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CNN Connie Chung Tonight

Sniper on the Loose: Charges Brought Against Alleged Bogus Witness; Al Qaeda Preparing Imminent Attack?

Aired October 18, 2002 - 20:00   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.


CONNIE CHUNG, HOST: Good evening. I'm Connie Chung.
Tonight: Police charge an allegedly bogus witness, while the sniper remains free to strike again.

ANNOUNCER: Sniper on the loose: What will it take to solve this crime? Is there a terrorist link? How does a killer escape without a trace? Tonight: the unanswered questions.

A chilling warning from the CIA:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE TENET, CIA DIRECTOR: Al Qaeda is in an execution phase and intends to strike us both here and overseas. It is serious. They're coming after us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: What are the chances of another attack? Is the U.S. ready?

Is this any way to play the game? What began as a junior-league football game turned into a big-league adult brawl.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anybody that wanted to get in there to try to stop the fight, they separated and they beat them up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: The man in the center of it tells his story.

Prison inmates rock out behind bars.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's up, my people? Yes, make some noise!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: On the outside: why some are yelling, "Stop the music."

This is CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT. Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York: Connie Chung.

CHUNG: Good evening.

Tonight: Police are arresting the man they say knowingly game them made-up information about the sniper after Monday's shooting. It is now just about four days since that shooting, the longest gap ever in the sniper's killing spree. Tonight, we're also going to look at a report that has boosted speculation that the sniper could be linked to al Qaeda.

But, first, we go to CNN's Jeanne Meserve at the evidence desk in Washington for the latest on tonight's arrest -- good evening, Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Connie.

The sniper is still on the loose, but tonight, someone else is in custody: the witness who investigators allege misled them about what he saw when the sniper last hit Monday night in Virginia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Arrested and charged Friday afternoon.

ROBERT HORAN, FAIRFAX COUNTY ATTORNEY: I'm satisfied that he lied to the police in the course of the investigation.

QUESTION: And it's more than just an embellishment?

HORAN: Yes.

MESERVE: Sources close to the investigation say Dowdy told police he saw the sniper get out of a cream-colored van in the Home Depot parking lot, hoist an AK-74 to his shoulder and fire at his victim from a distance of around 30 yards.

HORAN: He said that he saw the woman get shot and saw the man who did it. He couldn't have possibly done either.

MESERVE: Authorities say his rendition of events simply did not match those of other witnesses.

LIEUTENANT AMY LUBAS, FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT: We were able to compare his statements. And that was the initial determination. After that, the investigation continued on and other evidence was brought together.

MESERVE: That other evidence includes surveillance tape of Dowdy inside the Home Depot, according to commonwealth's attorney, Horan.

Giving false information to a police officer in the course of an investigation is a misdemeanor that carries a penalty of up to six months in jail and/or a fine of $1,000. The man heading the sniper investigation expressed some fear about the impact.

CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE CHIEF: When we talk about the witness that has been proven to be not credible, we do that with great hesitation, because we don't want other people to feel like this is about an effort by the police to credit or discredit them. We need witnesses.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: Many people close to this investigation are gratified that charges have been brought. They hope it will deter others from side-tracking this investigation, an investigation where lives are at stake -- Connie.

CHUNG: Jeanne, where does the investigation stand now?

MESERVE: Well, they're still eliminating leads, checking out leads. They're watching and waiting. They have some people under surveillance, we know. There does not appear to be any big break imminent, but investigators continue to say they are optimistic that they will crack this case; they will find that sniper.

CHUNG: Jeanne, there is one thing I have always wondered since this story has unfolded. And that is, why haven't law enforcement officials released the handwriting sample that was written on the tarot card?

MESERVE: Well, Chief Moose has been asked about that a couple of times. He says he is relying on the best advice of the best people in law enforcement. And they are not going to not release it. He won't say exactly why. But he points out that releasing handwriting examples isn't always successful.

In the anthrax investigation, for instance, we have all seen those envelopes addressed to the U.S. senators. And, still, there has been no arrest in that case. But Chief Moose did leave open the possibility that this decision might be changed at a later date -- Connie.

CHUNG: All right, Jeanne Meserve, in Washington tonight, thank you.

Of course, the sniper himself remains on the loose. And there have been questions raised about whether police could have snared him on Monday.

CNN's Michael Okwu takes a close look at just how the sniper has been able to get away, with virtually no one seeing him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eleven victims and nine deaths. And still, two weeks later, the only wanted poster in this case is a composite of getaway vehicles. This sniper doesn't only know how to kill. He knows how to get away.

BO DIETL, BEAU DIETL & ASSOCIATES: You have a person or persons that knows the area very well.

OKWU: Criminal experts say the killer is a planner who targets areas along major commercial corridors, maps out escape routes, and then fires from enough distance to shield him in the ensuing chaos.

DIETL: Initially, what happens? All the attention goes on to the person that is hit. The person goes down. Everyone, including the police, when they arrive, they run to help the victim.

OKWU: A state trooper near a Spotsylvania gas station did just that when Kenneth Bridges was shot last week.

JOHN TIMONEY, FORMER PHILADELPHIA POLICE COMMISSIONER: Meanwhile, as folks are running towards the victim, the guy who has let the shot go is walking in the other direction, probably pretty calmly, getting in the car, and melding in with the traffic.

OKWU: Former law enforcement officials also say it takes more time for police to establish an effective dragnet in suburban areas, because they're less congested, possibly 10 to 15 minutes.

DIETL: And now they're looking for witnesses. Within four minutes, five minutes, these people driving at 40 miles an hour, 45 miles an hour could be three, four, five miles out of the area immediately.

OKWU: The fact that such interstate dragnets have been so widely discussed plays into the hands of the shooter. Experts say he could very well take back roads. But imagine he isn't. Imagine he simply walks away.

Former ATF Agent Pete Gagliardi:

PETE GAGLIARDI, FORENSIC TECHNOLOGY: Well, rifles come in all shapes and sizes. There are folding stocks. There are collapsible stocks.

OKWU: Gagliardi says any gun enthusiasts with access to books, CDs or Web sites can find him. Here's a Colt AR-15.

GAGLIARDI: So that whole piece that you see here, from the arrow to here, will fold back along the side of that firearm.

OKWU: Making it small enough, he says, to fold under an arm, in a gym bag or in a tool box.

(on camera): Experts say the killer may be even staking out hiding places near the scene, watching the chaos from a safe distance before escaping, getting away with murder by simply getting away.

Michael Okwu, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: Montgomery County Executive Douglas Duncan has added a new role to his official duties: attending funerals and trying to comfort and reassure those left behind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DOUG DUNCAN, MONTGOMERY COUNTY EXECUTIVE: We are doing everything we can to find who did this, to capture them, to bring them to justice. But today, we are here to offer you our condolences, our love and our prayers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: He's been to every funeral so far of the sniper's victims, the first of whom was targeted in Montgomery County. He has two more to go this weekend. And we spoke with him earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: Mr. Duncan, it has been almost four days since the last shooting. We're heading into the weekend, when, usually, fortunately, we see no activity from the sniper.

But what's your sense? Do you think that perhaps, if we're lucky, that the sniper might have slowed down and stopped?

DUNCAN: You know, we have no idea. We don't know why they're doing what they're doing. Clearly, we wish they would stop. But we don't know what the motivation is and why they're picking who they're shooting and where they're shooting at. So we're on full alert here. We have a massive police presence on all the streets of every community in this region. And we're also continuing this massive manhunt to find out who's doing this.

CHUNG: Sir, you have attended six funerals in 10 days. And I know there are two more coming up this weekend. Are these families -- I'm wondering if the sorrow is overwhelming or are they now turning angry?

DUNCAN: Well, it is a very, very tough time for the families. It is a tough time for everyone, but particularly if you have lost a loved one.

There's no way to make any sense of this. We don't know why their loved ones lost their lives because we don't know what is motivating the shooter here. So, they are really struggling with that. They are suffering terribly. But they're drawing on their family. They're drawing on their friends. They're drawing on their faith for inner strength to help them get through this.

And we want to catch whoever is doing this as fast as we can to bring this community to peace, but also to help these families get an understanding of why this has happened and to help them, in some small way, bring some closure or bring them some additional peace to help them understand what happened here.

CHUNG: Mr. Duncan, it reminds me of after 9/11, when a lot of friends were attending several funerals. How are you -- it must be affecting you personally.

DUNCAN: Well, you have a lot of thoughts as you go through this. But my primary thought is to just reach out to the families, to console them, to make sure they know that every resource that we have, any resource we think of, whether it is local, state or federal, or private sector, even, is being brought to bear here.

And what every family member has told me, the first thing they say is, "Catch him. Catch him as fast as you can." And I'm just assuring them that we're doing that with everything we have.

CHUNG: You know, Maryland Governor Glendening was criticized for calling the sniper a coward. And there are some people out there who believe that just name-calling would hurt the investigation and also provoke the sniper. What do you think?

