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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Sniper on the Loose: Washington Shooter Remains at Large

Aired October 23, 2002 - 17:00   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.


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, ANCHOR (voice-over): A link and a letter. A note left near another sniper crime scene.

Investigators insist they're making progress.

MIKE BOUCHARD, ATF: It's just like an illness. Some things don't respond to treatment right away. Some cases don't respond to our methods right away.

BLITZER: What the witnesses may have missed. We'll show you where they should have been looking.

The president says he's praying for a quick end to the killings.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've ordered the full resources of federal government to help local law enforcement.

BLITZER: The impact on a community, first our schools, now our democracy.

GOV. PARRIS GLENDENING (D), MARYLAND: We are considering the possibility for Election Day of using the National Guard to make sure that every polling place is absolutely safe.

BLITZER: And we'll go inside the mind of the serial killer with a psychiatrist who spent 25 years studying death row inmates.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS: "Sniper Attacks." Reporting live from Montgomery County, Maryland, here's Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Thanks for joining us. Investigators in the sniper hunt who doggedly insist they're making progress today reached out to potential witnesses. CNN's Kathleen Koch is joining me here in Montgomery County at police headquarters. Even as that is going on, there's some breaking news unfolding not far from where we are right now.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, what we have learned is that right now vehicles are being searched going north and southbound on I-270. Now that is a major artery that runs north and south through Montgomery County, Maryland where so many of these sniper shootings have occurred.

And apparently at some point this afternoon what Gaithersburg Police tell CNN is that a female bus driver was driving northbound on I-270 when she saw someone in a white box truck point a gun at her. We don't know if this was a rifle, a handgun, what size it was, if it was the driver, if it was a passenger. But apparently she stopped her bus and flagged down police and gave them this report.

So, I-270, this major north/south artery was shut down for some period this afternoon though relatively briefly while police began searching every white box truck they could find. At this point, they've reopened the highway northbound. Southbound, one lane is still closed, but we have no reports whether or not they have found the box truck that they are looking for, now this of course, occurring on a day when there were a number of other major developments here at Montgomery County Police Headquarters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH (voice-over): No messages from police to the sniper through the media today; instead, a call to members of the immigrant community in Montgomery County, Maryland. Police Chief Charles Moose strongly feels someone there may have seen or heard the Monday morning shooting but not come forward. That killing has now been definitively linked to the other 12 sniper attacks.

CHIEF CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE: Anyone that may have immigrant status that we would want them to understand that we want to talk to them. We want to ask questions about what they saw, heard in the area of this shooting. That would be the focus of our questions.

KOCH: The Immigration and Naturalization Service says it not only won't seek the immigration of status of witnesses to any of the shootings, it could offer them a special visa if they help investigators.

JAMES ZIGLAR, INS COMMISSIONER: What we're doing is joining with Chief Moose in encouraging the immigrant community to come forward with information.

KOCH: The day after authorities revealed the sniper in a note left at the Ashland shooting site had threatened children, questions continued over whether police would withhold future threats to the public. Moose said no.

MOOSE: It is always, public safety is first and the investigation is second.

KOCH: Chief Moose said for now police would not release to the public the handwriting on the ominous sentence: "Your children are not safe anywhere at any time" but he didn't rule out doing it in the future. Meanwhile, task force members say the investigation is moving forward. BOUCHARD: Progress is being made very day. We get one step closer every day. As I've said before, it's one tip away.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: And at this point as far as we know vehicles north and southbound again on I-270, this major artery cutting through Montgomery County, Maryland, are being searched as police look for a white box truck, that again because a school bus driver, female school bus driver, we don't know if there were any students on the bus, reported someone in a white truck pointing a gun at her.

And, Wolf, if this were in any way linked to these shootings, it would be extraordinarily out of character because up to this point, this killer or killers has been very careful to avoid any witnesses of any sort to avoid being caught, so this would be extraordinarily unusual behavior.

BLITZER: Kathleen Koch, we'll be monitoring this story, taking a look to see what unfolds on Interstate 270, not very far away from where we are right now. Thanks very much.

And the sniper's death toll rose officially today as investigators linked yesterday's killing of a Maryland bus driver to the earlier shootings. And, another link became clear as well as sources confirm that a note found near the scene resembled the one retrieved after Saturday's killing.

CNN Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena is joining us live now with all these details from our Washington Bureau -- Kelli.

KELLY ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, officials are not making any more public comments about any communication with the person that they believe to be the sniper, but privately sources do confirm that there was another attempt by the sniper to continue a dialog with police.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA (voice-over): We have learned of another note believed to be from the sniper found at the site of the latest shooting. Sources say it is similar to a letter left at Saturday's shooting site in Ashland, Virginia, all part of a chilling dialog, some in secret, some in public.

MOOSE: We remain open and ready to talk to you about the options you have mentioned. It is important that we do this without anyone else getting hurt.

ARENA: In the Virginia letter, the sniper demanded $10 million, along with directions the money be placed in a bank account with unlimited electronic withdrawal capability.

MOOSE: In the past several days, you have attempted to communicate with us. We have researched the option you stated and found that it is not possible electronically to comply in the manner that you requested. However, we remain open and ready to talk to you about the options you have mentioned. It is important that we do this without anyone else getting hurt.

ARENA: Sources say the writer complained about trying to reach authorities six times with a message but was hung up on. Law enforcement sources acknowledge that at least two calls were mishandled because colleagues did not realize they were talking to the killer. The note goes on to describe the handling of the investigation as "incompetent" and said "five people had to die because of that."

DR. BOB GORDON, FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIST: He also needs this communication in order to survive and endure until the calamity for him, the calamity, the catastrophe and the disaster in his life will come with a confrontation of law enforcement officials and he wants to speed up the time frame for that to occur.

ARENA: Then, of course, there was the first written communication on the tarot card with the words "I am God" on it. All three documents are being analyzed at the FBI lab. The killer has also communicated by telephone several times.

MOOSE: The person you called could not hear everything that you said. The audio was unclear and we want to get it right. Call us back so that we can clearly understand.

ARENA: Sources say they believe the message Moose was referring to was tape recorded and that a voice synthesizer may have been used.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA Law enforcement officials continue to tread lightly. This is unlike any situation they have dealt with before -- Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: Thank you very much Kelli Arena in our Washington Bureau.

We have just been alerted here in Montgomery County at police headquarters that the Police Chief Charles Moose will be emerging within the hour to make a statement, a statement to reporters. They've already told us he will not, repeat not be answering questions.

It appears that this is one of those statements he's going to be making designed to continue the so-called dialog that he has with the sniper or the snipers. We have no idea what this statement will be, but we will be, of course, bringing you that statement live once the police chief emerges from this building right behind me and approaches the microphones.

Once again, within the hour Chief Moose will be coming out to make a statement to presumably, we believe, the sniper. No questions will be answered. Let's continue now with our coverage. Could there be too many investigators on this sniper case, and are the various law enforcement agencies able to work together? For that, let's bring in our Jeanne Meserve. She's also in our Washington Bureau -- Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, with so many agencies and departments involved in this investigation, it was probably inevitable that there were going to be disagreements about tactics and strategy, and with investigators wanting to hold information very tightly to preserve the integrity of their investigation, it was probably inevitable that some people who felt they need to know would not know.

Sources tell me that the biggest rift in this investigation is between task force members in Montgomery County and investigators they refer to as being south of the border in Virginia. But today, one task force member insisted that everything was running fine. Communication was going well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOUCHARD: I want to assure everyone we communication with all the police chiefs in this area as well as all of the other ones who have been affected by these shootings every day. We communicate all the information that we get. We have their task force members sitting with us. They are aware of all the information that we're aware of. They may not have the exact wording, but the context of what we have is known to all of them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: That certainly didn't appear to be the case on Monday when two men, who later it turns out had nothing to do with the sniper investigation, were being arrested in Richmond, Virginia while events were unfolding. Officials in Montgomery County were complaining that officials in Virginia just weren't telling them what was going on and officials in Richmond in saying that they weren't getting the timely information they needed from the task force in Montgomery County.

