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Jane Velez-Mitchell
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL SHOW for August 7, 2014, CNN
Aired August 07, 2014 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOEY JACKSON, GUEST HOST: Breaking news tonight. We have brand new information about the six-year-old missing girl in Washington State.
That`s Janice Wright. Have police discovered this precious child`s body? We are waiting for press-conference to start at any moment, and we will
take it to you live. A pleasant good evening to you. I`m Joey Jackson filling in for my friend Jane Velez-Mitchell. Just a moment ago police say
they found a child`s body near the mobile home park where little Janice disappeared this past weekend. Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EARL SMITH, KITSAP COUNTY SHERIFF`S DEPARTMENT: Today our unified investigative team have found what appears to be the remains of a child.
The body has not yet been identified. The body was found in the vicinity of Still Creek Mobile Home Park.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: Janice`s parents say the last time they saw their daughter was Saturday night, when the bed was empty on Sunday morning, they said you
know what? We`re not worried at all because Denise likes to play outside and the mobile home park is fenced in. It wasn`t until Sunday night at
about 10:00 p.m. 24 hours later that the family finally called the police. I want to go straight out to attorney and former police officer Mark
Harold, Mark, great to have you with us. What are police doing as we speak to preserve that crime scene and get justice in this case?
MARK HAROLD, FORMER POLICE OFFICER: Look, given the proximity they haven`t officially released the victim`s name. But they will shortly it sounds
like in the press conference. Look, a mobile home park, a lot of people coming and going. It`s a kind of a temporary space. So they are doing
what they usually do. It`s crime scene. They are going to try to figure out definitely the area between the body and her home whichever door she
most likely exited the home from, if that`s how she did leave the mobile home. But they`re basically just preserving the crime scene as much as
they can trying to recreate what happened. And as you said there`s the duration of time that the child was noticed missing to reported missing.
So chronology is basically being explored at this point, I would guess.
JACKSON: Now, Mark, what I think of, you know, what I`m hopeful about and I think is helpful is that there is a body here. And while it is
unfortunate, it`s sickening, it`s sad. I think the fact that they have a body they will be able to do the autopsy, they will be able to preserve and
get any DNA or other evidence so that they can get accountability and justice and find out who did this to this precious girl.
HAROLD: Well, obviously, the case like this it sounds like that the body is going to be the primary piece of evidence, at least initially. Find out
what happened, the type of foul play if they do determine foul play and they most likely will, and basically from the cause of death they will
backtrack to see what they think happened. We don`t know much on the case yet. We`re going to find out more shortly. It`s very sad that the body
was found, but from an evidence point of view, an investigative point of view, you are exactly right. The fact that they do have a body is the
starting point for their investigation.
JACKSON: And Mark, if I can ask you this, I know the neighbors were very cooperative. Over 101 mobile homes that were being searched in this
particular location. They didn`t even need warrants, Mark, which I found to be telling. Community coming together. How important will it be for
neighbors, for friends, for anybody with information to cooperate with police and give the police what they need to get accountability?
HAROLD: In this case with a community like this where most likely the crime occurred close by, given where the body was found, yeah, you
absolutely need that. Not only for the chronology, but a lot of people may know something they don`t think they know. That sounds like she was
noticed missing and a good period of time later was actually reported missing. But most likely somebody saw her, and that chronology can really
be recreated by - a lot of people are going to think, I don`t know anything important, but what they have is important. If they cooperate with the
police, it helps a lot.
JACKSON: Absolutely, Mark. Every bit of information is always helpful. We appreciate you and all the work that you have done on this case, many
others. Thanks so much. Have a good night and remember, everyone. There is a press conference. We`re going to take it to you live when it comes.
That`s coming up.
And now to more breaking news. Tonight, we have a verdict in the porch shooting murder trial. Just a short while ago. After that eight hours of
deliberation the jury announced they have come to a decision. And that decision finding Theodore Wafer guilty on all three counts in the shooting
death of Renisha McBride. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Guilty of murder in second-degree.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shoot first, ask questions later, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Looking for help?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yet she ended up in the morgue. He had had enough.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He thought intruders were trying to break in.
