year-old Stephanie Ochsenbine, was stabbed with a knife and had her throat slashed by a woman who knocked on her door.
SHERIFF GARY TOELKE, FRANKLIN COUNTY, MISSOURI: She asked to use the phone. And she came in and attempted to make a call, but apparently their long distance service wasn't working. And then I think she asked to use the bathroom, but -- and then at one point she told her she was there to take the child. And that is when there was an altercation inside the house.
FREED: The mother was unconscious for a short while and then managed to walk 300 yards to her nearest neighbor's house for help. The baby's father was at work at the time.
Police issued an Amber Alert. The infant weighs barely six pounds and was wearing a pink dress with a flowered collar. She has a birthmark between her eyes. Family members are pleading for the child's return.
RAYLENE OCHSENBINE, GRANDMOTHER: We just want her to give her to a church so we can get her -- or a hospital so we can get her. Just give her back.
My daughter is torn apart. The whole family is torn apart. It just hurts. FREED: The suspect is a white female between 30 and 40 years old, about 5'8", and weighs around 200 pounds. She had dark hair pulled under a baseball cap.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: And Jonathan Freed joining us now from the site of this.
Is there any indication, Jonathan, at this point of whether or not the mother of this baby knew the woman who came into the home and she claims attacked her?
FREED: Heidi, she says that she did not know the woman. And we asked police about that, and they say they have no reason to doubt the mother about that, or they say they have no reason to doubt anything that the mother has told them about the nature of this incident.
I can tell you, Heidi, that just a few moments ago, the sheriff told us that in about 25 minutes from now they are going to be releasing a composite sketch of the suspect. They say that the mother was in her home with the suspect long enough to get a good description.
She had been in the hospital. That was delaying things, of course. But in just under a half an hour from now, we are expecting to get our first look at this composite sketch -- Heidi.
COLLINS: What about the search efforts this morning, Jonathan, in Union?
FREED: Well, yesterday, the search was hampered because of rain. Today, we are not seeing any of that. And they're saying that although they are continuing to look in the immediate area around the home itself, where over the weekend they found a knife and they say that inside the house they found some other evidence as well, they wouldn't go into any detail beyond that, Heidi, as to what it is. Just saying that all of it has been sent to a lab.
What they are focusing on as far as the investigation goes is they're asking people to call in with any leads or tips. They're saying that you never know when that could be helpful. And in a case like this, just trying to see, talk to anybody who might have spotted the baby would be very important -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes. And boy, we certainly hope that once that sketch comes out, which we will have here just as soon as we can possibly broadcast it, we will certainly hope in those tips as well.
Jonathan Freed live from Union, Missouri.
Thanks, Jonathan.
HARRIS: Crisis counselors, extra police, they're on hand this morning at a Pittsburgh college after a shocking attack. Five Duquesne University basketball players shot after an on-campus dance. A search is under way for a male suspect.
Authorities don't believe he's a Duquesne student. University officials say three of the injured players remain hospitalized. One is in critical condition. Much more on this developing story later this hour.
Unauthorized visitor. A man crashes the Capitol complex this morning, quite literally. Despite the post-9/11 security blanket wrapped around the Capitol building, the man still got inside.
CNN's Andrea Koppel joins us from Capitol Hill with details.
And Andrea, this kind of thing is not supposed to be possible anymore.
Good morning.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It isn't, Tony. It's a remarkable daylight breach of security here on Capitol Hill.
It happened about three hours ago, about 8:00 in the morning, when the building behind me was mostly empty. Congress isn't in session right now and the Senate doesn't come back until 2:00.
It happened in between here, the Capitol behind me, and this construction site that's right beyond this wall that you see. The Supreme Court and the Library of Congress are just beyond there.
According to eyewitnesses, we're told that a man driving a -- some kind of an SUV who was being chased by police at high speeds broke into this construction site, was traveling at high speeds, and that's where an eyewitness, an electrician, picks up the story from there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JILES RICHARDS, WITNESS: All of the sudden, I had looked to my left and I just saw this white Chevy Blazer just moving really fast. And I thought it was very unusual. And then there was a Capitol police car behind it.
