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Credible sighting of Richard Matt and David Sweat near the town of Friendship, New York; Charleston's Emanuel AME church will re-open its doors for worship tomorrow morning; Aired 6-7p ET

Aired June 20, 2015 - 18:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[18:00:12]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN: I'm Poppy Harlow joining you from New York. It's 6:00 eastern, top of the hour here, and we begin with our breaking news from New York state. The two men who escaped from a maximum security prison in upstate New York, there has been a possible sighting of them, that possible sighting taking place right on the state line between New York and Pennsylvania.

Our Deborah Feyerick citing from law enforcement sources saying, they believe there was a quote "credible sighting of Richard Matt and David Sweat" near the town of Friendship. As they said, that is the town in New York State right along the state line with Pennsylvania. A second source involve in the search says that heavily armed police and law enforcement agents are walking along key railroad tracks. They were armed with shotguns rifles and firearms.

This as we have now learned that on Tuesday, other sources called in to the authorities telling them there were other possible sightings of both of these convicted killers. It has been 14 days since they escaped from prison. Earlier this week, we were told the trail had gone cold. Now, this manhunt has intensified. A local reporter was told by authorities to leave an area that was deemed to be a hot zone for activity.

I want to bring in Sara Ganim. She is reporting live on the ground right in Dannemore, New York, right outside of that prison.

Sara, what are you learning?

SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Poppy, we're learning that authorities are converging on this area in Friendship, New York, just north of the border with Pennsylvania, and not far from where there was two potential sightings last weekend, two men walking that fit the description of these escaped inmates.

I just got off the phone with someone who lives within the perimeter that's been set up there in Friendship, New York. He told me there has been a perimeter set around this town, no one is getting in without showing their driver's license, that actually live within that town. There are car checks taking place, helicopters in the air. He told me, this is a one horse town. They have one traffic light,

heavily surrounded by wooded areas. Very rural area. He was actually at a church that's about two miles away from the area that police are very heavily concentrated in where they're doing grid searches, canvassing the area. He told me, though, that the perimeter is clearly surrounding the town, that they don't want people going in or out. They're asking people to stay in their homes, and not to leave unless it's absolutely essential.

Another man who I spoke to not long ago who is in a cemetery, the caretaker of the cemetery, very close to where the state police searches are concentrated, told me there's been a chopper hovering over him for more than an hour, that he sees troopers up and down along a creek near a highway and also a railroad, and that is very important, Poppy, because that railroad, we can see on the map, leads directly to the town where that potential sighting was last weekend where authorities, state police authorities are now reviewing surveillance camera footage to see if in fact it was those two escaped inmates.

But as you mentioned, CNN's Deb Feyerick getting from her sources this is a credible lead there taking very seriously. And from the reports we're getting on the ground it sure seems that way -- Poppy.

HARLOW: And that is not something we've heard uttered, really much at all during the search, credible lead, and they are indeed calling a credible sightings of Richard Matt and David Sweat.

Sara Ganim, stand by.

Let me bring in former FBI assistant director, former police officer himself, Tom Fuentes.

Tom, your concern is how did they get all the bodies they need to secure that permit before nightfall because this is 350 miles south of the prison where most of the search was still going on pretty closely there?

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Right. And because that county doesn't have a large city or large urban population, that means if there's not as many police officers to draw on. So they have to come from further away. They will take them several hours to get there. It may already be dark by the time most of them arrive. So they're going to maintain a perimeter, if the individuals are still inside that wooded area, inside what will become the full perimeter, which is a big if given the rural nature of that. Then you have these officers arriving, and then they're going to be doing the search, it's going to be dark. The local citizens are afraid. There is just -- it's a difficult situation for everybody.

HARLOW: Do they keep doing it throughout the night, though?

[18:04:54] FUENTES: I don't think they'll go into the woods for the night. I think they'll just try to, if they can, establish the perimeter, they'll keep the helicopters with infrared search capabilities in the air, looking for people moving around, and probably try to keep the police officers set around the perimeter to maintain that location.

HARLOW: Sara Ganim, back to you. If you're still with us, we've also learned in the last 24 hours that one of these correctional officers at the prison, at the Clinton correctional facility, was put on administrative leave. Obviously, that means that, you know, the authorities think that they had some hand in some way or knowledge potentially about this. Is it just circumstance that we're finding out about that today as this is going on? And could that person help lead the authorities to Matt and Sweat?

