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American Morning

The Big Question: Will the FBI Ever Catch Eric Rudolph?

Aired March 21, 2002 - 09:33   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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The Big Question this hour: Will the FBI ever catch Eric Rudolph? The $30 million manhunt for the alleged serial bomber, at one time involving over 200 law enforcement agents, will now be scaled back to a bare minimum.

By June, only a handful of agents will be on the case, and they too could be pulled off if there are no solid leads.

CNN's Brian Cabell reports that now some of the bombing victims are worried the FBI may never get their man.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He's on the FBI's most wanted list -- been there since 1998 -- charged with four bombings in Atlanta and Birmingham, including the Olympic park bombing.

CHARLES STONE, RETIRED GBI AGENT: I still believe Eric is still in western North Carolina. I believe he's still alive, and I believe one day he'll be caught.

CABELL: At one point, in 1998, during the search for Eric Rudolph, more than 200 federal and state agents combed the rugged Nantahala Mountains in Western North Carolina, not far from where Rudolph lived before fleeing. Agents were convinced they were hot on his trail.

(on camera): But that was four years ago. Investigators now concede they've just about run out of leads in the case, and they've all but shut down the investigation do into the disappearance of Eric Rudolph.

(voice-over): The southeast bomb task force, which led the Rudolph investigation, will soon abandon its headquarters near the FBI field office in Atlanta. Most of the dozen agents working the case will be reassigned, and, by June, the fugitive part of the investigation is supposed to be transferred to the Charlotte field office.

It was only the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics that kept the task force going at full speed. Officials wanted to be prepared, just in case Rudolph decided to reappear. There hasn't been a live sighting of him since the summer of 1998. TODD LETCHER, FBI: We need to send the message that we're not going away, that this case is top priority, that we're going to find Eric Rudolph.

CABELL: That was the official line last summer; it's still the official line. But agents, who've already spent $30 million trying to track him down, will now spend much less time on him. That leads Emily Lyons, a nurse who was maimed in a bombing allegedly committed by Rudolph in 1998, to wonder whether she'll ever see Rudolph brought to justice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, if he's like the Unabomber that took so long to be caught, I may be gone by then. I'd love to have it happen while I'm still alive and fairly young. Reality? I'm not sure if that ever will happen.

CABELL: The FBI's mission has changed since September 11th. It's using more agents to try to prevent future acts of terrorism. Some of the agents could come from this investigation, which it says has basically come to an end.

Brian Cabell, CNN, Andrews, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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