DUNCAN: Well, I think the governor spoke from his emotions, spoke from his gut. And we have tried to be very professional in our comments that we've made to the public through the media. And we're not engaging in name-calling. We're trying to present the facts as we know them, give out any information out to the public that we think will help refresh their memory, help them call us with more information.

And the public is responding. We have gotten tens of thousands of calls from people trying to help us in this case. And it is very inspiring.

CHUNG: All right, Douglas Duncan, Montgomery County executive, we thank so much for being with us.

DUNCAN: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: When we come back: why a former police chief says Charles Moose is doing it wrong.

ANNOUNCER: Next:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE CHIEF: We are making progress. We remain very optimistic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Police Chief Charles Moose.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOOSE: And I remind everyone, we're doing absolutely the best that we can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: He's got the most difficult job in the nation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOOSE: If you want Channel 9, if you want "The Washington Post," if you want CNN to conduct this investigation, let me know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: What does it take to lead a 17-day manhunt in six jurisdictions?

CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose has criticized the media for its reporting on the search for the sniper, criticizing former law enforcement officers for going on air to discuss investigative techniques and speculate about the actual investigation.

And Moose specifically criticized the news media who reported that a tarot card was found at one of the shooting sites.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOOSE: If you want Channel 9, if you want "The Washington Post," if you want CNN to conduct this investigation, let me know. I have been told by the people that live in Montgomery County that they want the Montgomery County Police Department to do this investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: Well, at least one former police chief is critical of Chief Moose. He's Joseph McNamara, former chief in Kansas City, Missouri, and San Jose, California. He's now a research fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution and joins us from Stanford, California.

Sir, thank you for being with us.

JOSEPH MCNAMARA, FORMER POLICE CHIEF: Yes.

CHUNG: You know, I read your op-ed piece in "USA Today." And you didn't name Chief Moose specifically, but you really picked apart what he has done.

And, honestly, I'm saying to myself, here's a man who is running an investigation, overseeing something like 14 agencies and jurisdictions, and this is -- the magnitude of this investigation is quite extraordinary. I mean, you're not being helpful, are you?

MCNAMARA: No, I didn't mean to be critical of the way Chief Moose is running the investigation. I know him. I respect him. I think he's one of the better chiefs in the country.

I think his remarks against the media were uncalled for. He's under enormous stress. And I think that's what caused him to lash out at the media. But, in fact, a police chief's job is to be a model for the officers under him and to expect them to be cool and professional as they perform their duties. And I think that the media has cooperated with the police, put out a lot of information, is trying to help the police, to the extent they can.

So it is kind of bewildering to hear the chief, at the same time he is using the media to give information to the public, to sort of lash out at the public. This is a big story. People want to know what the police are doing. They want to hear commentary. And I think their level of fear is lowered the more information they get. And I think it's totally inappropriate for the chief to criticize other people commenting on the case. It's a big case.

CHUNG: Well, I know. And you did say, "Outbursts by police chiefs do not inspire professional conduct among subordinates or persuade citizens that the pros are doing their job."

I have to tell you, you're basically calling him unprofessional. I'm wondering -- you are not privy to inside information. And I'm wondering if even -- if you have conducted an investigation of this magnitude that involved federal and three states -- two states and the District of Columbia.

MCNAMARA: I was a policeman for 35 years and a chief of two of the largest cities in the country for more than 18 years. And I have gone through the stress that the chief has. I know what it is.

But, nevertheless, what he is doing is wrong in blasting the news media. And I'm not privy to any inside information. I don't want to be. But I know that it doesn't do anyone any good to have careless talk that might stimulate the sniper to do more damage or attack the media.

CHUNG: Do you really believe that he has engaged in careless talk?

MCNAMARA: Well, I think calling the sniper cowards and making other comments about whether they're a good shot or their patterns...

CHUNG: I believe that was the governor of Maryland who called

(CROSSTALK)

CHUNG: ... a coward.

MCNAMARA: Yes, but I was speaking in general. And my article did not attribute that to Chief Moose.

But what I'm saying in general is, these cases are often solved because of citizens who get information from the police through the media that enables them to report someone who is guilty. And, therefore, the police should be working with the media and not sort of accusing them of interfering with the investigation, when, as far as I can see, all they're doing is reporting the facts.

Take the tarot card.

CHUNG: We appreciate -- oh, all right, let's take that. We appreciate your support, Mr. McNamara.

But, for instance, the tarot card -- you know, they did not release the handwriting sample.

MCNAMARA: Well, that, too.

CHUNG: Do you think that's wrong?

MCNAMARA: When you go back to the Unabomber case...

CHUNG: But may I tell you that the state and federal agencies are telling him not to release it. So, you know...

MCNAMARA: Well, but he is the police chief. The federal government can't tell him what to do. He is the boss.

CHUNG: The federal government can't? You got the FBI in there. Man, I could really see them bearing down on him. You're tough on him.

MCNAMARA: Listen, you know a lot about television, but I happen to know a little more about police work than you do. And no one tells the police chief what to do. He is the boss. And he is not under the orders of the federal government. And he is following his own judgment.

I know Chief Moose well. He is a strong man and a good leader. And I think, if he is using the excuse that the federal government told him not to do this or not to do that, I don't buy it. If he thinks, in his own best judgment, that he shouldn't do something, say it. Tell the people why you're not giving the information. But suppose someone knew of someone's neighbor who followed and used tarot cards, who went to the range a lot, who

(CROSSTALK)

CHUNG: All right, I hear you, Mr. McNamara. I'm so sorry. I just got to ask you to talk to me another time and continue this conversation another time.

Thank you for being with us.

MCNAMARA: Well, I wish the police the best of luck.

CHUNG: I appreciate that. And I'm sure they do, too.

Still ahead: Could the sniper be a member of al Qaeda? A new report fuels the speculation.

Stay with us.

ANNOUNCER: Still ahead: Prisoners rock the big house. Victims' families want to pull the plug -- when CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: The Bush administration has decided not to raise the level of its terror alert, despite warnings yesterday from the FBI and CIA that America now is in almost the same position it was on September 10, 2001. Namely, an al Qaeda attack of some kind is expected.

But, as CNN national correspondent David Ensor reports, the CIA and FBI also said that, just like last year, they may not be able to stop it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What really got people's attention was when George Tenet said the threat environment now is as bad as it was in the summer before the attacks of September 11.

GEORGE TENET, CIA DIRECTOR: It is serious. They have reconstituted. They are coming after us. They want to execute attacks.

ENSOR: And there have been a lot of them, some like the bomb blast on a bus in Manila may only have been inspired by al Qaeda say U.S. officials. That may also be true of the shooting attacks on U.S. Marines in Kuwait. But others, like the attack using a bomb-laden small boat on a French oil tanker off the coast of Yemen, or the bloody bombings at tourist sites in Bali, Indonesia, those may not only have been inspired but also directed by al Qaeda. And lest Americans think all these attacks overseas imply somehow that this country is less threatened, Tenet says think again.

TENET: Al Qaeda is in an execution phase and intends to strike us both here and overseas. That's unambiguous as far as I am concerned.

ENSOR: Part of the evidence is the statements on an audiotape deemed genuine of Ayman Al-Zawahri, al Qaeda's number two. Zawahri refers to warning to Europeans not to back the U.S. on Iraq. He specifically mentions France, Germany, and Belgium on the tape. Officials there tell CNN they view this as the most dangerous period for them since 9/11.

U.S. officials say their heightened concern is also based in part on what senior al Qaeda prisoners, like Abu Zubaydah, are offering them in reaction to Zawahri's threats. But officials say as in the past they lack specifics, intelligence on when, where, and how the attacks might be planned to occur.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR: And that is why Homeland Security officials are saying they have not acted to raise the threat level meter from yellow to orange, though they have sent out a memo to state and local governments and certain key infrastructure officials, urging additional security measures -- Connie.

CHUNG: David, thank you.

Do you have late information on this?

ENSOR: On this particular matter? CHUNG: Issue.

ENSOR: No.

CHUNG: No? OK. We thought you did.

ENSOR: As I understand it, the security level is staying the same. There is some debate about it within the government. But it's staying where it is.

(CROSSTALK)

CHUNG: Forgive me.

What would it take for them to raise the level again to orange?

ENSOR: Officials tell me that, if they have had specific, credible information about a plot. In other words, if they knew a time or a place or something specific, they would go to code orange. And that is what they did some time ago. But they don't have that right now, Connie.

CHUNG: All right, the explosion in the Philippines -- one last question, David -- do intelligence officials believe that al Qaeda was behind the bus bombing?

ENSOR: There's a suspicion that the Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines, which is affiliated with al Qaeda, was probably behind that bombing. Now, it is not a Western tourist target. Americans and other Westerners don't tend to ride on Philippine buses. But they do believe it was Abu Sayyaf. And they have intelligence information suggesting there may be additional al Qaeda-related attacks in the Philippines soon.

CHUNG: All right, David Ensor, thank you.

