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American Morning
National Guard Will Join Search for Dru Sjodin
Aired December 10, 2003 - 07:13 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: The governors of North Dakota and Minnesota say that starting very soon, they will send out the National Guard to help in the search for Dru Sjodin, the University of North Dakota student not seen since the 22nd of November.
The sheriff in charge of that investigation is now holding out little hope of success for the searchers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF DAN HILL, GRAND FORKS SHERIFF: I certainly don't want to be discouraging, especially to the family, but it looks at this time like, you know, there's no chance that we're, you know, going to find Dru alive. I believe that it's more of a recovery than a rescue at this point in time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: That was the sheriff from yesterday.
Earlier today, I talked with the Grand Forks police sergeant, Mike Hedlund.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Sergeant, do you believe this is more of a recovery mission right now as opposed to a rescue operation?
SGT. MIKE HEDLUND, GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA POLICE: I'm not taking that standpoint at this point in time, and I don't believe our department or the task force is. I'm still considering this a search for Dru. We're still trying to locate her and get her back to her family. We're still continuing with the investigative efforts and following up on any leads that we may currently have or that may develop. We're also still hoping to have further contact with Mr. Rodriguez through his attorney, and we're hoping that we'll still eventually be able to get information from him that will help us to locate Dru.
HEMMER: Are you suggesting then that there's evidence that may mean that Dru Sjodin is alive?
HEDLUND: At this point in time, we haven't located Dru. So, until that occurs, I guess I'm going to hang on to any shred of evidence or any shred of hope that there may be that we might still be able to locate Dru and that she may be still alive.
HEMMER: Sergeant, listen to part of what the sheriff said yesterday about the evidence that's been recovered. Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: The blood did come back. It was a DNA match with Dru from the DNA taken from Dru's toothbrush.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this is blood found in the vehicle of Alfonso Rodriguez.
HILL: Yes, it was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Sergeant, did you know that information was to be released yesterday when it was?
HEDLUND: I was aware of that information. Our department at this point in time is not speaking about specifics regarding the evidence. I'm going to stand by my previous statement: until we have absolute, positive proof that Dru isn't alive, we're going to maintain hope. We realize that at this point in the investigation, and due to the extreme conditions and the length of the investigation, statistics aren't in our favor. But we're not dealing with statistics here. Were dealing with people.
HEMMER: Yes, one thing you said yesterday, you're focused on a jury trial right now. Is that a suggestion that you anticipate charges to be filed possibly against Mr. Rodriguez?
HEDLUND: Well, he has been charged with kidnapping already. Whether any additional charges will be filed remains to be seen -- that is still pending -- depending on the final outcome of this case, but he is at this point in time facing kidnapping charges in the state of North Dakota.
HEMMER: Would you say he's cooperative right now? Would you describe him that way or not, knowing that lately in the past 24 hours or so he is not talking?
HEDLUND: I guess I wouldn't describe him as cooperative at this point in time. We're still hoping that he will become so. We have maintained a dialogue with his defense attorney, and we are hoping that at some point in time those conversations will become fruitful, and we will gain information from Mr. Rodriguez.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Shirley Iverson, meanwhile, has been closely watching the search for Dru Sjodin. Thirty years ago, she was raped by Alfonso Rodriguez, now accused of the kidnapping of Sjodin.
Shirley Iverson is with us this morning in Portland, Oregon, and we appreciate your time this morning. And thanks for joining us here on AMERICAN MORNING.
SHIRLEY IVERSON, VICTIM OF ALFONSO RODRIGUEZ, JR.: Thank you. HEMMER: I understand when you heard of the case of Dru Sjodin you actually called the police tip line back in North Dakota. What did you offer there?
IVERSON: You know, I hope what I was able to offer was the fact that there's about 23 miles between Grand Forks, North Dakota, and Crookston, Minnesota. Crookston is the town that Alfonso was released from prison to back in May of this year. He was released with an assessment of being at the highest risk of re-offense. He was labeled a predatory sex offender. And I wanted to make sure that the team in Grand Forks knew about where he was on the evening of Dru's disappearance.
