Beltway Sniper Shootings-FR Commentary-Monday, Oct. 21, 2002

Fox News, CNN, Press Conferences | October 21, 2002 | Fox News, CNN, Press Conferences

[Peach]

Let's keep a live commentary thread going again today. The FBI Tip # is 1-888-324-9800.

[slimer]

The was a Bush/Cheney sticker on the rear bumper. I saw it.

[Kerberos]

"Fox News cut her off and they went back to the forensic guy"

I saw Fox News do the same thing the other day. It was great and almost as if they were saying, "O.K. if Helen is going to take off this conference is in the toilet."

[Miss Marple]

I see we are back, finally!

I specifically plead with people to not post jokes unless they are SPECIFICALLY LABELED as such! With the system acting squirrely, the prank post may be the last thing someone sees before they are unable to get in, and then they will repeat the joke to someone else later in the day.

[tomkat]

i'm crypto-sure that the 'suspect' is thinkin' he shoulda stayed in his crypto-bed today !

who knows what kinda shi'ite LE's gonna try to sell us this time ...

[swheats]

If it is a setup, I thought it amazing that there was travelling along side the tow truck, a white van with ladder on rack atop a van.

This could have been stated already, but could this guy have been an applicant for special forces or law enforcement, have all the right stuff, but didn't make the grade due to psychological reasons? That is, if it's not Middle Eastern terrorists.

[Fred Mertz]

I just thought of an alternative theory. The "message" is fictitious. The cops know there are at least two, probably 4 to 6 participants. The cops are trying to make the cell think that one of them is trying to communicate with the cops w/o the cell leader's approval. It's an attempt to break up the group from within. What do you think of that?

[tomkat]

good point, jane ...

[OReilly]

It appeared to me, and I wonder if it appeared the same ay to anyone else, but Moose looked to me as being very worried this morning.

I agree, but to listen to the reporteretts their sources are giving them a 7 on a scale of 1-10. They are spreading the word that good news is coming. Darin Kagin of CNN is almost frenzied. Moose is not happy as far as I can see, and that may be because this act in the current play, might have taken place a week ago, if things had not been screwed up at that time.

[Iwo Jima]

We could have two simultaneous, uncoordinated, unconnected events, being opportunistically pursued. One a domestic terrorist with unknown motives, the other of the ME variety intrigued by how much turmoil the first has been able to achieve. Your copy-cat phenomenum. You are right that Moose's actions prove that they do not have the sniper.

[iceskater]

FR off line means I get some work done. Thank heavens it's back. I am on pins and needles waiting for the Henrico police news conference. (Henrico County is the county where the guy(s) was taken into custody - for those not familiar with Richmond).

[areafiftyone]

Tell me about it. It took me 1/2 hour to get back on the site.

[Kerberos]

"The cops are trying to make the cell think that one of them is trying to communicate with the cops w/o the cell leader's approval"

Now that's an interesting theory. That would be indicative of playing hardball.

[StayAt HomeMother]

Yes, the thread seems to be back.

By the way, the Fairfax County Public Schools server also seems to have crashed. Sure would be nice if parents could find out what was happening after school today. Nothing on WMAL, but the Washington Post quotes Superintendent Daniel A. Domenech (a major league RAT) as saying "It doesn't make much sense to be shipping kids out of town if the sniper is going to go out of town. . . . Our position right now is that we're back to canceling all our outdoor activities until further notice."

(The situation is getting serious when I have to resort to the Post for "news.")

[higgmeister]

You said that to easily. Were you a creep?

[Dog]

White House has confirmed 2 arrested....

[Peach]

Agree with you - too many jokes that aren't labeled as such. Let's keep it on topic and put the jokes elsewhere, at least during a time of breaking news and breaking threads! Thank you, Jim/John R. for getting us back on so quickly.

[justshe]

Ari confirmed "2" in custody.

[Mo1]

Just got back

What's the latest news??

[Lobbyist]

I haven't watched all of Moose's press conferences...but who was that suit standing next to Moose this morning? I don't recall seeing him before. Lawyer? FBI?

[Sacajaweau]

Well, what do we have:

A lot of communication apparently

A 9-11 phone call reporting two guys in a white van in a school park lot after she took her kid to school only to find it closed. (Bet she got outa there fast.

A guy or maybe two from the van they cornered in Virginia.

Polaroid photos taken by the auto dealer across the street.

Temporary Virgina plates but not registered.

1. Sounds like they were following him.

2. Maybe it matches the partial plate number they put out early)

3. If the secret phone number was a phone booth (which it appears to be), it means he was there before (somebody might have put 2 & 2 together and called it in.)

I just hope it's not a Richard Jewell scenario.

Final word...they have been following him but they needed more evidence since if the guy dumps the gun, they may have nothing to make a case.

Sac