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CNN Live Saturday

Helder Held in Custody in Iowa

Aired May 11, 2002 - 12:02   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.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: Now, more details on accused mailbox bomber Luke Helder. The college student is facing charges in a string of pipe bombings in the Midwest. We get the latest on his case now from CNN's Jeff Flock in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where Helder is in custody -- Jeff.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Jeanne, wish you were here -- still here, I should say, in the Midwest, where Luke Helder is finally now being quietly held in that jail you see behind me, that is the Linn County jail over my left shoulder there.

Finally, a day of no developments after a very busy week. As you know, we just talked to the U.S. attorney here for the Northern District of Iowa a little bit ago who was the first to prosecute Helder. He says he has nothing to say about government's strategy following Helder's initial court appearance here in a federal court in Iowa yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No smiling or smirking from Luke Helder as he made his way up the back stairs at the U.S. courthouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and shuffled to a waiting car a week to the day after mailbox bombs began exploding across the Midwest.

It was a sharp contrast to the almost laughing Helder the night he was arrested in Nevada.

In a short court appearance, signs too that it is all beginning to hit home for the 21-year-old Wisconsin college student. He said nothing to magistrate John Jarvey (ph) as the judge read the two counts against Helder, which could land him in prison for life.

He asked for and got a court-appointed public defender. Jane Kelly (ph) entered and left court without saying what she had in mind for a defense.

(on camera): Some of the legal experts we talked to say Helder's best hope for a defense is to strike some sort of deal with prosecutors, arguing that up until now, he's had no criminal record and, as he allegedly told a police officer who stopped him for speeding as he drove cross country, "I never meant to hurt anyone." (voice-over): Though some suggest that if it is true Helder was trying to paint a smiley face on the U.S. map by planting bombs, it suggests a possible insanity defense, experts say that would be hard to prove.

No comment either from U.S. attorneys in Cedar Rapids, the first of at least three sets of federal prosecutors lining up to prosecute Helder, whose day began with a trip by plane from Nevada back 1,500 miles from Reno to Cedar Rapids, to near the scene of the worst of the bombings.

He will be held for now here in the Linn County jail. Helder's next court date is May 22.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLOCK: And Jeanne, we don't expect a whole lot of action between now and then. Obviously, the grand jury is going to meet and probably approve formal charges against him, but between now and then we don't expect much else.

MESERVE: Jeff, what kind of jail time could Helder be facing?

FLOCK: Yeah, I talked to a federal prosecutor on that yesterday. The way that one more serious allegation works, or the second count, the one committing a violent act with a bomb -- the first count -- the first time you get convicted for that, it's five years, and then subsequent convictions 25 years, which must be served consecutively. So if you've got a confession of 18 bombs, you know, you can do the math on that and get a whole lot of years.

MESERVE: Jeff Flock in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, thanks a lot.

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