For the past few days, more and more people have been talking about a possible link between the Washington sniper and terrorism. Is he working for al Qaeda or just a lone crazed gunman? The al Qaeda side got a lift today. CNN has learned that a suspected member of al Qaeda told investigators in Belgium that he has seen al Qaeda training members in sniper techniques.

Earlier, I spoke about that report and the CIA's warning with two specialists in terrorism analysis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: Joining me now from Washington: CNN terrorist analyst Peter Bergen. And we have author Eric Margolis, author of "War at the Top of the World," and a former U.S. Army strategy and tactics instructor.

Thank you, gentlemen, for being with us.

Peter, we'll start with you. Knowing this report that there is an al Qaeda suspect in Belgium who says he has seen sniper training, do you believe that the Washington sniper could possibly be connected with al Qaeda or a similar group?

PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, it's not inconceivable.

Clearly, the sniper is behaving in ways that are dissimilar from previous serial killers or spree killers. The jury is out.

CHUNG: Do you have any inside information that would suggest that, if just a little bit more information were available to you, you would be able to determine whether or not this person is a member of al Qaeda?

BERGEN: Well, I think if indeed there is an accomplice -- which there have been some suggestions that there is an accomplice -- that would militate against a typical kind of serial killer.

The fact that this killer is killing completely only to terrorize the community, rather than taking any enjoyment in killing, all these things seem to possibly point in that direction. But, of course, we really know nothing.

CHUNG: Eric, what do you think? Do you think this could possibly be an al Qaeda terrorist?

ERIC MARGOLIS, AUTHOR, "WAR AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD": It could be, but I think it probably may not be. And the reason is, it doesn't fit the M.O. of al Qaeda operations when I was in Afghanistan and saw these training camps -- which, by the way, were for about 15 different Islamic wars in different areas.

CHUNG: And you did see sniper training?

MARGOLIS: There was sniper training, because it was commando training. And most of the people there were being trained for combat against the Indian forces in Kashmir, where a lot of sniping goes on.

But the usual al Qaeda M.O. is the sense that teams of three to five snipers who work together. Sending a single man against the United States seems sort of farfetched.

CHUNG: Well, I don't think that that would be the suggestion. I think the suggestion would be is that this is one incident of terror and there will be others in other cities.

But let's move on, anyway, to CIA Director Tenet.

Peter, yesterday, he gave this testimony that, quite frankly, was chilling to me. I would much prefer that you tell me that he was exaggerating. Is that possible?

BERGEN: Well, I don't think George Tenet is somebody who is in the habit of exaggerating. After all, he sent a letter to Senator Bob Graham saying that Saddam Hussein is unlikely to use weapons of mass destruction unless his back is against the wall, which is hardly the administration line or the line they would like him to take. So I think he is telling it as he sees it.

The fact is, we're entering a new phase. Al Qaeda has entered a new phase. Osama bin Laden himself purportedly made a statement calling for attacks on American economic interests. Ayman Al-Zawahri, in a statement that I believe is actually very much true, said, "We should destroy the American economy." These statements were made around the anniversary of the beginning of the war against the Taliban.

In the last 10 days to two weeks, we have seen an attack on a French oil tanker in Yemen. We have seen an attack on a tourist disco in Indonesia. The oil business and the tourist business are vital to the world economy. And the bottom line is that they have expanded the war to softer targets because economic targets, Western targets are essentially everywhere. They're not as well defended as American military or governmental targets. And they're targeting our economy, the West in general. And that's a change.

CHUNG: Eric, Tenet also said that they have reconstituted, al Qaeda has reconstituted. What is he talking about?

MARGOLIS: What he's saying is that there was an internal Pentagon report that was circulating in Washington that the invasion of Afghanistan by the U.S. had been counterproductive, in the sense that it had scattered the al Qaeda people far and wide. They were harder to find, harder to monitor.

They have reconstituted. More mid-level people have appeared. But what to me is far more significant is, we overemphasize the importance of al Qaeda. In my understanding, there are only about...

CHUNG: Why?

MARGOLIS: Well, there are only about 300 hard-core members in al Qaeda. But there are thousands and thousands of like-minded individuals who are not members of al Qaeda, but who belong to this old-boys network of Mujahedeen or Afghani who had fought in the war against the Soviets.

CHUNG: But don't they communicate with one another and possibly conspire?

MARGOLIS: Sometimes yes. Sometimes they trade money. They visit each other. They work in tandem on occasion.

CHUNG: But you're saying there isn't this worldwide conspiracy.

MARGOLIS: It's not a worldwide conspiracy. It's a loose confederation of like-minded anti-American groups. So, this is what I think Tenet was trying to explain.

CHUNG: Peter, Tenet said that we will either be struck here or overseas. Do you know, do you have any idea what targets he might be talking about?

BERGEN: I think that we're going to see more attacks on American businesses overseas, Western businesses overseas, because they're very easy to hit. A disco in Indonesia is the softest target you can imagine, as indeed is commercial shipping, that the tanker in Yemen was obviously undefended. These are very easy targets.

MARGOLIS: Bin Laden had said a number of years ago that the United States could never be defeated militarily by anyone. The way it could be defeated would be to bleed it to death by tying it down in scores of small operations. And he is most anxious to see the United States invade Iraq, for example. It would fit right into his strategy.

He said: "Let them go after Iran. Let them invade Indonesia. Finally, the Lilliputians will tie down Gulliver."

CHUNG: Eric Margolis, thank you so much for being with us.

And, Peter Bergen, always good to have you.

BERGEN: Thanks, Connie.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: Still ahead: Why is VH1 putting a man who killed two teenage girls on television as a guitar player?

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: Mary Orlando was a 15-year-old girl who loved music and wanted to be a dancer one day. Tonight, seven years after her death, Mary's killer gets to play guitar on VH1. How could this happen?

Well, VH1 is airing a documentary, "Music Behind Bars," that focuses on bands in prison. Tonight's program looks at the Pennsylvania band Dark Mischief. It is made up of rapists and murderers, including the drug-dealing double-murderer who killed Mary Orlando.

Now her mom, also named Mary, has launched a crusade protesting the show. She has gotten help from Pennsylvania state Representative T.J. Rooney. They're holding a candlelight vigil tonight. And they join me from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Thank you both for being with us.

Mary, can you tell me, how did Christopher Bissey kill your daughter?

MARY ORLANDO, MOTHER OF MURDER VICTIM: Her and her girlfriend took her mother to work. They went up to the lookout to eat on the wall. And he shot both girls in a drive-by from the car. CHUNG: I know that she meant a lot to you, not only because she was your daughter, but she was your only child. Your son had died of an illness.

ORLANDO: Yes.

CHUNG: So tell us why this is so painful for you to see her killer in a prison band.

ORLANDO: I just got so upset when I had seen it. It was like she showed me it that night, the channel. I was flipping the channels and I had seen it. And it was something that she loved to do. And there they are on TV jumping around. And it just really upset me and I got very angry.

CHUNG: I don't think anything anybody could blame you, Mary, honestly.

Representative Rooney, what is it that you object to? Is it the fact that there are prison bands or is it the fact that it is appearing on television?

T.J. ROONEY (R), PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Well, I think, Connie, it is really a combination of both.

While I understand the efficacy and the need for programs in prison, nobody has yet been able to explain to me how this adds value, how there is any redeeming quality or features to this program to those taxpaying citizens in Pennsylvania. And beyond that, Viacom is going to make a profit and VH1 is going to make a profit off this show. I have asked Sumner Redstone to donate the ad revenue from the show to the Pennsylvania Office of the Victim Advocate, if there's any compassion.

CHUNG: Let me go back to Mary.

Mary, is what you object to the fact that there is a prison program, a band program? Or is it the fact that this killer of your daughter is being seen on television?

ORLANDO: Well, it's a little of both. I don't think prisoners like him, the hardened criminals, should be in programs like that in the first -- but I do believe programs in prison for people that will be getting out one day and into society.

But to him, I just didn't see it. And that kind of program, what I have seen so far, I don't think it would help anybody.

CHUNG: Well, he is serving a double life sentence, correct?

ORLANDO: Yes, he is.

CHUNG: All right, Mary and Representative Rooney, we'll be back with you in just a moment.

But right now, I want to bring in the executive producer of "Music Behind Bars," Arnold Shapiro, who agreed to talk with us, but not alongside our other guests. And he joins us from Los Angeles.

Arnold, how could you be so insensitive and so callous?

ARNOLD SHAPIRO, EXEC. PRODUCER, "MUSIC BEHIND BARS": I don't think I or VH1 are being insensitive or callous. We're documenting a program that exists. In fact, the whole idea for this series, "Music Behind Bars," which came from VH1, came because of this music program at Graterford Prison. That's why it's the first episode.

CHUNG: But did you notify the victims' families that the people who killed or raped or robbed were going to be in this documentary?

SHAPIRO: No, we did not.

(CROSSTALK)

CHUNG: Why not? Didn't you feel any obligation to do so?

