Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Saturday

Interview With Jana Blair

Aired November 09, 2002 - 18:10   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.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: In Long Beach, California police are asking the public to help them catch a serial rapist. They believe the same man has attacked at least 31 women in California as well as Washington state over the last six years; 13 of the rapes were linked by fingerprints, DNA, or other physical evidence. Residents are being asked to report anything out of the ordinary.
We wanted to talk to a representative of the police department so we're talking to Jana Blair of the Long Beach Police Department; she joins us by phone to talk about the ongoing investigation.

Ms. Blair, thanks very much for being with us.

JANA BLAIR, LONG BEACH POLICE DEPT.: Thank you.

COOPER: What exactly do you know about this man who is doing this?

BLAIR: This man has been threatening our city now since approximately 1997. And unfortunately we know very little about him. When it comes to a description, we have very limited description, due to the fact that he covers his face or the victim's face.

What we can tell you is that he's approximately 5 feet, 6 inches tall to 6 foot, medium build, and he has changed his hair several times. We believe he has olive colored skin. But there are some real important things that we need to need the public's help in catching him with.

COOPER: What is the M.O. of this attacker? I understand a number of these attacks have a similar pattern to them. What can you tell us about that?

BLAIR: All of the cases have occurred in the early morning to late night hours. The doors are typically left unlocked or not properly secured. All of the women, except for one, have been alone. Therefore, we feel that watches his victim. He knows that she's alone. He knows that she lives alone.

He does not typically take anything from within the residence. He is quickly in, and quickly out. And he has struck in Long Beach, Los Alamidos, and Huntington Beach.

I think the important thing, here, is that we need to focus that he has been in Seattle. That's very unusual. We need people to look at anyone that they may know that was in Seattle in 1996. They may have lived in Seattle and then came to the Long Beach area in 1997. Or they may have resided in Long Beach and went to that area for business or some other reason in 1996.

COOPER: And you're saying this because there was an incident, there was an attack in 1996, in Seattle, that you have definitively linked to the same pattern, the same evidence as attacks in 1997, in Long Beach, is that correct?

BLAIR: That's correct. There actually were two in Seattle, during the summer months, in 1996. And then he came to Long Beach in 1997. That's first incident that we report in Long Beach in January.

COOPER: So, I mean, to the best of your knowledge, this person was not in Long Beach prior to 1997. Though, you really don't know that. You're just basing that on the fact that you don't have any attacks that are similar to this pattern before then?

BLAIR: Correct. And we have been following this continuously since that time and have now -- we believe -- approximately 30 cases which this perpetrator may be responsible for.

COOPER: But now you have some of this person's DNA, is that correct?

BLAIR: Yes, we do.

COOPER: And do you have fingerprints?

BLAIR: We have other physical evidence. We may have partial prints and other evidence, but we need someone to compare that evidence to. We need the public's help. We need them to be aware of their neighborhoods. They know their neighborhoods better than anybody.

Their home security, particularly women that live alone, is the most important thing right now that we need to get out. They need to call us right away. We can't emphasize that enough. Anything unusual, utilize that 911 system, especially in Long Beach. We want to be there quickly.

COOPER: I don't mean to sound critical, but it is a very broad net that you have sort of put out there. A person, 5'6" to 6 feet, medium height, perhaps olive skin, probably was in Seattle in 1996, then moved to Long Beach. What exactly should people be on the look out for? I mean, what exactly should - you know should motivate someone to pick up the phone and call the police? What should come out in their minds?

BLAIR: I think that, anyone that is their neighborhood, whether it be day or night, that doesn't fit, that's an important factor. We know that he is in the neighborhood prior his attack. He's got to know his entrance way. He knows is way out, as well as some other factors, such as injuries.

We believe that may have sustained an injury as recent as Thursday. Thursday's attempted attack, we believe that the victim may have bit his hand or his finger. In August of this year, we believe that the suspect may have had scratches upon his face or upper body.

Again, if we had more information we would absolutely provide it. However, there are people out there that these little things may trigger just something. Something, just enough to have them call us, so we can follow up on those leads. Hopefully, we get the suspect.

COOPER: Well, Jana Blair, good luck with the investigation. As you said, the last incident was on Thursday, so this person is probably in the Long Beach area still, at least that is what the police believe at this time.

Thanks very much, Ms. Blair, appreciate it.