And he had actually went over a wall and crashed into another wall and got out of the truck and started running. About that time, I had tried to take some cover. I thought, you know, somebody was going to start shooting or something. And then by that time it was, like, the Capitol Police were on him like ants. He ran up into the Capitol and they got him now, from what I understand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: Now, when the man crashed his car just beyond there, according to two eyewitnesses -- we have conflicting reports, Tony. One eyewitness says that the man ran up the staircase where you can probably see a construction work with a white hat walking up the staircase right there directly into the Capitol, the rotunda. Another eyewitness says he actually went around, just underneath those stairs. Either way, he ended up inside the Capitol, the Capitol rotunda, and went down the very stairs, we're told, and through the corridor where President Bush himself was just last week when he came here to Capitol Hill meeting with members of the Republican Party on the House side. It was there where we are told by a Capitol Police officer that the man was tackled outside the flag office. That's where the people get their flags, the American flags sent to them, to the constituents around the country.
We are told by two Capitol Police officers that the man had a small weapon of some kind, small handgun. We don't know anything more than that. But we are also told -- my colleague Kevin Bonn (ph) spoke to a U.S. government official, a federal law enforcement official, who said that the man is believed to be mentally unstable, he looked like he was on drugs, and they said that he was going inside the Capitol to seek shelter, which sounds somewhat curious.
The kind of P.S. to this whole story, Tony, is that the construction site that the man came crashing through is this $600 million facility visitor center that they have been working on for years in order to beef up security on site to have the visitors be screened farther from the Capitol than they normally are right behind me -- Tony.
HARRIS: How about that note of irony?
Andrea Koppel for us at the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Andrea, thank you.
COLLINS: A scare on the space station this morning. Some live pictures now.
A foul smell prompted astronauts to sound the alarm and put on protective gear. It turns out it was a chemical leak. A filtering system now cleaning the air. NASA says the crew is not in any danger.
HARRIS: And still to come in the NEWSROOM, the symptoms, the cure. Tracing the cause. Coming up, we will talk with a leading health expert about spinach tainted by deadly E. coli.
COLLINS: And President Bush and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, they don't see eye to eye, but they will they come face to face? Both will be at the U.N. in New York this week.
That's coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Anger still brewing in the Muslim world over some comments by Pope Benedict XVI. Protesters are back in the streets today in Indonesia, Kashmir and other places. Last week the pope quoted a medieval text that linked Islam to violence. Plus, over the weekend he offered an olive branch, saying he is deeply sorry for the reaction to his comments.
CNN's Alessio Vinci reports from Rome.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In an unusual move, the Vatican expressed regret three times in three days for a quote Pope Benedict referred to in a speech. A sign, perhaps, of the Vatican's concern not to jeopardize an already difficult dialogue between Muslims and Christians.
Followers of Islam were outraged last week when the pope quoted a Byzantine emperor who described some of the teachings of Prophet Mohammed as "evil and inhuman."
POPE BENEDICT XVI (through translator): I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address at the University of Regensburg which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims.
VINCI: Benedict said the quote did not reflect his personal thoughts, and Vatican officials explained it was taken out of context. The second highest ranking official at the Vatican, meanwhile, has instructed Vatican ambassadors in Muslim countries to explain the Church's position to political and religious leaders, especially keeping in mind the context of the speech. However, no Vatican official has yet explained why that specific controversial quote was chosen.
Speaking from his summer residence outside Rome on Sunday, the pope said he hoped to appease hearts and clarify the true meaning of the address, an address, by the way, in which he also called on believers of different faiths to open a frank and sincere dialogue.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I find it very sad that religion causes so many problems. I am sorry for Catholicism and for Islam.
VINCI: From Cairo, the Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood said it was not a sufficient apology after first saying it was. The pope spoke amid tighter security than usual as both Italian and Vatican officials raised the alert level around Vatican sites.
"There is fear for what is going on," says this local. "The police presence is almost three times heavier than usual."
The pope is due to make a trip to Turkey in late November, his first pilgrimage to a Muslim country. For the time being, Vatican officials say the visit is still on.
Alessio Vinci, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: French president Jacques Chirac weighing in on the pope controversy. He says he is not going to criticize the Roman Catholic leader, but he is calling for more diplomatic use of language where religion is concerned. President Chirac calls Islam a respected and respectable religion. He says people should not link Muslims with radical Islamists.
HARRIS: Somalia's president escapes an apparent assassination attempt, but eight other people were killed today in the car bomb attack. The blast targeted transitional president Abdullah Ahmed. It went off outside Somalia's parliament in Baidoa.