SHAPIRO: Connie, this gentleman isn't in our documentary. That's the ironic part of this.

CHUNG: But there are shots of him.

SHAPIRO: There are two half-second shots of him. He is not one of the featured people in the documentary.

CHUNG: Well, what difference does that make?

SHAPIRO: Well, it's just ironic that this show is being judged before anybody has seen it. No one has seen the show. It doesn't air until tonight at 10:00.

CHUNG: I don't think that's the point, Arnold. I think the point is, you put the killer of this woman's daughter in your documentary. And he's playing in a band, looking like he's enjoying himself. Even if it's a half-second, at least didn't you have an obligation to tell her?

SHAPIRO: We documented this music program, which is a very positive program in a very negative environment. And, as you'll see tonight, we do not portray these people in any kind of heroic or glorified way. When you see this program, you come away saying, "The last place I want to be in the world is in prison. And the last people I want to be are any of these men."

CHUNG: Fine, fine, fine. That's fine. That's good.

But all I'm saying is, don't you have a little bit of sensitivity here? Isn't there something in you that says to you as a person, as a human being: "Yes, I should have called Mary. I should have called Mary Orlando and said: 'Look, the man who killed your daughter is going to be on television. Do you have a problem? And if you do, I'll take those two half-seconds out'"?

SHAPIRO: Well, what about the other families of the men who are featured who didn't contact us at all? CHUNG: Well, but you didn't contact them, right?

SHAPIRO: Why would we call the mother of somebody....

CHUNG: Why didn't you contact them?

SHAPIRO: It isn't the job of a television company to contact the relatives of people who are featured in news stories or in documentaries. That's a matter of policy. And you as a newsperson know that as well as I know it. I happen to have great sympathy and compassion for any victim of crime.

CHUNG: Well, I'm glad you do. And you should.

SHAPIRO: Well, I do. I do.

CHUNG: Thank you, Arnold Shapiro.

We're going to bring back Mary Orlando and Representative Rooney for some quick final thoughts.

Mary, I know you heard from the governor of Pennsylvania today. What did he tell you?

ORLANDO: He just told me that the program at Graterford, the music program, will be stopped until they look into it. And he apologized for the mixup. And he said it will never happen again on his watch.

CHUNG: One other thing, Mary. In some ways, you have brought publicity to the program. You know what I mean.

ORLANDO: Yes, I do.

CHUNG: And that is sort of the last thing you would want to do, isn't it?

ORLANDO: Yes, it is. That is the last thing I wanted to do. But I also showed what's going on behind there, too. And that's what I wanted to do, too.

CHUNG: Mary Orlando and Representative T.J. Rooney, thank you both.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: And now we have a story of a dying man who, in his final days, sent 10 years worth of his diaries to his old English teacher, Elizabeth Stone. She taught him in his freshman year in high school, more than 25 years before.

So, for 20 years, their only contact had been Christmas cards. Then, just days before his death, Vincent, sent her the diaries, asking that she turn them into a book. Now, in "A Boy I Once Knew," Elizabeth Stone has given Vincent new life and learned more than she could have ever foretold about Vincent and about herself.

Earlier, I spoke with her and his two sisters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: Elizabeth Stone joins us now, along with Vincent's sisters, Angela and Adrianne.

Thank you so much for being with us.

Elizabeth, let's start with you.

You are 22 years old. It is your first teaching job. You're teaching high school. And in a class you have a young man named Vincent. He is a ninth-grader. Do you remember him?

ELIZABETH STONE, "A BOY I ONCE KNEW": Vincent never made eye contact. I looked at Vincent. He looked away. I called on him. He shrugged. And then, one day in December, we were reading "Gift of the Magi." Vincent walks in. He says: "I hate this story. It's a dumb story. It's a stupid story. I hate it."

CHUNG: Oh, my gosh. You finally got a reaction.

STONE: Right. It was the first time I had heard his voice.

CHUNG: So, for the next 25 years, he is no longer in your class. You are a teacher. And what kind of relationship did you have with him?

STONE: We exchanged addresses. I saw him one other time. And then after that, it was Christmas cards.

CHUNG: That's it?

Vincent actually had a secret. He had actually two secrets.

ADRIANNE, SISTER OF VINCENT: His secret was that he died from AIDS. And he was gay.

CHUNG: How did you find out, Angela?

ANGELA, SISTER OF VINCENT: Well, I suspected that he was gay, because, growing up, he really didn't have many girlfriends. And he was -- he did have some feminine ways.

I found out that he had AIDS by accident. He had left one of his journals at my house when he was visiting in New York. And when I found it, I just happened to open it up and I found the word AIDS.

CHUNG: Adrianne, how did you find out about your brother?

ADRIANNE: I found out nine days before he passed away. And I was totally devastated.

CHUNG: Did you see him in an emaciated state? ADRIANNE: Yes.

CHUNG: That must have been...

ADRIANNE: I was in total denial.

CHUNG: Oh, really?

ADRIANNE: Total denial.

CHUNG: One day, it's 199...

STONE: Five.

CHUNG: Thank you.

And you get a box in the mail. You open it up. What's inside?

STONE: There's a letter. "Dear Elizabeth, you must be wondering why I left you my diaries in my will."

CHUNG: Did you even feel that you should or could open them up? After all, these were very private journals.

STONE: This box before me, it was almost like I felt a draft coming out of it. This was a very new death. And I really felt a kind of fear at putting my hand in the box.

CHUNG: Yes. Yes.

STONE: But, at the same time, I had 25 years of curiosity and here was this mystery.

CHUNG: Angela, was any member of your family offended that he gave Elizabeth his diaries and entrusted her with his innermost thoughts and not one of you?

ADRIANNE: I was.

CHUNG: Were you?

ADRIANNE: Yes.

CHUNG: Why?

ADRIANNE: Because I didn't know who she was. She was a stranger. It made me angry.

CHUNG: Did you express that anger to Elizabeth?

ADRIANNE: Yes.

STONE: And she was absolutely right. What happened was, I got the diaries. And Adrianne wrote me a letter saying, "I hope you're the same person who lives at this address, because, otherwise, someone else has my brother's most valuable possessions." (CROSSTALK)

CHUNG: Oh, was that venom coming out in the letter?

STONE: She was right. But I did call you that night.

ADRIANNE: And she didn't know what she was going to do with the diaries. And she may very well have sent them back.

STONE: One of the issues between us was, I said: "If I'm going to do this, I have to encounter Vincent in a real way. There may be stuff in there that you won't like."

And that was -- and I have to hand it to them. They gave me carte blanche. I said, "I can do this if you let me write what I need to write in a the way that doesn't airbrush Vincent, but lets him be." And you were very, very generous in ways that I know were difficult for you in that.

CHUNG: Adrianne, why do think your brother chose Elizabeth to publish his life?

ADRIANNE: I could only guess, but I think that Elizabeth made him feel special and important.

CHUNG: Back then?

ADRIANNE: Back then. And he had an image of her in his mind for 25 years.

ANGELA: And I felt that, if Vincent left his journals to Elizabeth, he must have seen something in her.

STONE: Essentially, here was a man who had died who didn't want to be forgotten. And I think Vincent, living in a culture where everybody was dying, as a gay man in San Francisco, I think he understood that.

I think he understood that he was going to be the one dead. And if he wanted to extend his own life into the present, he had to find a way. And you know what? He did.

CHUNG: In the end, Adrianne, do you think Elizabeth has brought Vincent to life?

ADRIANNE: Absolutely.

CHUNG: What do you think, Angela? What is the legacy?

ANGELA: I think that, basically, life is really much shorter than we think, and just to do as much as you can that makes you happy and the people around you very happy.

CHUNG: Thank you, Elizabeth, for coming.

And, Angela and Adrianne, thank you. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: And now we have some late developments in the sniper investigation.

Joining us now is Jeanne Meserve at the evidence desk in Washington -- Jeanne, what's the latest?

MESERVE: Connie, Montgomery County police say that authorities have seized a white box truck from a car rental agency in Virginia after a shell casing was found inside. One source tells me that the shell casing was discovered by an employee who was cleaning out that truck.

Now, the truck and the shell casing have both been taken into custody. They're being taken to an undisclosed location for forensic testing. I'm told that the results of those tests by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms will not be available until 9:00 Eastern tomorrow, at the very earliest. Now, at this point, authorities have no idea if this truck has any relationship to the sniper investigation. And so, they say, in the meantime, they are still asking the public for any information about white box trucks -- Connie, back to you.

CHUNG: Jeanne, thank you so much for that late report.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: Now, because of our breaking news about the sniper investigation tonight, I'm so sorry that we weren't able to bring you the story about the youth league football game that turned into a brawl. We'll try to get to that.

Once again, the late news is that a shell casing was found in a white box truck at a rental company in the Washington area. On Monday, we'll have the latest developments in that hunt for the Washington sniper.

And coming up next on "LARRY KING LIVE": more on the search for the sniper.

