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CNN Live At Daybreak

Fugitive Returns: Victim's Sister, Philadelphia District Attorney Speak Out

Aired July 20, 2001 - 07:16   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.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: We want to spend a little more time now on the Ira Einhorn case. His plane arrived back in the United States overnight, extradited from France back to the U.S. in connection with a murder that's 20 years old now. You can imagine how difficult this has been for the victim's family, all those years Ira Einhorn being on the run.

Well, we are joined now by Buffy Hall, who is the sister of Holly Maddux, who Ira Einhorn was convicted of killing back in late '70s.

Buffy Hall, thanks very much for being here -- appreciate it this morning.

BUFFY HALL, SISTER OF HOLLY MADDUX: Thank you for the invitation.

MCEDWARDS: This has been a long time coming for your family. And I'd just like to start by hearing your reaction to his return to U.S. soil.

HALL: Oh, I'm delighted. It was wonderful to see the footage of him getting off the plane in handcuffs.

MCEDWARDS: What kind of an impact has all of this had on your family during that period when he was on the run?

HALL: Well, the past 24 years has had a profound impact on every one of us. I was 17 years old when my sister was murdered. But it wasn't until I was 19 did I know she was gone. And so I've been dealing with this more than half of my life.

MCEDWARDS: That's right. It took some time to find her body, didn't it?

HALL: Yes -- almost 18 months.

MCEDWARDS: Remind us of what happened.

HALL: Holly was in an abusive relationship with Ira Einhorn. But, unfortunately, we didn't know anything about that until after she was dead. And she disappeared after she had finally made a break from him and moved into her own apartment. MCEDWARDS: He's been living in France, living his life. And that's been publicized. People knew that. How did you feel about that?

HALL: Oh, it's been intensely frustrating and just aggravating. I can't really describe it -- watching him smile and mug for the cameras and eat strawberries in his garden, and all that kind of nauseated things that he's done over the last four years. He's been very much rubbing our face in it and thumbing his nose and feeling very secure that the French would never send him back.

MCEDWARDS: Ms. Hall, Ira Einhorn was an anti-war activist, as we've mentioned here. He says that he didn't do this, that this was all -- the trial that convicted him was all a government conspiracy. I mean, do you have any doubt in your mind that he was the perpetrator?

HALL: Absolutely no doubt at all. I've heard the evidence. I've been to the trial in absentia. And I will attend this next one. And everyone else will be able to hear the evidence. And that will finally put that ludicrous statement of his away for good. And I won't have to listen to that fairy tale anymore.

MCEDWARDS: Buffy Hall, thank you very much.

HALL: Thank you.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Colleen, just as you were saying, despite the conviction in absentia, Einhorn has never wavered. He has always said he is innocent. And he said it again yesterday before he was extradited from France.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IRA EINHORN, DEFENDANT: I am innocent. I want a fair trial. I will be happy to go the United States if a court gives me a new trial.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Well, now he is back. But the man who represented Einhorn says he's not sure a new trial is legal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NORRIS GELMAN, ATTORNEY FOR IRA EINHORN: It's my opinion that a court cannot constitutionally give him a new trial. I don't want to be a willing accomplice in the violation of the Constitution. I don't want to be up there with the DA, saying, "Give Einhorn a new trial," because that's a violation of the supreme law of our land.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: So right now, we're joined by Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham, who is going to be trying this case -- possibly not trying this case, I don't know.

Ms. Abraham, tell us what's going to happen next.

LYNNE ABRAHAM, PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Well, I'm not a -- I'm not a trial lawyer at this point. Other teams of lawyers will be trying this case.

What happens now is largely up to Mr. Einhorn. You know, if he had stayed here 20 years ago, we wouldn't be talking right this -- right this very moment. But we're waiting to see who his lawyers are, what they're going to say, what they're going to do and when they're going to do it. As of this moment, Ira Einhorn, having been convicted and not having asked for a new trial as of yet, is housed in a state correctional institution at Graterford. And that's where he will remain pending the remainder of our legal issues that will have to be addressed in the future.

LIN: All right.

So he's in legal limbo right now, is that right? I mean, it's not that he's been convicted in absentia and he's waiting sentencing. You really don't know what's going to happen next.

ABRAHAM: No, he's not in legal limbo. He is a convicted and sentenced prisoner. And he's in custody pending whatever issues his lawyers want to bring up. We're not sure who those lawyers are going to be or what issues they're going to bring up. But, obviously, we're going to be prepared to meet whatever issues are raised.

LIN: What is it that you're seeking to happen next? Do you want to have a new trial? Would there be -- would it be a value now that you actually have the suspect here?

ABRAHAM: Well, you know, we made a commitment to the French government that, in accordance with the statute that was passed, that if Ira Einhorn asked for a new trial, that we would give him a new trial. But the ball is in his court and in his lawyer's court. And since we don't know who his lawyers are going to be and what they're going to do or say, it puts us in a difficult spot of not being able to say what's going to happen because it's really up to his lawyers and him.

LIN: Well, last week, some call it a dramatic gesture, others call it an attempted suicide that Ira Einhorn tried to cut his throat as he maintained his innocence.

ABRAHAM: Oh, it wasn't -- please, it was not an attempt at suicide. It was a stunt, and, as he called it, a political act. So, you know, I mean, I think the -- I think the media has been too generous in saying it was a suicide attempt.

LIN: Well, do...

ABRAHAM: It wasn't.

LIN: Do you think -- is he mentally unstable? I mean, even if there were to be another trial. Is that an issue? ABRAHAM: Oh, no, no, no. No, no, he's -- as you have interviewed with him and others have done, he's quite bright and always wants to control the entire situation. So I don't think that's an issue.

LIN: All right. We'll be watching closely to see what happens next today.

Thank you very much.

ABRAHAM: Thanks.

LIN: Lynne Abraham, district attorney in Philadelphia.

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