THEODORE WAFER: This was violent banging. This was unbelievable. I`ve never heard anything like this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We learned that he was a cold-blooded killer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: 19-year old Renisha McBride was shot in the face and killed after knocking on that door of Theodore Wafer presumably looking for help after
she crashed her car. The 55-year old airport maintenance worker took the stand in his defense as you saw - and now seeing saying he was in fear for
his life when he woke up around 4:30 in the morning by pounding on his front and side doors. He claimed he couldn`t find his cell phone at that
time to call for help. So he grabbed his shotgun instead and went to investigate. Wafer told that jury that he didn`t know if it was a man, a
woman or a bunch of people who are outside of his Washington - excuse me, Detroit area house. So he shot a faceless figure who came out of the
darkness. But that jury - they didn`t accept the story, there were seven men, five women, and you know what? They have spoken and those words,
guilty. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Guilty of murder in the second-degree. Count two, manslaughter, guilty of statutory manslaughter. Count three, felony
firearm, guilty of felony firearm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: So what do you think about their decision? I want you to call me at 1-877-JVM says. That`s 1-877-586-7297. We have a dynamite Lion`s Den.
They are roaring, they are ready to go. You see them there. But first I want to go straight out to reporter Oralandar Brand-Williams. You were in
that courtroom. Oralandar, please take us through the emotion when that jury reached its verdict, rendered that decision. What was it like? Take
us there.
ORALANDAR BRAND-WILLIAMS, REPORTER, DETROIT NEWS: Well it was such a thick air of anticipation today. About 11:30 there was a knock on the door from
the jury`s door. A note was sent out and then at lunchtime there was a note and then shortly after they got back from lunch, about 2:00, 2:30
there was another knock and the note came out. And we started seeing all this activity in the courtroom. And about 12 deputies came in. So you
knew that the verdict was getting ready to come down. And Mr. Ted Wafer came back with his attorneys, the prosecutors came in. Family had been
sitting on the courtroom all the time during the trial and today waiting in anticipation. And once it came down, you know, it was an emotional scene.
Not loud. The judge had warned people not to get loud or have no outburst or they would face three days in jail. But Renisha McBride`s mom Monica
McBride got up and hugged the three prosecutors who were on the case. And he stared straight ahead. No emotion.
JACKSON: And Oralandar, just your reaction? I know that you know, you covered it from the very beginning. The verdict was read. You were there
from the outset. What are you views on the verdict itself? Did the jury get it right?
BRAND-WILLIAMS: Well, you know, I`m not allowed as a journalist to express any opinion. But there were just a lot of emotions going on. His attorney
was pleading to the judge not to jail him right away. And if she was going to jail him, you know, just wait for two weeks even if it meant putting him
on the tether. That he was not a flight risk, he wasn`t a risk to the community. But the judge didn`t buy it. Locked him up. He may not go to
the jail that the judge wanted him to go to. We don`t know which jail he is going to go to, but it will be a Detroit jail.
JACKSON: Oralandar, thank you so much for your reporting, we appreciate all that you have done on this case. Thank you. And now out to our Lion`s
Den. And they have plenty of opinions to express. And I want to go straight out to Wendy Murphy. You heard the case. What do you think about
the verdict?
WENDY MURPHY, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Well, you know, Joey, from the beginning I was hoping they would charge him with first-degree murder. Because how
can this not be premeditation? Everything the guy did seemed premeditated to kill and he lied. I didn`t believe a thing he said about why he did
what he did. And I would have punished him for that by finding him guilty of first degree. Having said that, he wasn`t charged with first degree.
He was charged with second. The jury did the right thing. I don`t know why it took them eight hours instead of eight minutes to reach the result
they did.
JACKSON: They were deliberating, Wendy.
MURPHY: That is just clear.
JACKSON: They were taking their time.
MURPHY: Yeah, yeah, I know. I know. I`m teasing a little bit. They did a good job, and I`m proud of them. I`m just - I`m relieved that there was
no compromise within which, you know, I would have been angry. Because I think the charge itself was a bit generous.
JACKSON: Sierra Elizabeth, you agree?
SIERRA ELIZABETH, ATTORNEY: I agree. And I`m so happy with the jury`s verdict in this case. I mean this is a straightforward case here. And
self-defense cases are hard. I mean honestly, especially when the defendant is in their home. Because under the law you have no duty to
retreat before you employ deadly force when you are in your own home. It is called the castle doctrine. You are the king of your castle. You are
allowed to stand your ground as you will. But here the jury just didn`t buy that this defendant had an honest and reasonable belief that it was
necessary for him to employ that deadly force. I mean he was the aggressor here. He ran to that front door, he initiated this contact and the jury
correctly found that that was not necessary in this case.