Ahmed was inside the building but wasn't hurt. Baidoa is the temporary seat of the U.N.-backed transitional government. It has limited authority, facing persistent challenges from Islamic militias.
The symptoms, the cure. Tracing the cause. Coming up, we will talk with a leading health expert about spinach tainted by deadly E. coli.
You're in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: And now to Union, Missouri, where there has been an Amber Alert put out for a week-old baby in this area. The mother was attacked viciously by someone who apparently broke into her home with a knife, her throat slashed.
We are waiting for someone to come to those microphones and put up a composite sketch of this suspect, a female. We do know that much. And hopefully that will help in bringing in some more tips. Law enforcement going to the public now and obviously to the media in order to generate tips on how to get this baby back.
HARRIS: Yes.
Well, shuttle Atlantis is getting ready to head home. First, a final outside look-see early today. The crew used a boom to check for any damage to the shuttle's wings and nose. It's all part of the routine since the Columbia disaster.
The inspection took place after Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station. If anything bad had been found, Atlantis would have returned to the station, but for now all systems are go. Landing set for Wednesday.
COLLINS: Space is suddenly a little less spacious, though. Twelve people now floating around in Earth's orbit. Russia launched three of them this morning on a Soyuz rocket.
HARRIS: On board, the first female space tourist.
CNN's Ryan Chilcote introduces us to a woman on a mission.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The Russian rocket lifts Anousheh Ansari into space on her way toward fulfilling a childhood dream. With a lucky teddy bear bobbing just over her head, the 40-year-old Ansari achieves a pair of firsts. She's the first person born in Iran to make it into space and she's the first female space tourist.
ANOUSHEH ANSARI, SPACE TOURIST: I believe that my journey will make a good example for everyone, especially young people, and especially women and girls around the world that dreams can come true even if you are someone from a country where a lot of opportunities may not be provided to you.
CHILCOTE: Ansari grew up in Iran, fled the revolution with her family, ended up in the United States at age 16 unable to speak English. Within five years she taught herself the language and graduated from college. Two decades later, "Fortune" magazine estimated her worth at $180 million.
She and her husband financed their start-up telecommunications company by maxing out their credit cards and sold it for half a billion dollars. This trip is costing her around $20 million.
She got her chance to go to space sooner than expected when a Japanese tourist scheduled to fly this year was forced to drop out for health reasons. The Iranian-American wants to stay out of politics and hopes to demonstrate there is no reason why Americans and Iranians can't get along. On board the station she will wear both the American Iranian flags on her jumpsuit.
ANSARI: I hope that this shows that the people can be separated from the politics. Because, if you look at it, if you look at Iranians interacting with Americans, sometimes inside Iran, sometimes outside Iran, in most cases what I have seen is always a pleasant experience.
CHILCOTE: She'll do experiments on her 11-day journey, take lots of pictures, and, she hopes, become the first space blogger. Most of all, though, she is fulfilling her own dream borne as she gazed at the stars from the balcony of her childhood home in northeaster Iran of going to space.
Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: I just want to take you back now to Union, Missouri, where in just a few minutes we are expecting the Franklin County sheriff to come to those microphones and give us update on the search for the suspect who snatched this baby, this newborn baby.
We'll get a sketch. There is a picture of little Abigale Lynn Woods. And we are expecting Gary Toelke -- he is the Franklin County Sheriff -- to release a sketch, a composite sketch of the suspect in this case.
As you know, the newborn was snatched from her mother's arms, the mom viciously attacked, throat cut. That news conference should be happening soon, and when it does, we will take you to Union, Missouri.
COLLINS: Also, teaching your children to be safe. We're going to be talking to a woman who may be very familiar in your child's life. The "Baby Einstein" woman has put together this DVD and more information.
There she is now, Julie Clark. We're going to talk to her about some specifics on this case and why it is so frightening for kids and parents.
Stick around, everybody. You're in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. I want to get you very quickly now to Union, Missouri, for an update from Franklin County sheriff Gary Toelke.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
SHERIFF GARY TOELKE, FRANKLIN COUNTY, MISSOURI: ... composite here. So let's -- where we're at basically at this point. And I think we'll probably have another -- the conference will be around 4:00 this afternoon unless something else develops.
