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American Morning

Suspect Arrested in Connection with Case of Missing University of North Dakota Student

Aired December 02, 2003 - 08:05   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A suspect now has been arrested in connection with that case of a missing University of North Dakota student. Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr. faces a kidnapping charge. He's served time for rape and is listed as a sexual predator. Dru Sjodin has not been seen since November 22, when she left her job at a mall in Grand Forks. But she made two calls to her boyfriend. Friends say that what she said in the first call was cause for alarm. Nothing could be heard in the second call, but police were able to trace it and narrow their search area.
Rodriguez is going to be in court later today.

Joining us to talk about the search is, from Grand Forks, North Dakota, are Dru's college roommate, Meg Murphy, and also some childhood friends, Hans Tweed, Adam Rudd and Eli Loven.

Good morning to you.

Thanks for joining us.

We appreciate it you guys.

I know you've had a really tough couple of weeks, so we certainly appreciate it.

Meg, we're going to start with you this morning.

What's your reaction when you heard -- and I know you just heard the news reports about this arrest? You have been searching. Obviously a tough time for you and Dru's family, as well.

When you heard of an arrest, what did you think?

MEG MURPHY, MISSING STUDENT'S ROOMMATE: It's obviously some good news. I think it makes everybody feel a little bit better that at least we're finding something and we could -- it could lead us to her and help us find her so.

O'BRIEN: Hans, you have been joining in the search.

Tell me a little bit about exactly what you've been doing and what the search leaders have told you to look for.

MURPHY: I actually haven't been out with the search groups. I've been at our apartment just answering the phones, talking to the police, answering questions and stuff like that. O'BRIEN: That's right, because, of course, you want to stay close by in case she does call.

MURPHY: Yes.

O'BRIEN: And I know you've said in print interviews, you know, you hold that hope, that she's just going to walk through the door.

MURPHY: Yes.

O'BRIEN: But I was actually addressing that question to Hans, so maybe he can take a stab at it for me.

What have the search leaders told you to look like -- look for, rather, when you're out searching these fields?

HANS TWEED, FRIEND OF MISSING STUDENT: Pretty much everything. Any kind of evidence, clothing, receipts, anything that will bring us to Dru. It's pretty, a broad area, because for us, we have no idea what she had on her except what they told us, and that's what we pretty much have been looking for the whole time.

O'BRIEN: How tough has it been for you guys to be out there with these searchers? I know it's slow and painstaking work and there's so much at stake here.

Adam, tell me a little bit about how it's been for you.

ADAM RUDD, FRIEND OF MISSING STUDENT: I think everyone's stayed pretty strong, knowing that we're out there to find her, find something that will lead her to -- lead us to her versus anything else. We're just trying to, trying to find anything to get her back.

O'BRIEN: Meg, as we mentioned, you are Dru's roommate.

MURPHY: Yes.

O'BRIEN: When was the last time you spoke to her? Give me the circumstances of the last conversation, the last time you saw each other.

MURPHY: The last time I saw her was Saturday, the 22nd, about 9:15 in the morning. She gave me a ride to my car, because I had to go work at 10. And that was it so.

O'BRIEN: Eli, I've spoken to Dru's dad and her brother, as well. Give me a sense of how you and really all of you who've known Dru for so long are holding up in such a tough time.

ELI LOVEN, FRIEND OF MISSING STUDENT: Well, we're just trying to keep it together. We've got one goal. Everybody's working for the same reason. And we are determined to get her back. And we just, we can't do anything but be strong.

O'BRIEN: Adam, I was really pretty impressed to read about the community of Pequot -- and I might be pronouncing that wrong -- Lakes, Minnesota, where everybody really wanted to go. I mean the entire town of a thousand people wanted to head into Grand Forks to help in the search, so many people that actually the police started turning people away. They said they had too many. It really speaks to how much everybody loves this young woman and are committed to bring her home, doesn't it?

RUDD: Yes. Everybody has been so supportive, helping get things organized to make a search easier, get us some warm clothes, set up some food. Anything helps from back home. The support is great.

O'BRIEN: Well, I'm sure you know the community there and, of course, now nationally and internationally, as well, supporting you guys in your search.

Best of luck to all of you and, of course, Dru's parents and her brother, as well, as we keep our fingers crossed for really good news from there.

Thanks to all of you for joining us this morning, Meg Murphy and Hans Tweed and Eli Loven and Adam Rudd, as well.

More details on the investigation, including the search and the arrest, are expected this afternoon when the Grand Forks Police Department holds a news conference on this case.

CNN is going to bring it to you live. It's planned at this point for noon Eastern time.