JACKSON: However Wendy Walsh, state of mind, right? The psychology of the person who was under attack at the time, did he not, that is Theodore
Wafer, have an honest belief that someone was about to get him? What are your thoughts on that?
WENDY WALSH, PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, the keyword there is honest. I mean I think that he was terrified. Whether this was a delusion on his part or a
reality that we all would have shared is really up for debate. And I think really there are no winners here. I mean, Joey, there is a young lady
who`s lost her life. There`s an older man who`s lost the rest of his life to jail. It`s sad all the way around. But when I look at these jury
verdicts and try to decide myself what is best if a jury was good or bad I always say is he a potential danger to society in the future and my
attitude is yes. Because of his psychological makeup, because he is so aggressive, and he owns his guns, he`s done it once. I wouldn`t want him
to be out in society.
JACKSON: Absolutely. Well, apparently you know what, Wendy? A judge agreed with you and at this point he is not. Much more from the Lion`s
Den. And remember, we are awaiting a police presser - that`s the press conference on the search for six-year-old Janice Wright. Breaking news in
that case. We`ll have it live, but next, much more on this verdict. A man who shot an unarmed teen, 19 years old to death on his front porch is found
guilty of second-degree murder and all other counts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We the jury find the defendant Theodore Wafer as follows. Count one, murder in the second degree, guilty of murder in the
second degree.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALTER MCBRIDE, RENISHA MCBRIDE`S FATHER: He didn`t even know her. You know. She was a beautiful young lady, you know. She had things going for
her. Yes, what teenager, which one of us here have never took a drink and made a mistake as a teenager. We have. I have. But that doesn`t cost
your life because you make a mistake.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: And that is of course Renisha`s dad speaking at that time. And, you know, both parents spoke out after the verdict. Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MONICA MCBRIDE, RENISHA`S MOTHER: He should have called 911.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think he targeted your daughter?
MONICA MCBRIDE: I don`t think so. I just think he just.
WALTER MCBRIDE: He was mad.
MONICA MCBRIDE: Yeah.
WALTER MCBRIDE: He had already said it. He said he was mad and he came to the door with the shotgun and he shot her. And he didn`t even know her.
You know, she was a beautiful young lady.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: Justice for that family. You know, Wafer maintained all along that he never saw who was behind the door. He just shot. Do you believe
him? And does this shoot first ask questions later defense make the fact that he killed a teenage girl any better? That is the discussion. And
that is what we need to talk about. Out to the Lion`s Den. Mark, I want to go to you. You`re a police officer, you are an attorney, of course.
Former police officer. First your reaction to the verdict. Were you surprised as to all three counts?
HAROLD: I wasn`t surprised at the outcome. You know, one thing is the castle doctrine is exactly right, but when it`s distilled down into
statutory language, sometimes it gets a little confusing. In this case I think and I thought the jury might be out a little longer. The reason they
were talking so much about the door. The way that statute, the applicable statute is written has to do with whether she was just knocking on the door
or actually trying to enter or legally break in. So, they took a good look at the door and all those facts, but this jury was given pretty much two
different versions of the events. I don`t think they found him overly credible and I think they thought he was mad and was somewhat of the
aggressor. But this was a tough case for the jury. I actually thought they`d stay out longer, but I`m not surprised at the ultimate verdict.
JACKSON: Sure. Now, Wendy Murphy, let me ask you. And we know where you stand on this and certainly you believe there was justice in this case. I
think you are in great company where that`s concerned, but when he took the stand, Mark, you know, speaking to that issue, I just thought that perhaps
he was believable. Perhaps, Wendy that the jury would connect with him and that he had a reasonable explanation as to why he did what he did.
MURPHY: Well, it`s a very good point, Joey. Because you and I know that if the jury identifies with the bad guy, boy does that translate usually
into a point in his favor. Because they think, boy, that could have been me.
JACKSON: Right.
MURPHY: I don`t want to go to jail. It is all psychological. It`s all very passive. But it happens. And it is not rational. And though
sometimes vote not guilty or they will reduce the verdict, not because it makes sense on the law, but because it makes sense in their gut. That I
was worried about. A little bit. But this guy no matter what you think about how he came across on the stand lied during the investigation. Made
no sense. And the forensic evidence just didn`t bear out the thing that he did.