QUESTION: Sheriff, why is this sketch so crucial in this case? Why is it so important?
TOELKE: Well, obviously it's a composite of the suspect that the victim has drawn up.
QUESTION: Sheriff, Jonathan Freed from CNN.
Can you just confirm for us there are no new developments in the investigation since last night?
TOELKE: Yes, no new developments since last night.
QUESTION: And we have all been reporting that the suspect weighs about 200 pounds. I am just trying to look at the face of the suspect here. Is that consistent with what we're seeing? Or any of the estimates of the person's appearance, have they been changed?
TOELKE: Well, the suspect is supposed to be heavy-build. And the composite, you know, like we mentioned in prior conferences, that the victim wasn't completely happy with the sketch, but this is the best she can come up with this at this point, so it's not 100 percent. And any time you have a composite sketch like that, you need to be flexible in considering close resemblances and not something that's exact.
QUESTION: So why is she not completely happy?
TOELKE: I can't answer that. You'd have to ask her that. I don't know if it's because it's just doesn't fit the person that she remembers. I don't know.
QUESTION: How many versions of this sketch have you gone through?
TOELKE: I don't know. I haven't talked to sketch artist. Yes, ma'am. The tip line has been very helpful? And when the calls come in we assign then to teams, and they go out and investigate? Can you clarify for me, sheriff, the mother and the father, they are not suspects? Or are they?
TOELKE: Well, as we said prior, it's an open investigation right now. Nobody is ruled out. We are, you know, investigating any lead that comes in and any possibility. There's no concrete lead that we're following right now that says this is what happened.
QUESTION: How important is this sketch to the investigation, and what do you want viewers to do if they think they see this woman?
TOELKE: Well, obviously...
ROWLAND CORVINGTON, FBI SPECIAL AGENT: I will tell you in respect to the sketch, keep in mind, we're looking for a woman that may have faked her pregnancy for about nine months, a woman who may have been in contact with other pregnant females, inquiring about their own pregnancies, and perhaps even leading to where the individual may live. Historically, these types of individuals have cased hospitals for children. With the improvements in hospital security, they've been relegated to trolling, if you will, in stores and other public venues.
QUESTION: Do you believe that the suspect and baby are still in the area, and if so, why?
TOELKE: There is really no indication that they are, other than the fact that people who commit these types of crimes often live in the general area, but we have no information that they would be in the area, or from out of town for that matter.
QUESTION: Sheriff, to clarify, we appreciate that you say that when this is...
TOELKE: OK. Let's go one at a time here, guys.
QUESTION: Thank you.
Just to clarify a point raised a moment ago. We all appreciate what it means when you say this is an open investigation, but just to clarify, do you have any reason to doubt the mother's story at this point?
CORVINGTON: Like any investigation, we seek to cooperate and verify information wherever we receive it, and since this is such an fluid endeavor and we get information all of the time, it is very difficult for us to say definitively one way or another definitively at this point.
QUESTION: But at this point, you have called off your grid search, haven't you, your house-to-house grid search in this area?
CORVINGTON: At the present time, yes, but that may resume at some point in the near future. QUESTION: What is the search effort today? What are you doing today?
TOELKE: OK, hang on just a minute -- this gentleman had a question.
QUESTION: Yes, can you tell us any other details of the appearance? Height? Eye color? This is a black and white sketch.
TOELKE: Yes, eye color, I think she was wearing sunglasses. She had a hat on where the bill was worn quite a bit. Actually the sketch shows the hair down to the side, but the hair was tucked up in a hat and came out the back. This, we figured, if somebody saw the person, this would be more have to be how the hair would be. She was wearing shorts at the time, and here again could possibly have a wound to her leg. That's not confirmed. The victim said that she thought it was possible that she stabbed her in the leg, but she wasn't sure if she actually completed that.
QUESTION: I've seen wire reports that she's 5'8". I've seen 5'4".
TOELKE: Between 5'4" and 5'8". We've got a pretty broad description, because you know, here, again, we don't want to narrow the thing down where people are just looking at one thing and develop a tunnel vision, so...
QUESTION: Is there anything about the background of James Woods (ph) of Stephanie Ochsenbine, that might inform your suspicions or lack of suspicions in this case?
TOELKE: Well, not that we're aware of at this point. You know, we've obviously investigated a lot of people. But nothing significant at this point.
