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CNN Sunday Morning

Authorities Detain Material Witness in Sniper Shootings

Aired October 27, 2002 - 09:07   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.


ARTHEL NEVILLE, CNN ANCHOR: We go now to the sniper attacks. A third person has been arrested in the case, but authorities say he's a material witness, not a suspect. CNN's Carol Lin is following developments for us in Montgomery County, Maryland. Good morning, Carol.
CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again, Arthel. Yes, we're talking about 26-year-old Nathaniel Osbourne. He will be making his first initial court appearance before a federal magistrate in Flint, Michigan sometime this afternoon. He is being held as a material witness. You might be wondering, well, why did they take him into custody? Why does he have to make an initial court appearance if all they want to do is question him and that he's not in fact a suspect in the sniper shootings?

Well, apparently authorities combed through his former Trenton, New Jersey neighborhood, had issued a public call that they wanted to speak with Nathaniel Osbourne, who apparently disappeared in the days right before the sniper suspects were arrested. They considered him a flight risk, and therefore issued the warrant, and that is why he is in custody.

Now, apparently, according to the Associated Press, he was taken into custody without incident at a preacher's home in Flint, Michigan, where he and a woman had planned to marry and were seeking some pre- marital counseling there in Flint. So he is now in custody.

Authorities do believe that he is a friend of John Allen Muhammad, one of the sniper suspects, that he helped Muhammad buy the blue Chevy Caprice which was used apparently in the sniper killings here in the Washington, D.C. area. They want to ask him about -- more about Muhammad. How did he spend his time, did they stay in touch throughout this killing spree, who, if anyone, helped finance John Muhammad during his time here in the Washington area.

In the meantime, that Chevy Caprice we're learning more about. It was bought at an auto lot in Trenton, New Jersey, by the name of SureShot. The SureShot Auto lot. And CNN's Jason Bellini went to go visit and spoke with the owner there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A plain blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice sedan. Investigators say John Allen Muhammad and John Malvo used it as their killing machine. The owner, motor vehicle records say John Allen Muhammad and this man, Nathaniel Osbourne, a 26-year-old arrested in Flint, Michigan by the FBI as a material witness.

The two men bought the car from this Trenton, New Jersey dealership on September 10, 2002. Christopher Okupski remembers when Osbourne brought Muhammad to make the deal.

CHRISTOPHER OKUPSKI, CAR DEALERSHIP OWNER: Every time Nathaniel like wanted to talk, or ask questions, you could see that the -- Muhammad was in control there, you know. It was more, whatever Muhammad said, was that's what we were doing.

BELLINI: Investigators want to know how Osbourne met and ended up at the dealership with Muhammad -- whether he knew that the $250 car would be rejiggered into a sniper platform, whether he understood Muhammad's strange behavior when buying the car.

(on camera): How did Muhammad seem to you? Did he seem like he was nervous? Did he seem agitated?

OKUPSKI: He seemed agitated. I don't know whether he was nervous. He seemed like he just, you know, let's get this done, let's go, I really need this car.

BELLINI (voice-over): The names of both Muhammad and Osbourne are listed on the vehicle's registration. Osbourne's address is listed for both. Muhammad registered the car at the New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicles the next day, September 11, 2002. While Muhammad was filling out paperwork, a DMV officer said someone called in a bomb threat.

DARLENE BONETTE, CAMDEN DMV: Looking at that timeline, he was here when we observed the moment of silence. He was here when we more than likely evacuated the building.

BELLINI (on camera): And perhaps Osbourne can offer investigators insight into an irony FBI investigators could not ignore -- the name of Mr. Okupski's dealership, SureShot Auto.

OKUPSKI: That's the first thing they said to me, you know, do you think is there some kind of coincidence between the shooting and the name of your shop there?

BELLINI: The FBI, that's the first thing they asked you?

OKUPSKI: Yes. And I was just -- I don't know, now I feel like I have to change the name.

BELLINI: What would you change it to?

OKUPSKI: I don't know, Friendly Auto Dealers or something like that.

BELLINI (voice-over): Investigators now know most of the what, where and when. Perhaps Nathaniel Osbourne knows something about the why. Why the blue Chevrolet Caprice he co-owns is now evidence in 10 murder cases.

Jason Bellini, CNN, Trenton, New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: In the meantime, the two sniper suspects still remain in federal custody right here in Montgomery County, at an undisclosed location. All reports are that they are not cooperating with the investigation, and in fact, at one point the younger suspect, 17-year- old John Lee Malvo, actually tried to escape the interrogation room by climbing through an air conditioning duct. ATF agents managed to make it back into the room in time to pull him down. They said the furthest he would get would just be one room over -- Arthel.

NEVILLE: Oh, my goodness. Oh, Carol Lin, thank you very much. Live from Montgomery County.