GANIM: There's always that potential, Poppy. We know that there's been a very intense ongoing investigation, not just of the escape, but also of what was going on in that prison in the days and weeks leading up to that escape, the district attorney, the department of corrections, the governor calling for an investigation of what was going on inside.

We know from the DA that he has said from the beginning that there was always the potential that there were more people who helped these two in some way, even if it was a small way, helped them escape. This was clearly a very elaborate plan.

Joyce Mitchell who is the prison seamstress who was arrested last week, and charged with bringing them tools. That seemed to be a critical step in their escape, but now we're learning there is a male corrections officer who is part of the investigation put on administrative leave. We don't have many more details other than the fact that he was put on administrative leave, and this is part of an ongoing investigation, the L.A. has always said more charges could always come - Poppy.

HARLOW: Sara, you've spoke on the phone with an elderly man that lives in this neighborhood where this intense manhunt is going on right now, he's really, really scared.

GANIM: He's very central to where the concentrated manhunt is. A very intense part of it. He's an 80-year-old mam. He is a caretaker for a cemetery, which clearly is right in the middle of this, right near the creek, right near the railroad and the highway where the most intense part of this search is happening right now.

He said, yes. He said I'm scared. I'm sitting here with a rifle. He said I think they're really serious, they've seen somebody; I just hope they catch them; otherwise it will make for a long night. Just two miles away, there's a church, and I talked to someone who answered the phone at the church. The perimeter is clearly much larger than that. And in campuses the town of friendship, that no one is getting in without showing state police their driver's license to prove they live there, and that -- he said the whole town is on lock down, Poppy.

HARLOW: And that is exactly, for our viewers, that's what you're looking at now, this video just in to us from our affiliate in WIVB there in Allegheny County, New York. A roadblock, essentially anyone that wants to get in or out of Friendship for this area, has a roadblock. We heard from one of the residents here himself who got stopped earlier today. The authorities stopping them, asking them for their license of the person we talked to, as you know, you spoke to him as well. They're checking their cars, and taking all precautions they can. That's what you're looking at.

Sara, stand by with me as I bring Tom Fuentes back in.

So Tom, they're doing what they can. They're doing what they can, but sort of what is the next step? And I wonder, we've got this reporting from our Deborah Feyerick. There is a law enforcement sources are saying, these are credible sightings. A lot of what they give that credence to is these footprints, these tracks that were spotted next to the railroad tracks. But would you assume that there is information that the authorities have that we're not hearing about right now?

FUENTES: I don't know. They might. But I think if they had information as to where these guys might be, they would put it out for the safety of the public if nothing else.

But you know, something else we have to keep in mind. When you run a big operation like this, you can't just say, let's send 800 cops into this county out of the blue. It takes them a while for them to get there. They have to get back in their gear back together, get back on duty, get back on their cars drive, now logistics is credible. How do you feed all these police officers? How many hotel rooms are in the area to put them up? How do you support this massive effort that's now going to be ongoing for several days in that area? You know, that's another concern.

HARLOW: If you take a look at the map, I think we can pull it full screen so everyone can see, but if you look at the distance, look, the Clinton correctional facility, 20 miles south of the Canadian border, that's 350 miles away from where this intensified manhunt is now focused on. Do you, if you're leading this operation, do you pull your officers away from the prison area where they've been searching, pull them all down south, if you're wrong, then you have to get them back up there.

FUENTES: Well, you are not going to pull them all down there, anyway. It is just, you know, it will be too much of the diversion from one place to the other when you do have this escapee in the area of prison. I think what I'd be looking at here is the additional manpower from Pennsylvania state police from the Pennsylvania authorities. It's so close. So much affects them. Especially if these two have slipped out of that - they think were there, and they slipped out of the net before they could get it set up, they would probably be in Pennsylvania. So it would be an interest to the Pennsylvania authorities to participate heavily in this. And they could probably get a lot of manpower there more quickly than what New York state troopers can do.

[18:10:18] HARLOW: Again, just to reset for us, if you're just joining us, breaking news here on CNN. A credible sighting to most wanted fugitives Richard Matt and David Sweat. A credible sighting has been called in to law enforcement to one of their tip line.

Our Deborah Feyerick reporting, it is a credible sighting right in the town of Friendship, just north of the Pennsylvania boarder. It's in friendship New York. A second source involve in this search team that heavily armed police and law enforcement agents are walking along the railroad tracks. They are armed with shotguns, rifles and firearms after multiple sources have called in these tips that the authorities deem credible.