QUESTION: Sheriff, what can you tell us about the knife and where it was recovered?
TOELKE: Not really a whole lot other than it was recovered outside of the residence in a wooded area close to the house. The woods aren't that far away from the house.
QUESTION: What about fingerprints? You've got a phone. You've got a knife and. How long does it take to get the fingerprints? And what do those tell you?
TOELKE: All I can say is that we're awaiting the lab results.
QUESTION: Did you recover a phone?
CORVINGTON: I can't comment on any of the items that we've recovered.
QUESTION: Why is taking you now three days to come out a sketch? Is that unusual? And if so, why is it taking so long? CORVINGTON: As I said at the press conference yesterday, it takes time to refine a sketch, particularly in light of what you heard from sheriff just a few moment's ago. So to get the best possible product out there takes a little time.
QUESTION: Gentleman, it had been reported before, it has been reported that investigators have had no reason to doubt this story that they're hearing from the mother and from the family, and yet today you are, you are not going so far as to say that mother and the family are not suspects. Can you clarify that?
TOELKE: I don't know that -- that's really a difficult question to answer when you're looking at an investigation, because, you know, like I mentioned before, we have no evidence to point us in any -- in any investigation, you have discrepancies basically, and through that investigation, you try to clear those discrepancies up. There are discrepancies in this investigation like there are any other. And to say that somebody because of those discrepancies can be a suspect can be very misleading, and we don't have anything right now that will point to anybody in particular. For that reason, anybody can be a suspect right now.
QUESTION: Is the family still cooperating.
TOELKE: I'm sorry?
QUESTION: Is the family still cooperating?
TOELKE: Yes, ma'am. Yes.
QUESTION: In terms of time element, obviously we're on day four. I guess historically how does that play into your investigation? How do you feel where you are at the point in terms of what you are working with?
CORVINGTON: Well, basically, from history, if a person wants a child, I would assume that that child is being taken care of. In terms of things going cold on the investigation, I don't see that here. I see this as a very fluid process, and I am confident that this composite will generate a number of additional leads for us to follow up on.
QUESTION: You said, agent -- you said, we're looking for a woman who faked her pregnancy for nine months.
CORVINGTON: That'S certainly a possibility. A woman that perhaps couldn't have a child or may have lost a child.
QUESTION: Is the -- she's being described as a woman of considerable weight. Is it possible that the weight is not real? I mean, that she was wearing some sort of disguise or something that made her look pregnant, Is that what you are suggesting?
CORVINGTON: It'S possible. Again, at this point in time, anything is possible. What you just described is possible, clearly. Clearly this could be a disguise. QUESTION: Do you believe that the suspect has some kind of a local connection that, you know, would have been here for not just to come from, you know, hundreds of miles to snatch a baby, but that people here must know her or will recognize her?
CORVINGTON: Again, we're talking about possibilities here. It's quite possible, yes. It's also possible that it could be someone from a greater distance that may have learned about this individual somehow by a relative that lives in the area. Who knows? Someone could have been driving down 47, looked over at the sign about the baby in the house and decided, this is my opportunity to take a baby.
QUESTION: What about the search efforts today? What are you doing today? How many men have you out, National Guard? What are you doing today?
TOELKE: The national guard is not with us today, and they're just basically running down leads and contacting other witnesses from the (INAUDIBLE).
CORVINGTON: We plan to do more work around the house, and we'll probably commence that today, and we're focussing in on additional interviews today.
QUESTION: How comfortable is the mother with this sketch? I mean, what was her reaction upon seeing the final product?
TOELKE: Well, you know, the other thing that you have to consider, too, you have to consider what she's gone through. I mean, you know, the media have been talking to her parents and her, and we've been talking to her for three days, and she's lost her baby. You know, it's not that she can just sit down and say, this is what it looks like and go right through this thing. I mean, she's going through a terrible time right now. And considering what's happened, she wants to be accurate with this description. It would be nice if we could have had this thing within a couple of days or right after it happens, but that not always the case. And you know, we don't want to jump into thing, and do the best job that we can with what we have. So that's one of the reasons.
QUESTION: What is the job being done by the behavioral sciences people? How are they helping? What are they analyzing?
CORVINGTON: They are engaged in various aspects of this investigation, quite candidly, from our encounters as leaders with you, the press, for example, as well as strategy for investigative avenues to take with the individuals that we're coming into with.