JACKSON: Right.
MURPHY: Because he didn`t say I was terrified so I shot. He said I was scared and so from a pretty close distance I shot her in the face. I mean
couldn`t you aim for the leg?
JACKSON: That`s a big difference.
MURPHY: If you are really worried?
JACKSON: Now, Sierra Elizabeth.
MURPHY: It`s a big problem.
JACKSON: I mean your views on that. And I`m one that believes that he had to testify. I mean, you know, you have to put out a justification defense
and the jury has to get to know you. Were you acting reasonably or not reasonably? You know, in the final analysis the jury wasn`t buying what he
was selling. And it seemed to me, Sierra that he did come off as somewhat credible. But Wendy points out he lied. Did that make a difference here,
the inconsistency, Sierra, in his story and his statements?
ELIZABETH: Absolutely. You know, as you know when a defendant goes on the stand, that jury is glued to him or her.
JACKSON: No doubt.
ELIZABETH: And they are trying to figure out every single possibility of the way he`s lying up there on that stand. And it doesn`t help that he`s
been on the record prior to going on the stand and found to be a liar. And I think the jury also took this in context. I mean this guy had apparently
had his car vandalized previous times before this incident happened. He like the parents said was mad. And I think that really hurt him and his
credibility up there on the stand.
JACKSON: I think it did, Sierra, in a big way. And Wendy Walsh, before I go to you I want to go to a caller. It`s Donna in Arkansas. She wants to
weigh in on what her thoughts are about the verdict. Donna?
DONNA, VIEWER, ARKANSAS: Yes, I was kind of surprised at the verdict. I thought maybe manslaughter. Because I mean he was in his own home.
JACKSON: Right.
DONNA: And if you are not safe in your own home, where are you safe at? But I don`t believe in guns myself. I don`t have one. But I was kind of
surprised at the verdict.
JACKSON: Thank you, Donna. And now Wendy Walsh, if I can ask you, I mean she raises a very good point. And I think a lot of people were surprised
not of the fact that they found him guilty, but of the top count. What did they need to do, the defense from a psychological perspective to get that
jury in his mind to suggest that look, this guy was scared. He did believe he was in fear. Where did that go wrong? Wendy?
WALSH: They needed to prove not only that he felt fear, but that he was experiencing an attack, an assault, an entry -- something that would
justify his level of fear. And as your previous caller just said, if we`re not safe in our own home, where are we safe? I will remind you he was safe
in his own home. He needed to only pick up the telephone and dial 911.
JACKSON: A very good point, Wendy, and it appears as though the jury agreed with you. And so, don`t go anywhere. Because next, much more
reaction from this huge verdict in the death of Renisha McBride.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MONICA MCBRIDE: Everybody has an opinion. You know, and you are entitled to that. But we know as parents how we raised her. She was not violent.
She was a regular teenager. And she was well-raised and brought up with a loving family. And her life mattered. And we showed that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He wanted a confrontation. He wanted the kids, the neighborhood kids to leave him alone. He wanted to show them the shotgun,
because he had had enough. There is no evidence of fear. No evidence that he was going to get hurt. He wanted the knocking to stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: The prosecution making their case and apparently having made their case in the guilty verdict of Theodore Wafer. But the question that
many people were asking is, if Wafer was so petrified, why did he even open the door to his home? Here is what he had to say about that very question.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Big question, why did you open the front door?
WAFER: I thought they were going to come through. And I was not going to cower. I didn`t want to be a victim in my own house.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: Victim in his own house - you know, Wafer`s defense team argued that he was well within his rights to defend himself under the castle
doctrine. You`ve heard us talking about it here, and under that doctrine your home is your castle. And you have no duty to retreat whatsoever. You
know Renisha though, she never went inside of his home. She was on that front porch knocking on his door and he claimed she damaged the screen door
because she was pounding so hard and so violently. But clearly this jury didn`t think that that was enough to make Wafer fear for his life. So
Wendy Murphy, apparently, you know what? The jury is square with you. They believe that it was not appropriate, that it was not an honest
believe. In your view, they got it right, though I`m a little surprised, Wendy, that they held him accountable to the top count as opposed to man
slaughter. Even based on Donna from Arkansas, a 13 juror, what she had to say, he was in his own home. Wendy?