Another example in Ashland, Virginia Saturday night when a man was murdered by the sniper, one investigator from the task force complained that "yokels would be involved in that investigation." Also, there was intense discussion we're told over what to do with a note that was found there, some people feeling it should be opened immediately, that there was a rush against time to prevent another murder. Other people feeling that they should go slow and make sure that envelope was not contaminated.

Some people have had enough of this discussion. Today, Senator John McCain said the federal government should insert itself and take control of this investigation. Wolf, they've answered that question repeatedly. They say it won't happen. Some say that's because the FBI and the ATF are already effectively in control of the investigation, back to you.

BLITZER: Jeanne Meserve in our Washington Bureau thanks very much for all of that information. Let me recap for viewers who are just joining us. We've just been informed by police authorities here in Montgomery County that at six o'clock, at the top of the hour, 6:00 p.m. Eastern, the Police Chief Charles Moose will be emerging, will be emerging and making a statement not, repeat not answering questions. This would appear to be another in his continuing dialog with the sniper or the snipers. We don't know what he will be saying, but we will, of course, have live coverage here on CNN.

Meanwhile, officials say the criminal investigation into the sniper shootings is the largest ever in this region. The force includes 1,000 law enforcement personnel, of those 400 FBI agents and 250 ATF agents. A Montgomery County, Maryland Police spokeswoman calls the investigation unprecedented.

When we come back, 700 people held hostage at a theater. Security forces surround the building. When we return, we'll go live to Moscow where this drama is unfolding. Also, back to school requires that as new bravery in the D.C. area, a closer look at a community standing strong in the face of fear. And John Walsh weighs in, advice for parents this Halloween.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN WALSH, HOST, "America's Most Wanted": (UNINTELLIGIBLE) these different law enforcement agencies, you've got seven jurisdictions involved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. This reminder, we're standing by here in Montgomery County Police Headquarters. The Police Chief Charles Moose will be emerging at the top of the hour, 6:00 p.m. we're told with a statement, no questions, no answers, simply a statement part of his continuing dialog that he's having apparently with the killer or killers involved in the search for a sniper in the Washington area. CNN, of course, will have live coverage.

We're also following another development. Interstate 270, a major interstate heading into Washington from the north, has been shut down for at least a little while but there are some new developments.

Once again, CNN's Kathleen Koch is with me. You've got some news on this.

KOCH: Right, Wolf, well as we reported earlier in the show, what basically happened was at some point this afternoon, a female school bus driver was headed north on 270 when she spotted someone pointing a weapon at the bus. We have now learned from Nancy Nickerson, who is a police spokesperson with Montgomery County Police, that there were indeed children on the bus.

We don't know their ages. We don't know how many there were. We don't know if this weapon was pointed at the children or at the bus driver, if it was pointed by the driver of this white box truck or if it was pointed by a passenger. But at this point, all we know is that the search continues. All vehicles going north and south on I-270, all white box trucks I should say are being very carefully searched.

Police say they've stopped several vehicles. They haven't yet found one that was suspicious, that had a weapon involved. They do say that the Maryland State Highway Patrol does have a helicopter now that is aiding in that search, Wolf, and the search goes on.

BLITZER: And that exit, Clopper Road, not very far away from where we are here in Montgomery County at all.

KOCH: Exactly, just north of us and they're searching all the way up to the Frederick County line, Wolf, taking this very seriously.

BLITZER: All right, we're going to continue to monitor story as well. Kathleen thanks very much. You'll be with us, of course, at the top of the hour when the police chief emerges as well. We'll be standing by for that.

Meanwhile, President Bush spoke out today on the sniper killings. Our White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is joining us with that part of the story -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, there was an event to highlight federal efforts to fight child exploitation when President Bush, reacting directly to that threat against children issued by the sniper, expressing the concerns and fears that so many of us have shared over the last three weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I'm deeply saddened by the recent tragedy that we've seen here in Washington. There is a ruthless person on the loose. I've ordered the full resources of the federal government to help local law enforcement officials in their efforts to capture this person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Now the FBI playing a critical role in the investigation but White House Spokesperson Ari Fleischer saying the president has no intention of asking them to take the lead in this, that he really wants to defer to law enforcement on that matter. He is not going to micro manage, he says, this investigation -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Suzanne Malveaux thanks very much for that report.

I want to bring in some additional breaking news right now a theatrical drama has turned into a hostage drama in Russia. Gunmen burst into a Moscow theater today and they're holding at this hour hundreds of people hostage.

CNN's Ryan Chilcote is joining us now on the phone. Ryan, give us the latest. What's going on?

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, I'm in front of the theater, a very skittish scene here I can tell you. Just moments ago, maybe like ten seconds ago, an entire group of Russian interior troops just took cover right here in front of me hiding from obviously some kind of activity, some kind of gunfire just outside of the theater. That's the first time there's been any kind of exchange of gunfire here in about a half hour.

Just to bring you up to date, like you said, 20 to 30 -- well now, Federal Security Service Russian officials are saying that there's 40 to 50 terrorists inside this theater holding between 500 and 700 people in the audience hostage. We know that they've let 18 children go. We know that they just let one pregnant woman go to the applause of the audience inside the hall.

Their demand is nothing less than the end of the war in Chechnya, obviously not going to be a simple demand to meet here. We also know that they're threatening to kill ten hostages for every hostage taker that is wounded in this scene.

Wolf back to you.

BLITZER: Ryan Chilcote on the scene for us in Moscow where this breaking story is unfolding. We'll be checking back with you, of course, as it unfolds. Thanks very much for that report.

Meanwhile, parents and students are forced to confront their fears. Thousands of young people headed back to school today in the Washington, D.C. area despite a looming threat from the sniper.

Still to come, a community determined to live life as normally as possible.

Plus, is there a French connection? Interpol issues an alert about a missing army lieutenant. We'll have to sort our fact from fiction, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been devastating. Over the last past months I've been driving my son to school every day, even though it's not that far. I won't let him walk anywhere. We don't go anywhere.

I'm a schoolteacher. I have all my kids in. I've had them in for a month now and they're scared. They don't want to walk outside. The patrols don't want to go out of the building. You know, everyone is just devastated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Welcome back, I'm Wolf Blitzer in Montgomery County, Maryland. We're standing by for a statement from the Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose at the top of the hour. We expect he will emerge with a statement, no questions, a statement apparently designed to send yet another message to the killer or killers, part of this so-called continuing dialog he's had with the killer or killers.

This will be the fifth or sixth time the Montgomery County Police Chief has done this kind of thing. We will, of course, have live coverage of that statement when it occurs.

Meanwhile, despite a chilling threat that children are potential sniper targets, anxious parents sent their kids to the Washington area schools today. Virginia schools closed Monday and yesterday, at least those schools in the Richmond, Virginia area, not in the northern Virginia area.

Richmond, Virginia schools closed Monday and yesterday but they were operating under strict security today with no outdoor activity. That's not enough, though, for some parents upset because officials waited several days to reveal the threat to kids found in a note believed to have been written by the sniper.

Here's your chance by the way to weigh in on this story. Our "Web Question of the Day" is this: would you send your kids to school today if you lived in the Washington, D.C. area? We'll have the results later in this program. Go to my Web page, cnn.com/wolf. That's where you can vote.