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





University of North Dakota Student>


Aired December 2, 2003 - 08:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A suspect now has been arrested in connection with that case of a missing University of North Dakota student. Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr. faces a kidnapping charge. He's served time for rape and is listed as a sexual predator. Dru Sjodin has not been seen since November 22, when she left her job at a mall in Grand Forks. But she made two calls to her boyfriend. Friends say that what she said in the first call was cause for alarm. Nothing could be heard in the second call, but police were able to trace it and narrow their search area.
Rodriguez is going to be in court later today.

Joining us to talk about the search is, from Grand Forks, North Dakota, are Dru's college roommate, Meg Murphy, and also some childhood friends, Hans Tweed, Adam Rudd and Eli Loven.

Good morning to you.

Thanks for joining us.

We appreciate it you guys.

I know you've had a really tough couple of weeks, so we certainly appreciate it.

Meg, we're going to start with you this morning.

What's your reaction when you heard -- and I know you just heard the news reports about this arrest? You have been searching. Obviously a tough time for you and Dru's family, as well.

When you heard of an arrest, what did you think?

MEG MURPHY, MISSING STUDENT'S ROOMMATE: It's obviously some good news. I think it makes everybody feel a little bit better that at least we're finding something and we could -- it could lead us to her and help us find her so.

O'BRIEN: Hans, you have been joining in the search.

Tell me a little bit about exactly what you've been doing and what the search leaders have told you to look for.

MURPHY: I actually haven't been out with the search groups. I've been at our apartment just answering the phones, talking to the police, answering questions and stuff like that. O'BRIEN: That's right, because, of course, you want to stay close by in case she does call.

MURPHY: Yes.

O'BRIEN: And I know you've said in print interviews, you know, you hold that hope, that she's just going to walk through the door.

MURPHY: Yes.

O'BRIEN: But I was actually addressing that question to Hans, so maybe he can take a stab at it for me.

What have the search leaders told you to look like -- look for, rather, when you're out searching these fields?

HANS TWEED, FRIEND OF MISSING STUDENT: Pretty much everything. Any kind of evidence, clothing, receipts, anything that will bring us to Dru. It's pretty, a broad area, because for us, we have no idea what she had on her except what they told us, and that's what we pretty much have been looking for the whole time.

O'BRIEN: How tough has it been for you guys to be out there with these searchers? I know it's slow and painstaking work and there's so much at stake here.

Adam, tell me a little bit about how it's been for you.

ADAM RUDD, FRIEND OF MISSING STUDENT: I think everyone's stayed pretty strong, knowing that we're out there to find her, find something that will lead her to -- lead us to her versus anything else. We're just trying to, trying to find anything to get her back.

O'BRIEN: Meg, as we mentioned, you are Dru's roommate.

MURPHY: Yes.

O'BRIEN: When was the last time you spoke to her? Give me the circumstances of the last conversation, the last time you saw each other.

MURPHY: The last time I saw her was Saturday, the 22nd, about 9:15 in the morning. She gave me a ride to my car, because I had to go work at 10. And that was it so.

O'BRIEN: Eli, I've spoken to Dru's dad and her brother, as well. Give me a sense of how you and really all of you who've known Dru for so long are holding up in such a tough time.

ELI LOVEN, FRIEND OF MISSING STUDENT: Well, we're just trying to keep it together. We've got one goal. Everybody's working for the same reason. And we are determined to get her back. And we just, we can't do anything but be strong.

O'BRIEN: Adam, I was really pretty impressed to read about the community of Pequot -- and I might be pronouncing that wrong -- Lakes, Minnesota, where everybody really wanted to go. I mean the entire town of a thousand people wanted to head into Grand Forks to help in the search, so many people that actually the police started turning people away. They said they had too many. It really speaks to how much everybody loves this young woman and are committed to bring her home, doesn't it?

RUDD: Yes. Everybody has been so supportive, helping get things organized to make a search easier, get us some warm clothes, set up some food. Anything helps from back home. The support is great.

O'BRIEN: Well, I'm sure you know the community there and, of course, now nationally and internationally, as well, supporting you guys in your search.

Best of luck to all of you and, of course, Dru's parents and her brother, as well, as we keep our fingers crossed for really good news from there.

Thanks to all of you for joining us this morning, Meg Murphy and Hans Tweed and Eli Loven and Adam Rudd, as well.

More details on the investigation, including the search and the arrest, are expected this afternoon when the Grand Forks Police Department holds a news conference on this case.

CNN is going to bring it to you live. It's planned at this point for noon Eastern time.

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





University of North Dakota Student>