Police say sniper may have tried to contact them, but the call was garbled

Associated Press ^ | 10-21-02 | STEPHEN MANNING

[per loin]

How a man plays depends upon the stakes.

[spectre]

Jeff, just heard on Fox that the LE "thought" this was the phone booth the sniper called them from before, so that's why they staked it out. (So I guess that was the cryptic "call back" message Moose was talking about). They thought he would go back and use the same pay phone again...Hello, is anybody home?

You are probably right, the Real Sniper didn't call anyone. Could very well have been a phone call "prank".

His next message will most likely speak louder than words..

sw

[SarahW]

After tax, that's only 250,000. You can't even buy a really nice house for that.

[Elenya]

the killer apparently tried to contact them in a phone call, but it was too garbled to understand.

Are the snipers really supposed to fall for it? Just asking...

[Jeff Head]

Sadly, I agree.

I think there is only one lamguage that the sniper has been speaking the whole time. I am afraid the other issues have been distractions or pranks. Just my opinion.

[APBaer]

"He's spent a lot of time in jail."

I heard this referred to as "doing life on the installment plan."

[cake_crumb]

This whole investigation is a bad real-life immitation of the Keystone Kops and I stand by my statement that I'm so sure the guy will never get caught that I'm willing to bet MONEY on it.

[FITZ]

If they are trying to extort the release of some prisoners, is there some reason why they wouldn't be phoning the police?

Weren't two American diplomats murdered in an attempt to get Sirhan Sirhan the Palestinian released after he killed RFK?

[m1911]

Depends on where you want your house to be. Most of the places I'd like to be, that'd do fine.

[Alas Babylon!]

Reminds me of that seen in Independence Day where the President tries to negotiate with the alien offering him various things and finally he asks the alien what he wants them (the humans) to do. The alien says, "We want you to die!"

Maybe all the sniper wants to do is kill/wound people and this is his idea of fun. No negotiation needed.

[Minutemen]

I think the "Moose" has had a little too much "toot"
Now the sniper is "communicating" to him?
Hillary Clinton used to communicate with Elanor Roosevelt.
I'll believe they got the sniper when they show me the corpse.

[FITZ]

If it's a prisoner they want released, it seems to me that they would a) be calling the Feds, not the police.

If it's Middle Easterners though, they think differently. They attacked the WTC twice because they think they're getting a specific target that way. They have bizarre ideas about this country and how it runs. Maybe in some of their countries all police are part of the federal government.

[Ligeia]

Update on the condition of the Ashland victim:

Victim regains consciousness, but more surgeries await
JUSTIN BERGMAN
Associated Press Writer Oct 21, 2002

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ The latest victim of the Washington-area sniper is conscious and responding to his wife's voice following two surgeries, but remains in critical condition, doctors said Monday.

Dr. Rao Ivatury, director of trauma and critical care surgery at MCV Hospitals, said doctors are watching closely for infection and expect at least one more surgery in the next few days to finish closing up the abdomen. Continue

[okie01]

"...it is showing them what they could do in 20 or 50 or 100 cities."

Imagine what would happen if they expanded this test -- if that's what it is -- on the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Just in time for the Christmas shopping season...

The impact on retail sales -- and the economy -- would be enormous.

[Jeff Head]

Yep, that's what I am thinking too. Hope I am wrong.

Tha MO would certainly apply to Islamic Terrorists too, wouldn't it?

[cake_crumb]

"I think the "Moose" has had a little too much "toot"
Now the sniper is "communicating" to him?"

To be fair, consider the source. The article is brought to us by the News media, whish has been responsible for MASSIVE amounts of hysteria-mongering rumor spouting ever since 9/11. With no retractions and no apologies for any of their stupid mistakes.

[BuckeyeForever]

Is it possible the LE's statement about the garbled message and the need for a call back is simply a ruse, because the first time, the call couldn't be traced (because the call was too short?), and LE wants another chance?

[Jeff Head]

They would probably start it just before that eekend to try and shut down that shopping spree nd thereby get wht they would consider the most financial "benefit" oot of it.

I pray to God it is not so ... but I will not underestimate these people either.

[Elenya]

The Phone Call:

[Catspaw]

That seems more likely to me. I think we're dealing with a very intelligent nut.

He (or she or they) is very clever, very cunning. He's plotting, planning, thinking things through, making sure he can get in, make his shot & escape unnoticed. And now he's playing mindgames with the cops and all of us. Chilling.