QUESTION: Have they have come up with a profile beyond what you've told us? Have they come up with a profile, psychologically, of the person you're looking for?
CORVINGTON: Well, they've conveyed various pieces of information based upon their own experiences, but what they asked that highlight is what I highlighted this morning to you today.
QUESTION: And how long do those lab tests for fingerprints take normally? I mean, are they -- take longer than normal in the case?
CORVINGTON: I would imagine and I would speak confidently that they're going to act on what we have as expeditiously as possible.
QUESTION: How would you categorize the leads that you have, in terms of are they strong? Do you have -- I mean, it sounds like you're going in a lot of different directions. Are they pointing it at all in one direction or are they -- is it all over the place?
CORVINGTON: Again, my response is, it's a fluid process. We're taking in all types of information. And like many of these cases, things go along and go along, and all of a sudden, something just breaks and then we tend to focus on that until we resolve it and move on.
QUESTION: Anybody (INAUDIBLE) close with other area police departments? Have they been getting a lot of getting a lot of tips or sightings of someone that looks like this?
CORVINGTON: Well, we've gotten a number of phone calls so far. As I indicated, we've generated or received over 250 leads that we've been working on. We're working in cooperation with the local police in the area, as well as the sheriff's office, the highway patrol and others.
QUESTION: Are any of these leads out of state?
CORVINGTON: I'm not aware of any out of state leads as of this point, but I would imagine that once this is out there, we'll get a slew of leads.
QUESTION: Is anyone being brought in for questioning today? Anybody being brought here for questioning?
CORVINGTON: We are interviewing various individuals during the day.
OK, like I said, I've got cassettes here if -- I probably don't have enough for everybody, but if you want to share them, just...
HARRIS: OK, here we go. Let's sort of wrap up this news conference up a little bit. And Michael, if you could, let's focus in on -- very good -- on the composite sketch that we've been given just a few moments ago in the course of the news conference of the woman that authorities there in Union, Missouri, are looking for in connection with the kidnapping of this newborn baby, Abigale, snatched from her mother's arms.
Here's the story -- as well an vicious attack on the mother, as well. The authorities are looking for a woman who was described as a white female, black hair, between 5'4 and 5'8 tall, wearing shorts at the time. You've been listening to the Franklin County sheriff and the FBI involved in the investigation. No concrete leads at this time, Heidi. And more interviews to take place during the course of the day. COLLINS: Yes, and it's interesting, too, because as soon as they can, they like to get out these composite sketches so that they can generate more tips, people can be on the lookout. But as we heard them say, the victim is not exactly thrilled with this sketch. And probably very difficult for her to remember exactly what the person looks like. So that's best they have for us right now, and we will be continuing to follow that story out of Missouri.
Meanwhile, to another story, similar in nature. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Shoaf, back home today safe and sound. She was held 10 harrowing days in an underground bunker. South Carolina authorities never issued a Amber Alert.
On CNN's AMERICAN MORNING, we heard from her aunt and sheriff's captain who helped to lead the search.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GERALDINE WILLIAMS, AUNT OF ABDUCTED TEEN: We knew she didn't run away. We just hoped that, you know, somebody out there would have seen her or -- but the Amber Alert does need -- there needs to be some kind of change in that law, that, you know, when a child is missing they need to put an alert out there, period.
CAPT. DAVID THOMLEY, KERSHAW CO. SHERIFF'S OFFICE: We do not issue amber alerts. It's actually issued through the state. And the state criteria for this case was not met. And as we said in the beginning, this is a missing person. We do not have evidence of a runaway. We do not have evidence of an abduction. We maintained that she was missing, and we had few clues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Lessons that can save a life.
Our guest is the co-creator of "Stranger Safety: The Safe Side," the DVD. It has important safety tips for parents and kids. It's especially geared to five to 11-year-olds. And parents of younger children will likely recognize Julie Clark, creator of the "Baby Einstein" video series. She teamed up on this DVD in particular with John Walsh, the host of TV's "America's Most Wanted."
And Julie joins us from Denver now this morning. Julie, thanks for being here.
You know, the first question that comes to mind about this particular case is the issue of the Amber Alert. Talk to us a little bit about how difficult that can be making the call by law enforcement, and then how difficult as a parent -- I mean, you just want to scream at the top of your lungs and use everything in your power to get your child back.
