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American Morning

Missing Virginia Girl; Interview With Sam Page

Aired September 26, 2002 - 07:16   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Police now searching an area of Rockingham County, North Carolina, where a small human skull has been found. This location, about 30 miles from Henry County, Virginia. That's where 9-year-old Jennifer Short disappeared more than a month ago, August 15 in fact, when her parents were shot and killed inside of their home.
Gary Tuchman now live this morning for the very latest on what he's hearing right now in North Carolina.

Gary -- good morning.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, good morning to you.

For exactly six weeks, the nation has been looking for little 9- year-old Jennifer Short. The hope among authorities they would find her alive, but the fear among authorities today that they might have found her dead.

Yesterday, here in Rockingham County, North Carolina, a man noticed that his dogs outside were carrying something that he thought looked like a wig. To his horror, the man went closer to his dogs and saw the dogs were holding a small skull. At that point, he called authorities. Authorities came to his home. They searched the woods, and then, they found a section of ribs.

Now, at this point, we don't know if it's the little girl, but we are only 30 miles away from Henry County, Virginia -- Bassett, Virginia, where she disappeared.

What makes this story so much more horrible is that day, August 15, that she disappeared was the day that her parents, Michael and Mary Short, were found shot to death in their home. They were shot with one bullet. The phone lines had been cut inside the house, and the little girl was gone.

So, now, a laboratory here in North Carolina is examining the bones to see if it's the missing little girl.

With us right now is the sheriff here in Rockingham County, North Carolina, Sheriff Sam Page.

Sheriff, thanks for joining us.

SAM PAGE, ROCKINGHAM COUNTY SHERIFF: Good morning.

TUCHMAN: At this point, do we have a hint if this is the remains of the little girl?

PAGE: At this time, we do not. We are waiting for information from the Virginia authorities. We are expecting to have an update around 9:30 to 9:45 this morning here in Rockingham County. Some of the Virginia investigators will be coming down, and at that time, we hope to have some information.

TUCHMAN: Now, the family members of the little girl have kept up the hope (AUDIO GAP), so obviously, they would like to hear this is not her, of course. I mean, everyone wants some resolution, but not this type of resolution.

Is there a chance -- what I have heard is there perhaps is a family burial ground nearby, and this could be from that.

PAGE: Well, the information is -- the information, there are -- or is like a plantation-setting cemetery about a mile away from the location of where the dogs had brought up the skeletal remains. We have checked that area. We don't see anything where it seems to be disturbed where possibly animals or anything else may have come about. But we are checking several areas.

And today, when we begin our regular search, we will be conducting a systematic search from where we found these skeletal remains out to see if there are any other traces, because we would like to find the origin of the skeletal remains.

TUCHMAN: Sheriff, thank you very much.

PAGE: Thank you.

TUCHMAN: Appreciate it.

One of the problems authorities have is it's raining very hard today, and it makes the search much more difficult.

The sheriff will have another news conference to announce some more information about 30 minutes from now. And then, about two-and- a-half hours from now, Virginia officials will be here to divulge some information also.

We don't know if we'll find out for sure what happened, but we'll be here all day waiting to get the word.

Bill -- back to you.

HEMMER: Clearly, some questions, a number of them, unanswered. Let's talk about what we might know now.

Has there ever been any motive announced? Have there ever been any suspects hunted down for the murder a month-and-a-half ago?

TUCHMAN: Bill, they have gotten thousands of tips in this case, but absolutely no motives and no suspects whatsoever.

And one thing I want to tell you is just four days ago that her aunt and uncle were named the guardians of the little girl. It was just four days ago that happened.

HEMMER: All right, Gary, thank you. Keep us posted in North Carolina. Gary Tuchman again live there on the scene.

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 September 26, 2002 - 07:16   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Police now searching an area of Rockingham County, North Carolina, where a small human skull has been found. This location, about 30 miles from Henry County, Virginia. That's where 9-year-old Jennifer Short disappeared more than a month ago, August 15 in fact, when her parents were shot and killed inside of their home.
Gary Tuchman now live this morning for the very latest on what he's hearing right now in North Carolina.

Gary -- good morning.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, good morning to you.

For exactly six weeks, the nation has been looking for little 9- year-old Jennifer Short. The hope among authorities they would find her alive, but the fear among authorities today that they might have found her dead.

Yesterday, here in Rockingham County, North Carolina, a man noticed that his dogs outside were carrying something that he thought looked like a wig. To his horror, the man went closer to his dogs and saw the dogs were holding a small skull. At that point, he called authorities. Authorities came to his home. They searched the woods, and then, they found a section of ribs.

Now, at this point, we don't know if it's the little girl, but we are only 30 miles away from Henry County, Virginia -- Bassett, Virginia, where she disappeared.

What makes this story so much more horrible is that day, August 15, that she disappeared was the day that her parents, Michael and Mary Short, were found shot to death in their home. They were shot with one bullet. The phone lines had been cut inside the house, and the little girl was gone.

So, now, a laboratory here in North Carolina is examining the bones to see if it's the missing little girl.

With us right now is the sheriff here in Rockingham County, North Carolina, Sheriff Sam Page.

Sheriff, thanks for joining us.

SAM PAGE, ROCKINGHAM COUNTY SHERIFF: Good morning.

TUCHMAN: At this point, do we have a hint if this is the remains of the little girl?

PAGE: At this time, we do not. We are waiting for information from the Virginia authorities. We are expecting to have an update around 9:30 to 9:45 this morning here in Rockingham County. Some of the Virginia investigators will be coming down, and at that time, we hope to have some information.

TUCHMAN: Now, the family members of the little girl have kept up the hope (AUDIO GAP), so obviously, they would like to hear this is not her, of course. I mean, everyone wants some resolution, but not this type of resolution.

Is there a chance -- what I have heard is there perhaps is a family burial ground nearby, and this could be from that.

PAGE: Well, the information is -- the information, there are -- or is like a plantation-setting cemetery about a mile away from the location of where the dogs had brought up the skeletal remains. We have checked that area. We don't see anything where it seems to be disturbed where possibly animals or anything else may have come about. But we are checking several areas.

And today, when we begin our regular search, we will be conducting a systematic search from where we found these skeletal remains out to see if there are any other traces, because we would like to find the origin of the skeletal remains.

TUCHMAN: Sheriff, thank you very much.

PAGE: Thank you.

TUCHMAN: Appreciate it.

One of the problems authorities have is it's raining very hard today, and it makes the search much more difficult.

The sheriff will have another news conference to announce some more information about 30 minutes from now. And then, about two-and- a-half hours from now, Virginia officials will be here to divulge some information also.

We don't know if we'll find out for sure what happened, but we'll be here all day waiting to get the word.

Bill -- back to you.

HEMMER: Clearly, some questions, a number of them, unanswered. Let's talk about what we might know now.

Has there ever been any motive announced? Have there ever been any suspects hunted down for the murder a month-and-a-half ago?

TUCHMAN: Bill, they have gotten thousands of tips in this case, but absolutely no motives and no suspects whatsoever.

And one thing I want to tell you is just four days ago that her aunt and uncle were named the guardians of the little girl. It was just four days ago that happened.

HEMMER: All right, Gary, thank you. Keep us posted in North Carolina. Gary Tuchman again live there on the scene.

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