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CNN Live Today

Missing College Student

Aired December 01, 2003 - 10:05   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: In North Dakota, police say they have no leads in the disappearance of a college student, which took place nine days ago. Twenty-two-year-old Dru Sjodin was on her cell phone talking to her boyfriend when she was apparently abducted.
Joining us with the latest on the search, which has drawn hundreds of volunteers, is Sergeant Mike Hedlund of the Grand Forks Police Department, and he joins us by phone.

Sergeant, good morning.

SGT. MIKE HEDLUND, GRAND FORKS POLICE DEPARTMENT: Good morning.

KAGAN: Are there any latest leads in the search for this young woman?

HEDLUND: Calls actually do continue to come into the tip line, although they have slowed from the furious pace of the first few days. I believe we've had approximately 900 total calls and tips that are being followed up at this point in time. And investigators are trying to pursue those to see if there's any connection whatsoever to the case.

Searchers are still going out and checking a variety of different areas around the Grand Forks region. Yesterday, we did have about 150 volunteers that helped us search a rather extensive area just to the southern edge of Grand Forks. Today, it's back to law enforcement only searches on a somewhat more limited basis, but they are still trying to follow up on any possible connection.

KAGAN: Sergeant, if you can take us back to the time 9 or 10 days ago. Dru Sjodin was leaving this mall. She was talking on the cell phone to her boyfriend. There's an eerie clue from the end of that conversation, and then apparently a call that was placed a little bit later. What can you tell us about those phone calls, please?

HEDLUND: Yes. As that original phone call ended at approximately 5:00 in the evening on Saturday, November 22, she made some exclamation to the -- I'm not sure of the exact wording. I've heard a variety of possibilities. Something to the effect of, oh my god, oh, no, and then the phone call went dead.

Several hours later, another phone call from her cell phone was placed to her boyfriend. During that call, no conversation took place. And we were able to get an approximate area from the cell phone company of where that call would have been placed from, and that was the focus for our original search. Searches have since stemmed out from that area.

KAGAN: And you have since found her car, is that correct?

HEDLUND: Yes, her car was located that night in the mall parking lot, which is one of the reasons we do believe she was abducted from that location. There were items that we know she had on her person. She had done some shopping after she had got off of work in the mall, and some of the items that we know she had with her in the mall were located in the vehicle.

KAGAN: And what about this report that at a similar time about 45 miles away, there was a different attempted kidnapping. Do you think those are related?

HEDLUND: That occurred this past Friday night, and every indication at this point in time is that there is no relation between the two incidents. That investigation is still ongoing as well, but there is no indication whatsoever that the two are related.

KAGAN: And where does the case go from here, Sergeant?

HEDLUND: We're just going to keep pushing through, following up on all of the various leads. There have been a variety of people that have been interviewed. And our investigative task force, which encompasses, I believe, officers from 20 different law enforcement agencies from several states in this region, Canada and the federal government, are all working on this case. They're just continuing to follow up on the leads and continuing to search. And we're hoping that eventually something is going to turn and we'll be able to solve the case.

KAGAN: And if people do think they might have information, should they contact your police department?

HEDLUND: Absolutely. It's the Grand Forks Emergency Operation Center. That number is 701-780-8213.

KAGAN: We wish you well with the search.

HEDLUND: Thank you very much.

KAGAN: Thank you so much. That's Sergeant Mike Hedlund of the Grand Forks Police Department, looking for a young woman, Dru Sjodin. We'll continue to cover that case.

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 December 1, 2003 - 10:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: In North Dakota, police say they have no leads in the disappearance of a college student, which took place nine days ago. Twenty-two-year-old Dru Sjodin was on her cell phone talking to her boyfriend when she was apparently abducted.
Joining us with the latest on the search, which has drawn hundreds of volunteers, is Sergeant Mike Hedlund of the Grand Forks Police Department, and he joins us by phone.

Sergeant, good morning.

SGT. MIKE HEDLUND, GRAND FORKS POLICE DEPARTMENT: Good morning.

KAGAN: Are there any latest leads in the search for this young woman?

HEDLUND: Calls actually do continue to come into the tip line, although they have slowed from the furious pace of the first few days. I believe we've had approximately 900 total calls and tips that are being followed up at this point in time. And investigators are trying to pursue those to see if there's any connection whatsoever to the case.

Searchers are still going out and checking a variety of different areas around the Grand Forks region. Yesterday, we did have about 150 volunteers that helped us search a rather extensive area just to the southern edge of Grand Forks. Today, it's back to law enforcement only searches on a somewhat more limited basis, but they are still trying to follow up on any possible connection.

KAGAN: Sergeant, if you can take us back to the time 9 or 10 days ago. Dru Sjodin was leaving this mall. She was talking on the cell phone to her boyfriend. There's an eerie clue from the end of that conversation, and then apparently a call that was placed a little bit later. What can you tell us about those phone calls, please?

HEDLUND: Yes. As that original phone call ended at approximately 5:00 in the evening on Saturday, November 22, she made some exclamation to the -- I'm not sure of the exact wording. I've heard a variety of possibilities. Something to the effect of, oh my god, oh, no, and then the phone call went dead.

Several hours later, another phone call from her cell phone was placed to her boyfriend. During that call, no conversation took place. And we were able to get an approximate area from the cell phone company of where that call would have been placed from, and that was the focus for our original search. Searches have since stemmed out from that area.

KAGAN: And you have since found her car, is that correct?

HEDLUND: Yes, her car was located that night in the mall parking lot, which is one of the reasons we do believe she was abducted from that location. There were items that we know she had on her person. She had done some shopping after she had got off of work in the mall, and some of the items that we know she had with her in the mall were located in the vehicle.

KAGAN: And what about this report that at a similar time about 45 miles away, there was a different attempted kidnapping. Do you think those are related?

HEDLUND: That occurred this past Friday night, and every indication at this point in time is that there is no relation between the two incidents. That investigation is still ongoing as well, but there is no indication whatsoever that the two are related.

KAGAN: And where does the case go from here, Sergeant?

HEDLUND: We're just going to keep pushing through, following up on all of the various leads. There have been a variety of people that have been interviewed. And our investigative task force, which encompasses, I believe, officers from 20 different law enforcement agencies from several states in this region, Canada and the federal government, are all working on this case. They're just continuing to follow up on the leads and continuing to search. And we're hoping that eventually something is going to turn and we'll be able to solve the case.

KAGAN: And if people do think they might have information, should they contact your police department?

HEDLUND: Absolutely. It's the Grand Forks Emergency Operation Center. That number is 701-780-8213.

KAGAN: We wish you well with the search.

HEDLUND: Thank you very much.

KAGAN: Thank you so much. That's Sergeant Mike Hedlund of the Grand Forks Police Department, looking for a young woman, Dru Sjodin. We'll continue to cover that case.

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