MURPHY: Yeah. No, I understand the sympathy factor around people who feel unsafe in their home. Especially if it is a high crime area and you have
been exposed to lots of break-ins and so forth. You kind of get unreasonably fearful. And you can act in a way that becomes reasonable
based on your circumstances. It might not seem reasonable to the rest of us. That`s not this case. And, you know, I think about if he did get away
with it in this case, what about the mailman who comes up or the UPS driver banging on the door. You know, it is outside his house and you just can`t
shoot people because they are making noise on your front door. It just makes no sense.
JACKSON: The Parade of Horribles. Wendy, if it`s right in this instance, people will think it is right in many others and we can`t have that. Great
point. So next we are expecting a news conference any minute from police on the search for a precious six-year-old Washington state girl. Yes,
that`s little Janice Wright. Her parents say they put her to bed last Saturday night and have not seen or heard from her since. Coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Six-year-old Jenise Wright was always on the go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last seen Saturday night --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She`s really independent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- by her parents who say she went to bed --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m hoping that she`s just spending the night somewhere.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is crazy that there`s a missing child.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jenise Paulette Wright is one of ours.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She`s just really sweet, trusting. She would walk up to a stranger and talk to them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My head is just swimming. Swimming.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOEY JACKSON, HLN HOST: So sad. Breaking news right now -- any moment we will take you to the police press conference in the Jenise Wright case.
The adorable six-year-old vanished from her Washington State home over the weekend without a trace.
But just hours ago police say they found a child`s body.
Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today our unified investigative team has found what appears to be the remains of a child. The body has not yet been
identified. The body was found in the vicinity of Still Creek Mobile Home Park.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: Is it little Jenise? As we wait for the press conference to start, I want to go straight out the Wendy Walsh.
Wendy, state of mind, really important -- could you take us through the psychology of a child killer, someone who would do something as
horrific, Wendy, as this?
WENDY WALSH, PSYCHOLOGIST: Well we also don`t know all the details whether she was in fact murdered. Whether she strayed away and died by falling in
a pool of water. I mean we don`t know the details here.
But I will say this, the fact that she went missing in the morning when she was supposed to be in her bed and they did not report it until
10:00 that night says something about the parents. If they are not involved in the murder directly then they are involved because they
neglected the six-year-old. To leave a six-year-old wandering around the neighborhood -- I mean I think that that shows that these parents were
being completely irresponsible.
At the very least she needed three meals in that day. I mean why weren`t they looking for her?
JACKSON: Now, let me ask you this. And you know, Sierra -- I`ll switch to you and ask you this question Sierra Elizabeth. You know, much has been
said about the fact by the parents that this is a trusting mobile home community. It`s fenced-in. The neighbors -- everyone seems to be
supportive of each other. Does that in your mind change your views as to whether the parents were responsible or irresponsible as Wendy Murphy (SIC)
or no, should they have had her under lock and key regardless?
SIERRA ELIZABETH, ATTORNEY: No I would hate to live in a society where we feel like we have to chain our children to us and not let them do anything
or go anywhere when obviously these parents felt like this community was safe. It was fenced in.
And I have to support these parents in this tragic time. We don`t know much about what`s happened but we do know that they have been
absolutely cooperative with the police. They have and voluntarily submitted to lie detector tests and they have done everything that they
possibly can to find out what`s happened to their daughter. So I think we just need to give them a break at this stage.
JACKSON: And at this stage, as we`re waiting for the press conference to begin, Wendy Murphy, I`ll turn to you on this issue. I mean is this a
case, do you think, where the parents in joining this debate here that we`re having, were they too trusting of their neighbors or not?
Hold on one second Wendy -- just one second. Let`s go to the press conference -- all right.
(PRESS CONFERENCE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Detective lieutenant Earl Smith, the incident commander for this investigation into the disappearance of Jenise Paulette Wright,
age six.
LT. EARL SMITH, KITSAP COUNTY SHERIFF`S OFFICE: Lt. Earl Smith, Kitsap County Sheriff`s Office incident commander for this investigation. I want
to thank each and every one of you for coming back today. I want to give you a brief update on our recovery efforts of the body. And I want to give
you some additional information where we`re going.
I appreciate you guys have been very patient with us. And not pushing us to give out information that might compromise the investigation.
And I truly appreciate that. So thank you very much for not pressuring us to give out information that might do that.