JULIE CLARK, "THE SAFE SIDE": And absolutely, it's what you should do. I mean, if you have a missing child, you need to tell any person that will listen to you. You need to get posters up, pictures up. When John's son Adam was missing 25 years ago and was later, of course, found murdered, John and his wife Reve did everything they could. They put up every picture they could, they contacted news, they contacted law enforcement.
And the best thing that you can do is to make people aware. And oftentimes news is the way to do that. So what just happened with you guys, showing the baby and the story about the baby in Missouri, is fantastic. That's the way to get people looking for somebody.
COLLINS: What is most incredible about this story, and about the 14-year-old girl herself, you know, you think just when they become that age you've been talking to them for a very long time. Your tips say start talking at age of four about stranger danger and who is safe and who is not. Then this happens. And what was sad is that she was tricked. This man was dressed up like a police officer, said that he already had her brother and that she needed to come with him.
CLARK: Right. It's very scary. We tell children in "The Safe Side" video, don't fall for tricks. And this is something that parents need to be talking to their kids about all the time, how to stay safe when they're outside, when they're not with mom and dad, who they can be safe with.
And the really, really important thing is that this girl did fall for a stranger's trick. But the good news is that she knew what to do and she saved herself and she was very smart. She took an opportunity when she saw it and she did something to save her own life. And that little girl is a hero at this point.
COLLINS: You talk an awful lot in this DVD, Julie, about safe side adults. Tell us what that term is, and how we can use it for our kids.
CLARK: Well, we talk about safe side adults. These are adults that you can tell your children that they can always go with, that they can always call if they have a problem. And we tell parents three people is a really good number to have. Your child should have three people that they can always call.
We also don't actually use the word stranger in our stranger safety video. We call people "don't knows" and "kind of knows." These are people that your children don't know, these are people that you would not want your child to go with. But really importantly, we also talk about "kind of knows." People that your kids kind of know are often the people who abduct them or hurt them.
And so we want the kids to understand that not everybody is safe, but we try to teach them this in a really fun, engaging way. And we want parents to talk about this. We want this to be a conservation that happens with families. We try to give parents the opportunity to talk to their kids in a way that's non-threatening and actually engaging that kids will really like.
COLLINS: Can you ever talk about it too much with your kids, to the point where they might get scared?
CLARK: Well, you don't want to scare your children. But here's what I always say. You get into the car and you put on your seat belts every day. That's not because you're afraid you're going to get in a car accident everyday. It's just because you want to be safe. And when we tell the kids how to be safe, we do it in a way that's non-threatening. But always be aware of what's around you.
And if this little girl -- who, again, was abducted in South Carolina, but saved her own life -- had really thought about it, she probably wouldn't have gone with that person. A person dressed as a police officer may or may not be a police officer. And we want kids to know that you should not just go with an adult just because they look like they might be safe. If you don't know them, there's no reason that you should go with that person, no matter what they look like, no matter what they're wearing.
COLLINS: And no matter what, you always run, you always yell. Sometimes I think that...
CLARK: Absolutely.
COLLINS: Sometimes I think kids are scared to do that.
CLARK: Exactly. In the "Safe Side" video, what we try to do is to give kids the opportunity to see other kids acting in the right way. So they see other kids not going with adults. They see other kids who are approached by grownups, who leave the situation, who aren't afraid to take command and really, you know, take ownership for their own safety in their own life.
And this is something that, again, you cannot talk to your kids about enough. Start to talking to kids when they're young and keep the conversation going. Watch the news with your children. My children are nine and 11, and they know both of these stories. They know the story of the baby who was taken from her mom and they know the story of the 14-year-old girl who taken by a potential police officer.
COLLINS: That's right. All right. Interesting. Those are sometimes tough decisions to make as parents. Julie Clark, thank you so much.
We want to give a little bit more from your DVD, some of the tips featured in this series, "The Safe Side." Take a look at this. Have your child identity three grown-ups they trust and who they can always turn to. These are called safe side adults. We heard Julie talking about that. Buddy system isn't just for swimming, as a matter of fact. Children should never play alone outside. Remember, there is always safety in numbers. And parents need to remind their kids that they don't always have to listen to adults. If a grown-up makes them feel scared, confused or uncomfortable in any way, they should tell their safe side adult.