Maryland's governor, meanwhile, Parris Glendening, says that if the sniper isn't arrested soon, he may call out the National Guard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLENDENING: There are two things we're considering if the local law enforcement gets to the point of just the exhaustion of its ability to continue to do the routines of police work plus the investigation. There are some specialized units that we may use to back up the purely local law enforcement function.

Secondly, we are considering the possibility for Election Day of using the National Guard to make sure that every polling place is absolutely safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Election Day, of course, is less than two weeks away. It's on Tuesday, November 5.

What's it like living under the constant fear of a sniper attack? To find out, CNN's Bill Delaney spoke with some people here in Montgomery County, the site of seven of the ten sniper killings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the surface, nothing in Montgomery County, Maryland looks different. Just below the surface, most everything is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's scaring the living daylights out of everybody. You never know. I've seen people crossing the parking lot. One guy almost walked into my car because he was gawking around looking. Hey, look people got to look over their shoulders that's no way to live.

DELANEY: Though life goes on, the mundane, more persistent than murder.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're a little more careful when you get out of the car, but I'm not going to no go out. So, I hope they catch him real soon.

DELANEY: Amid theories they may not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's more than one. I think it is the terrorists. I think they're going to go from state to state. I hope not.

DELANEY: At bus stops, ATMs, outdoor phones, vulnerability unimaginable, a month ago in Montgomery County.

(on camera): Particularly unnerving for many, some of Montgomery County's ordinarily most placid places like here Briggs Road. You're out taking a stroll or walking the dog, unnerved because of the lovely autumn woods behind me, tranquil in better times, now for many foreboding.

(voice-over): A killer who shoots from the trees, Montgomery County is thick with though, changing nothing on the surface at a golf course.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If we give into him, we have no life and we just can't do that and when our time is up, our time is up.

DELANEY: Fatalism just under a country club's sunny surfaces. Life goes on in Montgomery County, only shadowed now by death.

Bill Delaney CNN, Montgomery County, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: A missing French Army lieutenant believed to be in the United States is raising some eyebrows in the sniper investigation, but is there any link? We'll help answer the questions our viewers have been e-mailing us about.

Plus, tip lines behind the scenes, praised when they work, criticized when they falter, an inside tour of this crucial crime fighting tool.

But first, let's take a look at some other news making "Headlines Around the World."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Altogether now, in a sign of closer ties, the United States and India are conducting their biggest joint military exercise in decades. Members of the air forces from both countries are training for a week in Northern India.

Sorry about that. Taiwan says it's received an apology from the U.S. for an incident that occurred at Dulles Airport outside Washington last month. Taiwan's wheelchair bound First Lady was forced to undergo a strict security screening despite the protests of officials from Taiwan.

Watered-down coke. The Colombian Navy says it seized more than two and a half tons of cocaine after stopping a speedboat off the Colombian coast. Authorities say the speed boat crew tried to scuttle the contraband but packages of cocaine kept floating to the surface.

Blown away. Australia's worst dust storm in 30 years is stripping topsoil off farms and choking towns. People with respiratory problems are urged to stay indoors. It's the latest effect of a drought also blamed for huge wildfires.

Court star. Tennis champ Boris Becker went on trial in Germany accused of avoiding taxes by falsely claiming to reside in the tax haven of Monte Carlo. Becker says the government's ten-year investigation of his taxes has been brutal and hastened the end of his athletic career.

No peaking. In China where even fully clothed protests are a rarity, this one was an eye opener. Two blond animal rights activists staged an anti-fur protest, clothed only in a banner that said in Chinese and English: "We'd rather go naked than wear fur." They were hauled off in a police van, leaving one bystander to remark, "I've never heard of anything like this happening in China before."

And, that's our look "Around the World."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOOSE: As has been said before, this is a very fluid case. There are a lot of people involved, a lot of authorities. You know, we think we did the best that we could do with that situation, but we're trying to be very thoughtful about everything that we do here. And there will be people that will judge it as good and there will be people that will judge it as OK and somebody will say it was done very poorly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose speaking earlier in the day right here at Montgomery County police headquarters. He will reappear at top of the hour; we're told, very soon, with another statement, no questions. CNN, of course, will have live coverage. We're standing by for that.

Meanwhile, we've received a lot of e-mail here at CNN about reports of a French army deserter who may be in the United States. And is he in any way tied to the sniper investigation? Our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, is joining me now for that.

Barbara, what do we know this situation?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, we decided to have a look into that earlier today, Wolf, simply because there is a lot of chatter out there about this situation. French government officials confirm that there is a French army officer who has been missing, who has deserted, and he has been missing in the United States since early September. The last time he was seen was in Chicago in his hotel on vacation. Due back at his French military unit in September, he never showed up. But it wasn't until last week that the French government informed Interpol that the man had deserted and apparently disappeared.

French government officials told us today they absolutely have no reason, they say, to believe he is connected to any criminal activity in the United States. But they also told us that they informed Interpol in the words of one official, "just in case." He is said to have no special firearms training beyond what other French military troops receive. He is a French citizen, said to be of Yugoslav descent. So U.S. law enforcement, Interpol and French authorities are keeping an eye out for this man, just another weird side bar in this entire story so far.

BLITZER: Well, Barbara, you've done a service to our viewers. We are flooded with e-mail questions about this part of the investigation. You've explained it. We have responded to them. Thanks as usual.

As our Jeanne Meserve reported earlier this hour, there may -- repeat, may be too many chiefs trying to run this sniper investigation. Some involved say that's creating some serious communication problems. Joining us now in our Dallas studio to talk about that is Buck Revell. He's the former associate deputy director of the FBI. He's now president of the Dallas based Law Enforcement Television Network and Revell Group of International Security and Strategy Consulting Group.

Buck, let me get right to the e-mail that I have in front of me and read it to you. "Why hasn't the FBI taken over this case? Wouldn't that eliminate all the multi-jurisdictional confusion? All the cooks in the kitchen only serves the sniper's purpose to further terrify, confuse and intimidate?" What do you say to Ron?

BUCK REVELL, FORMER FBI ASSOCIATE DEPUTY DIRECTOR: Well, in the first place, the FBI does not have jurisdiction to take over the cases. Each of these is a crime within a particular state and within a particular locality and not necessarily a federal crime. In fact, only one of the victims has been covered by the federal assaulting a federal officer statute. So if there was one agency selected to take over, it would be by the consensus and by the acquisition -- the acquiescence of the other parties. Each one of them has jurisdiction in their territory.

BLITZER: So is it -- so do you think it's being run the way it should be run right now, looking at if from the outside as you are?

REVELL: Well, there are multiple jurisdictions. You have three levels of government -- the federal, the local and the county -- and state, four levels of government. And actually, I think it's working rather well from what I can see from the outside. I've been involved in some of these multi-agency task forces on very serious crimes and generally they get along pretty well. From time to time, there'll be perhaps a difference but in this case, I think that it has been a very cooperative and joint effort.

BLITZER: In one of those letters believed to be coming from the sniper, there was a request for some $10 million. We have a -- we have an e-mail question on that specific point. "Is it wise to pay ransoms to kidnappers who are ruthless enough to hold our communities hostage?" That's from Marilyn. What do you think of this whole $10 million part of the story?

REVELL: I think it's a way that this individual is manipulating the system, continuing to try and thwart police efforts to essentially say, "I'm in charge and I will set the agenda." I doubt that he specifically or really believes that he will be paid a ransom. How would he get it? How would he spend it?

We have a policy at the federal level that the U.S. government doesn't pay ransom to terrorists and in this case, he would fall in that category. From the standpoint at each state level, individual victims' families can make a decision as to whether they pay ransom or not, but in general it's a bad idea.

BLITZER: Buck Revell, formerly of the FBI, always a good person to talk to on these kind of matters. Thanks for your insight.

REVELL: You're welcome.

