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American Morning

Authorities in North Dakota Think They Have Man Who Knows What Happened to Dru Sjodin

Aired December 04, 2003 - 08:03   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: Authorities in North Dakota think they have the man who knows what happened to Dru Sjodin. He's going to be in court today to face a kidnapping charge. Sjodin, a 22-year- old University of North Dakota student, vanished on November 22.
CNN's Jeff Flock is live for us in Grand Forks, North Dakota with details on this case -- Jeff, good morning.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Soledad, good morning to you.

Indeed, it will be his initial court appearance on the kidnapping charges. This is Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr. We want to show you pictures yesterday from his appearance in Crookston, Minnesota. That's where he was arrested. He had a very brief court appearance there wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and coat that he sort of pulled over his face. He went in for, as we said, a very brief court appearance, at which time he waived his right to extradition proceedings.

The other interesting thing that happened in there was at the end of the proceedings, a woman burst out in Spanish, apparently a family friend, and said something along the lines of for your mother's sake, tell them where the girl is. There was no response from Mr. Rodriguez.

The other interesting thing, the headline from yesterday is the search, a massive search effort yesterday, about 1,700 people combing rural roads, culverts, combing through under brush. When it was done, they had searched, one report was, about 500 square miles of Polk County and Grand Forks County. And when it was done, they had found absolutely nothing, no clues, no sign of Ms. Sjodin, no sign of her cell phone, that purple Sanyo cell phone that she was apparently talking on to her boyfriend when she disappeared from the mall here in Grand Forks about, now 11 days ago.

One other note to report, Soledad, with regard to the search, snow in the forecast for today, a pretty good snow, maybe three, four inches in some parts, which, of course, could further hamper efforts to find any clues on the ground -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: All right, Jeff, a quick question for you.

Any plans to search different areas or are they continuing to focus on the same areas today and in previous days?

FLOCK: What they said is that yesterday's massive search with the volunteers is their last plan to bring volunteers in. You know, 1,700 people, it was a massive effort. Any searches they do now will be targeted searches and that'll be just law enforcement only, is what they're telling us.

O'BRIEN: Jeff Flock for us this morning.

Jeff, thanks.

Joining us this morning to talk a little bit more about Dru is John McDonald.

He's the principal of her hometown high school and he's in Pequot, Minnesota for us this morning.

It's nice to see you, sir.

Thanks for joining us.

We appreciate your time.

JOHN MCDONALD, PRINCIPAL, PEQUOT LAKES HIGH SCHOOL: Good morning.

O'BRIEN: I know that you are very close to Dru Sjodin, being her principal, close to her family, as well.

How are you holding up in all of this?

MCDONALD: As well as we can. People here have great community spirit and togetherness. We all have a deep sense of hurt and sadness with her disappearance and we're hoping that somehow we get some information and we find her soon.

O'BRIEN: We have talked to searchers. Almost invariably each has said this coming out and searching in the cold weather over large fields, in the cold temperatures is exactly something that Dru would do for us if we were missing, if the circumstances were reversed.

Tell me a little bit more about this young woman. She sounds, from all reports, to be just a remarkable young person.

MCDONALD: Well, Dru was just a wonderful student. She's the girl next door. In school just a few years ago, she was involved in student activities, student life. She was in basketball, golf. She was in student council. She was our homecoming queen in '99. She was either there putting on activities or supporting activities. She was somebody that you saw, always had a smile on her face, and just a joy to be around.

O'BRIEN: Friends and family, of course, have been out in those searches, but also many, many, many people who don't know Dru.

Does that surprise you at all?

MCDONALD: Not really. Our community is a very close-knit community where people really support each other well. Yesterday, we took two charter buses up to the Crookston area with approximately 50 people and spent from 10 o'clock till five o'clock in the lines with people waling in and out and over brush through the day. And nobody complained. Everybody had a high spirit and they were there doing what they could to help.

O'BRIEN: I know you know Dru's family well.

How are they holding up? We've had opportunities over the past week to talk to her brother and her dad. But her mom, we haven't really heard from her. How is she doing?

MCDONALD: As well as can be expected. She's a very strong, powerful woman. She has done well with the media and she's, like any other, looking forward to hearing something about her daughter. I'm just amazed by her strength and courage through all of this. It's got to be difficult.

O'BRIEN: I cannot even imagine, I have to tell you.

We have heard from Dru's brother that he is holding out all hope that she is going to be found and found alive. Told, though, that the weather is not going to help the situation. Snow could help, you know, to cover up some critical evidence.

Are you still holding out hope that we're going to find this young woman alive?

MCDONALD: We -- that's our goal and our hope. We hope and pray every day that that is the outcome, the sooner the better. With the weather, we know that makes it more difficult, but I'm just impressed by the spirit of the law enforcement and all the people that knew her or have come just to help, how well they're working together. And it doesn't matter about the weather or the odds, they're there to help and they'll do whatever they can.

O'BRIEN: Well, we've been impressed, as well.

John McDonald joining us this morning.

Thanks for your time.