Quick Break. We are back on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:14:53] HARLOW: I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. We are continuing to follow the breaking news in New York State right now, a possible major breakthrough in the intense manhunt for two murders who broke out of prison. We are following a huge spike in police activity in south western New York State, in Allegheny County to be specific, right near the town of Friendship that is right along New York/Pennsylvania state line.

Police are covering and converging on what they call a credible sighting of these two men who fit the descriptions of convicted murders Richard Matt and David Sweat. They are considered very dangerous. As I have said, both convicted murders. According to the sheriff's office, a county resident called in a tip that the two men they believe they sighted the two men near that town of friend ship. A very small town as you see the police checks and stops are going on for everyone right now, trying to get in and out.

Joining me now we have Sara Ganim on the ground there outside of the prison in Dannemore, which I should note is about 350 miles away. Also joining me, former FBI assistant director Tom Fuentes, and I believe we have Rick Schwein on the phone with me, a former FBI special agent.

Rick, are you with me?

RICHARD SCHWEIN JR., FORMER FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Yes.

HARLOW: Rick, thank you for joining us. I appreciate it. You led the manhunt for Eric Rudolph, the centennial park bomber back in 1996, and you're on camera with us. I appreciate you being with me. What can you tell me about what is going on right now? You led one of these manhunts before, when you're talking about a search 350 miles away from where they were just searching for these men, what do you do at this point in time, when you don't have the manpower you need to put up this perimeter?

SCHWEIN: And that's the important point, Poppy, as you got to establish a perimeter. And your number one priority has to be the safety of the residents in that geographic area. And it's going to be a challenge for law enforcement to get that quickly established and to coordinate with the local state and federal authorities that are all converging on that spot. The good news is, this could be that tipping point that leads to their arrest.

HARLOW: It absolutely could. Stand by Rick. With me also, Sarah and Tom Fuentes. I want to play this for our viewers. One of the local reporters on the scene just filed this report. Let's roll it.

JENN SCHANZ, WIVB REPORTER: Yes, that's right. I'm here on route 86 in Allegheny County just outside friendship. Just a few miles away from what state troopers are calling a hotspot. Now, you can see traffic is really backed up here. Police have a checkpoint set up where they appear to be checking cars. You can see that the state patrol has rifles on them.

Now, you just saw a police chopper circling over the area of the 186 bridge in Friendship. That was near East Maple Grove road, near some railroad tracks. Every few miles in Friendship, you'll see a state patrol team just keeping an eye on things. Neighbors who live here nearby say they have heard from troopers that there has been quote "a suspicious sighting in the area," but that's all they're telling them.

Last reports were on tracks in east Maple Grove in Allegheny County, the hotspot I mentioned to you, we were directed away from that area and told to go north. Law enforcement is breaking the area up right now into grids and searching for any potential clues that way. We have heard in the scanner that law enforcement has also been clearinghouses in Friendship.

Now, according to residents, the two escaped inmates, David Sweat and Richard Matt, who have now been loose from correctional for two weeks were spotted in friendship. Again, this is a live and active scene. At this point we have more questions than answers. We will be following this story throughout the night, we'll have live updates for you regularly. Stick with us on the air and online at wivb.com. You can also follow us on social media.

For now reporting live at Allegheny County, Jenn Schanz.

HARLOW: Jen thank you for that report. We appreciate it coming from one of our team members, our local affiliates on the ground there in this area near Friendship right by that Pennsylvania near airport (ph).

Deborah Feyerick on the phone with me, CNN national correspondent, working her law enforcement sources. Deb, what are you hearing?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via phone): What we're hearing, Poppy, is that authorities did find tracks near an area of Allegany County. And the law enforcement there briefed on this investigation says that there was a credible sightings. There have been a number of sightings over the last couple of days (INAUDIBLE). Everyone must be check out including what was believed to be a surveillance tape with images of two men, but it was too far, too blurry. And so no one can make it out.

We are being told by another force, an emergency response person, that heavily armed police and law enforcement are walking along the railroad tracks. And one thing you have to keep in mind, Poppy, is that the prison, the prison correctional facility is in an area where a lot of freight trains that pass through. And so, one of the working theories, even two weeks ago, was that perhaps these two men jumped one of the trains. And when you look at the distance that's been covered so far, clearly that is going to be a part of the investigation as to how they got there, but that critical sighting was near the town of Friendship New York just north of Pennsylvania border in Allegheny County, Poppy.

[18:20:18] HARLOW: Deb, is this the first time in these two weeks since these men escaped that there has been quote-unquote "credible sighting" of them that authorities are taking this seriously?

