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CNN Saturday Morning News
Adam Moss to be Charged With Murders Next Week
Aired September 01, 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with a high-profile case in Sioux City, Iowa. The man suspected of killing seven people, including five children, is to be in court this morning, but it will be next week before Adam Matthew Moss is formally charged with the seven murders.
CNN's Jeff Flock is in Sioux City with more on the suspect and how the community is reacting to this grisly crime.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at these two.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They really do look alike.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Friends of 12-year- old Claudia and six-year-old Michael look at their class pictures and remember.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think I know what's running through our mind is why did an innocent little girl have to die at a young age.
FLOCK: That's running through a lot of minds in Sioux City, Iowa, after the murder of a mother and her five children at this home, and the murder of a popular local businessman who ran the town tire shop.
CHIEF JOE FRISBIE, SIOUX CITY POLICE: These are senseless deaths, absolutely senseless deaths in my personal opinion. I couldn't give you anything that I would consider any good reason whatsoever for these homicides.
FLOCK: To try and find some reason, CNN spent the day combing court records like these for the man arrested in the killings, 23- year-old Adam Moss.
(on camera): We count 34 separate charges filed against Moss dating back to his juvenile days, including robbery, assault -- and as recently as nine days ago -- allegations of domestic violence filed by his own brother.
(voice-over): Judge Dewey Gaul once sent Moss to jail for violating probation after a robbery conviction. JUDGE DEWEY GAUL, IOWA DISTRICT COURT: When someone is on probation and they commit a crime, that's like saying to me, "Judge I don't want to be here among these free people. I want to go down and visit those people down in prison."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope Claudia is happy, wherever she is.
FLOCK: Rianna Whitebeaver, friends of one of the dead girls, gathers with other friends in her back yard to grieve and talk to us.
RIANNA WHITEBEAVER, FRIEND OF VICTIM: It seems so kind of weird that -- why would a girl who always had a smile on her face, who was always kind to everyone, have to die? Just because somebody got angry over -- just probably a stupid little thing.
FLOCK: At this point police aren't saying exactly what they think happened. Some who knew the family say it was a romance gone sour, but how could anyone kill an entire family, including children ages six, seven, nine, 11 and 12? Even those who have spent a lifetime in the law don't understand.
GAUL: No way to make sense of the senseless, no. No -- at least not for me.
FLOCK: And not for these. Least of all for these.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FLOCK: Moss is now being held in custody in a building just down the street from me where I stand here live at police headquarters. Although he will make a brief court appearance today, full formal charges for the seven murders are expected to come sometime next week.
I'm Jeff Flock, CNN, reporting live from Sioux City, Iowa.
PHILLIPS: Jeff, where did they find Moss? And are they confident that this is definitely the man?
FLOCK: Police believe that he was the only suspect. They believe that he is the only one responsible. They are not now seeking anyone else. They found him not too many blocks from here, actually, hiding behind a pile of plywood. They had had several sightings of Moss overnight a night ago, and found him at about noon yesterday -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Jeff Flock, live in Sioux City. Thanks so much.
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