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American Morning
Interview With Kirk, Brenda Bloodsworth
Aired September 08, 2003 - 09:34 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: Now to the case of Kirk Bloodsworth, who spent more than eight years in prison, two on death row, for the murder of 9-year-old Dawn Hamilton. Bloodsworth insisted that he was not guilty all along. In 1993, DNA evidence backed up his claim.
Now comes news on Friday of last week, in fact, that the very evidence that got him released shows who really did commit the murders. That revelation is shocking, as well.
Kirk Bloodsworth and his wife Brenda are our guests today in Washington, D.C. Nice to have you both with us, and good morning.
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Kirk, what did you think when the news came down that a former cell mate has now been placed with this murder as of this past Friday?
KIRK BLOODSWORTH, FREED FROM PRISON BY DNA EVIDENCE: Well, it didn't come to a shock as far as that it was someone else. But I was just overwhelmed. I just remember just sobbing out loud when the prosecutor who prosecuted me for both cases came down to tell me. It's an unbelievable experience. Brenda was there...
HEMMER: Kimberly Shay Ruffner is the man who's now been placed and tagged with this murder. What was your relationship in prison?
K. BLOODSWORTH: Well, I was a prison librarian and also worked out with weights and he was in and out of the yard and had library books. It's like not easy not to have contact with people in there. And I did know him. But, it was total mystery for whatever it's worth. He never let on that he had anything to do with this at the time.
HEMMER: Kirk, were you guys friends?
K. BLOODSWORTH: I would have to say we were acquaintances. You don't have many friends in prison.
HEMMER: OK, I understand that. Listen, it's my understanding also for a time you shared a cell, but most of the time you were separated, down the hall or maybe on different floors. Is that accurate?
K. BLOODSWORTH: I never shared a cell with this man. Never, never.
HEMMER: Never, OK. Not one time, not one day?
K. BLOODSWORTH: No, no.
HEMMER: Did he know, then, of your situation and why you were behind bars?
K. BLOODSWORTH: Oh, certainly, certainly. He -- because of all the press I had gotten, and that was right around the time that I was doing the DNA test, so he definitely knew who I was and what I was in for.
HEMMER: Kirk, did you talk about your case with him?
K. BLOODSWORTH: Vaguely. I think he had seen things on TV and might have said something to someone else, but never to me.
HEMMER: So never any reaction? Never flinched or never asked you questions about it or anything like that?
K. BLOODSWORTH: Never blinked an eye.
HEMMER: Wow. I am told that the two of you share a very remarkable resemblance physically. Can you tell me about that?
K. BLOODSWORTH: Well, I had a gentleman one time we were playing cards in the day room, and said looking at this fella that he could pass for my brother. He has red hair and a mustache, and at least he did at that time. This was back in 1984, 20 years ago. So I have no idea what he resembles now.
HEMMER: How many people in a lineup picked you out saying you were the guilty man?
K. BLOODSWORTH: Well, there was nobody picked me out of a lineup except a couple witnesses that said they seen this person as early as 6:00 in the morning. It was two weeks later the two little boys in the case said that it was number 6, which was the position I was sitting in -- standing in.
HEMMER: What do you think now?
K. BLOODSWORTH: Well, I tell you, I tell you, Bill, the thing we have to do in this instance -- this is a perfect example of why we shouldn't destroy evidence. We should preserve this evidence and have it tested across the board. I don't think we should be throwing this stuff away.
And for my own personal things here, you know it took 19 years to have set me free and then find the real killer, all the while, while the prosecutors in Baltimore County sort of hedged and didn't do anything about this.
And I find it very disheartening and unbelievable to say that you know, they weren't exactly happy that I got out (UNINTELLIGIBLE). They left everything at my feet and vilified me for ten more years after I got out, by saying that "Although Mr. Bloodsworth has been released, we're not prepared to say he's innocent." I think that is an awful thing to do to a human being.
I was 22 years old when this whole event happened. My life has been destroyed because of it. My wife has had to go through this mess with me, my father. It is unfair. And if we don't do something in this country about this type of event, we're going to be sadly mistaken.
You're going to have a lot of Kirk Bloodsworths if we don't pass things like the Innocent Protection Act.
HEMMER: Appreciate you sharing your story today. It is an amazing twist that we have watched over the past several days.
Brenda before we go, how is he doing? How's Kirk doing?
BRENDA BLOODSWORTH, HUSBAND FREED FROM PRISON BY DNA EVIDENCE: He's better. It's an emotional roller coaster. We cry, we laugh, we dance, we cry. It's up and down. Up and down.
HEMMER: Well, thanks for sharing, OK?
B. BLOODSWORTH: Thank you.
HEMMER: Take good care, all right? Brenda and Kirk Bloodsworth down in D.C.
K. BLOODSWORTH: Take care.
B. BLOODSWORTH: Thank you very much.
HEMMER: You got it.