HEMMER: So, it's my understanding you left a voice mail message or something similar to that. Did the police get back in touch with you? Did you talk with them on the phone at that time?
IVERSON: No, I really didn't have anything else to offer, except that suggestion of that they had a level 3 sex offender within easy driving distance, and to follow up on where he was that night.
HEMMER: Not to point the finger here at the police right now, but are you surprised they didn't call you back?
IVERSON: No, I think that there were a number of people that were offering tips immediately. You know, when Alfonso was released to Crookston, the community meeting had somewhere between 100 and 150 people that attended it. I'm sure that his name may have come to mind for many people as to whether or not he should be considered or looked at for, again, his whereabouts, what he was doing that evening.
HEMMER: Here we are about three decades down the road right now. Has this forced you to relive your own experience, Shirley?
IVERSON: Well, it has. I think that there is a terror. And, you know, rape is considered by the FBI to be the second most violent crime, only to murder. And do you relive that violence and that aspect of the crime.
HEMMER: How hard has that been?
IVERSON: I think it's been very difficult, and it's also been difficult to not be able to extend any great answers for Dru's family, and to, I guess, have people across the country be able to get that support that they need right now I think is very important.
HEMMER: You mentioned Crookston, Minnesota. Your family, or part of your family anyway, still resides back there. I understand your father, now age 80, has taken a very vested interest in this case. Tell me about that, if you could.
IVERSON: You know, when the disappearance happened, it was about 23 miles away. When the investigation continued to the cell phone towers, it brought it about 13 miles closer. And when they began looking for the location of Dru's shoe, what's now been released as that information, and dragging the river, that's only a couple blocks away. Our backyard is the river. And so, you know, my father knows it very well and is very interested in helping this family find Dru.
HEMMER: Best of luck to you, Shirley.
IVERSON: Thank you.
HEMMER: Thanks for sharing with us. Shirley Iverson in Portland, Oregon, this morning.
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 10, 2003 - 07:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The governors of North Dakota and Minnesota say that starting very soon, they will send out the National Guard to help in the search for Dru Sjodin, the University of North Dakota student not seen since the 22nd of November.
The sheriff in charge of that investigation is now holding out little hope of success for the searchers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF DAN HILL, GRAND FORKS SHERIFF: I certainly don't want to be discouraging, especially to the family, but it looks at this time like, you know, there's no chance that we're, you know, going to find Dru alive. I believe that it's more of a recovery than a rescue at this point in time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: That was the sheriff from yesterday.
Earlier today, I talked with the Grand Forks police sergeant, Mike Hedlund.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Sergeant, do you believe this is more of a recovery mission right now as opposed to a rescue operation?
SGT. MIKE HEDLUND, GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA POLICE: I'm not taking that standpoint at this point in time, and I don't believe our department or the task force is. I'm still considering this a search for Dru. We're still trying to locate her and get her back to her family. We're still continuing with the investigative efforts and following up on any leads that we may currently have or that may develop. We're also still hoping to have further contact with Mr. Rodriguez through his attorney, and we're hoping that we'll still eventually be able to get information from him that will help us to locate Dru.
HEMMER: Are you suggesting then that there's evidence that may mean that Dru Sjodin is alive?
HEDLUND: At this point in time, we haven't located Dru. So, until that occurs, I guess I'm going to hang on to any shred of evidence or any shred of hope that there may be that we might still be able to locate Dru and that she may be still alive.
HEMMER: Sergeant, listen to part of what the sheriff said yesterday about the evidence that's been recovered. Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: The blood did come back. It was a DNA match with Dru from the DNA taken from Dru's toothbrush.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this is blood found in the vehicle of Alfonso Rodriguez.
HILL: Yes, it was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Sergeant, did you know that information was to be released yesterday when it was?