Thank you for joining us. And for all of us at CNN, have a good night and have a great weekend.

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





Witness; Al Qaeda Preparing Imminent Attack?>


Aired October 18, 2002 - 20:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CONNIE CHUNG, HOST: Good evening. I'm Connie Chung.
Tonight: Police charge an allegedly bogus witness, while the sniper remains free to strike again.

ANNOUNCER: Sniper on the loose: What will it take to solve this crime? Is there a terrorist link? How does a killer escape without a trace? Tonight: the unanswered questions.

A chilling warning from the CIA:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE TENET, CIA DIRECTOR: Al Qaeda is in an execution phase and intends to strike us both here and overseas. It is serious. They're coming after us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: What are the chances of another attack? Is the U.S. ready?

Is this any way to play the game? What began as a junior-league football game turned into a big-league adult brawl.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anybody that wanted to get in there to try to stop the fight, they separated and they beat them up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: The man in the center of it tells his story.

Prison inmates rock out behind bars.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's up, my people? Yes, make some noise!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: On the outside: why some are yelling, "Stop the music."

This is CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT. Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York: Connie Chung.

CHUNG: Good evening.

Tonight: Police are arresting the man they say knowingly game them made-up information about the sniper after Monday's shooting. It is now just about four days since that shooting, the longest gap ever in the sniper's killing spree. Tonight, we're also going to look at a report that has boosted speculation that the sniper could be linked to al Qaeda.

But, first, we go to CNN's Jeanne Meserve at the evidence desk in Washington for the latest on tonight's arrest -- good evening, Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Connie.

The sniper is still on the loose, but tonight, someone else is in custody: the witness who investigators allege misled them about what he saw when the sniper last hit Monday night in Virginia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Arrested and charged Friday afternoon.

ROBERT HORAN, FAIRFAX COUNTY ATTORNEY: I'm satisfied that he lied to the police in the course of the investigation.

QUESTION: And it's more than just an embellishment?

HORAN: Yes.

MESERVE: Sources close to the investigation say Dowdy told police he saw the sniper get out of a cream-colored van in the Home Depot parking lot, hoist an AK-74 to his shoulder and fire at his victim from a distance of around 30 yards.

HORAN: He said that he saw the woman get shot and saw the man who did it. He couldn't have possibly done either.

MESERVE: Authorities say his rendition of events simply did not match those of other witnesses.

LIEUTENANT AMY LUBAS, FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT: We were able to compare his statements. And that was the initial determination. After that, the investigation continued on and other evidence was brought together.

MESERVE: That other evidence includes surveillance tape of Dowdy inside the Home Depot, according to commonwealth's attorney, Horan.

Giving false information to a police officer in the course of an investigation is a misdemeanor that carries a penalty of up to six months in jail and/or a fine of $1,000. The man heading the sniper investigation expressed some fear about the impact.

CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE CHIEF: When we talk about the witness that has been proven to be not credible, we do that with great hesitation, because we don't want other people to feel like this is about an effort by the police to credit or discredit them. We need witnesses.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: Many people close to this investigation are gratified that charges have been brought. They hope it will deter others from side-tracking this investigation, an investigation where lives are at stake -- Connie.

CHUNG: Jeanne, where does the investigation stand now?

MESERVE: Well, they're still eliminating leads, checking out leads. They're watching and waiting. They have some people under surveillance, we know. There does not appear to be any big break imminent, but investigators continue to say they are optimistic that they will crack this case; they will find that sniper.

CHUNG: Jeanne, there is one thing I have always wondered since this story has unfolded. And that is, why haven't law enforcement officials released the handwriting sample that was written on the tarot card?

MESERVE: Well, Chief Moose has been asked about that a couple of times. He says he is relying on the best advice of the best people in law enforcement. And they are not going to not release it. He won't say exactly why. But he points out that releasing handwriting examples isn't always successful.

In the anthrax investigation, for instance, we have all seen those envelopes addressed to the U.S. senators. And, still, there has been no arrest in that case. But Chief Moose did leave open the possibility that this decision might be changed at a later date -- Connie.

CHUNG: All right, Jeanne Meserve, in Washington tonight, thank you.

Of course, the sniper himself remains on the loose. And there have been questions raised about whether police could have snared him on Monday.

CNN's Michael Okwu takes a close look at just how the sniper has been able to get away, with virtually no one seeing him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eleven victims and nine deaths. And still, two weeks later, the only wanted poster in this case is a composite of getaway vehicles. This sniper doesn't only know how to kill. He knows how to get away.

BO DIETL, BEAU DIETL & ASSOCIATES: You have a person or persons that knows the area very well.

OKWU: Criminal experts say the killer is a planner who targets areas along major commercial corridors, maps out escape routes, and then fires from enough distance to shield him in the ensuing chaos.

DIETL: Initially, what happens? All the attention goes on to the person that is hit. The person goes down. Everyone, including the police, when they arrive, they run to help the victim.

OKWU: A state trooper near a Spotsylvania gas station did just that when Kenneth Bridges was shot last week.

JOHN TIMONEY, FORMER PHILADELPHIA POLICE COMMISSIONER: Meanwhile, as folks are running towards the victim, the guy who has let the shot go is walking in the other direction, probably pretty calmly, getting in the car, and melding in with the traffic.

OKWU: Former law enforcement officials also say it takes more time for police to establish an effective dragnet in suburban areas, because they're less congested, possibly 10 to 15 minutes.

DIETL: And now they're looking for witnesses. Within four minutes, five minutes, these people driving at 40 miles an hour, 45 miles an hour could be three, four, five miles out of the area immediately.

OKWU: The fact that such interstate dragnets have been so widely discussed plays into the hands of the shooter. Experts say he could very well take back roads. But imagine he isn't. Imagine he simply walks away.

Former ATF Agent Pete Gagliardi:

PETE GAGLIARDI, FORENSIC TECHNOLOGY: Well, rifles come in all shapes and sizes. There are folding stocks. There are collapsible stocks.

OKWU: Gagliardi says any gun enthusiasts with access to books, CDs or Web sites can find him. Here's a Colt AR-15.

GAGLIARDI: So that whole piece that you see here, from the arrow to here, will fold back along the side of that firearm.

OKWU: Making it small enough, he says, to fold under an arm, in a gym bag or in a tool box.

(on camera): Experts say the killer may be even staking out hiding places near the scene, watching the chaos from a safe distance before escaping, getting away with murder by simply getting away.

Michael Okwu, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: Montgomery County Executive Douglas Duncan has added a new role to his official duties: attending funerals and trying to comfort and reassure those left behind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DOUG DUNCAN, MONTGOMERY COUNTY EXECUTIVE: We are doing everything we can to find who did this, to capture them, to bring them to justice. But today, we are here to offer you our condolences, our love and our prayers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: He's been to every funeral so far of the sniper's victims, the first of whom was targeted in Montgomery County. He has two more to go this weekend. And we spoke with him earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: Mr. Duncan, it has been almost four days since the last shooting. We're heading into the weekend, when, usually, fortunately, we see no activity from the sniper.

But what's your sense? Do you think that perhaps, if we're lucky, that the sniper might have slowed down and stopped?

DUNCAN: You know, we have no idea. We don't know why they're doing what they're doing. Clearly, we wish they would stop. But we don't know what the motivation is and why they're picking who they're shooting and where they're shooting at. So we're on full alert here. We have a massive police presence on all the streets of every community in this region. And we're also continuing this massive manhunt to find out who's doing this.

CHUNG: Sir, you have attended six funerals in 10 days. And I know there are two more coming up this weekend. Are these families -- I'm wondering if the sorrow is overwhelming or are they now turning angry?

DUNCAN: Well, it is a very, very tough time for the families. It is a tough time for everyone, but particularly if you have lost a loved one.

There's no way to make any sense of this. We don't know why their loved ones lost their lives because we don't know what is motivating the shooter here. So, they are really struggling with that. They are suffering terribly. But they're drawing on their family. They're drawing on their friends. They're drawing on their faith for inner strength to help them get through this.

And we want to catch whoever is doing this as fast as we can to bring this community to peace, but also to help these families get an understanding of why this has happened and to help them, in some small way, bring some closure or bring them some additional peace to help them understand what happened here.

CHUNG: Mr. Duncan, it reminds me of after 9/11, when a lot of friends were attending several funerals. How are you -- it must be affecting you personally.

DUNCAN: Well, you have a lot of thoughts as you go through this. But my primary thought is to just reach out to the families, to console them, to make sure they know that every resource that we have, any resource we think of, whether it is local, state or federal, or private sector, even, is being brought to bear here.

And what every family member has told me, the first thing they say is, "Catch him. Catch him as fast as you can." And I'm just assuring them that we're doing that with everything we have.

CHUNG: You know, Maryland Governor Glendening was criticized for calling the sniper a coward. And there are some people out there who believe that just name-calling would hurt the investigation and also provoke the sniper. What do you think?

