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CNN BREAKING NEWS
Investigators: Remains Probably Not Jennifer Short's
Aired September 26, 2002 - 09:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
QUESTION: ... explain the microscopic analysis. Were they just looking at it under the microscope, or...
FRANK CASSELL, SHERIFF, HENRY COUNTY, VA: I really don't know, but I would assume that's what they are taking about. I'm not familiar with the process.
QUESTION: The major was telling us earlier that one of the things also noticed was that the teeth were perhaps bigger and a little older looking than a child's would have. Had the dental work been checked?
CASSELL: About all can I tell you is what was done in Virginia, and that was not done. I will give that back to Sheriff Page.
SAM PAGE, SHERIFF, ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA: That is correct. The teeth and any additional bone fragments that will be submitted today to the medical examiner's office at Chapel Hill, they will do their analysis down there. But as far as any comparison or anything has not been done as of yet.
Will be hopefully sent out today, this afternoon, and again, they will be able to begin their analysis and make their comments about what they observed.
QUESTION: Sheriff, it's been six weeks now -- it has been six weeks. Just share your thoughts with us -- what do you think about this case?
CASSELL: Well, obviously, I don't have any answers. I wish I did. I wish we -- we still have hopes of finding Jennifer alive. I hope this is not Jennifer. We don't know that yet, but we still have hopes of finding her alive.
However, as I have said before, the longer time goes on, the less likely that is, as far as reality of the situation.
It's been very frustrating. We got men working on it every day, a lot of men, a lot of hours, thousands and thousands and thousands of hours.
FBI, state police, other agencies -- and we have nothing. We have run down a lot of leads. We are still running down leads, but so far they haven't been productive.
QUESTION: You have been in law enforcement over 40 years. Is this the most baffling thing you have ever seen?
CASSELL: Absolutely.
QUESTION: Sheriff, have you questioned people in this area, does the Short family have kin in this area, are there family members or friends that you have come down to interview?
CASSELL: I don't know of anyone that's been questioned as far as family members or friends. Some of the leads have come into North Carolina, but nothing has -- they didn't come to anything.
QUESTION: Sheriff, is it fair to say that at this point, you would be surprised if these remains were Jennifer Short's?
CASSELL: Well -- I don't believe they are Jennifer Short. I wouldn't say I would be surprised. I -- maybe nothing really would surprise me in this case because it has been so bizarre. I really don't think they are, but I could be wrong.
QUESTION: If they are not Jennifer Short's, what can they be? There are no missing persons in Rockingham County, North Carolina.
CASSELL: Well, again that's -- I will give him the hard one.
PAGE: Again, I can just add that Major Thomas has come in, and advised that they have continued to find some additional bone fragments and remnants there in the area, and going out from the area, so we are going to continue throughout the search today to continue to try to find and locate as much as we can because again, we are trying to find the origin of where these bones are coming from.
ZAHN: All right. If you have just been joining us, you have been listening to the sheriff of Henry County, Virginia and the Sheriff of Rockingham County where a skull and fragments of bones were found. Initially, it was thought that perhaps they could be related to the missing case of 9-year-old Jennifer Short. She has been missing since August 15, both of her parents murdered that day.
But the sheriff now confirming that he doesn't believe the fragments of bone that were found, or skull -- skull are that of Jennifer Short. Nevertheless, investigators will continue to do DNA dinalysis (ph) -- DNA analysis to rule out that completely.
That's the very latest from Rockingham County in North Carolina.
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