BLITZER: Thank you. And the sniper, if he is indeed asking for millions of dollars, does that truly make him tick? We'll talk to another person who has some experience when it comes to serial killers, but first, are witnesses to the sniper killings looking in the wrong direction? Learn why my next guest says the answer may be yes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Montgomery County, Maryland. We're standing by for a statement momentarily from the Montgomery County police chief. CNN, of course, will have live coverage. That's scheduled to begin at the top of the hour.

Officials investigating the sniper shootings again today appeal to potential witnesses to step forward. What would you do if you witnessed a sniper attack? Where would you look for the shooter? For that we turn to retired Army Command Sergeant Major Eric Haney. Sergeant Major Haney is a trained Army sniper and a founding member of the Army's elite counterterrorist Delta Force. He's now at the CNN Center in Atlanta.

Eric, take us through this -- the first incident at the Michael's store in Montgomery County, Maryland, not far away from where I am, where no one was shot, the bullet went astray. What did witnesses need to look for at that point?

RET. SGT. MAJ. ERIC HANEY, CNN FIREARMS ANALYST: Well, there would have been a couple of things and it would have been what they heard. Someone was missed more than likely. The bullet was fired high. It impacted that window 6'4" above the ground. Whoever was shot at would have heard the sonic crack of the bullet when it went by their head. And it's just that. It's a high-pitched crack. It sounds like the little pop rocks that little boys like to throw against the concrete.

That shot was fired back here from the back of the parking lot towards the store. Anyone who was in the parking lot -- towards the rear of the parking lot -- would have heard the thump of the shot going off inside of a vehicle. And that's how he's hiding in plain open when he's made these daylight shots from inside the vehicle. And therefore, the local people in the area don't hear that loud rolling report of a rifle, but just a thump and it's going to come from the back of a parking lot. Now, that was in this area.

From immediately thereafter, all he does...

BLITZER: Let me move on and ask you the next...

HANEY: All right.

BLITZER: ... the next scene that I want you to show our viewers at that Sunoco gas station in Manassas, Virginia, where a man, Dean Myers, was shot and killed, talk about that incident.

HANEY: OK, when we -- at the Sunoco situation, this was the longest shot that has been taken at anyone and that was at about 100 meters and he fired across a roadway. The victim was right at the Sunoco at the center island. The shot was taken from across the road on the backside of a store here and he shot right over the top of the roadway. What was an anomaly there or not even an anomaly, but right next door is a restaurant. And there were people that would have been in the parking lot. But from the position from which he fired, there were no lights in the back and it was dark. As soon as he fired, all he had to do at that point was just drive away and within seconds, he's off into small roadways and out of the area.

BLITZER: Let's look -- let's take a look at a third -- a third shooting that occurred at that Leisure World, which is a retirement community here in Montgomery County, Maryland, a woman, Sarah Ramos, was shot and killed outside Leisure World, that retirement community there. Talk to us about that one.

HANEY: All right, on this one, the lady was sitting on a bench, right in front of a small restaurant at the very end of the strip mall. In this case, she was located on the bench right here. The shooter fired from the back of the parking lot and this was one of the very close ones. He was only 50 meters away, half the length of a football field. And as you can see in every instance, when they've been in the strip mall areas, they fire right down the lane of traffic, right where you drive when you pull into park. And that's what gives them the clear field of fire. And immediately thereafter, they were able to swing out of the area by just driving along the end. Within another 50 meters, they were hidden behind Burger King and another couple of little fast food restaurants until they were able to swing out and into the traffic.

BLITZER: The bottom line -- your assessment, what's the bottom line?

HANEY: You can't hunt for everything, but when you're in a strip mall and if you hear a sound, look to the back of the parking area. He's pulling back into the places where people don't like to park because we all like to park near the front of the store. If you hear a sound, it's going to be a loud thump and it will be very reminiscent of someone slam the siding door on a van or slamming the trunk lid down when they put their groceries inside.

BLITZER: Good advice for potential witnesses out there. Let's hope we don't need to hear anything from those witnesses down the road. Eric Haney, thanks for your expertise.

So what about trick-or-treating on Halloween? "America's Most Wanted" host, John Walsh, weighs in with some advice for parents in the Washington area. Plus, is it really about $10 million or is the sniper more on a publicity tour? Inside the mind of a serial killer when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KIN LIVE")

WALSH: If it goes to next week, forget about trick-or-treating. You're just asking for problems. I mean -- why? If he's still at large at Halloween, no trick-or-treating. My God, it's like -- it would be like open season for this guy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: John Walsh, the host of "America's Most Wanted" offering some advice to parents who are thinking about letting their kids go out for trick-or-treating at Halloween in the greater Washington area. Welcome back.

Once again, we're standing by for a statement from Chief Moose, the Montgomery County police chief. We will have that statement live once he makes it.

Meanwhile, what motivates a serial killer? Dr. Dorothy Lewis is a psychiatrist who spent more than two decades investigating the minds of death row inmates. She's joining me now from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

Dorothy, thanks one against for joining us. Briefly give us your thumbnail sketch. What do you think is motivating this killer in the Washington area?

DR. DOROTHY LEWIS, PSYCHIATRIST, AUTHOR: Wolf, I think it would be presumptuous to say what is motivating him because without talking to an individual and talking at fair length, you're just guessing. And some of the motivations are so bizarre, are so peculiar and they range from starting an interracial war in America to blowing up the world. So that they are -- we know the man is grandiose. But I wouldn't presume to say what his motives were without talking with him. I must say that his asking for $10 million doesn't quite make sense to me. I've never known of the serial killer who has done that. None of the people I've seen have done that. I have seen serial killers who have made money off the murders, but they have been stealthy. They have poisoned people to inherit money. They have duped people and then killed them. But you wonder -- it doesn't even seem like the same person, does it?

BLITZER: It doesn't. Do you see anything in this particular case at all familiar with many of the earlier serial killer cases that you've studied?

LEWIS: The grandiosity is very, very familiar. The kind of driven quality of killing and killing and killing is certainly familiar and also with the lapse in between. And the -- but what does not make sense is asking for $10 million. It almost sounds like an after thought or someone else's idea or someone else. And, again, maybe this person's motivation has changed with all the publicity that he's received.

BLITZER: I know you interviewed Ted Bundy. Do you see any comparisons between that particular case and what's unfolding in the greater Washington area right now?

LEWIS: Well, Ted Bundy, among other things, did have a mood disorder. But I think that Ted Bundy's murders were kind of up close and personal and they had so much more to do with his relationships with individual people. Whereas this man is picking off people at random so that the idea is in his own head. And we're not going to find out about it unless he's captured alive and unless he then opens up. He may be, you know, the reason that we can't find him is that he's working on a delusion and we just don't happen to share that.

BLITZER: Very briefly, can they tell, serial killers, basically right from wrong?

LEWIS: That is a tough one. You know it depends when you are talking with the person. For example, a fair number of serial killers are disassociative, which means that they go into certain states where they are very, very different from other states and they can be quite diabolical at those times. And then when they revert back to their usual, everyday state of mind, of course they can.

And I know with Ted Bundy, he asked me whether I would say that he was incompetent to be executed. And I said to him, "The world would laugh at me. You know of course you know what you did and you know that it was wrong."

BLITZER: Dr. Dorothy Lewis, always good to have you on the program. Thanks very...

LEWIS: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: ... much for your information.

When we come back, we'll have the answer to our "Web Questions of The Day." Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you're weighing in on our "Web Questions of The Day." Our question was would you send your kids to school today if you lived in the D.C. area? Forty-one percent of you say yes, 59 percent of you say no. Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

That's all the time I have for today. I will be back tomorrow. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" is up next. Jan Hopkins filling in tonight for Lou.

