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Did Police Drop the Ball in Long Island Serial Killer Investigation?; Mom Plunges Van Into N.Y. River Killing Herself Plus Three Young Children
Aired April 13, 2011 - 14:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(INTERRUPTED BY SPECIAL COVERAGE OF A LIVE EVENT)
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RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: We've have had our eyes on Washington and the president's speech, but there is other news this hour, starting in New York.
We've just heard from police who are trying to figure out who has been dumping human remains along a remote stretch of highway on the southern edge of Long Island. Since December, police have found nine and maybe ten apparent murder victims. But so far, as we know, they have yet to find the young escort whose disappearance set off this entire search.
CNN's Allan Chernoff was at today's briefing, he's also been knocking on doors and hearing some pretty amazing things.
Allan, let's start with that. What are you hearing?
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, Randi, this is the woman that the search has been all about, Shannon Gilbert. She went missing back on May 1st of last year. She has not been found.
All of those bodies that you have referred to, the human remains, none of them yet have been identified as hers. So the search goes on. Even today, there were divers in the water looking for clues, looking for some evidence.
Now, I mentioned that date May 1st of last year. Earlier today, I spoke with a man who Shannon Gilbert begged for help on that very morning. At 5:00 a.m., she banged on his door in the community of oak beach, not far from where we are standing right now. He called the police immediately, she dashed out, a man was in an SUV and he drove after her.
This man, Gus Coletti, told me that it took detectives four months to then question him.
Let's have a listen.
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GUS COLETTI, RESIDENT OF OAK BEACH, N.Y.: Missing person detective came here like in August and was asking about her. And I said, where have you been. And he says, well, it is a kind of thing of New Jersey Police Department didn't take them -- and --
CHERNOFF: They didn't come. She was missing May 1st --
COLETTI: Yes.
CHERNOFF: -- but the police did not come to visit you until August?
COLETTI: That is correct.
CHERNOFF: Nothing?
COLETTI: Nothing.
CHERNOFF: May, June, July and finally, August.
COLETTI: Right.
CHERNOFF: Four months.
COLETTI: Right. And that was missing persons.
CHERNOFF: And you called the police immediately?
COLETTI: Yes. Well, they came in here, but as far as investigating it, no.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHERNOFF: I just asked the Suffolk County Police commissioner about that, Richard Dormer; he didn't have much to say.
Let's listen.
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COMM. RICHARD DORMER, SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. POLICE: I have no idea when the detective spoke to whomever he was talking about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHERNOFF: Coletti says that the detective told him that police in New Jersey dropped the ball. Shannon Gilbert was a resident of Jersey City. The Jersey City Police Department tells me they will not comment about an ongoing investigation -- Randi.
KAYE: So there is still no answers as to who might be doing this, who might have done this, and they are continuing to point fingers at each other it seems like as well.
All right, Allan Chernoff, thank you for that update.
And be sure to watch CNN Saturday for a one-hour special, "LONG ISLAND SERIAL KILLER." That's Saturday 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
So why would a mom drive her four children into the ice-cold Hudson River? What police are saying about the apparent murder- suicide and how a quick thinking 10-year-old managed to save himself. Those details next.
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KAYE: Now the tragic story of an apparent murder-suicide and the remarkable effort of a 10-year-old boy to save himself from the ice- cold Hudson River.
Police in Newburgh, New York, say a young mom put her four young children into a minivan and drove into the river; only the 10-year-old survived.
Deborah Feyerick joins us now from Newburgh.
Deb, what are officials saying there about this terrible tragedy?
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Randi, we can tell you something was definitely going on in the life of 25-year-old Lashandra Armstrong. Her grief stricken aunt was here just a few moments ago, she put flowers and candles and some teddy bears by the side of the water there. She said no one has the right to judge her niece, Lashandra Armstrong.
The mother of four, yesterday, apparently drove her minivan down a ramp into the Hudson River. Her 10-year-old son, Lashawn, was able to put down his window and scramble out of the vehicle as it began to sank.
This is what police say happened.
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CHIEF MICHAEL FERRARA, NEWBURGH, N.Y. POLICE: Investigation has revealed that all of the children were inside of the vehicle when it entered the water, but the 10-year-old child managed to escape.
It appears from the investigation that he managed to hit the power windows and opened up one of the windows and climbed out of the vehicle before the vehicle sunk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: Now, apparently, yesterday, Ms. Armstrong picked up her three kids from a nearby day care center earlier in the day than she normally did.
And the director there tells us that, in fact, teachers noticed that the young mom looked kind of out of it. They didn't say exactly what, but she just did not appear normal. Usually, she was very upbeat, very polite, always attentive to her three young children.
The landlord, who we also spoke with, he tells us that he was called to the apartment twice in the last six months to change the locks on the door.
Now, the 10-year-old boy, really, he was the lone survivor of this tragic accident. He was able to get out of the car, as you heard, and scramble on shore, swimming up. We are told that he was very polite and neighbors say that had he been able to save his two young brothers and his infant sister, that he would have.
Reporting from Newburgh, New York, I'm Debbie Feyerick.
Back to you, Randi.
KAYE: All right, Deb Feyerick, thank you very much.
And we'd like to know what you think of the president's speech that we showed you just a short time ago on CNN. So go to CNN.com/ticker and click on "President Obama." Join the live chat, share your thoughts. We'd love to know what you think of all of this, and we will share your comments a little bit later.
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KAYE: Here's what some of you thought about President Obama's speech.
Flitter54 says, "Our president is absolutely correct, his speech was great. Tell the Republicans to put away their machetes, they are not wanted."
Infamazz says, "There are no specifics!! What a loser. How can anybody take this guy seriously?"
TruthSpitta says, "Raising taxes is a no-brainer. I just hope they are raised enough. It needs to go beyond just letting the tax cuts for the wealthy expire. Really, the tax cuts for everybody need to expire, then raised by even more on the wealthiest Americans and the corporations. And the tax code must be simplified on top of that."
And then catwill says, "The president laid out there his suggestions and he did follow some of the Debt Commission's suggestions. Bottom line he did give his vision and it could work if allowed to work."
And ragun says, "Didn't go far enough. Our problems are spending and taxation in equal portions, but Obama placed the majority of the effort on cuts, because he doesn't want to violate his campaign promise. I say just do it. Back to Clinton levels."
That's going to do it for me. CNN NEWSROOM continues with Brooke Baldwin right after this quick break.
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