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 October 27, 2002 - 09:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ARTHEL NEVILLE, CNN ANCHOR: We go now to the sniper attacks. A third person has been arrested in the case, but authorities say he's a material witness, not a suspect. CNN's Carol Lin is following developments for us in Montgomery County, Maryland. Good morning, Carol.
CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again, Arthel. Yes, we're talking about 26-year-old Nathaniel Osbourne. He will be making his first initial court appearance before a federal magistrate in Flint, Michigan sometime this afternoon. He is being held as a material witness. You might be wondering, well, why did they take him into custody? Why does he have to make an initial court appearance if all they want to do is question him and that he's not in fact a suspect in the sniper shootings?

Well, apparently authorities combed through his former Trenton, New Jersey neighborhood, had issued a public call that they wanted to speak with Nathaniel Osbourne, who apparently disappeared in the days right before the sniper suspects were arrested. They considered him a flight risk, and therefore issued the warrant, and that is why he is in custody.

Now, apparently, according to the Associated Press, he was taken into custody without incident at a preacher's home in Flint, Michigan, where he and a woman had planned to marry and were seeking some pre- marital counseling there in Flint. So he is now in custody.

Authorities do believe that he is a friend of John Allen Muhammad, one of the sniper suspects, that he helped Muhammad buy the blue Chevy Caprice which was used apparently in the sniper killings here in the Washington, D.C. area. They want to ask him about -- more about Muhammad. How did he spend his time, did they stay in touch throughout this killing spree, who, if anyone, helped finance John Muhammad during his time here in the Washington area.

In the meantime, that Chevy Caprice we're learning more about. It was bought at an auto lot in Trenton, New Jersey, by the name of SureShot. The SureShot Auto lot. And CNN's Jason Bellini went to go visit and spoke with the owner there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A plain blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice sedan. Investigators say John Allen Muhammad and John Malvo used it as their killing machine. The owner, motor vehicle records say John Allen Muhammad and this man, Nathaniel Osbourne, a 26-year-old arrested in Flint, Michigan by the FBI as a material witness.

The two men bought the car from this Trenton, New Jersey dealership on September 10, 2002. Christopher Okupski remembers when Osbourne brought Muhammad to make the deal.

CHRISTOPHER OKUPSKI, CAR DEALERSHIP OWNER: Every time Nathaniel like wanted to talk, or ask questions, you could see that the -- Muhammad was in control there, you know. It was more, whatever Muhammad said, was that's what we were doing.

BELLINI: Investigators want to know how Osbourne met and ended up at the dealership with Muhammad -- whether he knew that the $250 car would be rejiggered into a sniper platform, whether he understood Muhammad's strange behavior when buying the car.

(on camera): How did Muhammad seem to you? Did he seem like he was nervous? Did he seem agitated?

OKUPSKI: He seemed agitated. I don't know whether he was nervous. He seemed like he just, you know, let's get this done, let's go, I really need this car.

BELLINI (voice-over): The names of both Muhammad and Osbourne are listed on the vehicle's registration. Osbourne's address is listed for both. Muhammad registered the car at the New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicles the next day, September 11, 2002. While Muhammad was filling out paperwork, a DMV officer said someone called in a bomb threat.

DARLENE BONETTE, CAMDEN DMV: Looking at that timeline, he was here when we observed the moment of silence. He was here when we more than likely evacuated the building.

BELLINI (on camera): And perhaps Osbourne can offer investigators insight into an irony FBI investigators could not ignore -- the name of Mr. Okupski's dealership, SureShot Auto.

OKUPSKI: That's the first thing they said to me, you know, do you think is there some kind of coincidence between the shooting and the name of your shop there?

BELLINI: The FBI, that's the first thing they asked you?

OKUPSKI: Yes. And I was just -- I don't know, now I feel like I have to change the name.

BELLINI: What would you change it to?

OKUPSKI: I don't know, Friendly Auto Dealers or something like that.

BELLINI (voice-over): Investigators now know most of the what, where and when. Perhaps Nathaniel Osbourne knows something about the why. Why the blue Chevrolet Caprice he co-owns is now evidence in 10 murder cases.

Jason Bellini, CNN, Trenton, New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: In the meantime, the two sniper suspects still remain in federal custody right here in Montgomery County, at an undisclosed location. All reports are that they are not cooperating with the investigation, and in fact, at one point the younger suspect, 17-year- old John Lee Malvo, actually tried to escape the interrogation room by climbing through an air conditioning duct. ATF agents managed to make it back into the room in time to pull him down. They said the furthest he would get would just be one room over -- Arthel.

NEVILLE: Oh, my goodness. Oh, Carol Lin, thank you very much. Live from Montgomery County.

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