Appreciate it.

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





What Happened to Dru Sjodin>


Aired December 4, 2003 - 08:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Authorities in North Dakota think they have the man who knows what happened to Dru Sjodin. He's going to be in court today to face a kidnapping charge. Sjodin, a 22-year- old University of North Dakota student, vanished on November 22.
CNN's Jeff Flock is live for us in Grand Forks, North Dakota with details on this case -- Jeff, good morning.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Soledad, good morning to you.

Indeed, it will be his initial court appearance on the kidnapping charges. This is Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr. We want to show you pictures yesterday from his appearance in Crookston, Minnesota. That's where he was arrested. He had a very brief court appearance there wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and coat that he sort of pulled over his face. He went in for, as we said, a very brief court appearance, at which time he waived his right to extradition proceedings.

The other interesting thing that happened in there was at the end of the proceedings, a woman burst out in Spanish, apparently a family friend, and said something along the lines of for your mother's sake, tell them where the girl is. There was no response from Mr. Rodriguez.

The other interesting thing, the headline from yesterday is the search, a massive search effort yesterday, about 1,700 people combing rural roads, culverts, combing through under brush. When it was done, they had searched, one report was, about 500 square miles of Polk County and Grand Forks County. And when it was done, they had found absolutely nothing, no clues, no sign of Ms. Sjodin, no sign of her cell phone, that purple Sanyo cell phone that she was apparently talking on to her boyfriend when she disappeared from the mall here in Grand Forks about, now 11 days ago.

One other note to report, Soledad, with regard to the search, snow in the forecast for today, a pretty good snow, maybe three, four inches in some parts, which, of course, could further hamper efforts to find any clues on the ground -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: All right, Jeff, a quick question for you.

Any plans to search different areas or are they continuing to focus on the same areas today and in previous days?

FLOCK: What they said is that yesterday's massive search with the volunteers is their last plan to bring volunteers in. You know, 1,700 people, it was a massive effort. Any searches they do now will be targeted searches and that'll be just law enforcement only, is what they're telling us.

O'BRIEN: Jeff Flock for us this morning.

Jeff, thanks.

Joining us this morning to talk a little bit more about Dru is John McDonald.

He's the principal of her hometown high school and he's in Pequot, Minnesota for us this morning.

It's nice to see you, sir.

Thanks for joining us.

We appreciate your time.

JOHN MCDONALD, PRINCIPAL, PEQUOT LAKES HIGH SCHOOL: Good morning.

O'BRIEN: I know that you are very close to Dru Sjodin, being her principal, close to her family, as well.

How are you holding up in all of this?

MCDONALD: As well as we can. People here have great community spirit and togetherness. We all have a deep sense of hurt and sadness with her disappearance and we're hoping that somehow we get some information and we find her soon.

O'BRIEN: We have talked to searchers. Almost invariably each has said this coming out and searching in the cold weather over large fields, in the cold temperatures is exactly something that Dru would do for us if we were missing, if the circumstances were reversed.

Tell me a little bit more about this young woman. She sounds, from all reports, to be just a remarkable young person.

MCDONALD: Well, Dru was just a wonderful student. She's the girl next door. In school just a few years ago, she was involved in student activities, student life. She was in basketball, golf. She was in student council. She was our homecoming queen in '99. She was either there putting on activities or supporting activities. She was somebody that you saw, always had a smile on her face, and just a joy to be around.

O'BRIEN: Friends and family, of course, have been out in those searches, but also many, many, many people who don't know Dru.

Does that surprise you at all?

MCDONALD: Not really. Our community is a very close-knit community where people really support each other well. Yesterday, we took two charter buses up to the Crookston area with approximately 50 people and spent from 10 o'clock till five o'clock in the lines with people waling in and out and over brush through the day. And nobody complained. Everybody had a high spirit and they were there doing what they could to help.

O'BRIEN: I know you know Dru's family well.

How are they holding up? We've had opportunities over the past week to talk to her brother and her dad. But her mom, we haven't really heard from her. How is she doing?

MCDONALD: As well as can be expected. She's a very strong, powerful woman. She has done well with the media and she's, like any other, looking forward to hearing something about her daughter. I'm just amazed by her strength and courage through all of this. It's got to be difficult.

O'BRIEN: I cannot even imagine, I have to tell you.

We have heard from Dru's brother that he is holding out all hope that she is going to be found and found alive. Told, though, that the weather is not going to help the situation. Snow could help, you know, to cover up some critical evidence.

Are you still holding out hope that we're going to find this young woman alive?

MCDONALD: We -- that's our goal and our hope. We hope and pray every day that that is the outcome, the sooner the better. With the weather, we know that makes it more difficult, but I'm just impressed by the spirit of the law enforcement and all the people that knew her or have come just to help, how well they're working together. And it doesn't matter about the weather or the odds, they're there to help and they'll do whatever they can.

O'BRIEN: Well, we've been impressed, as well.

John McDonald joining us this morning.

Thanks for your time.

Appreciate it.

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





What Happened to Dru Sjodin>