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








Aired October 23, 2002 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, ANCHOR (voice-over): A link and a letter. A note left near another sniper crime scene.

Investigators insist they're making progress.

MIKE BOUCHARD, ATF: It's just like an illness. Some things don't respond to treatment right away. Some cases don't respond to our methods right away.

BLITZER: What the witnesses may have missed. We'll show you where they should have been looking.

The president says he's praying for a quick end to the killings.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've ordered the full resources of federal government to help local law enforcement.

BLITZER: The impact on a community, first our schools, now our democracy.

GOV. PARRIS GLENDENING (D), MARYLAND: We are considering the possibility for Election Day of using the National Guard to make sure that every polling place is absolutely safe.

BLITZER: And we'll go inside the mind of the serial killer with a psychiatrist who spent 25 years studying death row inmates.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS: "Sniper Attacks." Reporting live from Montgomery County, Maryland, here's Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Thanks for joining us. Investigators in the sniper hunt who doggedly insist they're making progress today reached out to potential witnesses. CNN's Kathleen Koch is joining me here in Montgomery County at police headquarters. Even as that is going on, there's some breaking news unfolding not far from where we are right now.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, what we have learned is that right now vehicles are being searched going north and southbound on I-270. Now that is a major artery that runs north and south through Montgomery County, Maryland where so many of these sniper shootings have occurred.

And apparently at some point this afternoon what Gaithersburg Police tell CNN is that a female bus driver was driving northbound on I-270 when she saw someone in a white box truck point a gun at her. We don't know if this was a rifle, a handgun, what size it was, if it was the driver, if it was a passenger. But apparently she stopped her bus and flagged down police and gave them this report.

So, I-270, this major north/south artery was shut down for some period this afternoon though relatively briefly while police began searching every white box truck they could find. At this point, they've reopened the highway northbound. Southbound, one lane is still closed, but we have no reports whether or not they have found the box truck that they are looking for, now this of course, occurring on a day when there were a number of other major developments here at Montgomery County Police Headquarters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH (voice-over): No messages from police to the sniper through the media today; instead, a call to members of the immigrant community in Montgomery County, Maryland. Police Chief Charles Moose strongly feels someone there may have seen or heard the Monday morning shooting but not come forward. That killing has now been definitively linked to the other 12 sniper attacks.

CHIEF CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE: Anyone that may have immigrant status that we would want them to understand that we want to talk to them. We want to ask questions about what they saw, heard in the area of this shooting. That would be the focus of our questions.

KOCH: The Immigration and Naturalization Service says it not only won't seek the immigration of status of witnesses to any of the shootings, it could offer them a special visa if they help investigators.

JAMES ZIGLAR, INS COMMISSIONER: What we're doing is joining with Chief Moose in encouraging the immigrant community to come forward with information.

KOCH: The day after authorities revealed the sniper in a note left at the Ashland shooting site had threatened children, questions continued over whether police would withhold future threats to the public. Moose said no.

MOOSE: It is always, public safety is first and the investigation is second.

KOCH: Chief Moose said for now police would not release to the public the handwriting on the ominous sentence: "Your children are not safe anywhere at any time" but he didn't rule out doing it in the future. Meanwhile, task force members say the investigation is moving forward. BOUCHARD: Progress is being made very day. We get one step closer every day. As I've said before, it's one tip away.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: And at this point as far as we know vehicles north and southbound again on I-270, this major artery cutting through Montgomery County, Maryland, are being searched as police look for a white box truck, that again because a school bus driver, female school bus driver, we don't know if there were any students on the bus, reported someone in a white truck pointing a gun at her.

And, Wolf, if this were in any way linked to these shootings, it would be extraordinarily out of character because up to this point, this killer or killers has been very careful to avoid any witnesses of any sort to avoid being caught, so this would be extraordinarily unusual behavior.

BLITZER: Kathleen Koch, we'll be monitoring this story, taking a look to see what unfolds on Interstate 270, not very far away from where we are right now. Thanks very much.

And the sniper's death toll rose officially today as investigators linked yesterday's killing of a Maryland bus driver to the earlier shootings. And, another link became clear as well as sources confirm that a note found near the scene resembled the one retrieved after Saturday's killing.

CNN Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena is joining us live now with all these details from our Washington Bureau -- Kelli.

KELLY ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, officials are not making any more public comments about any communication with the person that they believe to be the sniper, but privately sources do confirm that there was another attempt by the sniper to continue a dialog with police.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA (voice-over): We have learned of another note believed to be from the sniper found at the site of the latest shooting. Sources say it is similar to a letter left at Saturday's shooting site in Ashland, Virginia, all part of a chilling dialog, some in secret, some in public.

MOOSE: We remain open and ready to talk to you about the options you have mentioned. It is important that we do this without anyone else getting hurt.

ARENA: In the Virginia letter, the sniper demanded $10 million, along with directions the money be placed in a bank account with unlimited electronic withdrawal capability.

MOOSE: In the past several days, you have attempted to communicate with us. We have researched the option you stated and found that it is not possible electronically to comply in the manner that you requested. However, we remain open and ready to talk to you about the options you have mentioned. It is important that we do this without anyone else getting hurt.

ARENA: Sources say the writer complained about trying to reach authorities six times with a message but was hung up on. Law enforcement sources acknowledge that at least two calls were mishandled because colleagues did not realize they were talking to the killer. The note goes on to describe the handling of the investigation as "incompetent" and said "five people had to die because of that."

DR. BOB GORDON, FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIST: He also needs this communication in order to survive and endure until the calamity for him, the calamity, the catastrophe and the disaster in his life will come with a confrontation of law enforcement officials and he wants to speed up the time frame for that to occur.

ARENA: Then, of course, there was the first written communication on the tarot card with the words "I am God" on it. All three documents are being analyzed at the FBI lab. The killer has also communicated by telephone several times.

MOOSE: The person you called could not hear everything that you said. The audio was unclear and we want to get it right. Call us back so that we can clearly understand.

ARENA: Sources say they believe the message Moose was referring to was tape recorded and that a voice synthesizer may have been used.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA Law enforcement officials continue to tread lightly. This is unlike any situation they have dealt with before -- Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: Thank you very much Kelli Arena in our Washington Bureau.

We have just been alerted here in Montgomery County at police headquarters that the Police Chief Charles Moose will be emerging within the hour to make a statement, a statement to reporters. They've already told us he will not, repeat not be answering questions.

It appears that this is one of those statements he's going to be making designed to continue the so-called dialog that he has with the sniper or the snipers. We have no idea what this statement will be, but we will be, of course, bringing you that statement live once the police chief emerges from this building right behind me and approaches the microphones.

Once again, within the hour Chief Moose will be coming out to make a statement to presumably, we believe, the sniper. No questions will be answered. Let's continue now with our coverage. Could there be too many investigators on this sniper case, and are the various law enforcement agencies able to work together? For that, let's bring in our Jeanne Meserve. She's also in our Washington Bureau -- Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, with so many agencies and departments involved in this investigation, it was probably inevitable that there were going to be disagreements about tactics and strategy, and with investigators wanting to hold information very tightly to preserve the integrity of their investigation, it was probably inevitable that some people who felt they need to know would not know.

Sources tell me that the biggest rift in this investigation is between task force members in Montgomery County and investigators they refer to as being south of the border in Virginia. But today, one task force member insisted that everything was running fine. Communication was going well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOUCHARD: I want to assure everyone we communication with all the police chiefs in this area as well as all of the other ones who have been affected by these shootings every day. We communicate all the information that we get. We have their task force members sitting with us. They are aware of all the information that we're aware of. They may not have the exact wording, but the context of what we have is known to all of them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: That certainly didn't appear to be the case on Monday when two men, who later it turns out had nothing to do with the sniper investigation, were being arrested in Richmond, Virginia while events were unfolding. Officials in Montgomery County were complaining that officials in Virginia just weren't telling them what was going on and officials in Richmond in saying that they weren't getting the timely information they needed from the task force in Montgomery County.