K. BLOODSWORTH: Bye-bye.
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 8, 2003 - 09:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the case of Kirk Bloodsworth, who spent more than eight years in prison, two on death row, for the murder of 9-year-old Dawn Hamilton. Bloodsworth insisted that he was not guilty all along. In 1993, DNA evidence backed up his claim.
Now comes news on Friday of last week, in fact, that the very evidence that got him released shows who really did commit the murders. That revelation is shocking, as well.
Kirk Bloodsworth and his wife Brenda are our guests today in Washington, D.C. Nice to have you both with us, and good morning.
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Kirk, what did you think when the news came down that a former cell mate has now been placed with this murder as of this past Friday?
KIRK BLOODSWORTH, FREED FROM PRISON BY DNA EVIDENCE: Well, it didn't come to a shock as far as that it was someone else. But I was just overwhelmed. I just remember just sobbing out loud when the prosecutor who prosecuted me for both cases came down to tell me. It's an unbelievable experience. Brenda was there...
HEMMER: Kimberly Shay Ruffner is the man who's now been placed and tagged with this murder. What was your relationship in prison?
K. BLOODSWORTH: Well, I was a prison librarian and also worked out with weights and he was in and out of the yard and had library books. It's like not easy not to have contact with people in there. And I did know him. But, it was total mystery for whatever it's worth. He never let on that he had anything to do with this at the time.
HEMMER: Kirk, were you guys friends?
K. BLOODSWORTH: I would have to say we were acquaintances. You don't have many friends in prison.
HEMMER: OK, I understand that. Listen, it's my understanding also for a time you shared a cell, but most of the time you were separated, down the hall or maybe on different floors. Is that accurate?
K. BLOODSWORTH: I never shared a cell with this man. Never, never.
HEMMER: Never, OK. Not one time, not one day?
K. BLOODSWORTH: No, no.
HEMMER: Did he know, then, of your situation and why you were behind bars?
K. BLOODSWORTH: Oh, certainly, certainly. He -- because of all the press I had gotten, and that was right around the time that I was doing the DNA test, so he definitely knew who I was and what I was in for.
HEMMER: Kirk, did you talk about your case with him?
K. BLOODSWORTH: Vaguely. I think he had seen things on TV and might have said something to someone else, but never to me.
HEMMER: So never any reaction? Never flinched or never asked you questions about it or anything like that?
K. BLOODSWORTH: Never blinked an eye.
HEMMER: Wow. I am told that the two of you share a very remarkable resemblance physically. Can you tell me about that?
K. BLOODSWORTH: Well, I had a gentleman one time we were playing cards in the day room, and said looking at this fella that he could pass for my brother. He has red hair and a mustache, and at least he did at that time. This was back in 1984, 20 years ago. So I have no idea what he resembles now.
HEMMER: How many people in a lineup picked you out saying you were the guilty man?
K. BLOODSWORTH: Well, there was nobody picked me out of a lineup except a couple witnesses that said they seen this person as early as 6:00 in the morning. It was two weeks later the two little boys in the case said that it was number 6, which was the position I was sitting in -- standing in.
HEMMER: What do you think now?
K. BLOODSWORTH: Well, I tell you, I tell you, Bill, the thing we have to do in this instance -- this is a perfect example of why we shouldn't destroy evidence. We should preserve this evidence and have it tested across the board. I don't think we should be throwing this stuff away.
And for my own personal things here, you know it took 19 years to have set me free and then find the real killer, all the while, while the prosecutors in Baltimore County sort of hedged and didn't do anything about this.
And I find it very disheartening and unbelievable to say that you know, they weren't exactly happy that I got out (UNINTELLIGIBLE). They left everything at my feet and vilified me for ten more years after I got out, by saying that "Although Mr. Bloodsworth has been released, we're not prepared to say he's innocent." I think that is an awful thing to do to a human being.
I was 22 years old when this whole event happened. My life has been destroyed because of it. My wife has had to go through this mess with me, my father. It is unfair. And if we don't do something in this country about this type of event, we're going to be sadly mistaken.
You're going to have a lot of Kirk Bloodsworths if we don't pass things like the Innocent Protection Act.
HEMMER: Appreciate you sharing your story today. It is an amazing twist that we have watched over the past several days.
Brenda before we go, how is he doing? How's Kirk doing?
BRENDA BLOODSWORTH, HUSBAND FREED FROM PRISON BY DNA EVIDENCE: He's better. It's an emotional roller coaster. We cry, we laugh, we dance, we cry. It's up and down. Up and down.
HEMMER: Well, thanks for sharing, OK?
B. BLOODSWORTH: Thank you.
HEMMER: Take good care, all right? Brenda and Kirk Bloodsworth down in D.C.
K. BLOODSWORTH: Take care.
B. BLOODSWORTH: Thank you very much.
HEMMER: You got it.
K. BLOODSWORTH: Bye-bye.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