FEYERICK: There have been - it is interesting, Poppy, because there have been a lot of tips. And what authorities were doing is they were looking for patterns to the tips to see which ones could pan out because so many are coming in that they really wanted to sort of narrow the focus. They can't go chasing all of them, but what they can do is find those that seem to have big potential. And this is one of those particular tips. And that's why they're sending so many resources there. You have to keep in mind you have a New York state trooper barracks in Buffalo, also one near Albany. And we are being told that law enforcement agents are walking the railroad tracks they're heavily armed, they have shotguns, they got long rifles. And they're approaching it from a number of directions. And this way, if those two men decide to run, the hope is, at least law enforcement will be able to capture them, sort of setting a wide net that these two guys run into. But again, it seems to be positive, and the distance they travelled suggests they didn't do it on foot, that they may have either jumped a train or another mode of transportation, Poppy.

HARLOW: Deborah Feyerick reporting for us, working her sources. Fantastic reporting, Deb. Thank you. Let us know when you have more on that.

Let me go to Sara Ganim. She is live outside of Clinton correctional facility in Dannemore, New York.

Sara, I wonder if you're hearing from the law enforcement folks on the ground there. How much of a shift they're making of their resources from where you are down to this area about 350 miles away?

GANIM: Up until this night, Poppy, the search was mostly concentrates into this area, about 13 square miles around the prison. We saw just few, about an hour ago, the command post left. It was here this morning. It is no longer here. There were about 800 different law enforcement officers local and state federal on the ground for the last two weeks here. It's probable that they're now making their way out of town to this new search area to assist with this new credible lead.

Something else I want to point out to you, Poppy. Last weekend when we talked to the district attorney, he gave us details about what the plan was, what the escaped plan was, according to the prison seamstress who had allegedly brought them the tools they used to help -- to cut their way out of the jail. Now, she was told before she got cold feet and failed to pick them up, she was told by these men to be ready to pick them up in the middle of the night, and to be ready to drive for about seven hours to a location. She wasn't told where they were going, be ready to drive for seven hours. Well, Friendship New York is about six and a half, seven hours drive from where we are, from the prison facility. So I just wanted to note that to you, Poppy.

And I want to tell you something else that's interesting. I just looked at the weather forecast. It's going to thunderstorm in friendship New York. And that was a huge hindrance here in the first week of the search. The canine units who were here picked up the scent of these two men at a gas station, very close to the prison, lost it when it rained. They stopped being able to track those men on foot. And it's going to thunderstorm tonight in Friendship New York so that could be something that law enforcement is dealing with yet again in this search.

My sources telling me that while it is a credible lead, I did hear just moments ago that there is nothing confirmed, that it is actually the escapees, no confirmation that was seen there. This sighting is actually those two escapees, but they have set up a large perimeter around this town, Poppy.

HARLOW: When you talk about a credible lead, Tom Fuentes -- Sara thank you for that. Stand by. Let me bring in Tom Fuentes here.

When you talk about a credible lead, those were the words used from a law enforcement source to our Deborah Feyerick, where is the delineation? Where is that line when you say this is a lead, a good lead, and a credible lead?

FUENTES: Credible meaning that they go interview the individual that made the allegation or sighting and just to see, is he coherent, is he drunk, you know, can he see straight?

HARLOW: Does that mean they go in person?

FUENTES: Yes, they would talk to him and get as much information as possible, what direction, what were they wearing exactly, how tall, how heavy? You know, their skin, what were they carrying? Where exactly did you see them? Where were they? Where were you? So you try to get all of that type of information. And if they think this person being sincere isn't making it up to become famous, isn't just putting something out there to watch the police activity that's going to happen, then they call it credible.

[18:25:07] HARLOW: It's an important point that you say they go talk to this person who has called in the possible sighting in person because one of my producers are just saying to me, you know, could these convicted murderers call in tips knowingly false tips to lead them elsewhere?

FUENTES: Well, if they were somewhere else and called it in, and you know, you would have a long distance phone call coming in and saying, we're in Friendship, New York. Go look for him and you know, they are calling from New Mexico or something --

HARLOW: They track that within seconds.

FUENTES: It would be able to track that. So that would be difficult to do. There are ways to make anonymous calls. But again, they wouldn't necessarily call that a credible tip then if they couldn't get ahold of the person that made the complaint or made the call, if that's where they go talk to the person. If it's a citizen of the town, the people know them, the person's known to be reliable. And relatively intelligent, then you know, they'll now look at it and take it more seriously.