HARRIS: What good advice. Good stuff.
COLLINS: Thank you, Julie.
CLARK: Thank you very much. HARRIS: Well, "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is coming up at the top of the hour. Hala Gorani is standing by with a preview for us. Good Monday to you, Hala.
HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Good Monday to you, Tony.
We're going to start with that space tourist. The 40-year-old American blasted off in a Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan, the first female private astronaut. Or perhaps we should call her a cosmonaut since she was in that Soyuz rocket -- she is going to spend about ten days in the International Space Station.
Also, Jacques Chirac speaks to CNN on "YOUR WORLD TODAY" about the nuclear stand off with Iran, as well as U.S. - France relationships. That and much more in the interview with the French president.
Also coming up at the top of the hour, skinny models in Spain. It is weigh-in time. Models on the catwalk will have to pass the body mass index. Some tests have already been performed. Apparently 30 percent of the women -- I don't know if she is one of them -- flunked.
HARRIS: Oh, man.
COLLINS: There is Tony's favorite story, Hala.
HARRIS: Well, I just want them to eat, I want them to be healthy. That is all, Hala. All right. We will see you at the top of the hour.
GORANI: See you then, top of the hour.
HARRIS: Okay.
COLLINS: President Bush and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
HARRIS: Well, they don't see eye to eye. You are right on a lot of things. But will they come face to face? well, both will be at the U.N. this week. That story is coming up in THE NEWSROOM. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Middle East tensions and Iran's nuclear ambitions, just part of President Bush's agenda as he speaks to the United Nations General Assembly tomorrow. Iran's president will be there, too. But will they cross paths?
Live now, to senior U.N. correspondent to Richard Roth.
And Richard, we understand that there will be important issues discussed, but I got to tell you, it is intriguing as all get out, the notion of whether or not these two leaders will actually cross paths.
RICHARD ROTH, SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: It is unlikely, could happen, they could. They'll certainly be in the same room, perhaps, as they were last year when the president of Iran listened to President Bush.
But this time the remarks are separated by eight hours on the schedule, though things can change and leaders have been moved up or out. There is also a traditional leaders' lunch that is expected tomorrow, but last year the Iranian president did not attend. That's where the secretary general and the United States' President have a toast and welcome all of the guests.
Meanwhile, of course, security naturally will be in force outside of the U.N. and inside, especially since in the last few years, terrorism has risen and we have a lot of hot, controversial issues. Among them the Iran, the Middle east, Sudan and Iraq.
Meetings all over the place here, Tony. Secretary General Annan had on of his first meetings today with the Egyptian foreign minister. This could be a major ministers' meeting on the Middle East later this week.
And also the leader of Sudan is expected here. Originally he wasn't. Many say he may be coming, and that is why they are going to put off for a few days any discussion on Sudan, because they want to talk directly to the key players.
Sudan is not allowing U.N. peace keepers to come in at the end of the month. The African Union, which has been trying to monitor Darfur, Sudan, is supposed to have their mission expire. So there is a lot of concern.
The British Foreign Office Africa Adviser, Tony, told us a few moments ago that there may be a tipping point now reached in Darfur, in Africa, that things may totally spin out of control, that it's essential to beef up the African Union there or get U.N. peacekeepers in there -- Tony.
HARRIS: Our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth for us.
Richard, thank you.
And here is a program note, President Bush will talk one-on-one with our Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM". See it Wednesday night at 7:00 Eastern only on CNN.
COLLINS: We will continue to follow the news as we always do, right here on CNN.
HARRIS: We will be back, right after this. You are in the NEWSROOM watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Before we go today, we want to go back to Missouri, where we have an amber alert issued. It's been out for three days now. The baby is ten days old now. She was abducted, taken by force. And an attacker at the home of the mother. Her throat was slashed, the throat of the mother, that is.
They are no looking for this person. As you see, this composite sketch of the suspect: 5' 8", 200 pounds, black hair, Caucasian woman. Once again, we should always everybody, they're not always completely true with the description of that, but this is what they're working on now.
HARRIS: And CNN's NEWSROOM continues one hour from now with more on this story. Kyra Phillips and the team working hard to bring you the latest on several big stories developing today.
COLLINS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY", also coming up next with news across the globe and here at home. Have a great day, everyone.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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