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Amber Alert Issued in Lindsey Ryan Case

Aired March 06, 2003 - 14:21   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Police say they're hot on the trail of a Michigan girl who either left with or was abducted by a convicted murderer. They're scouring motels and campsites in Sacramento after the two were spotted nearby.
CNN's Jeff Flock is joining us now from near Lindsey Ryan's home. Good afternoon, Jeff.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. Cassopolis, Michigan is where we are. This is the county seat here where they've been centering their investigation. The FBI says it knows what happened to Lindsey Ryan. It says she was abducted. Because of that, the FBI has succeeded in persuading the California Highway Patrol to implement an Amber alert. They just issued it this morning. That means broadcasts get interrupted in California, and those road signs begin to flash information about Lindsey Ryan.

Now, let's show you the latest pictures we've obtained of her. These are home videos given to us by her family. Trying to get as many pictures of her out there as they can. I talked to her mother and father just a short time ago. They, at the time, before the Amber alert was issued, appealed to California to issue that Amber alert, really hoping that it hopes -- helps investigators home in on them, because they were sighted again, confirmed sighting this morning -- a sighting that took place yesterday. So, very important.

And that interview, the parents used as an opportunity to make one other appeal to both their daughter and to 56-year-old Terry Drake, the man who authorities say lured her away from her home this past weekend. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK RYAN, FATHER OF ABDUCTED TEEN: I'm going to tell you, Lindsey, honey, you're my baby. You've always been my darling. You know that. And you can come home any time you want. We want you home. Everybody wants you home. I want you home. That's what I'm going to tell you. You belong home.

CAROL RYAN, MOTHER OF ABDUCTED TEEN: And Terry, just let her out of the car. All you have got to do is open the door, and then you are free. You are free from all of this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLOCK: It's unclear whether Lindsey or Terry Drake have heard any of the messages that they have been sort of sending through CNN and other means, other television means, but clearly some people are seeing it out there. The latest sighting which took place in Grass Valley, California, also reported the person who saw them -- reported that Lindsey had the dark hair that she had been reported to have. Authorities think she dyed her hair black to try to elude capture. Either she dyed it, or perhaps Terry Drake, the man who she is believed to be traveling with, may have dyed it for her, authorities say.

Of course, new details, Heidi, emerging about Terry Drake and the murder he was convicted of in 1977. I talked to the husband of the woman that he is -- he was convicted of killing. This man said that he had been worried about Drake for a long time striking again, and he said a similar M.O. to the murder in 1977. Met the woman at a church, abducted her from her home. Took a gun from the home, and in that case, he killed the woman with it. We certainly hope it doesn't turn out this way on this one.

That's the latest from Cassopolis, Michigan -- Heidi, back to you.

COLLINS: That is so scary, Jeff. Let me ask you quickly, if I may, about the Amber alert. It was not put out right away. What is different about this case?

FLOCK: Well, California -- each state has different rules on Amber alerts. California's says the person must be held -- the child must be held against their will. And there was a lot of indication that Lindsey is cooperating. So they initially did not put out an Amber alert. They want to make sure the Amber alerts only go out in the most serious cases so that it doesn't dilute the impact of it. But now that the FBI has declared this an abduction, they went ahead and issued the Amber alert.

COLLINS: All right. Live from Cassopolis, Michigan: Jeff Flock.

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 March 6, 2003 - 14:21   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Police say they're hot on the trail of a Michigan girl who either left with or was abducted by a convicted murderer. They're scouring motels and campsites in Sacramento after the two were spotted nearby.
CNN's Jeff Flock is joining us now from near Lindsey Ryan's home. Good afternoon, Jeff.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. Cassopolis, Michigan is where we are. This is the county seat here where they've been centering their investigation. The FBI says it knows what happened to Lindsey Ryan. It says she was abducted. Because of that, the FBI has succeeded in persuading the California Highway Patrol to implement an Amber alert. They just issued it this morning. That means broadcasts get interrupted in California, and those road signs begin to flash information about Lindsey Ryan.

Now, let's show you the latest pictures we've obtained of her. These are home videos given to us by her family. Trying to get as many pictures of her out there as they can. I talked to her mother and father just a short time ago. They, at the time, before the Amber alert was issued, appealed to California to issue that Amber alert, really hoping that it hopes -- helps investigators home in on them, because they were sighted again, confirmed sighting this morning -- a sighting that took place yesterday. So, very important.

And that interview, the parents used as an opportunity to make one other appeal to both their daughter and to 56-year-old Terry Drake, the man who authorities say lured her away from her home this past weekend. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK RYAN, FATHER OF ABDUCTED TEEN: I'm going to tell you, Lindsey, honey, you're my baby. You've always been my darling. You know that. And you can come home any time you want. We want you home. Everybody wants you home. I want you home. That's what I'm going to tell you. You belong home.

CAROL RYAN, MOTHER OF ABDUCTED TEEN: And Terry, just let her out of the car. All you have got to do is open the door, and then you are free. You are free from all of this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLOCK: It's unclear whether Lindsey or Terry Drake have heard any of the messages that they have been sort of sending through CNN and other means, other television means, but clearly some people are seeing it out there. The latest sighting which took place in Grass Valley, California, also reported the person who saw them -- reported that Lindsey had the dark hair that she had been reported to have. Authorities think she dyed her hair black to try to elude capture. Either she dyed it, or perhaps Terry Drake, the man who she is believed to be traveling with, may have dyed it for her, authorities say.

Of course, new details, Heidi, emerging about Terry Drake and the murder he was convicted of in 1977. I talked to the husband of the woman that he is -- he was convicted of killing. This man said that he had been worried about Drake for a long time striking again, and he said a similar M.O. to the murder in 1977. Met the woman at a church, abducted her from her home. Took a gun from the home, and in that case, he killed the woman with it. We certainly hope it doesn't turn out this way on this one.

That's the latest from Cassopolis, Michigan -- Heidi, back to you.

COLLINS: That is so scary, Jeff. Let me ask you quickly, if I may, about the Amber alert. It was not put out right away. What is different about this case?

FLOCK: Well, California -- each state has different rules on Amber alerts. California's says the person must be held -- the child must be held against their will. And there was a lot of indication that Lindsey is cooperating. So they initially did not put out an Amber alert. They want to make sure the Amber alerts only go out in the most serious cases so that it doesn't dilute the impact of it. But now that the FBI has declared this an abduction, they went ahead and issued the Amber alert.

COLLINS: All right. Live from Cassopolis, Michigan: Jeff Flock.

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