HARLOW: What do you make of the fact that Sara Ganim just brought of very potential coincidence or interesting point that the DA there told her last week, look, these guys told Joyce Mitchell that they were going to drive seven hours away. Well, the area where the intensified manhunt is right now, is six and a half hours away from the prison.

FUENTES: I find it hard to believe that they would leave the jail that night, drove six and a half hours, get out of the car and say here we are and not go anywhere else for ten days. They just sit there. And then just wander around people's backyards or up and down railroad tracks and get sighted.

So I think that we talked about that the very first day, that the head start they got could put them halfway to Chicago, could put them in New York City, could put them all over, plus Canada. And you know, what we said that was a distinct possibility, did they have a plan b, or was Joyce really a (INAUDIBLE) diversion, and they are all along made phone calls to have someone else pick them up somewhere near the prison, get them out of town, get them a long way out of town, and have that kind of head start on the authorities. And much of the search originally was so concentrated around Dannemore in the prison area. But that gave them plenty of opportunity to be much further distance away.

HARLOW: All right, Tom Fuentes, appreciate the expertise. Stay with me. Also, rick Schwein, we have on the phone a former FBI special agent. He will stay with us as well. Sara Ganim will stay with us and our Deborah Feyerick reporting as well.

We're going to take a quick break. Much of this breaking news next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:31:35] HARLOW: Breaking news here on CNN. It is 6:30 p.m. eastern time. I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. We're continuing to follow an intensified manhunt from two convicted murderers who escaped from a maximum security prison two weeks ago today.

Sara Ganim is on the ground outside of the Clinton correctional facility.

Sara, a quote "credible sighting" of Richard Matt and David Sweat has been called in and authorities are all over this. But it is 350 miles away from where you are. What do you know?

GANIM: That's right, Poppy. We are told my (INAUDIBLE) on the ground that police have swarmed this area. This is a very active search scene doing a little research now on this area. And what these two inmates might know about this area, their ties to this area, just to give you a little background.

David Sweat had lived in north Binghamton, New York which is about two hours away from that area. And Richard Matt had actually committed his murder, which he was in prison for in Tonawanda, New York, which is about 1:45 minutes away from Friendship. Both of them having some close ties to the surrounding area.

Now, I bring that up only because last weekend when the search was more concentrated to this prison area, to the area around the prison here, the district attorney told me a couple interesting things. He said that Joyce Mitchell, the prison seamstress who was, her word, supposed to pick them up the night they escaped was told that she was going to drive them about seven hours away from here, from Dennamore to the location that the two inmates had picked. She claimed not to know.

Now, seven hours away is about the drive time, just a little more than the drive time from here to Friendship where the active search is currently happening. I also asked the DA last week if they had heard from friends and family, an acquaintances of these two convicted murderers, to see if they had made contact with anyone, potentially were they planning to go stay with people that they knew, or use them to help get out of town? And he said at that point they had not heard from any of their acquaintances -- I'm sorry, at that point police had made contact with the friends and acquaintances and family members, but those friends and family members had not heard from the two inmates.

We also talked a little about cell phones and I just want to bring up because I heard you talking with Tom Fuentes about cell phones. Those two inmates were seen by other inmates inside the correctional facility before they escaped with cell phones. Other inmates saw them with cell phones. Now, police here could not confirm -- could not say whether or not they believe they still had them after they escaped. The district attorney was hesitant to tell us if phone records or cell records had aided them in anyway in their search. But inmates did see them with cell phones before they escaped, Poppy.

HARLOW: Very good point. Sara, thank you, stand by.

I want to go to Rick Schwein now. He is former FBI special agent. He led the manhunt for Eric Rudolph, the centennial park bomber in 1996 who was able to flee and able to live on the lamb for five years.

When you look at similarities between these cases, someone being in a heavily wooded area, able to sustain themselves and survive, what comparisons can you draw, and also, you know, what has been learned from that hunt and applied to this.

SCHWEIN: Well, the comparison in this case are they are really few. Rudolph was an outdoors man. He knew the geographic area that he was in extremely well. He spent a lot of time in the mountains, in western North Carolina, living off the land for extended periods of time. He was in the military, where he had additional survival training. These two inmates are hardened criminals. They escaped. Rudolph went

on the run prior to charges being filed against him. Rudolph had a plan to escape. He had cashed supplies of course when he went to that cash they had gotten wet and didn't do them a lot of good. But he had more skills than these two inmates have. And he also skewed technology and stayed away from his social network.

