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Angry Missive Complains of 'Ignored' Calls (Details of Sniper Letter)
The Washington Post ^
| Wednesday, October 23, 2002
| Sari Horwitz and Carol Morello
Posted on 10/22/2002 8:56:24 PM PDT by kristinn
An angry letter found tacked to a tree behind a restaurant where the sniper wounded a man this weekend complained of six failed attempts to reach police, and threatened more killings -- of children in particular -- if millions of dollars were not deposited in a bank account within two days, according to law enforcement sources.
The letter listed half a dozen calls that had been "ignored" by operators answering phones at the command center in Rockville, the Montgomery County police station and the FBI. It even named some of the people who had answered the phones.
They had hung up, the letter stated; that was "incompetent."
"Five people had to die" because of it, the letter said, according to one law enforcement source who has seen a copy of the letter.
The letter gave a deadline of Monday for the money to be deposited in a bank account, the source said. Several sources who had seen photocopies of the letter said the amount demanded was $10 million.
The letter warned investigators that if they were more concerned with "stopping" the killings than making an arrest, they should follow the orders precisely, or else there would be "body bags," said the source.
And it ended with an even more ominous postscript, officials said:
"Your children are not safe anywhere at any time."
SNIP
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia; US: Maryland; US: Virginia
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Puts a new wrinkle on Call 911 and die :-(
1
posted on
10/22/2002 8:56:24 PM PDT
by
kristinn
To: kristinn
So we should go stick the money in the account. It won't do him, her, or it any more good than a paper money ransom would. If anyone tries to transfer or withdraw funds from it, we have a connection.
To: HiTech RedNeck
What is going to happen when he calls to try to transfer funds, or tries to call AT&T customer service, or tries to call his cable company?
3
posted on
10/22/2002 9:02:55 PM PDT
by
chnsmok
To: kristinn
I wonder what country this account would be based in?
4
posted on
10/22/2002 9:03:38 PM PDT
by
umgud
To: HiTech RedNeck
"Five people had to die" because of it, the letter said, according to one law enforcement source who has seen a copy of the letter.
Wow what morons...
5
posted on
10/22/2002 9:05:29 PM PDT
by
fooman
To: kristinn
"Thank you for calling the sniper hotline....due to the overwhelming success of this program, our operators are unable to take your call at this time....for instructions in Spanish, please press 2"
6
posted on
10/22/2002 9:06:18 PM PDT
by
MTCJK
To: MTCJK
Don't forget, "Your call is being recorded to provide better customer service...".
7
posted on
10/22/2002 9:10:28 PM PDT
by
chnsmok
To: kristinn
...or else there would be "body bags," This must be what was referred to yesterday as "entering a new, more dangerous phase".
To my ears it sounds like a possibility of multiple deaths at once---like a bomb.
8
posted on
10/22/2002 9:11:47 PM PDT
by
cyncooper
To: kristinn
This is starting to sound like a Jeffrey Deaver novel. ;-(
To: fooman
It even named some of the people who had answered the phones.I'd hate to be one of the people named in the letter. This whole thing is bad enough without having to think you missed a chance to stop the shootings.
10
posted on
10/22/2002 9:18:44 PM PDT
by
kristinn
To: SubMareener
Truth can be weirder than fiction--and deadlier.
11
posted on
10/22/2002 9:19:58 PM PDT
by
kristinn
To: kristinn; snopercod; joanie-f
He's rebelling against a menu-driven life.
Hmm...
To: kristinn
The letter listed half a dozen calls that had been "ignored" by operators answering phones at the command center in Rockville, the Montgomery County police station and the FBI. It even named some of the people who had answered the phones.This murderer proves how easy it is to commit the crime every step of the way--complete incompetence has marked this investigation at every turn. This guy will be caught on his own terms, but not before
13
posted on
10/22/2002 9:20:55 PM PDT
by
MTCJK
To: kristinn; Dog; tracer; angkor; antivenom; aristeides; Lion's Cub; SLB; Squantos; archy; ...
I only believe about 20% of this article. Judge for yourselves.
To: cyncooper
Or perhaps a sniping into a crowd.
To: kristinn
(This is the Ponderosa letter.)
To: kristinn
I'd hate to be one of the people named in the letter. This whole thing is bad enough without having to think you missed a chance to stop the shootings. Kind of like when I called the FBI once and I asked the guys name that I was talking to, he said, "Desk Clerk".
If this is the kind of response people were getting on the tip line, I don't blame him for being angry.
17
posted on
10/22/2002 9:30:13 PM PDT
by
abner
To: kristinn
I wonder if he would try shooting Moose? Such a bizarre series of killings, maybe he'll try something bold like that. Moose gives a lot of outdoor press confrences.......
18
posted on
10/22/2002 9:32:59 PM PDT
by
Brett66
To: abner
Well if the sniper quoted names I can't imagine they'd be real names.
I've read Ma Bell used to have a system where when you called with a complaint and someone asked for your name... The name the operator gave was a fake one... and it varied depending on what they thought about you.
If the operator thought you had a legitimate complaint it would be one name, if she thought you were a deluded nut it would be another, and it if she thought you were a dishonest crank, there would be a third.
This way, when you called back, the next person who answered the phone would know from the "contact name" you gave just how the original operator had evaluated you and what you had to say.
Can't believe that the task force wouldn't use the same system. But then again, I sometimes get the feeling that we don't have the varsity team on the field.
To: Fred Mertz
The whole thing is fishy. Why would anyone risk so much and create so much havoc, for a measly $10M. There's easier and safer criminal enterprise for this killer to get that much. The killer's behavior in the field contradicts his behavior on the phone. It looks more like an op to tie up the police and screw with people's minds.
Why did he go to Richmond?
20
posted on
10/22/2002 9:37:29 PM PDT
by
spunkets
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