HEDLUND: I was aware of that information. Our department at this point in time is not speaking about specifics regarding the evidence. I'm going to stand by my previous statement: until we have absolute, positive proof that Dru isn't alive, we're going to maintain hope. We realize that at this point in the investigation, and due to the extreme conditions and the length of the investigation, statistics aren't in our favor. But we're not dealing with statistics here. Were dealing with people.
HEMMER: Yes, one thing you said yesterday, you're focused on a jury trial right now. Is that a suggestion that you anticipate charges to be filed possibly against Mr. Rodriguez?
HEDLUND: Well, he has been charged with kidnapping already. Whether any additional charges will be filed remains to be seen -- that is still pending -- depending on the final outcome of this case, but he is at this point in time facing kidnapping charges in the state of North Dakota.
HEMMER: Would you say he's cooperative right now? Would you describe him that way or not, knowing that lately in the past 24 hours or so he is not talking?
HEDLUND: I guess I wouldn't describe him as cooperative at this point in time. We're still hoping that he will become so. We have maintained a dialogue with his defense attorney, and we are hoping that at some point in time those conversations will become fruitful, and we will gain information from Mr. Rodriguez.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Shirley Iverson, meanwhile, has been closely watching the search for Dru Sjodin. Thirty years ago, she was raped by Alfonso Rodriguez, now accused of the kidnapping of Sjodin.
Shirley Iverson is with us this morning in Portland, Oregon, and we appreciate your time this morning. And thanks for joining us here on AMERICAN MORNING.
SHIRLEY IVERSON, VICTIM OF ALFONSO RODRIGUEZ, JR.: Thank you. HEMMER: I understand when you heard of the case of Dru Sjodin you actually called the police tip line back in North Dakota. What did you offer there?
IVERSON: You know, I hope what I was able to offer was the fact that there's about 23 miles between Grand Forks, North Dakota, and Crookston, Minnesota. Crookston is the town that Alfonso was released from prison to back in May of this year. He was released with an assessment of being at the highest risk of re-offense. He was labeled a predatory sex offender. And I wanted to make sure that the team in Grand Forks knew about where he was on the evening of Dru's disappearance.
HEMMER: So, it's my understanding you left a voice mail message or something similar to that. Did the police get back in touch with you? Did you talk with them on the phone at that time?
IVERSON: No, I really didn't have anything else to offer, except that suggestion of that they had a level 3 sex offender within easy driving distance, and to follow up on where he was that night.
HEMMER: Not to point the finger here at the police right now, but are you surprised they didn't call you back?
IVERSON: No, I think that there were a number of people that were offering tips immediately. You know, when Alfonso was released to Crookston, the community meeting had somewhere between 100 and 150 people that attended it. I'm sure that his name may have come to mind for many people as to whether or not he should be considered or looked at for, again, his whereabouts, what he was doing that evening.
HEMMER: Here we are about three decades down the road right now. Has this forced you to relive your own experience, Shirley?
IVERSON: Well, it has. I think that there is a terror. And, you know, rape is considered by the FBI to be the second most violent crime, only to murder. And do you relive that violence and that aspect of the crime.
HEMMER: How hard has that been?
IVERSON: I think it's been very difficult, and it's also been difficult to not be able to extend any great answers for Dru's family, and to, I guess, have people across the country be able to get that support that they need right now I think is very important.
HEMMER: You mentioned Crookston, Minnesota. Your family, or part of your family anyway, still resides back there. I understand your father, now age 80, has taken a very vested interest in this case. Tell me about that, if you could.
IVERSON: You know, when the disappearance happened, it was about 23 miles away. When the investigation continued to the cell phone towers, it brought it about 13 miles closer. And when they began looking for the location of Dru's shoe, what's now been released as that information, and dragging the river, that's only a couple blocks away. Our backyard is the river. And so, you know, my father knows it very well and is very interested in helping this family find Dru.
HEMMER: Best of luck to you, Shirley.
IVERSON: Thank you.
HEMMER: Thanks for sharing with us. Shirley Iverson in Portland, Oregon, this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