And I think you made an important point earlier when you talked about focusing on social networks, family, friends, acquaintances, as well as the use of technology, this potential tracking of cellular telephones. You know, those are things that investigators are going to key in on, if they can determine the number of phones these gentlemen may have with them, that can be a key to their capture. But these are two completely different situations, Rudolph and these escapees.

[18:36:12] HARLOW: All right. Rick, thank you. Stand by. Stay with us.

I want to talk more about it also with Tom Fuentes, former FBI assistant director, Matthew Horace, formerly with the ATF, 30 years in law enforcement.

To you, Matthew, when you look at this, one of the concerns that Tom brought up is that the theory is so far away from the focus of the manhunt, where it has bee, that the question becomes and at the tiny town, the police force isn't going to be that big. How do you get the manpower you need down there to secure this perimeter?

MATTHEW HORACE, FORMER ATF SPECIAL AGENT: Well, you know, we're working into nightfall right now, so that's going to be one challenge because it's already difficult enough during great conditions, but at night it's going to be a little more difficult.

But I think we should remember one thing here. There's a difference between leads of what we think any of thousands of lead and credible sightings. Now, we had credible sightings. So what that means is, we shift the focus of the perimeter, we extend it out and we move from one place to the other. And I'm sure between the government, the state police in Pennsylvania and New York, whenever we get credible sightings, we're going to focus on those areas.

HARLOW: But quickly enough, Tom.

FUENTES: Well, we hope so. I mean, was it quick enough in Dannemore when they got out that first night?

HARLOW: They had a seven hour lead.

FUENTES: They had a seven hour head start. But here in this case, they're going to have a several hour head start before that perimeter is fully established. I don't know that it is yet. Yes, the main road, they have roadblocks, they're checking railroad tracks for the hiking and the path. The tracks that went along the railroad tracks. But to get enough police officers to secure an area that big and to get them out there quickly from all over the state, what is a very rural area, that's a challenge. And you know, again, we've talked about darkness is approaching.

HARLOW: Let's talk again for our viewers just joining us on this breaking news. Tell us again what a credible sighting means.

FUENTES: Credible means is that when they talk to the individual who made the sighting, that it sounds like it could be real, that it's person of relative, you know, someone is not trying to make this up or they're suspicious about why this person called this in or they are trying to be famous or maybe they're just not right.

HARLOW: And it is something they verified in person.

HARLOW: I would say yes, at some point, before you're going to devote 1,000 officers to this area, they're going to talk to that person directly and get as many facts as they can. Try to verify what the suspects looked like, what they were wearing, what were they carrying, which direction were they going, how far away were they when they were spotted, what were the lighting conditions, did you have a good look at them, did you see their faces? All of that would be something that whoever did the interview with the person that made the sighting would try to verify and say, OK, this looks like this is very possible.

HORACE: And let's remember other things also. There are photos of these two gentlemen that have gone throughout the country and even overseas. There are also composite photos as to what they would look like right now, if they had hair, if they shaved their heads are different things. Rural area, two men that fit the description walking along the road.

HARLOW: Yes, absolutely. Guys, thank you, stand by. Sara Ganim also reporting for us on the ground right outside of Clinton correctional facility in upstate New York as we continue to follow the breaking news on this intensified manhunt and a quote "credible sighting" of Richard Matt and David Sweat being called into the authorities. Back in just a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:43:36] HARLOW: All right, back now to our breaking news in upstate New York. Police ramping up their search for two convicted murderers who have been on the run for two weeks. Sources telling our Deborah Feyerick there was a quote "credible sighting" near the town of Friendship, New York. That is just north of the Pennsylvania state line with New York.

Additionally, the sheriff's office saying that someone phoned in a tip that led authorities to local railroad tracks right near there as well. Police now walking the tracks heavily armed with shotguns, long rifles and other firearms. This area, just to give you some perspective here, we're talking about a very small town located in Allegany County, New York. This town is about 350 to 400 miles away south-southwest of the Clinton correctional facility that Matt and Sweat broke out of two weeks ago. Law enforcement designating the area is a quote "hotspot." They've told any reporters on the ground there to move out of the region. Let's go now to our complete team coverage. We have Sara Ganim on the

ground outside of Clinton correctional facility. We also have with me here in New York, former FBI assistant director Tom Fuentes, with me, former ATF agent Matthew Horace, and also on Skype, we have Rick Schwein, former FBI special agent.

Rick, let me begin with you. Given this credible sighting has been called in, what is going on right now in this manhunt?