DUNCAN: Well, I think the governor spoke from his emotions, spoke from his gut. And we have tried to be very professional in our comments that we've made to the public through the media. And we're not engaging in name-calling. We're trying to present the facts as we know them, give out any information out to the public that we think will help refresh their memory, help them call us with more information.

And the public is responding. We have gotten tens of thousands of calls from people trying to help us in this case. And it is very inspiring.

CHUNG: All right, Douglas Duncan, Montgomery County executive, we thank so much for being with us.

DUNCAN: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: When we come back: why a former police chief says Charles Moose is doing it wrong.

ANNOUNCER: Next:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE CHIEF: We are making progress. We remain very optimistic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Police Chief Charles Moose.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOOSE: And I remind everyone, we're doing absolutely the best that we can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: He's got the most difficult job in the nation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOOSE: If you want Channel 9, if you want "The Washington Post," if you want CNN to conduct this investigation, let me know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: What does it take to lead a 17-day manhunt in six jurisdictions?

CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose has criticized the media for its reporting on the search for the sniper, criticizing former law enforcement officers for going on air to discuss investigative techniques and speculate about the actual investigation.

And Moose specifically criticized the news media who reported that a tarot card was found at one of the shooting sites.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOOSE: If you want Channel 9, if you want "The Washington Post," if you want CNN to conduct this investigation, let me know. I have been told by the people that live in Montgomery County that they want the Montgomery County Police Department to do this investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: Well, at least one former police chief is critical of Chief Moose. He's Joseph McNamara, former chief in Kansas City, Missouri, and San Jose, California. He's now a research fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution and joins us from Stanford, California.

Sir, thank you for being with us.

JOSEPH MCNAMARA, FORMER POLICE CHIEF: Yes.

CHUNG: You know, I read your op-ed piece in "USA Today." And you didn't name Chief Moose specifically, but you really picked apart what he has done.

And, honestly, I'm saying to myself, here's a man who is running an investigation, overseeing something like 14 agencies and jurisdictions, and this is -- the magnitude of this investigation is quite extraordinary. I mean, you're not being helpful, are you?

MCNAMARA: No, I didn't mean to be critical of the way Chief Moose is running the investigation. I know him. I respect him. I think he's one of the better chiefs in the country.

I think his remarks against the media were uncalled for. He's under enormous stress. And I think that's what caused him to lash out at the media. But, in fact, a police chief's job is to be a model for the officers under him and to expect them to be cool and professional as they perform their duties. And I think that the media has cooperated with the police, put out a lot of information, is trying to help the police, to the extent they can.

So it is kind of bewildering to hear the chief, at the same time he is using the media to give information to the public, to sort of lash out at the public. This is a big story. People want to know what the police are doing. They want to hear commentary. And I think their level of fear is lowered the more information they get. And I think it's totally inappropriate for the chief to criticize other people commenting on the case. It's a big case.

CHUNG: Well, I know. And you did say, "Outbursts by police chiefs do not inspire professional conduct among subordinates or persuade citizens that the pros are doing their job."

I have to tell you, you're basically calling him unprofessional. I'm wondering -- you are not privy to inside information. And I'm wondering if even -- if you have conducted an investigation of this magnitude that involved federal and three states -- two states and the District of Columbia.

MCNAMARA: I was a policeman for 35 years and a chief of two of the largest cities in the country for more than 18 years. And I have gone through the stress that the chief has. I know what it is.

But, nevertheless, what he is doing is wrong in blasting the news media. And I'm not privy to any inside information. I don't want to be. But I know that it doesn't do anyone any good to have careless talk that might stimulate the sniper to do more damage or attack the media.

CHUNG: Do you really believe that he has engaged in careless talk?

MCNAMARA: Well, I think calling the sniper cowards and making other comments about whether they're a good shot or their patterns...

CHUNG: I believe that was the governor of Maryland who called

(CROSSTALK)

CHUNG: ... a coward.

MCNAMARA: Yes, but I was speaking in general. And my article did not attribute that to Chief Moose.

But what I'm saying in general is, these cases are often solved because of citizens who get information from the police through the media that enables them to report someone who is guilty. And, therefore, the police should be working with the media and not sort of accusing them of interfering with the investigation, when, as far as I can see, all they're doing is reporting the facts.

Take the tarot card.

CHUNG: We appreciate -- oh, all right, let's take that. We appreciate your support, Mr. McNamara.

But, for instance, the tarot card -- you know, they did not release the handwriting sample.

MCNAMARA: Well, that, too.

CHUNG: Do you think that's wrong?

MCNAMARA: When you go back to the Unabomber case...

CHUNG: But may I tell you that the state and federal agencies are telling him not to release it. So, you know...

MCNAMARA: Well, but he is the police chief. The federal government can't tell him what to do. He is the boss.

CHUNG: The federal government can't? You got the FBI in there. Man, I could really see them bearing down on him. You're tough on him.

MCNAMARA: Listen, you know a lot about television, but I happen to know a little more about police work than you do. And no one tells the police chief what to do. He is the boss. And he is not under the orders of the federal government. And he is following his own judgment.

I know Chief Moose well. He is a strong man and a good leader. And I think, if he is using the excuse that the federal government told him not to do this or not to do that, I don't buy it. If he thinks, in his own best judgment, that he shouldn't do something, say it. Tell the people why you're not giving the information. But suppose someone knew of someone's neighbor who followed and used tarot cards, who went to the range a lot, who

(CROSSTALK)

CHUNG: All right, I hear you, Mr. McNamara. I'm so sorry. I just got to ask you to talk to me another time and continue this conversation another time.

Thank you for being with us.

MCNAMARA: Well, I wish the police the best of luck.

CHUNG: I appreciate that. And I'm sure they do, too.

Still ahead: Could the sniper be a member of al Qaeda? A new report fuels the speculation.

Stay with us.

ANNOUNCER: Still ahead: Prisoners rock the big house. Victims' families want to pull the plug -- when CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: The Bush administration has decided not to raise the level of its terror alert, despite warnings yesterday from the FBI and CIA that America now is in almost the same position it was on September 10, 2001. Namely, an al Qaeda attack of some kind is expected.

But, as CNN national correspondent David Ensor reports, the CIA and FBI also said that, just like last year, they may not be able to stop it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What really got people's attention was when George Tenet said the threat environment now is as bad as it was in the summer before the attacks of September 11.

GEORGE TENET, CIA DIRECTOR: It is serious. They have reconstituted. They are coming after us. They want to execute attacks.

ENSOR: And there have been a lot of them, some like the bomb blast on a bus in Manila may only have been inspired by al Qaeda say U.S. officials. That may also be true of the shooting attacks on U.S. Marines in Kuwait. But others, like the attack using a bomb-laden small boat on a French oil tanker off the coast of Yemen, or the bloody bombings at tourist sites in Bali, Indonesia, those may not only have been inspired but also directed by al Qaeda. And lest Americans think all these attacks overseas imply somehow that this country is less threatened, Tenet says think again.

TENET: Al Qaeda is in an execution phase and intends to strike us both here and overseas. That's unambiguous as far as I am concerned.

ENSOR: Part of the evidence is the statements on an audiotape deemed genuine of Ayman Al-Zawahri, al Qaeda's number two. Zawahri refers to warning to Europeans not to back the U.S. on Iraq. He specifically mentions France, Germany, and Belgium on the tape. Officials there tell CNN they view this as the most dangerous period for them since 9/11.

U.S. officials say their heightened concern is also based in part on what senior al Qaeda prisoners, like Abu Zubaydah, are offering them in reaction to Zawahri's threats. But officials say as in the past they lack specifics, intelligence on when, where, and how the attacks might be planned to occur.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR: And that is why Homeland Security officials are saying they have not acted to raise the threat level meter from yellow to orange, though they have sent out a memo to state and local governments and certain key infrastructure officials, urging additional security measures -- Connie.

CHUNG: David, thank you.

Do you have late information on this?

ENSOR: On this particular matter? CHUNG: Issue.

ENSOR: No.

CHUNG: No? OK. We thought you did.

ENSOR: As I understand it, the security level is staying the same. There is some debate about it within the government. But it's staying where it is.

(CROSSTALK)

CHUNG: Forgive me.

What would it take for them to raise the level again to orange?

ENSOR: Officials tell me that, if they have had specific, credible information about a plot. In other words, if they knew a time or a place or something specific, they would go to code orange. And that is what they did some time ago. But they don't have that right now, Connie.

CHUNG: All right, the explosion in the Philippines -- one last question, David -- do intelligence officials believe that al Qaeda was behind the bus bombing?

ENSOR: There's a suspicion that the Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines, which is affiliated with al Qaeda, was probably behind that bombing. Now, it is not a Western tourist target. Americans and other Westerners don't tend to ride on Philippine buses. But they do believe it was Abu Sayyaf. And they have intelligence information suggesting there may be additional al Qaeda-related attacks in the Philippines soon.

CHUNG: All right, David Ensor, thank you.