BLAIR: Thank you.

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







Aired November 9, 2002 - 18:10   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: In Long Beach, California police are asking the public to help them catch a serial rapist. They believe the same man has attacked at least 31 women in California as well as Washington state over the last six years; 13 of the rapes were linked by fingerprints, DNA, or other physical evidence. Residents are being asked to report anything out of the ordinary.
We wanted to talk to a representative of the police department so we're talking to Jana Blair of the Long Beach Police Department; she joins us by phone to talk about the ongoing investigation.

Ms. Blair, thanks very much for being with us.

JANA BLAIR, LONG BEACH POLICE DEPT.: Thank you.

COOPER: What exactly do you know about this man who is doing this?

BLAIR: This man has been threatening our city now since approximately 1997. And unfortunately we know very little about him. When it comes to a description, we have very limited description, due to the fact that he covers his face or the victim's face.

What we can tell you is that he's approximately 5 feet, 6 inches tall to 6 foot, medium build, and he has changed his hair several times. We believe he has olive colored skin. But there are some real important things that we need to need the public's help in catching him with.

COOPER: What is the M.O. of this attacker? I understand a number of these attacks have a similar pattern to them. What can you tell us about that?

BLAIR: All of the cases have occurred in the early morning to late night hours. The doors are typically left unlocked or not properly secured. All of the women, except for one, have been alone. Therefore, we feel that watches his victim. He knows that she's alone. He knows that she lives alone.

He does not typically take anything from within the residence. He is quickly in, and quickly out. And he has struck in Long Beach, Los Alamidos, and Huntington Beach.

I think the important thing, here, is that we need to focus that he has been in Seattle. That's very unusual. We need people to look at anyone that they may know that was in Seattle in 1996. They may have lived in Seattle and then came to the Long Beach area in 1997. Or they may have resided in Long Beach and went to that area for business or some other reason in 1996.

COOPER: And you're saying this because there was an incident, there was an attack in 1996, in Seattle, that you have definitively linked to the same pattern, the same evidence as attacks in 1997, in Long Beach, is that correct?

BLAIR: That's correct. There actually were two in Seattle, during the summer months, in 1996. And then he came to Long Beach in 1997. That's first incident that we report in Long Beach in January.

COOPER: So, I mean, to the best of your knowledge, this person was not in Long Beach prior to 1997. Though, you really don't know that. You're just basing that on the fact that you don't have any attacks that are similar to this pattern before then?

BLAIR: Correct. And we have been following this continuously since that time and have now -- we believe -- approximately 30 cases which this perpetrator may be responsible for.

COOPER: But now you have some of this person's DNA, is that correct?

BLAIR: Yes, we do.

COOPER: And do you have fingerprints?

BLAIR: We have other physical evidence. We may have partial prints and other evidence, but we need someone to compare that evidence to. We need the public's help. We need them to be aware of their neighborhoods. They know their neighborhoods better than anybody.

Their home security, particularly women that live alone, is the most important thing right now that we need to get out. They need to call us right away. We can't emphasize that enough. Anything unusual, utilize that 911 system, especially in Long Beach. We want to be there quickly.

COOPER: I don't mean to sound critical, but it is a very broad net that you have sort of put out there. A person, 5'6" to 6 feet, medium height, perhaps olive skin, probably was in Seattle in 1996, then moved to Long Beach. What exactly should people be on the look out for? I mean, what exactly should - you know should motivate someone to pick up the phone and call the police? What should come out in their minds?

BLAIR: I think that, anyone that is their neighborhood, whether it be day or night, that doesn't fit, that's an important factor. We know that he is in the neighborhood prior his attack. He's got to know his entrance way. He knows is way out, as well as some other factors, such as injuries.

We believe that may have sustained an injury as recent as Thursday. Thursday's attempted attack, we believe that the victim may have bit his hand or his finger. In August of this year, we believe that the suspect may have had scratches upon his face or upper body.

Again, if we had more information we would absolutely provide it. However, there are people out there that these little things may trigger just something. Something, just enough to have them call us, so we can follow up on those leads. Hopefully, we get the suspect.

COOPER: Well, Jana Blair, good luck with the investigation. As you said, the last incident was on Thursday, so this person is probably in the Long Beach area still, at least that is what the police believe at this time.

Thanks very much, Ms. Blair, appreciate it.

BLAIR: Thank you.

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