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CNN Sunday Morning
Nathaniel Osbourne Set to Appear in Michigan Court Today
Aired October 27, 2002 - 10:05 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: A third person arrested in the sniper case heads to court this morning in Michigan. But authorities say he is a material witness, not a suspect.
CNN's Carol Lin is following developments for us in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Hi, Carol. Good morning again.
CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, good morning again, Arthel.
Yes, his name is Nathaniel Osbourne. He's 26-years-old, a Jamaican native. They issued the warrant because they feel that Nathaniel Osbourne may be a flight risk and a reluctant witness.
They found him in Flint, Michigan, yesterday, arrested him. According to the Associate Press, found him at a preacher's house, where he and a woman were seeking premarital counseling. Arrested without incident there.
He is facing his first court appearance some time this afternoon before a federal magistrate in Flint, Michigan.
A quick little background here: Investigators do believe that Nathaniel Osbourne is a friend of sniper suspect John Allen Mohammed, actually helped him buy the car, the blue Chevy Caprice that was used in the sniper killings here in the Washington, D.C. area. Paying $250 for it at a place called Sure Shop Auto in Trenton, New Jersey.
And investigators want to question him, primarily. He is not a suspect in these shootings in the D.C. area. But they want to question him, finding out what did John Allen Mohammed do while he was in the area? Did they stay in touch during the sniper shootings? Did he know how John Allen Mohammed supported himself during this killing spree?
In the meantime, we heard from the Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Yesterday at a news conference, he confirmed that John Allen Mohammed is, indeed, a member of the Nation of Islam, was not a security guard during a 1995 rally and has not been active in the Nation of Islam since 1999.
He also denied media speculation that Mohammed's tie to Islam may actually be a motive in these killings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LOUIS FARRAKHAN, NATION OF ISLAM LEADER: Timothy McVeigh confessed that he was a Christian. But nobody blames the church for his misconduct.
Ninety-five percent of the nearly two million inmates in the prison system in the United States will tell you, if you ask them, "What is your faith," they will say, "I'm Christian." But no one would blame Jesus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Louis Farrakhan also saying that John Allen Mohammed's first wife is still a member of the Nation of Islam, and that he said that anyone you spoke to in the military or in his mosque never said an unkind word, an ugly word about John Allen Mohammed.
He is now facing six charges of capital murder here in Montgomery County. Possibly facing more charges by Virginia tomorrow for the Spotsylvania shootings and capital murder charges in Montgomery, Alabama -- Arthel.
NEVILLE: OK, Carol Lin, thank you very much for the update.
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 - 10:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ARTHEL NEVILLE, CNN ANCHOR: A third person arrested in the sniper case heads to court this morning in Michigan. But authorities say he is a material witness, not a suspect.
CNN's Carol Lin is following developments for us in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Hi, Carol. Good morning again.
CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, good morning again, Arthel.
Yes, his name is Nathaniel Osbourne. He's 26-years-old, a Jamaican native. They issued the warrant because they feel that Nathaniel Osbourne may be a flight risk and a reluctant witness.
They found him in Flint, Michigan, yesterday, arrested him. According to the Associate Press, found him at a preacher's house, where he and a woman were seeking premarital counseling. Arrested without incident there.
He is facing his first court appearance some time this afternoon before a federal magistrate in Flint, Michigan.
A quick little background here: Investigators do believe that Nathaniel Osbourne is a friend of sniper suspect John Allen Mohammed, actually helped him buy the car, the blue Chevy Caprice that was used in the sniper killings here in the Washington, D.C. area. Paying $250 for it at a place called Sure Shop Auto in Trenton, New Jersey.
And investigators want to question him, primarily. He is not a suspect in these shootings in the D.C. area. But they want to question him, finding out what did John Allen Mohammed do while he was in the area? Did they stay in touch during the sniper shootings? Did he know how John Allen Mohammed supported himself during this killing spree?
In the meantime, we heard from the Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Yesterday at a news conference, he confirmed that John Allen Mohammed is, indeed, a member of the Nation of Islam, was not a security guard during a 1995 rally and has not been active in the Nation of Islam since 1999.
He also denied media speculation that Mohammed's tie to Islam may actually be a motive in these killings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LOUIS FARRAKHAN, NATION OF ISLAM LEADER: Timothy McVeigh confessed that he was a Christian. But nobody blames the church for his misconduct.
Ninety-five percent of the nearly two million inmates in the prison system in the United States will tell you, if you ask them, "What is your faith," they will say, "I'm Christian." But no one would blame Jesus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Louis Farrakhan also saying that John Allen Mohammed's first wife is still a member of the Nation of Islam, and that he said that anyone you spoke to in the military or in his mosque never said an unkind word, an ugly word about John Allen Mohammed.
He is now facing six charges of capital murder here in Montgomery County. Possibly facing more charges by Virginia tomorrow for the Spotsylvania shootings and capital murder charges in Montgomery, Alabama -- Arthel.
NEVILLE: OK, Carol Lin, thank you very much for the update.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