Our evidence response team, they continue to process the location where the body has been recovered. We also continue to gather evidence
throughout our community. Because every piece of evidence that we are able to recover contributing to the overall success of this case and to the
recovery of Jenise and finding out what happened to Jenise.
We are coordinating with the Kitsap County Coroner`s Office on the recovery of the body. They will make positive identification. It is
anticipated that positive identification on the body will be tomorrow at some time. I don`t know an exact time.
The autopsy is being scheduled for tomorrow. I don`t know what time it will be completed. My anticipation is that it will take several hours
for that to be completed. The coroner`s office, they will determine the manner of death and give that to us once they have completed that.
We have got to this success -- this degree of success because of the community and our law enforcement partners, everybody coming together in
this community. We have had over 375 personnel that have been assisting on this case throughout the week, and the federal agencies, state agencies,
local agencies from Kitsap county, Puget Sound region and across the state of Washington and throughout the country. We could not have done it
without all these resources.
We are currently -- some of those agencies. We have a list that we can provide you because there are too many to list off. But some of those
-- some of the specialty units that I want to talk about and just mention are the FBI`s Child Abduction -- excuse me -- FBI Child Abduction Rapid
Deployment Team, the FBI behavioral analysis unit, the FBI evidence research team, the FBI specialty search dogs, the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children, and the Washington State Patrol Crime Response Team are just a couple of them --
JACKSON: So is this Jenise? We will find out shortly. Is that precious girl you see on the screen, you see it right there, is that her body?
There will be an autopsy and that will be determined.
We`re going to have much more. Please don`t go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This doesn`t happen in our neighborhood.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When she didn`t return her husband reported her missing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don`t have a suspect right now. We don`t have a motive right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody is on alert.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police believe she was attacked on the edge of the woods.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m really shocked. I have no clue who would hurt her -- none. I have no clue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: So, so sad. Tonight police launch a man hunt for a cold-blooded murderer who`s on the loose in Philadelphia. A beautiful mother of two
found strangled to death in a local park -- who would want Connie Murray dead. And was Connie seen talking to her killer just moments before her
death?
A pleasant good evening to you. I`m Joey Jackson, filling in for my friend, Jane Velez-Mitchell.
You know, police say that the 46-year-old mom left her house on Monday night around 9:00 p.m. simply to go for a jog. But she didn`t come
home and around two or three hours later her husband and daughter began frantically combing the neighborhood looking for her. By 2:00 a.m. they
were desperate and alerted the police.
It wasn`t until about 6:00 a.m., a full nine hours later that Connie left her house that someone walking a dog spotted her dead body in the
brush at the edge of the park. Investigators say she was strangled but not sexual assaulted. Her cell phone and ear buds were also missing.
Police are asking for your help, the public`s help and saying that they don`t have a suspect or even a motive.
Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don`t have a suspect right now. We don`t have a motive right now. Hopefully we`ll get those questions answered very soon.
But right now we don`t know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: But we are now learning new clues. Our affiliate WPBI says that just moments after Connie left her house witnesses saw a strange car
approach her and that she briefly spoke with the driver in that car? Could this mysterious driver be the key to this case?
I want to go straight out to my exclusive guest Michelle Shreffler. Michelle, thank you so much for joining us. I know you were friends with
Connie -- extremely horrific story. You knew her from high school. Police say they don`t have a suspect or even a motive. You know, was Connie even
Michelle, the type of person to have enemies?
MICHELLE SHREFFLER, FRIEND OF CONNIE MURRAY: Not at all. Connie is a beautiful woman with a heart of gold. I can`t think of one person that
could say a bad word about her.
JACKSON: And as police put together this case Michelle, obviously they are going to be relying upon community involvement. I`m sure at some point you
may be even questioned about this. Is there any indication of perhaps any issues she was having? Whether it be an issue internally with her family;
whether it be an issue externally? Whether it be someone, you know, that she was speaking to you. Can you give us any information about who would
do this to this beautiful woman?
SHREFFLER: No. We`re all clueless here. We have no idea, you know. It is news to us too about that car that she went up to and talked to. That
could be the clue. We don`t know. Everybody knows her -- she`s beautiful -- wonderful.
JACKSON: And just no enemies or anything else. And with regard to the car, Michelle, I mean certainly I think that is important because that
helps perhaps piece together who was in the car -- maybe a license plate number. Maybe some surveillance tape, maybe something else to sort of
bring this to justice.
