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American Morning

Prosecutor Killed

Aired December 05, 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.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Law enforcement authorities are vowing to find out who was behind the killing of a Baltimore-based federal prosecutor. Thirty-eight-year-old Jonathan Luna, who leaves behind a wife and two young kids, was found dead yesterday.
For the latest, we go to Elaine Quijano in Baltimore.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A federal law enforcement source says Jonathan Luna's body was found in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and says the assistant U.S. attorney was stabbed multiple times.

TOM DIBIAGIO, U.S. ATTORNEY, MARYLAND: At this time, the evidence indicates that he was murdered.

QUIJANO: Luna had been working on finalizing plea agreements until 6:30 Wednesday evening in a drug conspiracy case involving an aspiring rap artist and his associate.

A senior law enforcement source says Luna arrived home around 8:00 Wednesday night. The source says Luna received a call, then left home around midnight. He was due in federal court in Baltimore Thursday morning for that case. He never appeared. Both defendants later pled guilty.

A neighbor of Luna's was stunned by the news of his death.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a shock, it's just a shock. Just a shock.

QUIJANO: At the Justice Department in Washington, officials who gathered for the annual holiday party Thursday night, were visibly shaken, and Attorney General John Ashcroft released this statement saying -- quote: "We share his family's grief and will provide any support and assistance to help them through this difficult time. All appropriate resources will be dedicated to investigating this matter" -- a feeling echoed by Luna's colleagues in Baltimore.

DIBIAGIO: We will find out who did this, and we are dedicated to bringing the persons responsible for this tragedy to justice.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Now, last night, we talked to a defense attorney representing that aspiring rap artist, and he said he has no reason to believe that his client was involved with Luna's death. This defense attorney went on to call Luna -- quote -- "A friend as well as a colleague." And he added that Luna was one of the most decent men he had ever met.

Jonathan Luna was 38 years old. He worked as a federal prosecutor here in Baltimore for four years. He was married and had two young children -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Elaine Quijano, thanks very much, from Baltimore.

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 December 5, 2003 - 07:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Law enforcement authorities are vowing to find out who was behind the killing of a Baltimore-based federal prosecutor. Thirty-eight-year-old Jonathan Luna, who leaves behind a wife and two young kids, was found dead yesterday.
For the latest, we go to Elaine Quijano in Baltimore.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A federal law enforcement source says Jonathan Luna's body was found in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and says the assistant U.S. attorney was stabbed multiple times.

TOM DIBIAGIO, U.S. ATTORNEY, MARYLAND: At this time, the evidence indicates that he was murdered.

QUIJANO: Luna had been working on finalizing plea agreements until 6:30 Wednesday evening in a drug conspiracy case involving an aspiring rap artist and his associate.

A senior law enforcement source says Luna arrived home around 8:00 Wednesday night. The source says Luna received a call, then left home around midnight. He was due in federal court in Baltimore Thursday morning for that case. He never appeared. Both defendants later pled guilty.

A neighbor of Luna's was stunned by the news of his death.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a shock, it's just a shock. Just a shock.

QUIJANO: At the Justice Department in Washington, officials who gathered for the annual holiday party Thursday night, were visibly shaken, and Attorney General John Ashcroft released this statement saying -- quote: "We share his family's grief and will provide any support and assistance to help them through this difficult time. All appropriate resources will be dedicated to investigating this matter" -- a feeling echoed by Luna's colleagues in Baltimore.

DIBIAGIO: We will find out who did this, and we are dedicated to bringing the persons responsible for this tragedy to justice.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Now, last night, we talked to a defense attorney representing that aspiring rap artist, and he said he has no reason to believe that his client was involved with Luna's death. This defense attorney went on to call Luna -- quote -- "A friend as well as a colleague." And he added that Luna was one of the most decent men he had ever met.

Jonathan Luna was 38 years old. He worked as a federal prosecutor here in Baltimore for four years. He was married and had two young children -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Elaine Quijano, thanks very much, from Baltimore.

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