Another example in Ashland, Virginia Saturday night when a man was murdered by the sniper, one investigator from the task force complained that "yokels would be involved in that investigation." Also, there was intense discussion we're told over what to do with a note that was found there, some people feeling it should be opened immediately, that there was a rush against time to prevent another murder. Other people feeling that they should go slow and make sure that envelope was not contaminated.

Some people have had enough of this discussion. Today, Senator John McCain said the federal government should insert itself and take control of this investigation. Wolf, they've answered that question repeatedly. They say it won't happen. Some say that's because the FBI and the ATF are already effectively in control of the investigation, back to you.

BLITZER: Jeanne Meserve in our Washington Bureau thanks very much for all of that information. Let me recap for viewers who are just joining us. We've just been informed by police authorities here in Montgomery County that at six o'clock, at the top of the hour, 6:00 p.m. Eastern, the Police Chief Charles Moose will be emerging, will be emerging and making a statement not, repeat not answering questions. This would appear to be another in his continuing dialog with the sniper or the snipers. We don't know what he will be saying, but we will, of course, have live coverage here on CNN.

Meanwhile, officials say the criminal investigation into the sniper shootings is the largest ever in this region. The force includes 1,000 law enforcement personnel, of those 400 FBI agents and 250 ATF agents. A Montgomery County, Maryland Police spokeswoman calls the investigation unprecedented.

When we come back, 700 people held hostage at a theater. Security forces surround the building. When we return, we'll go live to Moscow where this drama is unfolding. Also, back to school requires that as new bravery in the D.C. area, a closer look at a community standing strong in the face of fear. And John Walsh weighs in, advice for parents this Halloween.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN WALSH, HOST, "America's Most Wanted": (UNINTELLIGIBLE) these different law enforcement agencies, you've got seven jurisdictions involved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. This reminder, we're standing by here in Montgomery County Police Headquarters. The Police Chief Charles Moose will be emerging at the top of the hour, 6:00 p.m. we're told with a statement, no questions, no answers, simply a statement part of his continuing dialog that he's having apparently with the killer or killers involved in the search for a sniper in the Washington area. CNN, of course, will have live coverage.

We're also following another development. Interstate 270, a major interstate heading into Washington from the north, has been shut down for at least a little while but there are some new developments.

Once again, CNN's Kathleen Koch is with me. You've got some news on this.

KOCH: Right, Wolf, well as we reported earlier in the show, what basically happened was at some point this afternoon, a female school bus driver was headed north on 270 when she spotted someone pointing a weapon at the bus. We have now learned from Nancy Nickerson, who is a police spokesperson with Montgomery County Police, that there were indeed children on the bus.

We don't know their ages. We don't know how many there were. We don't know if this weapon was pointed at the children or at the bus driver, if it was pointed by the driver of this white box truck or if it was pointed by a passenger. But at this point, all we know is that the search continues. All vehicles going north and south on I-270, all white box trucks I should say are being very carefully searched.

Police say they've stopped several vehicles. They haven't yet found one that was suspicious, that had a weapon involved. They do say that the Maryland State Highway Patrol does have a helicopter now that is aiding in that search, Wolf, and the search goes on.

BLITZER: And that exit, Clopper Road, not very far away from where we are here in Montgomery County at all.

KOCH: Exactly, just north of us and they're searching all the way up to the Frederick County line, Wolf, taking this very seriously.

BLITZER: All right, we're going to continue to monitor story as well. Kathleen thanks very much. You'll be with us, of course, at the top of the hour when the police chief emerges as well. We'll be standing by for that.

Meanwhile, President Bush spoke out today on the sniper killings. Our White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is joining us with that part of the story -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, there was an event to highlight federal efforts to fight child exploitation when President Bush, reacting directly to that threat against children issued by the sniper, expressing the concerns and fears that so many of us have shared over the last three weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I'm deeply saddened by the recent tragedy that we've seen here in Washington. There is a ruthless person on the loose. I've ordered the full resources of the federal government to help local law enforcement officials in their efforts to capture this person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Now the FBI playing a critical role in the investigation but White House Spokesperson Ari Fleischer saying the president has no intention of asking them to take the lead in this, that he really wants to defer to law enforcement on that matter. He is not going to micro manage, he says, this investigation -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Suzanne Malveaux thanks very much for that report.

I want to bring in some additional breaking news right now a theatrical drama has turned into a hostage drama in Russia. Gunmen burst into a Moscow theater today and they're holding at this hour hundreds of people hostage.

CNN's Ryan Chilcote is joining us now on the phone. Ryan, give us the latest. What's going on?

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, I'm in front of the theater, a very skittish scene here I can tell you. Just moments ago, maybe like ten seconds ago, an entire group of Russian interior troops just took cover right here in front of me hiding from obviously some kind of activity, some kind of gunfire just outside of the theater. That's the first time there's been any kind of exchange of gunfire here in about a half hour.

Just to bring you up to date, like you said, 20 to 30 -- well now, Federal Security Service Russian officials are saying that there's 40 to 50 terrorists inside this theater holding between 500 and 700 people in the audience hostage. We know that they've let 18 children go. We know that they just let one pregnant woman go to the applause of the audience inside the hall.

Their demand is nothing less than the end of the war in Chechnya, obviously not going to be a simple demand to meet here. We also know that they're threatening to kill ten hostages for every hostage taker that is wounded in this scene.

Wolf back to you.

BLITZER: Ryan Chilcote on the scene for us in Moscow where this breaking story is unfolding. We'll be checking back with you, of course, as it unfolds. Thanks very much for that report.

Meanwhile, parents and students are forced to confront their fears. Thousands of young people headed back to school today in the Washington, D.C. area despite a looming threat from the sniper.

Still to come, a community determined to live life as normally as possible.

Plus, is there a French connection? Interpol issues an alert about a missing army lieutenant. We'll have to sort our fact from fiction, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been devastating. Over the last past months I've been driving my son to school every day, even though it's not that far. I won't let him walk anywhere. We don't go anywhere.

I'm a schoolteacher. I have all my kids in. I've had them in for a month now and they're scared. They don't want to walk outside. The patrols don't want to go out of the building. You know, everyone is just devastated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Welcome back, I'm Wolf Blitzer in Montgomery County, Maryland. We're standing by for a statement from the Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose at the top of the hour. We expect he will emerge with a statement, no questions, a statement apparently designed to send yet another message to the killer or killers, part of this so-called continuing dialog he's had with the killer or killers.

This will be the fifth or sixth time the Montgomery County Police Chief has done this kind of thing. We will, of course, have live coverage of that statement when it occurs.

Meanwhile, despite a chilling threat that children are potential sniper targets, anxious parents sent their kids to the Washington area schools today. Virginia schools closed Monday and yesterday, at least those schools in the Richmond, Virginia area, not in the northern Virginia area.

Richmond, Virginia schools closed Monday and yesterday but they were operating under strict security today with no outdoor activity. That's not enough, though, for some parents upset because officials waited several days to reveal the threat to kids found in a note believed to have been written by the sniper.

Here's your chance by the way to weigh in on this story. Our "Web Question of the Day" is this: would you send your kids to school today if you lived in the Washington, D.C. area? We'll have the results later in this program. Go to my Web page, cnn.com/wolf. That's where you can vote.

Maryland's governor, meanwhile, Parris Glendening, says that if the sniper isn't arrested soon, he may call out the National Guard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLENDENING: There are two things we're considering if the local law enforcement gets to the point of just the exhaustion of its ability to continue to do the routines of police work plus the investigation. There are some specialized units that we may use to back up the purely local law enforcement function.