SCHWEIN: Well, law enforcement has to establish a good perimeter to try to keep the two fugitives within that perimeter. And they also have to have paramount in their concerns is the safety of the public that lives within that perimeter. It's a very difficult to thing to do. It requires a lot of manpower and a lot of coordination, because you're going to have a response from numerous states, local and federal agencies.

Additionally, as my ATF colleague indicated, nights about fall, and that can be both good news and bad news. It allows people cover so they can move hopefully unobserved. But certainly law enforcement has technology that they can utilize to their advantage during periods of darkness.

[18:45:39] HARLOW: All right. Rick, thank you, stay with me.

Let's talk about some of the technology, Tom. What's being use?

FUENTES: Well, main technology would be infrared and helicopters. So you see the helicopters already circling a human body or even an animal body that is warm blooded walking around on the ground will leave the heat signature that shows up as a making them light color on the infrared screen where the cooler ground and trees would be a darker color. So it actually makes the person look like a ghost walking around on the ground.

Now, as it gets darker and as it gets cooler for the ground, that will show up even stronger. Because the body is warm, the blood is warm. So it will make that as a case (ph) now. They're predicting thunderstorms, if there's severe weather they won't be able to fly. And that comes up and that has come up - had come up several times earlier in Dannemore when they had torrential downpours and all of that, making it difficult. So the technology is great, if they can fly it and get it up there, and depending on how many helicopters and planes they have to deploy there right now, that will be important.

HARLOW: Matthew, you bring in new law enforcement sources. You bring in new bodies in this search, to this area, or do you take some of those 800 that are up right around the prison that have been searching around there and you move them down?

HORACE: Mostly my experience working in the federal government, you are dealing with two different geographical errors. But you do have case agents and case investigators that are on the case. They are the ones that have the most information and the most intelligence on the ground. But moving into Pennsylvania now, we might be bringing in more resources in Pennsylvania, including the state police, the FBI, ATF United States marshals and others. And as you are saying, Tom, over the years, we're able to galvanize dozens and dozens, if not hundreds of people, very quickly when it's a priority for us.

HARLOW: Yes, absolutely. Guys, thank you very much. Rick Schwein, thank you to you as well.

We're going to take a quick break, much more of our breaking news next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:51:54] HARLOW: As we continue to follow the breaking news in that manhunt for those convicted murderers who escaped from a prison in New York, we are also following developments this evening in Charleston, South Carolina.

Charleston's Emanuel AME church will re-open its doors for worship tomorrow morning with the message of love, forgiveness and unity. The church will hold a special service at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. This is as investigation into the senseless massacre takes a new turn.

A racist manifesto reportedly written by the confessed gunman Dylann Roof has surfaced online today. It is also been accompanied by these troubling photos. The statement is laden with racist remarks that lay out why Charleston was the target for this rampage. As for the gunman, he remains locked up under suicide watch.

Let's go straight to Charleston. Our Alina Machado and Martin Savidge are both on the ground.

Alina, let me begin with you. What does this manifesto say?

ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Poppy, it says what you would expect from someone who did what authorities say he did. And again, I want to clarify, the author of this manifesto, we have not been able to authenticate that in fact it was Dylann Roof. But the Web site has been registered to Dylann Roof. So at this point, authorities are still trying to figure out if in fact Dylann Roof is the author of this manifesto.

But if he is, what was said in this manifesto is incredibly hateful. There are statements that were made, basically disturbing statement, inflammatory statements against blacks and other minority. But it is a very long manifesto. And I want to go to the end of it because he talks about the author, talks about the reason for choosing Charleston.

This is what it says. I have no choice. I am not in the position to alone go into the ghetto and fight. I chose Charleston because it's the most historic city in my state and at one time had the highest ratio of blacks to whites in the country. We have no skin heads, no real KKK, no one doing anything but talking on the Internet. Well, someone has to have the bravery to take it to the real world and I guess that has to be me. Chilling words, Poppy, if in fact it comes out that Dylann Roof was the author of this manifesto. HARLOW: Absolutely. Alina Machado, it's hard to get your head around

what could drive someone to do something as horrific as this, but this manifesto opening our eyes to so much that he allegedly has said and written.

Alina, thank you for the reporting.

I want to go to our Martin Savidge.

