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CNN Live Event/Special
Bombing Suspect Awaits Trial for Clinic Bombing
Aired June 02, 2003 - 19:08 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.
ANDESON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Investigators began looking for Eric Rudolph after the bombing of the Birmingham abortion clinic when his truck was spotted near the clinic.
Now Rudolph, of course, is back in Birmingham, awaiting trial. Brian Cabell has details on exactly what happens next in the case -- Brian.
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, we just learned in the last half hour that Mr. Rudolph's first hearing will be 3 p.m. in federal court tomorrow afternoon, that's Central time. That's about four or five blocks from here from the county jail where he is now residing.
He faces a two-count indictment here as a result of the clinic bombing back in 1998, clinic bombing in which one man, an off-duty officer, was killed and a nurse was severely injured.
He arrived here in Birmingham early this afternoon amid very heavy security at the airport. It was here in Birmingham, of course, five years ago that the manhunt, the massive manhunt for him began. His pickup was spotted near the clinic. A man was seen getting into the pickup in a blond wig.
And today, Eric Rudolph came back to Birmingham in shackles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF MIKE HALE, JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA: He cooperated fully, answered all the questions. No medical problems or anything like that. He asked about an attorney and had a card that he gave us. And that would be his attorney of record. And he just went very -- went very smooth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABELL: He'll be residing in an isolation cell here at the Jefferson County jail. He'll have a TV. And he'll have access to outside the bars and he'll have some reading materials. He'll also, of course, be able to entertain some visitors but, of course, that will be monitored strictly by federal marshals.
He said he has no particular medical problems; he has no particular dietary needs. He will be eating regular jail food. He's likely to be here for up to a year, according to a former U.S. attorney who says the trial likely will start within a year. Co- face the death penalty.
And Emily Lyons, the nurse who was injured in the bombing some five years ago, says she has no sympathy for him whatsoever.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMILY LYONS, BOMBING VICTIM: Every day he's with me. My face is damaged and when I see it, I know he did it to me. The rest of my body I look at it and it's not the body I used to have, and the only reason I don't have what I did is because someone disagreed with what I believed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABELL: The sheriff talked to him briefly this afternoon, said Rudolph certainly didn't strike him as a wild-eyed radical. He said he was soft spoken, he was cooperative, he was polite. And he really looked like an ordinary prisoner -- Anderson.
COOPER: All right, Brian Cabell, appreciate it, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 2, 2003 - 19:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDESON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Investigators began looking for Eric Rudolph after the bombing of the Birmingham abortion clinic when his truck was spotted near the clinic.
Now Rudolph, of course, is back in Birmingham, awaiting trial. Brian Cabell has details on exactly what happens next in the case -- Brian.
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, we just learned in the last half hour that Mr. Rudolph's first hearing will be 3 p.m. in federal court tomorrow afternoon, that's Central time. That's about four or five blocks from here from the county jail where he is now residing.
He faces a two-count indictment here as a result of the clinic bombing back in 1998, clinic bombing in which one man, an off-duty officer, was killed and a nurse was severely injured.
He arrived here in Birmingham early this afternoon amid very heavy security at the airport. It was here in Birmingham, of course, five years ago that the manhunt, the massive manhunt for him began. His pickup was spotted near the clinic. A man was seen getting into the pickup in a blond wig.
And today, Eric Rudolph came back to Birmingham in shackles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF MIKE HALE, JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA: He cooperated fully, answered all the questions. No medical problems or anything like that. He asked about an attorney and had a card that he gave us. And that would be his attorney of record. And he just went very -- went very smooth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABELL: He'll be residing in an isolation cell here at the Jefferson County jail. He'll have a TV. And he'll have access to outside the bars and he'll have some reading materials. He'll also, of course, be able to entertain some visitors but, of course, that will be monitored strictly by federal marshals.
He said he has no particular medical problems; he has no particular dietary needs. He will be eating regular jail food. He's likely to be here for up to a year, according to a former U.S. attorney who says the trial likely will start within a year. Co- face the death penalty.
And Emily Lyons, the nurse who was injured in the bombing some five years ago, says she has no sympathy for him whatsoever.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMILY LYONS, BOMBING VICTIM: Every day he's with me. My face is damaged and when I see it, I know he did it to me. The rest of my body I look at it and it's not the body I used to have, and the only reason I don't have what I did is because someone disagreed with what I believed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABELL: The sheriff talked to him briefly this afternoon, said Rudolph certainly didn't strike him as a wild-eyed radical. He said he was soft spoken, he was cooperative, he was polite. And he really looked like an ordinary prisoner -- Anderson.
COOPER: All right, Brian Cabell, appreciate it, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
