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American Morning

In Oregon, Search Continues for Two Missing Girls

Aired March 18, 2002 - 09:07   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In Oregon this morning, the search continues for two missing girls. Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis disappeared from the same Oregon city apartment complex two months apart. The FBI and police investigators believe the cases are related, but right now have no solid leads on their whereabouts. Their story was featured Saturday on "America's Most Wanted." In a chilling and ironic twist, the show interviewed Miranda Gaddis about her missing friend, Ashley, not long before she herself went missing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIRANDA GADDIS, MISSING GIRL: It's really hard to believe that it would happen to your friend or something. It's just really different. And really sad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: That was Miranda Gaddis talking about her friend, and joining us this morning from Oregon City is Sharonda Garrett, who coached both girls at Gardner Middle School at their dance class.

Good morning.

SHARONDA GARRETT, MISSING GIRLS' DANCE COACH: Good morning.

WHITFIELD: I know this is a very difficult time for all those who know and love the two little girls now as this search intensifies for them. In a very unusual twist here, the police investigators have asked for your involvement. In what way have they asked for your cooperation in their investigation?

GARRETT: Well the thing that they've asked us and the family members to do is just keep it active, so that way the story doesn't die down. and they've questioned us a lot. So we have to remember a lot of little things that we at any time think we would have to remember. It's kind of like going back in your mind and thinking back to certain does and trying to remember, you know, who they've met, knew, and who they talked about, stuff like that.

WHITFIELD: Also some of the questions being, did you ever recall hearing the two girls talk about any unusual or unfamiliar people in their lives, particularly in and around the apartment complex, where they both lived and where they both were last seen? GARRETT: Right, and it's kind of hard, because you can't remember -- like Miranda, she's a social butterfly, so it's hard to remember who she meets and stuff like that, because she meets a lot of new people. She's very friendly, and it's kind of hard to pinpoint everybody and what time they were met, and you know, what month and stuff like that.

WHITFIELD: Shortly before Miranda's disappearance, she was looking forward to a dance competition. She had even gone so far as to dying her hair. Give me a little bit more of a description on Miranda and her excitement for dancing?

GARRETT: Miranda is a very awesome and dedicated dancer. And Thursday night, she was just ecstatic. She had gotten hair died. She wanted to make sure I could braid it Thursday or Friday morning, instead of Saturday morning like we were supposed to. If she misses a competition, it's kind of like getting your teeth pulled to her, because it's very important.

WHITFIELD: What kind of dance competition?

GARRETT: We compete with different schools. It's basically like you see on the news, the college dance competitions where you just go and you compete for a trophy.

WHITFIELD: Both of the girls were so much alike, great friends, great -- both great -- have a great love for dancing and both very gregarious. In what way do you suppose, you know, that the family members might be kind of pulled together along with the community there, since these were very popular girls, a lot of people knew them, in what way do you suppose this search for them may have evolved into a community effort?

GARRETT: The whole community has pulled together very well. We're getting a lot of responses from everybody like our Figero's (ph) Pizza here is doing Miranda, Ashley night, where they donate proceeds, a portion of what they make, to the reward fund for Ashley and Miranda. Michelle got a flat tire when we were going out and handing out fliers one day, a Les Schwab (ph) repaired her tire free and was going to give her a free one. I mean, everybody is just pulling together to get this stuff settled.

WHITFIELD: And quickly, Sharonda, we want to show this videotape of Miranda. She spoke to "America's Most Wanted," which aired this past week. We want to show that once more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIRANDA GADDIS, MISSING GIRL: It's really hard to believe that it would happen to your friend or something. It's just really different. And really sad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, Miranda Gaddis talking about her friend Ashley Pond. Both of them still this centerpiece of an intense search taking place in Oregon.

Sharonda Garrett, thanks very much, her dance instructor, for joining us this morning.

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