Martin, you are on the ground there. And I am interested in what is happening behind you. It's a gathering of sorts.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is usually the time, Poppy, especially in the evening that the crowd that gathers in front of the Emanuel AME church tends to swell and swell significantly. In fact, the street now has been closed down. We just had a very large demonstration go by. It was a mixture of various groups and causes, as you can tell. The love was really quite striking was the fact that despite the hundreds of people that came past this spot, it was absolutely silent. Usually protests of this kind, you hear shouts, you hear chants, you hear some kind of statement being made, even with (INAUDIBLE).

Total silence. It was a very mixed crowd of people, all races, all backgrounds, even families walking together, some holding flowers, some clearly emotionally upset.

This church, this space here continues to draw people in. It's a place where they still greatly feel a sense of shock and it's also a community coming together. There is preaching that goes on. If you hear shouting in the background, it's that. There are hymns that are sung. They breakout from time to time. Music is play. This truly has become the focus of everybody's grief in this community. And far beyond, there are people who are traveling from many areas around this region that have decided this is where they must be. And tomorrow, it's only going to be amplified, as you say, with the church service. It is expected to be overflowing into the streets.

[18:55:52] HARLOW: Absolutely. A beautiful site it will be of that community coming together. We will carry that live for you tomorrow morning on "STATE OF THE UNION" with Jake Tapper. It will be at 9:30 a.m. eastern time.

Martin Savidge, Alina Machado, thank you for the reporting.

After Dylann Roof was identified, but still on the run, a noted gospel musician found the gunman's Facebook page and he wrote a message, a message not of hate, a message of love and somehow understanding. Marcus Stanley himself is a victim of gun violence. He was shot eight times. He was confronted by a gang member in Baltimore. He joins me now.

Thanks for being here, Marcus.

MARCUS STANLEY, WROTE MESSAGE ON DYLANN ROOF'S FACEBOOK PAGE: Grateful to be with you tonight, Poppy. HARLOW: You wrote this. Quote "I don't look at you with the eyes of

hatred. I look at you as a human being that made a horrible decision to take the lives of nine living and breathing people." Where did you find it in your heart to write that?

STANLEY: It was in my heart because I have been in the same position of feeling isolated and feeling alone. After my shooting, you know, in 2004, I withdrew and plunged deep into addiction. So even though I did not go through the same exact thing of what Dylann was going through, I still reached out to him and love. I didn't want him to take his life. That was my main objective in writing him. And if he had not been captured already I would have reached out to him.

HARLOW: You also wrote in this world we are born color-blind. Somewhere along the line you were taught to hate people that are not like you, and that is truly tragic. It sounds like you are placing the blame on people around him, on his environment?

STANLEY: It's 100 percent his environment. We have to do what we can as a nation to come together where we don't see the color within each other. The color is dividing us, and Martin Luther King, when he was, you know, he was a child, his best friend was actually Caucasian. And he was told that he couldn't play with him just because they were a different race. So I said that to say, you know, all children are born color-blind. They don't see the color. They only taught to hate each other.

HARLOW: Some people watching this, and we have seen this unbelievable outpouring of forgiveness from some of the family members of the victims who were murdered, saying you know, I will never forget, I will always be in pain but I forgive you. Other people watching this may say how can you forgive him? How can you forgive someone like that, that drove 120 miles to carry out this preplanned massacre? What do you say to them?

STANLEY: It's possible to forgive. The only way you can forgive is through the hope of Jesus. And that is why I reached out to Dylann. I went to my shooter that attempted to shoot me and shot me eight times at point blank range. And I reached to him and told him that I forgive him. He didn't say anything back to me at all. So forgiveness is not about, you know, how you personally feel about a person is. It's 100 percent about releasing it and being free.

So I know this is a process. I know the families are hurting. I know they are going to have to cry tears and they are going to have to mourn. But the whole plan for them and my prayer for them is they will get to a point where they can forgive him. And I saw this week that they have already established that part which is phenomenal. It took me years to get there. And I see the unity is rising within the country and right now which is truly a beautiful thing in such a dark time.

HARLOW: What do you think is the most important thing that can come out of what we are seeing, this unification of people in Charleston and across the country. What do you want to see happen? STANLEY: I want to see that one day, you know, we would not look at

each other as divided, and I would like to see everybody unify and come together. There are so many things that divide us. So we - I think it's not just a race thing. I feel it is disrespect for life, for party of life because there is all races across the board. It takes life every day. And my prayers that through this tragic situation, we would see that life is truly precious and is truly valuable.

HARLOW: Marcus Stanley, you have a big heart, my friend. Thanks for being with me.

STANLEY: Thanks for being me on. Great to be with you tonight. God bless you.

HARLOW: You too.