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CNN Live Saturday

Idaho Standoff Continues, But Progress Has Been Made

Aired June 02, 2001 - 17:07   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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the standoff in northern Idaho involving five children. Police have been waiting out the children since Tuesday at their home. For the latest on this waiting game, we go to CNN's Eileen O'Connor. She's live in Garfield Bay, Idaho. Eileen?

EILEEN O'CONNOR, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Marty, there has been a little bit of movement and so there has been, in some people's words, a little bit of progress over the last 24 hours.

Two individuals who the children trust were able to go to the house last night. They spent several hours inside the house, but they did not have face-to-face contact with the children. The children were in another room and the parties were separated by those vicious, wild dogs that they have in the house.

Now, the parties were able to deliver food and water and also a message from their mother, JoAnn McGuckin, who stands accused of child abuse, to the children saying that she loves them and she wants them to cooperate with her court appointed attorney.

Now, the sheriff's department, though, says that they are committed to resolving this peacefully. They're trying to establish contact again today. They say they're willing to wait and take as long as this takes.

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SGT. ROBERT RAHN, BONNER COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: But I don't believe that we would do anything different. Our main concern is for the safety of the children. And patience and restraint, I think, is utmost in this.

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O'CONNOR: The mother, Joanne McGuckin, has been accused of child abuse because authorities said that she had the children isolated from the community, that they were without food and electricity. And so after they arrested her on Tuesday, they came to get the children, and put them under protection. Their father had died several weeks ago. But when that occurred, the children unleashed these vicious dogs on the authorities and this is where the standoff began.

Now, the children remain in the house alone. One of the brothers who has left the house, says that there are guns in the house. Authorities confirm that. And so they do not want to do anything to provoke the children. They do say that the children are still very fearful and mistrustful - Martin.

SAVIDGE: Eileen, do we know at this point how the children are physically?

O'CONNOR: Well, they have been taking the children food and water. But again, there's been no face-to-face contact so that is very difficult to assess. Authorities right now are not commenting on it -Marty.

SAVIDGE: Eileen O'Connor, thank you very much for that update.

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