What is the general reaction amongst people who know her like you in terms of how this happened, where it happened, why it could happened? Do
you have any theories Michelle?
SHREFFLER: No this is the most devastating thing. And everybody is still in shock. And we`re hoping somebody steps forward with a clue and
calls the police at that tip number and says hey I think this might help. And hopefully we`ll get a lead somewhere. We want justice for Connie.
JACKSON: And Michelle -- of course. And Michelle I know she was an avid jogger, she ran. She had a few routes that she would go. Is this time of
night the normal time that she would go for her runs?
SHREFFLER: I`m not even 100 percent sure on that. No, I`m hearing she goes out all different times. I just wish she wasn`t alone that night.
JACKSON: And Michelle could you take us through her state of mind the last time you spoke with her? How was she doing? Was she happy? Was she
complaining about anything?
SHREFFLER: I`ll tell you the last time I had seen her because I moved to Virginia the exact day is February 23, 2014 at Dunkin` Donuts located at
Frankfurt (inaudible) street and she went on and on about how happy she is with her life, with her husband, with her two beautiful girls and showed me
pictures. And we talked about possibly getting together before the end of the summer to spend some time together and catch up again.
JACKSON: Michelle were you friends with her on even Facebook or social media? Are there any postings that you know she posted about where she
showed her family or what was going in her life?
SHREFFLER: Everything was wonderful and happy. Nothing to make you wonder, no -- not at all.
JACKSON: And that is the problem, Michelle. And I think that is what`s baffling. This is a person not having any enemies or not having any reason
for something like this to happen. We also know, Michelle, that there was somewhat of a disability. Apparently he had asthma and she was missing I
guess a part of her right arm under the elbow.
SHREFFLER: Correct.
JACKSON: Do you think it was just she was an easy target?
SHREFFLER: That`s what I think. I think somebody just picked her out as an easy target and unfortunately -- wanted her phone possibly. Who knows?
JACKSON: Well you know what Michelle, we thank you for joining us. It`s certainly sad, it`s certainly baffling and I`m sure that, you know, friends
and other people like you who know something and know who she was perhaps can piece this together with the police.
You know, I want to go through a timeline of Connie`s disappearance just to give you sense of what was what. She was last seen at 9:00 p.m. on
Monday when she left her home for a daily jog. Her family said she frequently changed her jogging path. You know, there were three or four
routes that she would normally take.
When Connie she didn`t come home about two or three hours later her husband and daughter went out to search for her -- obviously they became
very concerned. And at about 2:00 a.m. early Tuesday morning her family filed a missing person`s report with the police. About four hours later a
woman walking her dog stumbled upon Connie`s dead body in the brush on the edge of that park.
I want to go straight out to the "Lion`s Den". You know what; Connie was found less than a mile from her doorstep. Marc, I ask you from
an investigative perspective, would that tell us anything? What are your thoughts? What are the police doing to piece this together so that they
could find the person responsible?
MARC HARROLD, FORMER POLICE OFFICER: Well, in this kind of case we`re just completely speculating at this point. We don`t know what the police know.
The car is a very important aspect to the case so far because even if that person in the car didn`t have anything to do with her death or her murder,
they still need to talk to that person and identify that person because that person may have been the last person if not involved before the killer
to see her alive.
So it`s going to be about chronology. This is definitely one of those cases again where the public should come forward with anything no matter
how irrelevant they think it is because it`s a lot of times not the clue that you get or the tip that you get, it`s where it leads you. And it
leads to other tips and information.
JACKSON: Exactly. And on that point, Marc -- and Wendy Murphy, I want to go to you but I want to take a look at this. You know tonight, of course,
they scoured -- they`re looking through all kinds of surveillance footage, you know Marc, in order to get this together. They`re looking at any clues
about who strangled her. Her body was found as we talked about so close to the home at that Pennypack Park. You see it there -- the map of it.
Cops say it`s a family-friendly park that`s typically busy with tons of kids. And you know what, Wendy Murphy, that adds to this whole mystery.
She`s in a safe environment. She`s jogging, she`s close to her home -- Wendy what else is someone to do to feel safe and secure?
WENDY MURPHY, FORMER PROSECUTOR: I hope you won`t mind, Joey, if I don`t answer that question because I think if you die close to your home then the
answer to the question why are you dead is probably I don`t know related to your home. I know we`re not making suspect names here.
