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CNN Sunday Morning

Authorities Take McGuckin Children Into Custody

Aired June 03, 2001 - 09:01   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.
BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: First we want to go to northern Idaho where five children have now ended a standoff with police. JoAnn McGuckin's children are in protective custody today and the authorities say they are in pretty good condition.

CNN national correspondent Eileen O'Connor joins us from Garfield Bay, Idaho with more on a peaceful ending to a rather scary confrontation.

Good morning, Eileen.

EILEEN O'CONNOR, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Brian. Well, as one sheriff's deputy put it, "They are safe." And it took seven hours of negotiations over a 24-hour period where they spoke to their older sister and their brother to get the children out of the compound. They left the compound in a sports utility vehicle down a road that was -- that had been staked out by camera crews.

The compound had been cordoned off. You can see the children barely in the back of that sports utility vehicle. They were then taken into protective custody by the Children's Welfare Services here. And the sheriff's deputy said that these talks were not necessarily negotiations as much as they were about finding a best solution for the children.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF PHIL JARVIS, BONNER COUNTY, IDAHO: I was giving my word that we were going to do everything in our power. And I was going to attempt to assure that the children stay together and that I had the assurances of the health and welfare people that they were going to attempt to do that also. So what we were trying to do is make them understand that we weren't trying to break up their family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'CONNOR: Their mother, JoAnn McGuckin, remains in jail. She had been charged with felonious child neglect for not providing the basic necessities -- enough food and electricity for the children. The children's father died three weeks ago of multiple sclerosis. The -- her attorney -- JoAnn McGuckin's attorney -- says she's innocent, that this is a family that fell upon hard times.

Now the standoff began, of course, when the authorities came to get the children and they unleashed some wild dogs on authorities. They were said to have been in their house with guns. Now the children are currently at the hospital -- Bonner General Hospital -- here. And they are said to be in good condition -- they are ambulatory. They've been checked out by the family physician. And authorities at the hospital say they are in good spirits and everyone is happy that they are well.

Authorities here say that now it's about keeping the family together, giving them some privacy. They are looking at some local families that the children know -- some family friends, family members to be able to take care of the children now -- Brian.

NELSON: Eileen, will the children be allowed to see their mother?

O'CONNOR: That has not been made clear at the moment. She is still in jail. Her attorneys are hoping to get her released on bond. They say some offers of money have come in to help pay for that bond. Right now the bond is set at $100,000, which is, of course, much too steep for here and they are trying to get that bond reduced. So unclear whether they'll see her.

NELSON: OK, thank you. Eileen O'Connor, in Idaho Bay, Idaho -- I'm sorry, Garfield Bay, Idaho. Thank you, Eileen.

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