For the past few days, more and more people have been talking about a possible link between the Washington sniper and terrorism. Is he working for al Qaeda or just a lone crazed gunman? The al Qaeda side got a lift today. CNN has learned that a suspected member of al Qaeda told investigators in Belgium that he has seen al Qaeda training members in sniper techniques.

Earlier, I spoke about that report and the CIA's warning with two specialists in terrorism analysis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: Joining me now from Washington: CNN terrorist analyst Peter Bergen. And we have author Eric Margolis, author of "War at the Top of the World," and a former U.S. Army strategy and tactics instructor.

Thank you, gentlemen, for being with us.

Peter, we'll start with you. Knowing this report that there is an al Qaeda suspect in Belgium who says he has seen sniper training, do you believe that the Washington sniper could possibly be connected with al Qaeda or a similar group?

PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, it's not inconceivable.

Clearly, the sniper is behaving in ways that are dissimilar from previous serial killers or spree killers. The jury is out.

CHUNG: Do you have any inside information that would suggest that, if just a little bit more information were available to you, you would be able to determine whether or not this person is a member of al Qaeda?

BERGEN: Well, I think if indeed there is an accomplice -- which there have been some suggestions that there is an accomplice -- that would militate against a typical kind of serial killer.

The fact that this killer is killing completely only to terrorize the community, rather than taking any enjoyment in killing, all these things seem to possibly point in that direction. But, of course, we really know nothing.

CHUNG: Eric, what do you think? Do you think this could possibly be an al Qaeda terrorist?

ERIC MARGOLIS, AUTHOR, "WAR AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD": It could be, but I think it probably may not be. And the reason is, it doesn't fit the M.O. of al Qaeda operations when I was in Afghanistan and saw these training camps -- which, by the way, were for about 15 different Islamic wars in different areas.

CHUNG: And you did see sniper training?

MARGOLIS: There was sniper training, because it was commando training. And most of the people there were being trained for combat against the Indian forces in Kashmir, where a lot of sniping goes on.

But the usual al Qaeda M.O. is the sense that teams of three to five snipers who work together. Sending a single man against the United States seems sort of farfetched.

CHUNG: Well, I don't think that that would be the suggestion. I think the suggestion would be is that this is one incident of terror and there will be others in other cities.

But let's move on, anyway, to CIA Director Tenet.

Peter, yesterday, he gave this testimony that, quite frankly, was chilling to me. I would much prefer that you tell me that he was exaggerating. Is that possible?

BERGEN: Well, I don't think George Tenet is somebody who is in the habit of exaggerating. After all, he sent a letter to Senator Bob Graham saying that Saddam Hussein is unlikely to use weapons of mass destruction unless his back is against the wall, which is hardly the administration line or the line they would like him to take. So I think he is telling it as he sees it.

The fact is, we're entering a new phase. Al Qaeda has entered a new phase. Osama bin Laden himself purportedly made a statement calling for attacks on American economic interests. Ayman Al-Zawahri, in a statement that I believe is actually very much true, said, "We should destroy the American economy." These statements were made around the anniversary of the beginning of the war against the Taliban.

In the last 10 days to two weeks, we have seen an attack on a French oil tanker in Yemen. We have seen an attack on a tourist disco in Indonesia. The oil business and the tourist business are vital to the world economy. And the bottom line is that they have expanded the war to softer targets because economic targets, Western targets are essentially everywhere. They're not as well defended as American military or governmental targets. And they're targeting our economy, the West in general. And that's a change.

CHUNG: Eric, Tenet also said that they have reconstituted, al Qaeda has reconstituted. What is he talking about?

MARGOLIS: What he's saying is that there was an internal Pentagon report that was circulating in Washington that the invasion of Afghanistan by the U.S. had been counterproductive, in the sense that it had scattered the al Qaeda people far and wide. They were harder to find, harder to monitor.

They have reconstituted. More mid-level people have appeared. But what to me is far more significant is, we overemphasize the importance of al Qaeda. In my understanding, there are only about...

CHUNG: Why?

MARGOLIS: Well, there are only about 300 hard-core members in al Qaeda. But there are thousands and thousands of like-minded individuals who are not members of al Qaeda, but who belong to this old-boys network of Mujahedeen or Afghani who had fought in the war against the Soviets.

CHUNG: But don't they communicate with one another and possibly conspire?

MARGOLIS: Sometimes yes. Sometimes they trade money. They visit each other. They work in tandem on occasion.

CHUNG: But you're saying there isn't this worldwide conspiracy.

MARGOLIS: It's not a worldwide conspiracy. It's a loose confederation of like-minded anti-American groups. So, this is what I think Tenet was trying to explain.

CHUNG: Peter, Tenet said that we will either be struck here or overseas. Do you know, do you have any idea what targets he might be talking about?

BERGEN: I think that we're going to see more attacks on American businesses overseas, Western businesses overseas, because they're very easy to hit. A disco in Indonesia is the softest target you can imagine, as indeed is commercial shipping, that the tanker in Yemen was obviously undefended. These are very easy targets.

MARGOLIS: Bin Laden had said a number of years ago that the United States could never be defeated militarily by anyone. The way it could be defeated would be to bleed it to death by tying it down in scores of small operations. And he is most anxious to see the United States invade Iraq, for example. It would fit right into his strategy.

He said: "Let them go after Iran. Let them invade Indonesia. Finally, the Lilliputians will tie down Gulliver."

CHUNG: Eric Margolis, thank you so much for being with us.

And, Peter Bergen, always good to have you.

BERGEN: Thanks, Connie.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: Still ahead: Why is VH1 putting a man who killed two teenage girls on television as a guitar player?

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: Mary Orlando was a 15-year-old girl who loved music and wanted to be a dancer one day. Tonight, seven years after her death, Mary's killer gets to play guitar on VH1. How could this happen?

Well, VH1 is airing a documentary, "Music Behind Bars," that focuses on bands in prison. Tonight's program looks at the Pennsylvania band Dark Mischief. It is made up of rapists and murderers, including the drug-dealing double-murderer who killed Mary Orlando.

Now her mom, also named Mary, has launched a crusade protesting the show. She has gotten help from Pennsylvania state Representative T.J. Rooney. They're holding a candlelight vigil tonight. And they join me from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Thank you both for being with us.

Mary, can you tell me, how did Christopher Bissey kill your daughter?

MARY ORLANDO, MOTHER OF MURDER VICTIM: Her and her girlfriend took her mother to work. They went up to the lookout to eat on the wall. And he shot both girls in a drive-by from the car. CHUNG: I know that she meant a lot to you, not only because she was your daughter, but she was your only child. Your son had died of an illness.

ORLANDO: Yes.

CHUNG: So tell us why this is so painful for you to see her killer in a prison band.

ORLANDO: I just got so upset when I had seen it. It was like she showed me it that night, the channel. I was flipping the channels and I had seen it. And it was something that she loved to do. And there they are on TV jumping around. And it just really upset me and I got very angry.

CHUNG: I don't think anything anybody could blame you, Mary, honestly.

Representative Rooney, what is it that you object to? Is it the fact that there are prison bands or is it the fact that it is appearing on television?

T.J. ROONEY (R), PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Well, I think, Connie, it is really a combination of both.

While I understand the efficacy and the need for programs in prison, nobody has yet been able to explain to me how this adds value, how there is any redeeming quality or features to this program to those taxpaying citizens in Pennsylvania. And beyond that, Viacom is going to make a profit and VH1 is going to make a profit off this show. I have asked Sumner Redstone to donate the ad revenue from the show to the Pennsylvania Office of the Victim Advocate, if there's any compassion.

CHUNG: Let me go back to Mary.

Mary, is what you object to the fact that there is a prison program, a band program? Or is it the fact that this killer of your daughter is being seen on television?

ORLANDO: Well, it's a little of both. I don't think prisoners like him, the hardened criminals, should be in programs like that in the first -- but I do believe programs in prison for people that will be getting out one day and into society.

But to him, I just didn't see it. And that kind of program, what I have seen so far, I don't think it would help anybody.

CHUNG: Well, he is serving a double life sentence, correct?

ORLANDO: Yes, he is.

CHUNG: All right, Mary and Representative Rooney, we'll be back with you in just a moment.

But right now, I want to bring in the executive producer of "Music Behind Bars," Arnold Shapiro, who agreed to talk with us, but not alongside our other guests. And he joins us from Los Angeles.

Arnold, how could you be so insensitive and so callous?

ARNOLD SHAPIRO, EXEC. PRODUCER, "MUSIC BEHIND BARS": I don't think I or VH1 are being insensitive or callous. We're documenting a program that exists. In fact, the whole idea for this series, "Music Behind Bars," which came from VH1, came because of this music program at Graterford Prison. That's why it's the first episode.

CHUNG: But did you notify the victims' families that the people who killed or raped or robbed were going to be in this documentary?

SHAPIRO: No, we did not.

(CROSSTALK)

CHUNG: Why not? Didn't you feel any obligation to do so?

SHAPIRO: Connie, this gentleman isn't in our documentary. That's the ironic part of this.