But come on. They didn`t report her missing until 2:00 a.m.? That is not normal. The fact that this woman`s body was secreted and her cell phone
was turned off -- you`re a random killer running around strangling women -- she wasn`t even sexually assaulted. So some random killer just strangles
her to death and oops I think I`ll shut her cell phone off? That is not what random killers do. I think the police know a lot of stuff they`re not
telling.
JACKSON: That`s absolutely the case. Wendy Murphy, take us through the whole psychology of that if you can -- Wendy Walsh.
MURPHY: I think Wendy Walsh --
JACKSON: Two great Wendys.
WALSH: You`re getting your Wendys mixed up, Joey.
Ok, listen. So, you know, I also host a show called "Happily Never After" on Investigation Discovery about wives who are murdered. And I will tell
you that when a woman is murdered, in a disproportionate amount of the cases, the person -- the perpetrator is her romantic partner.
So the answer is always -- and the police will be doing this -- follow the money. Ask about life insurance policies. When were they purchased? Who
is the beneficiary? This is the important thing to figure out whether this was stranger danger or whether there was something much closer to home.
JACKSON: Sierra Elizabeth, Wendy makes great sense to me. What are your thoughts on this? Is this random? Is it something perhaps closer to where
she lived?
ELIZABETH: You know, I honestly -- I have to unfortunately disagree with everyone on the panel today. I think this is a random act. I mean she`s
jogging at night on her own as a woman, potentially with ear buds in her ears playing music where she`s not able to really take in her surroundings.
And I think someone came up behind her knowing that she was vulnerable and attacked her.
WALSH: What`s the motive?
JACKSON: Well, you know what --
MURPHY: For no reason.
JACKSON: We can all agree on one thing. This is tragic, it`s horrific, it`s sad. If you can`t feel safe around your home or in a park where tons
of people are where can you feel safe? A lot more to discuss when we come back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m really shocked. Like I can`t believe that this happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It happened pretty much in our backyard.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have no clue who would hurt her. None -- I have no clue.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was a one-woman army. Nothing stopped her. Nothing, nothing -- whatever she wanted to do she would do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can`t see her walking up there, either.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Unless someone was trying to lure her in I don`t know.
I have no clue who would hurt her. None -- I have no clue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: Investigators say that Connie was strangled, but also had bruising on her body. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He did not see much of a sign of a struggle. There was some minor bruising on her, but not even enough to say it was blunt force
trauma.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: So lets go right out to the "Lion`s Den". If Connie didn`t have a lot of bruising and she was strangled, is it possible that she knew her
attacker, Wendy Murphy? You talked about this. After all, strangulation is an intimate form of killing someone. Or since Connie was handicapped,
Wendy -- hold on -- she had asthma and she was also born -- apparently the right arm below the elbow was missing maybe she was an easier target.
So Wendy, I want to pit you against Sierra. Sierra says you know what -- it could be a stranger. Wendy you say it was an intimate one. What
happened here? Wendy first.
MURPHY: Look, I could have been anything. We don`t know. But what makes the most sense? Strangulation very much as you pointed out, Joey, an
intimate killing by somebody rageful about your existence. There was no sexual assault. A woman with only one arm has no hope of removing the
fingers from the strangler. There is no doubt in my mind this is someone she knew. I don`t know.
JACKSON: Sierra Elizabeth, I see your head shaking. Go ahead.
ELIZABETH: The fact there was no bruise, on her, actually I go the completely opposite way and say she was caught by surprise. She was
running or jogging or walking and someone probably came up to her without her knowing and strangled her. I mean that`s what it says to me. There`s
no fight. There`s somebody that attacks you and you don`t know them and you`re not going to fight back? No.
JACKSON: Wendy Walsh do you agree? Quickly.
WALSH: Well, strangulation is not a quick and painless murder. I mean strangulation takes at least two or three minutes. And there is always
some form of struggle. Remember on "Happily Never After" when those grooms killed their brides, their goal is to always make it look like a random
crime -- like a random killing. So who knows? I mean I`m not pointing fingers but I promise you the police are investigating those close to her.
JACKSON: You guys are spectacular, we`ve got a great "lion`s Den". Thank you so much. It`s been a wonderful time to talk about this.
Nancy Grace, she`s next.
END