Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Bakersfield Murder Suspect Released
Aired July 10, 2003 - 15:09 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.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Police in Bakersfield, California, say a school vice principal is still a suspect in the shooting deaths of five people, including his estranged wife. But, for now, he is under no legal restrictions. Vincent Brothers turned himself in to North Carolina police yesterday, but he was released overnight.
Today in California, the Bakersfield police chief promised the investigation will cover every possible angle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC MATLOCK, BAKERSFIELD POLICE CHIEF: We want to make sure that we get this thing right. The family deserves it and the community deserves it. But I also shared with the officers -- and they know this -- that we will be meticulous, methodical, and relentless in our investigations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: With me now at the CNN Center in Atlanta to talk more about this case is CNN's Mike Brooks.
Mike, what happened? It seemed like they had made an arrest, and now he's free. What's going on here?
MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, yesterday, the Elizabeth City police in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, they made the arrest of Mr. Brothers.
And they said that they were acting off of information that they were getting from the Bakersfield police. Early today in a news conference with Elizabeth City, they said that they were acting on good faith. And the captain there in Elizabeth City said they arrested Brothers on good faith from information received from Bakersfield. Now, what that good faith was, to arrest someone, you have to have probable cause.
Then, early -- a bit later on, Candy, the DA said -- from Elizabeth City -- said that they were expecting some paper. And what he meant was by paper was a warrant, which happens on a normal basis. You can call one jurisdiction to another jurisdiction and say, we have enough probable cause to arrest this guy. Can you go ahead and hold him for us? And you're going to get the paper. Well, the DA said they never did get the paper.
Then, a little bit later on, we heard the police chief and the captain from Bakersfield. And they said that they had some evidentiary issues. And the captain called this case -- and I find this very unusual, Candy -- he called this case a cold case when they got it. I was in D.C. police for 26 years. We have a cold case squad. They look at cases that are six months to a year old. And then they take them and go back and reinterview everybody. This was anything but a cold case -- Candy.
CROWLEY: Well, we know you're watching it for us, Mike, so we'll be back to you.
Thanks so much, Mike Brooks in Atlanta.
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 July 10, 2003 - 15:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Police in Bakersfield, California, say a school vice principal is still a suspect in the shooting deaths of five people, including his estranged wife. But, for now, he is under no legal restrictions. Vincent Brothers turned himself in to North Carolina police yesterday, but he was released overnight.
Today in California, the Bakersfield police chief promised the investigation will cover every possible angle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC MATLOCK, BAKERSFIELD POLICE CHIEF: We want to make sure that we get this thing right. The family deserves it and the community deserves it. But I also shared with the officers -- and they know this -- that we will be meticulous, methodical, and relentless in our investigations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: With me now at the CNN Center in Atlanta to talk more about this case is CNN's Mike Brooks.
Mike, what happened? It seemed like they had made an arrest, and now he's free. What's going on here?
MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, yesterday, the Elizabeth City police in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, they made the arrest of Mr. Brothers.
And they said that they were acting off of information that they were getting from the Bakersfield police. Early today in a news conference with Elizabeth City, they said that they were acting on good faith. And the captain there in Elizabeth City said they arrested Brothers on good faith from information received from Bakersfield. Now, what that good faith was, to arrest someone, you have to have probable cause.
Then, early -- a bit later on, Candy, the DA said -- from Elizabeth City -- said that they were expecting some paper. And what he meant was by paper was a warrant, which happens on a normal basis. You can call one jurisdiction to another jurisdiction and say, we have enough probable cause to arrest this guy. Can you go ahead and hold him for us? And you're going to get the paper. Well, the DA said they never did get the paper.
Then, a little bit later on, we heard the police chief and the captain from Bakersfield. And they said that they had some evidentiary issues. And the captain called this case -- and I find this very unusual, Candy -- he called this case a cold case when they got it. I was in D.C. police for 26 years. We have a cold case squad. They look at cases that are six months to a year old. And then they take them and go back and reinterview everybody. This was anything but a cold case -- Candy.
CROWLEY: Well, we know you're watching it for us, Mike, so we'll be back to you.
Thanks so much, Mike Brooks in Atlanta.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