CHUNG: But there are shots of him.

SHAPIRO: There are two half-second shots of him. He is not one of the featured people in the documentary.

CHUNG: Well, what difference does that make?

SHAPIRO: Well, it's just ironic that this show is being judged before anybody has seen it. No one has seen the show. It doesn't air until tonight at 10:00.

CHUNG: I don't think that's the point, Arnold. I think the point is, you put the killer of this woman's daughter in your documentary. And he's playing in a band, looking like he's enjoying himself. Even if it's a half-second, at least didn't you have an obligation to tell her?

SHAPIRO: We documented this music program, which is a very positive program in a very negative environment. And, as you'll see tonight, we do not portray these people in any kind of heroic or glorified way. When you see this program, you come away saying, "The last place I want to be in the world is in prison. And the last people I want to be are any of these men."

CHUNG: Fine, fine, fine. That's fine. That's good.

But all I'm saying is, don't you have a little bit of sensitivity here? Isn't there something in you that says to you as a person, as a human being: "Yes, I should have called Mary. I should have called Mary Orlando and said: 'Look, the man who killed your daughter is going to be on television. Do you have a problem? And if you do, I'll take those two half-seconds out'"?

SHAPIRO: Well, what about the other families of the men who are featured who didn't contact us at all? CHUNG: Well, but you didn't contact them, right?

SHAPIRO: Why would we call the mother of somebody....

CHUNG: Why didn't you contact them?

SHAPIRO: It isn't the job of a television company to contact the relatives of people who are featured in news stories or in documentaries. That's a matter of policy. And you as a newsperson know that as well as I know it. I happen to have great sympathy and compassion for any victim of crime.

CHUNG: Well, I'm glad you do. And you should.

SHAPIRO: Well, I do. I do.

CHUNG: Thank you, Arnold Shapiro.

We're going to bring back Mary Orlando and Representative Rooney for some quick final thoughts.

Mary, I know you heard from the governor of Pennsylvania today. What did he tell you?

ORLANDO: He just told me that the program at Graterford, the music program, will be stopped until they look into it. And he apologized for the mixup. And he said it will never happen again on his watch.

CHUNG: One other thing, Mary. In some ways, you have brought publicity to the program. You know what I mean.

ORLANDO: Yes, I do.

CHUNG: And that is sort of the last thing you would want to do, isn't it?

ORLANDO: Yes, it is. That is the last thing I wanted to do. But I also showed what's going on behind there, too. And that's what I wanted to do, too.

CHUNG: Mary Orlando and Representative T.J. Rooney, thank you both.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: And now we have a story of a dying man who, in his final days, sent 10 years worth of his diaries to his old English teacher, Elizabeth Stone. She taught him in his freshman year in high school, more than 25 years before.

So, for 20 years, their only contact had been Christmas cards. Then, just days before his death, Vincent, sent her the diaries, asking that she turn them into a book. Now, in "A Boy I Once Knew," Elizabeth Stone has given Vincent new life and learned more than she could have ever foretold about Vincent and about herself.

Earlier, I spoke with her and his two sisters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: Elizabeth Stone joins us now, along with Vincent's sisters, Angela and Adrianne.

Thank you so much for being with us.

Elizabeth, let's start with you.

You are 22 years old. It is your first teaching job. You're teaching high school. And in a class you have a young man named Vincent. He is a ninth-grader. Do you remember him?

ELIZABETH STONE, "A BOY I ONCE KNEW": Vincent never made eye contact. I looked at Vincent. He looked away. I called on him. He shrugged. And then, one day in December, we were reading "Gift of the Magi." Vincent walks in. He says: "I hate this story. It's a dumb story. It's a stupid story. I hate it."

CHUNG: Oh, my gosh. You finally got a reaction.

STONE: Right. It was the first time I had heard his voice.

CHUNG: So, for the next 25 years, he is no longer in your class. You are a teacher. And what kind of relationship did you have with him?

STONE: We exchanged addresses. I saw him one other time. And then after that, it was Christmas cards.

CHUNG: That's it?

Vincent actually had a secret. He had actually two secrets.

ADRIANNE, SISTER OF VINCENT: His secret was that he died from AIDS. And he was gay.

CHUNG: How did you find out, Angela?

ANGELA, SISTER OF VINCENT: Well, I suspected that he was gay, because, growing up, he really didn't have many girlfriends. And he was -- he did have some feminine ways.

I found out that he had AIDS by accident. He had left one of his journals at my house when he was visiting in New York. And when I found it, I just happened to open it up and I found the word AIDS.

CHUNG: Adrianne, how did you find out about your brother?

ADRIANNE: I found out nine days before he passed away. And I was totally devastated.

CHUNG: Did you see him in an emaciated state? ADRIANNE: Yes.

CHUNG: That must have been...

ADRIANNE: I was in total denial.

CHUNG: Oh, really?

ADRIANNE: Total denial.

CHUNG: One day, it's 199...

STONE: Five.

CHUNG: Thank you.

And you get a box in the mail. You open it up. What's inside?

STONE: There's a letter. "Dear Elizabeth, you must be wondering why I left you my diaries in my will."

CHUNG: Did you even feel that you should or could open them up? After all, these were very private journals.

STONE: This box before me, it was almost like I felt a draft coming out of it. This was a very new death. And I really felt a kind of fear at putting my hand in the box.

CHUNG: Yes. Yes.

STONE: But, at the same time, I had 25 years of curiosity and here was this mystery.

CHUNG: Angela, was any member of your family offended that he gave Elizabeth his diaries and entrusted her with his innermost thoughts and not one of you?

ADRIANNE: I was.

CHUNG: Were you?

ADRIANNE: Yes.

CHUNG: Why?

ADRIANNE: Because I didn't know who she was. She was a stranger. It made me angry.

CHUNG: Did you express that anger to Elizabeth?

ADRIANNE: Yes.

STONE: And she was absolutely right. What happened was, I got the diaries. And Adrianne wrote me a letter saying, "I hope you're the same person who lives at this address, because, otherwise, someone else has my brother's most valuable possessions." (CROSSTALK)

CHUNG: Oh, was that venom coming out in the letter?

STONE: She was right. But I did call you that night.

ADRIANNE: And she didn't know what she was going to do with the diaries. And she may very well have sent them back.

STONE: One of the issues between us was, I said: "If I'm going to do this, I have to encounter Vincent in a real way. There may be stuff in there that you won't like."

And that was -- and I have to hand it to them. They gave me carte blanche. I said, "I can do this if you let me write what I need to write in a the way that doesn't airbrush Vincent, but lets him be." And you were very, very generous in ways that I know were difficult for you in that.

CHUNG: Adrianne, why do think your brother chose Elizabeth to publish his life?

ADRIANNE: I could only guess, but I think that Elizabeth made him feel special and important.

CHUNG: Back then?

ADRIANNE: Back then. And he had an image of her in his mind for 25 years.

ANGELA: And I felt that, if Vincent left his journals to Elizabeth, he must have seen something in her.

STONE: Essentially, here was a man who had died who didn't want to be forgotten. And I think Vincent, living in a culture where everybody was dying, as a gay man in San Francisco, I think he understood that.

I think he understood that he was going to be the one dead. And if he wanted to extend his own life into the present, he had to find a way. And you know what? He did.

CHUNG: In the end, Adrianne, do you think Elizabeth has brought Vincent to life?

ADRIANNE: Absolutely.

CHUNG: What do you think, Angela? What is the legacy?

ANGELA: I think that, basically, life is really much shorter than we think, and just to do as much as you can that makes you happy and the people around you very happy.

CHUNG: Thank you, Elizabeth, for coming.

And, Angela and Adrianne, thank you. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: And now we have some late developments in the sniper investigation.

Joining us now is Jeanne Meserve at the evidence desk in Washington -- Jeanne, what's the latest?

MESERVE: Connie, Montgomery County police say that authorities have seized a white box truck from a car rental agency in Virginia after a shell casing was found inside. One source tells me that the shell casing was discovered by an employee who was cleaning out that truck.

Now, the truck and the shell casing have both been taken into custody. They're being taken to an undisclosed location for forensic testing. I'm told that the results of those tests by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms will not be available until 9:00 Eastern tomorrow, at the very earliest. Now, at this point, authorities have no idea if this truck has any relationship to the sniper investigation. And so, they say, in the meantime, they are still asking the public for any information about white box trucks -- Connie, back to you.

CHUNG: Jeanne, thank you so much for that late report.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: Now, because of our breaking news about the sniper investigation tonight, I'm so sorry that we weren't able to bring you the story about the youth league football game that turned into a brawl. We'll try to get to that.

Once again, the late news is that a shell casing was found in a white box truck at a rental company in the Washington area. On Monday, we'll have the latest developments in that hunt for the Washington sniper.

And coming up next on "LARRY KING LIVE": more on the search for the sniper.

Thank you for joining us. And for all of us at CNN, have a good night and have a great weekend.

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