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American Morning

Man Accused of Killing Wife and Three Young Children Still at Large

Aired January 08, 2002 - 08:25   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to turn now from the war zone to a very bizarre murder case in the hunt for one of "America's Most Wanted" criminals. Christian Longo is accused of killing his wife and three young children last month in Oregon. He is still at large, but authorities are hoping the TV show, "America's Most Wanted", can help bring this fugitive to justice. Longo will be featured on the show this coming Saturday and the host of the popular program probably needs no introduction. You all recognize this man, John Walsh, who joins us now from Washington. Good to see you again John. Thank you very much for being with us.

JOHN WALSH, "AMERICA'S MOST WANTED": Good morning Paula. Thank you.

ZAHN: So could you quickly bring us up to date on this very bizarre case?

WALSH: Well I'm amazed that this guy's been able to stay out there this long, but he's well known as a con man, very cunning and very charming and very ruthless. As a matter of fact we have an exclusive interview this Saturday night with his father and his sister and his father says this guy's capable of anything; that he has no conscious; and he'll kill anybody that gets in his way; and that's what's so disturbing. He's not only wanted for killing his wife and his three small children - two, three and four years old, just before Christmas, he actually was cold blooded enough to apply for a job December 26th at a Starbucks in San Francisco. So this guy is a psychotic, very, very dangerous, and we're very, very worried that he'll hurt anybody that gets in his way.

ZAHN: What else did they tell you - the family members in this interview.

WALSH: Well they said, you know, he's always been a con man. He doesn't have any history of violence, but he's - you know he's the type of person that uses people. He's bounced checks. He's stolen cars. As a matter of fact, they think he's driving around in a green Dodge Durango that he stole the day that he dumped his family car and some of the bodies of his family in the water there in Oregon. But you know it's really something to hear a man's father and his own sister say this guy will do anything. He doesn't care who gets in his way, and he's very cunning and very charming, and so, you know we're really worried. I'm amazed that he's been able to stay out there this long, but of course this Saturday night, we'll put millions of those wonderful viewers of "America's Most Wanted" - we'll put their eyes on this story and hopefully we'll be able to nail him before he hurts somebody else.

ZAHN: Well I know you and your colleagues there have helped the police crack hundreds of murder cases. Without your help, though, are the police getting any closer to finding this guy?

WALSH: Well he seems to have dropped off the face of the earth. I mean what is so baffling is that he would have the nerve after knowing that he was wanted for the murders of his wife and three children to go to a Starbucks in San Francisco on December 26th and apply for a job as if nothing was wrong. And then when it was found out that he was wanted, he never came back to the store, and he's disappeared since then. I'm really amazed because you know we profile drug dealers and we profile organized crime figures that have resources and money and help, and we profile terrorists that have multiple passports and go from country to country, but this guy, I'm amazed that he's just dropped off the face of the earth, and he's very, very dangerous.

ZAHN: Well we'll be looking for your show's exclusive interview at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday night. What network is that John Walsh?

WALSH: Fox network Paula.

ZAHN: Yes, I have a vague memory of that. Thanks so much. Happy New Year to you. Appreciate ...

WALSH: Happy New Year to you.

(CROSSTALK)

ZAHN: ... this morning. Good luck with the show.

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