Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Missing Boy Mystery

Aired April 30, 2003 - 07:08   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: A significant development overnight in the case of the missing boy from North Carolina. While the family of Tristen "Buddy" Myers says they are still optimistic that Eli Quick, a boy found in Illinois, is actually Buddy, DNA testing confirming they are one and the same could take weeks.
Last night, though, authorities located and questioned Ricky Quick, the man they say abandoned Eli and claimed to be his father.

Gary Tuchman is live in Roseboro, North Carolina in front of Buddy's family home, and joins us now for all of the latest on what's happening in this story this morning.

Gary -- hello.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, hello to you.

And the people inside this home here in Roseboro, North Carolina are hoping this little boy in the foster home is the boy who has been missing for the last two-and-a-half years. But there have been developments over the past 12 hours.

The first one, Ricky Quick, the man who brought a boy named Eli Quick, the name he says, to the hospital has been found. Authorities were looking for him. They wanted to question him. He voluntarily brought himself to an FBI office in Chicago, and he is now talking to authorities there.

He says this is his son, Eli Quick. However, DNA testing is taking place, because there are many similarities between these two boys. They both have scars on their neck. They both have blond hair. They both have speech impediments. The DNA testing will take four to six weeks, authorities are telling us. But right now, Ricky Quick continues to say this is his son.

Authorities are also telling us, this little boy who's in the hospital -- whether he's Eli Quick, whether he's Buddy Myers -- was in a car accident with Ricky Quick 11 months ago in the month of May. We are being told that the little boy in the hospital, who is now in the foster home, says his mother was killed in this car accident.

And authorities do confirm a woman by the name of Susan Smith was killed in the car accident. However, they don't know if that's his mother, but they do say the car accident happened.

So, it's becoming a messy case, a complicated case and, of course, a very sad case. One other element that's also confusing. Authorities are investigating whether this man, Ricky Quick, who currently lives in Chicago, lived in the city of Metairie, Louisiana at the same time that this boy here, who was missing, natural mother lived there. The natural mother, her name is Raven Myers (ph). She lives close by here. She has given DNA for the testing to see if this is her natural son who is missing.

But according to authorities, there is a possibility that this natural mother lived in Metairie, Louisiana at the same time as the man who claims he is Eli Quick.

It's very confusing, and there's a lot for authorities to investigate.

The final thing we want to mention, the person here, the great- aunt who has been taking care of this little boy, who has now been gone for two-and-a-half years, says all she wants right now is for someone to mention to this little boy about the three-legged dog who lives inside this house. Because the three-legged dog was with this little boy, was with Buddy Myers when he disappeared two-and-a-half years ago. She says if someone mentions that to him in the foster home, maybe they can prove once and for all that this is the missing boy.

But right now, she is telling us here that no one is talking to her from Illinois about this case.

Bill -- back to you.

HEMMER: Wow! What a twist. Gary, thanks for taking us through that.

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 April 30, 2003 - 07:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A significant development overnight in the case of the missing boy from North Carolina. While the family of Tristen "Buddy" Myers says they are still optimistic that Eli Quick, a boy found in Illinois, is actually Buddy, DNA testing confirming they are one and the same could take weeks.
Last night, though, authorities located and questioned Ricky Quick, the man they say abandoned Eli and claimed to be his father.

Gary Tuchman is live in Roseboro, North Carolina in front of Buddy's family home, and joins us now for all of the latest on what's happening in this story this morning.

Gary -- hello.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, hello to you.

And the people inside this home here in Roseboro, North Carolina are hoping this little boy in the foster home is the boy who has been missing for the last two-and-a-half years. But there have been developments over the past 12 hours.

The first one, Ricky Quick, the man who brought a boy named Eli Quick, the name he says, to the hospital has been found. Authorities were looking for him. They wanted to question him. He voluntarily brought himself to an FBI office in Chicago, and he is now talking to authorities there.

He says this is his son, Eli Quick. However, DNA testing is taking place, because there are many similarities between these two boys. They both have scars on their neck. They both have blond hair. They both have speech impediments. The DNA testing will take four to six weeks, authorities are telling us. But right now, Ricky Quick continues to say this is his son.

Authorities are also telling us, this little boy who's in the hospital -- whether he's Eli Quick, whether he's Buddy Myers -- was in a car accident with Ricky Quick 11 months ago in the month of May. We are being told that the little boy in the hospital, who is now in the foster home, says his mother was killed in this car accident.

And authorities do confirm a woman by the name of Susan Smith was killed in the car accident. However, they don't know if that's his mother, but they do say the car accident happened.

So, it's becoming a messy case, a complicated case and, of course, a very sad case. One other element that's also confusing. Authorities are investigating whether this man, Ricky Quick, who currently lives in Chicago, lived in the city of Metairie, Louisiana at the same time that this boy here, who was missing, natural mother lived there. The natural mother, her name is Raven Myers (ph). She lives close by here. She has given DNA for the testing to see if this is her natural son who is missing.

But according to authorities, there is a possibility that this natural mother lived in Metairie, Louisiana at the same time as the man who claims he is Eli Quick.

It's very confusing, and there's a lot for authorities to investigate.

The final thing we want to mention, the person here, the great- aunt who has been taking care of this little boy, who has now been gone for two-and-a-half years, says all she wants right now is for someone to mention to this little boy about the three-legged dog who lives inside this house. Because the three-legged dog was with this little boy, was with Buddy Myers when he disappeared two-and-a-half years ago. She says if someone mentions that to him in the foster home, maybe they can prove once and for all that this is the missing boy.

But right now, she is telling us here that no one is talking to her from Illinois about this case.

Bill -- back to you.

HEMMER: Wow! What a twist. Gary, thanks for taking us through that.

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