Secondly, we are considering the possibility for Election Day of using the National Guard to make sure that every polling place is absolutely safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Election Day, of course, is less than two weeks away. It's on Tuesday, November 5.

What's it like living under the constant fear of a sniper attack? To find out, CNN's Bill Delaney spoke with some people here in Montgomery County, the site of seven of the ten sniper killings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the surface, nothing in Montgomery County, Maryland looks different. Just below the surface, most everything is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's scaring the living daylights out of everybody. You never know. I've seen people crossing the parking lot. One guy almost walked into my car because he was gawking around looking. Hey, look people got to look over their shoulders that's no way to live.

DELANEY: Though life goes on, the mundane, more persistent than murder.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're a little more careful when you get out of the car, but I'm not going to no go out. So, I hope they catch him real soon.

DELANEY: Amid theories they may not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's more than one. I think it is the terrorists. I think they're going to go from state to state. I hope not.

DELANEY: At bus stops, ATMs, outdoor phones, vulnerability unimaginable, a month ago in Montgomery County.

(on camera): Particularly unnerving for many, some of Montgomery County's ordinarily most placid places like here Briggs Road. You're out taking a stroll or walking the dog, unnerved because of the lovely autumn woods behind me, tranquil in better times, now for many foreboding.

(voice-over): A killer who shoots from the trees, Montgomery County is thick with though, changing nothing on the surface at a golf course.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If we give into him, we have no life and we just can't do that and when our time is up, our time is up.

DELANEY: Fatalism just under a country club's sunny surfaces. Life goes on in Montgomery County, only shadowed now by death.

Bill Delaney CNN, Montgomery County, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: A missing French Army lieutenant believed to be in the United States is raising some eyebrows in the sniper investigation, but is there any link? We'll help answer the questions our viewers have been e-mailing us about.

Plus, tip lines behind the scenes, praised when they work, criticized when they falter, an inside tour of this crucial crime fighting tool.

But first, let's take a look at some other news making "Headlines Around the World."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Altogether now, in a sign of closer ties, the United States and India are conducting their biggest joint military exercise in decades. Members of the air forces from both countries are training for a week in Northern India.

Sorry about that. Taiwan says it's received an apology from the U.S. for an incident that occurred at Dulles Airport outside Washington last month. Taiwan's wheelchair bound First Lady was forced to undergo a strict security screening despite the protests of officials from Taiwan.

Watered-down coke. The Colombian Navy says it seized more than two and a half tons of cocaine after stopping a speedboat off the Colombian coast. Authorities say the speed boat crew tried to scuttle the contraband but packages of cocaine kept floating to the surface.

Blown away. Australia's worst dust storm in 30 years is stripping topsoil off farms and choking towns. People with respiratory problems are urged to stay indoors. It's the latest effect of a drought also blamed for huge wildfires.

Court star. Tennis champ Boris Becker went on trial in Germany accused of avoiding taxes by falsely claiming to reside in the tax haven of Monte Carlo. Becker says the government's ten-year investigation of his taxes has been brutal and hastened the end of his athletic career.

No peaking. In China where even fully clothed protests are a rarity, this one was an eye opener. Two blond animal rights activists staged an anti-fur protest, clothed only in a banner that said in Chinese and English: "We'd rather go naked than wear fur." They were hauled off in a police van, leaving one bystander to remark, "I've never heard of anything like this happening in China before."

And, that's our look "Around the World."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOOSE: As has been said before, this is a very fluid case. There are a lot of people involved, a lot of authorities. You know, we think we did the best that we could do with that situation, but we're trying to be very thoughtful about everything that we do here. And there will be people that will judge it as good and there will be people that will judge it as OK and somebody will say it was done very poorly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose speaking earlier in the day right here at Montgomery County police headquarters. He will reappear at top of the hour; we're told, very soon, with another statement, no questions. CNN, of course, will have live coverage. We're standing by for that.

Meanwhile, we've received a lot of e-mail here at CNN about reports of a French army deserter who may be in the United States. And is he in any way tied to the sniper investigation? Our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, is joining me now for that.

Barbara, what do we know this situation?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, we decided to have a look into that earlier today, Wolf, simply because there is a lot of chatter out there about this situation. French government officials confirm that there is a French army officer who has been missing, who has deserted, and he has been missing in the United States since early September. The last time he was seen was in Chicago in his hotel on vacation. Due back at his French military unit in September, he never showed up. But it wasn't until last week that the French government informed Interpol that the man had deserted and apparently disappeared.

French government officials told us today they absolutely have no reason, they say, to believe he is connected to any criminal activity in the United States. But they also told us that they informed Interpol in the words of one official, "just in case." He is said to have no special firearms training beyond what other French military troops receive. He is a French citizen, said to be of Yugoslav descent. So U.S. law enforcement, Interpol and French authorities are keeping an eye out for this man, just another weird side bar in this entire story so far.

BLITZER: Well, Barbara, you've done a service to our viewers. We are flooded with e-mail questions about this part of the investigation. You've explained it. We have responded to them. Thanks as usual.

As our Jeanne Meserve reported earlier this hour, there may -- repeat, may be too many chiefs trying to run this sniper investigation. Some involved say that's creating some serious communication problems. Joining us now in our Dallas studio to talk about that is Buck Revell. He's the former associate deputy director of the FBI. He's now president of the Dallas based Law Enforcement Television Network and Revell Group of International Security and Strategy Consulting Group.

Buck, let me get right to the e-mail that I have in front of me and read it to you. "Why hasn't the FBI taken over this case? Wouldn't that eliminate all the multi-jurisdictional confusion? All the cooks in the kitchen only serves the sniper's purpose to further terrify, confuse and intimidate?" What do you say to Ron?

BUCK REVELL, FORMER FBI ASSOCIATE DEPUTY DIRECTOR: Well, in the first place, the FBI does not have jurisdiction to take over the cases. Each of these is a crime within a particular state and within a particular locality and not necessarily a federal crime. In fact, only one of the victims has been covered by the federal assaulting a federal officer statute. So if there was one agency selected to take over, it would be by the consensus and by the acquisition -- the acquiescence of the other parties. Each one of them has jurisdiction in their territory.

BLITZER: So is it -- so do you think it's being run the way it should be run right now, looking at if from the outside as you are?

REVELL: Well, there are multiple jurisdictions. You have three levels of government -- the federal, the local and the county -- and state, four levels of government. And actually, I think it's working rather well from what I can see from the outside. I've been involved in some of these multi-agency task forces on very serious crimes and generally they get along pretty well. From time to time, there'll be perhaps a difference but in this case, I think that it has been a very cooperative and joint effort.

BLITZER: In one of those letters believed to be coming from the sniper, there was a request for some $10 million. We have a -- we have an e-mail question on that specific point. "Is it wise to pay ransoms to kidnappers who are ruthless enough to hold our communities hostage?" That's from Marilyn. What do you think of this whole $10 million part of the story?

REVELL: I think it's a way that this individual is manipulating the system, continuing to try and thwart police efforts to essentially say, "I'm in charge and I will set the agenda." I doubt that he specifically or really believes that he will be paid a ransom. How would he get it? How would he spend it?

We have a policy at the federal level that the U.S. government doesn't pay ransom to terrorists and in this case, he would fall in that category. From the standpoint at each state level, individual victims' families can make a decision as to whether they pay ransom or not, but in general it's a bad idea.

BLITZER: Buck Revell, formerly of the FBI, always a good person to talk to on these kind of matters. Thanks for your insight.

REVELL: You're welcome.

BLITZER: Thank you. And the sniper, if he is indeed asking for millions of dollars, does that truly make him tick? We'll talk to another person who has some experience when it comes to serial killers, but first, are witnesses to the sniper killings looking in the wrong direction? Learn why my next guest says the answer may be yes.

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BLITZER: Welcome back. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Montgomery County, Maryland. We're standing by for a statement momentarily from the Montgomery County police chief. CNN, of course, will have live coverage. That's scheduled to begin at the top of the hour.

Officials investigating the sniper shootings again today appeal to potential witnesses to step forward. What would you do if you witnessed a sniper attack? Where would you look for the shooter? For that we turn to retired Army Command Sergeant Major Eric Haney. Sergeant Major Haney is a trained Army sniper and a founding member of the Army's elite counterterrorist Delta Force. He's now at the CNN Center in Atlanta.

Eric, take us through this -- the first incident at the Michael's store in Montgomery County, Maryland, not far away from where I am, where no one was shot, the bullet went astray. What did witnesses need to look for at that point?

RET. SGT. MAJ. ERIC HANEY, CNN FIREARMS ANALYST: Well, there would have been a couple of things and it would have been what they heard. Someone was missed more than likely. The bullet was fired high. It impacted that window 6'4" above the ground. Whoever was shot at would have heard the sonic crack of the bullet when it went by their head. And it's just that. It's a high-pitched crack. It sounds like the little pop rocks that little boys like to throw against the concrete.

That shot was fired back here from the back of the parking lot towards the store. Anyone who was in the parking lot -- towards the rear of the parking lot -- would have heard the thump of the shot going off inside of a vehicle. And that's how he's hiding in plain open when he's made these daylight shots from inside the vehicle. And therefore, the local people in the area don't hear that loud rolling report of a rifle, but just a thump and it's going to come from the back of a parking lot. Now, that was in this area.

From immediately thereafter, all he does...

BLITZER: Let me move on and ask you the next...

HANEY: All right.

BLITZER: ... the next scene that I want you to show our viewers at that Sunoco gas station in Manassas, Virginia, where a man, Dean Myers, was shot and killed, talk about that incident.

HANEY: OK, when we -- at the Sunoco situation, this was the longest shot that has been taken at anyone and that was at about 100 meters and he fired across a roadway. The victim was right at the Sunoco at the center island. The shot was taken from across the road on the backside of a store here and he shot right over the top of the roadway. What was an anomaly there or not even an anomaly, but right next door is a restaurant. And there were people that would have been in the parking lot. But from the position from which he fired, there were no lights in the back and it was dark. As soon as he fired, all he had to do at that point was just drive away and within seconds, he's off into small roadways and out of the area.

BLITZER: Let's look -- let's take a look at a third -- a third shooting that occurred at that Leisure World, which is a retirement community here in Montgomery County, Maryland, a woman, Sarah Ramos, was shot and killed outside Leisure World, that retirement community there. Talk to us about that one.

HANEY: All right, on this one, the lady was sitting on a bench, right in front of a small restaurant at the very end of the strip mall. In this case, she was located on the bench right here. The shooter fired from the back of the parking lot and this was one of the very close ones. He was only 50 meters away, half the length of a football field. And as you can see in every instance, when they've been in the strip mall areas, they fire right down the lane of traffic, right where you drive when you pull into park. And that's what gives them the clear field of fire. And immediately thereafter, they were able to swing out of the area by just driving along the end. Within another 50 meters, they were hidden behind Burger King and another couple of little fast food restaurants until they were able to swing out and into the traffic.

BLITZER: The bottom line -- your assessment, what's the bottom line?

HANEY: You can't hunt for everything, but when you're in a strip mall and if you hear a sound, look to the back of the parking area. He's pulling back into the places where people don't like to park because we all like to park near the front of the store. If you hear a sound, it's going to be a loud thump and it will be very reminiscent of someone slam the siding door on a van or slamming the trunk lid down when they put their groceries inside.

BLITZER: Good advice for potential witnesses out there. Let's hope we don't need to hear anything from those witnesses down the road. Eric Haney, thanks for your expertise.

So what about trick-or-treating on Halloween? "America's Most Wanted" host, John Walsh, weighs in with some advice for parents in the Washington area. Plus, is it really about $10 million or is the sniper more on a publicity tour? Inside the mind of a serial killer when we return.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KIN LIVE")

WALSH: If it goes to next week, forget about trick-or-treating. You're just asking for problems. I mean -- why? If he's still at large at Halloween, no trick-or-treating. My God, it's like -- it would be like open season for this guy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: John Walsh, the host of "America's Most Wanted" offering some advice to parents who are thinking about letting their kids go out for trick-or-treating at Halloween in the greater Washington area. Welcome back.

Once again, we're standing by for a statement from Chief Moose, the Montgomery County police chief. We will have that statement live once he makes it.

Meanwhile, what motivates a serial killer? Dr. Dorothy Lewis is a psychiatrist who spent more than two decades investigating the minds of death row inmates. She's joining me now from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

Dorothy, thanks one against for joining us. Briefly give us your thumbnail sketch. What do you think is motivating this killer in the Washington area?

DR. DOROTHY LEWIS, PSYCHIATRIST, AUTHOR: Wolf, I think it would be presumptuous to say what is motivating him because without talking to an individual and talking at fair length, you're just guessing. And some of the motivations are so bizarre, are so peculiar and they range from starting an interracial war in America to blowing up the world. So that they are -- we know the man is grandiose. But I wouldn't presume to say what his motives were without talking with him. I must say that his asking for $10 million doesn't quite make sense to me. I've never known of the serial killer who has done that. None of the people I've seen have done that. I have seen serial killers who have made money off the murders, but they have been stealthy. They have poisoned people to inherit money. They have duped people and then killed them. But you wonder -- it doesn't even seem like the same person, does it?

BLITZER: It doesn't. Do you see anything in this particular case at all familiar with many of the earlier serial killer cases that you've studied?

LEWIS: The grandiosity is very, very familiar. The kind of driven quality of killing and killing and killing is certainly familiar and also with the lapse in between. And the -- but what does not make sense is asking for $10 million. It almost sounds like an after thought or someone else's idea or someone else. And, again, maybe this person's motivation has changed with all the publicity that he's received.

BLITZER: I know you interviewed Ted Bundy. Do you see any comparisons between that particular case and what's unfolding in the greater Washington area right now?

LEWIS: Well, Ted Bundy, among other things, did have a mood disorder. But I think that Ted Bundy's murders were kind of up close and personal and they had so much more to do with his relationships with individual people. Whereas this man is picking off people at random so that the idea is in his own head. And we're not going to find out about it unless he's captured alive and unless he then opens up. He may be, you know, the reason that we can't find him is that he's working on a delusion and we just don't happen to share that.

BLITZER: Very briefly, can they tell, serial killers, basically right from wrong?

LEWIS: That is a tough one. You know it depends when you are talking with the person. For example, a fair number of serial killers are disassociative, which means that they go into certain states where they are very, very different from other states and they can be quite diabolical at those times. And then when they revert back to their usual, everyday state of mind, of course they can.

And I know with Ted Bundy, he asked me whether I would say that he was incompetent to be executed. And I said to him, "The world would laugh at me. You know of course you know what you did and you know that it was wrong."

BLITZER: Dr. Dorothy Lewis, always good to have you on the program. Thanks very...

LEWIS: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: ... much for your information.

When we come back, we'll have the answer to our "Web Questions of The Day." Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you're weighing in on our "Web Questions of The Day." Our question was would you send your kids to school today if you lived in the D.C. area? Forty-one percent of you say yes, 59 percent of you say no. Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

That's all the time I have for today. I will be back tomorrow. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" is up next. Jan Hopkins filling in tonight for Lou.

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