Catherine Crier has Teresa Torres as a guest

[Cowgirl]

The great-aunt of Shasta and Dylan is CC's guest today. I will post a synopsis in a few minutes for those without access to a TV...

Dr Cyril Wecht, a forensic pathologist, and Chris Warner, Leanna Warner's father, are also guests today.

[Cowgirl]

Catherine asked Teresa Torres (as gently as possible) if the family had been expecting the bad news they got about Dylan's DNA yesterday and she said that they were all braced for it but still had a glimmer of hope that it would not be. CC then asked her if Shasta was able to tell them where to find Dylan and Teresa said yes, she was able to. She is a very brave little girl, Teresa said. I was hoping that CC would ask her if Shasta knew how he died or any of the details but it was obvious that CC was trying not to be too invasive. CC asked about memorial plans. Dylan's plans are not completed yet. She said that services were held some weeks ago for Brenda, Slade, and Mark but nothing has been finalized in regard to Dylan. She said that LE has not been able to tell them anything new about how JED picked that family. They believe right now that it was very much a random event and no one knows of any prior connection he could have had with any of them.

Teresa Torres assured CC that when Duncan has his prelimary hearing on July 19th all the remaining family members will be in attendance. CC mentioned that she believes his only reason to go to trial would be to avoid the death penalty and asked if Teresa has heard anything about any plea bargains going on. Teresa said not so far, at least. They are still trying to grasp yet another family death at the moment. She lamented his being out of jail in the first place and CC did try to encourage her that the legislature may already be taking steps to make some changes in the law, but it didn't seem CC really had the heart for that. CC asked about Shasta and Teresa said that actually Shasta is doing better than one might expect her to be. She said that Shasta is very brave and has tremendous family support behind her from her father, her aunts, and her cousins. They have not discussed Dylan's fate with her as of yet.

[Dara]

Thank you so much for the report. I missed this.

I still cannot wrap my mind around this. I don't know how any of that family can cope, let alone that poor child.

[Cowgirl]

Dr Cyril Wecht was asked about the autopsy of Dylan's remains. He said they most probably will not be able to establish a cause of death. Dylan was probably skeletonized with no soft tissue left to determine strangulation or suffocation and unless he had a fractured skull it would probably mean they could not determine cause of death. Even if he was beaten or shot to death it would not be evident unless the skull were broken by it. (I wonder how he knows how long Dylan was deceased? It could have happened the day before Shasta was recognized for all we knew...I don't think it was from what they have said about animals scattering body parts around, but still. Has anyone heard how long Dylan has been dead? I missed it if anyone has said.)

Manner of death should not be such a problem based on the way Dylan was abducted and his remains found in the woods that way they would automatically rule out natural death, suicide, disease, or accident and that leaves homicide.

CC next discussed Duncan's release that allowed him to do this with Lisa Bloom. Lisa mentioned that by her count he had already molested and raped 14 boys and has no idea what the judge (Schroeder who gave him bond) could have been thinking. She said there are 100,000 sex offenders in this country who are not following the guidelines that have been set out for them (out of the 500,000 offenders they know about) and that something has to be done. The public outcry this year is louder than ever. Either they have to be locked up or monitored electronically so that LE can find out where they are. Lisa mentioned that Duncan was on the loose with Shasta for seven weeks and if LE had been able to find him perhaps Dylan's life could have been spared. (She did not clarify if she thought he died recently or if he would never have been taken at all had they known how to find Duncan when he jumped bond, so I am not sure which she meant.)

Next Catherine asked Chris Warner what the police have been able to tell him about Leanna Warner, his daughter. Chris said they are trying to establish a timeline for Duncan because he mentions a few times in his blog that he scuba dives and also mentions being in towns that are within 40 miles of where the Warners live. CC put up Duncan's first FifthNail blog post dated January 4, 2004 where he said:

"You might say that finding out about the girl missing is the proverbial last straw. Because of all the other recent incidents in the news lately, especially regarding missing people and the resulting intensification of the persecution of sex offenders, I've decided to start this blog as a sort of check and balance of where I am."

Chris said both local LE and the FBI have told him that they are interested in trying to see if they can either connect him or rule him out, but they have nothing concrete so far. Because she is the only child mentioned by name in Duncan's blog they are checking, but they really have not encouraged him that they have any heavy suspicion about it.

Lisa Bloom talked about a proposed national registry of sex offenders but there is still a long way to go. Dr Wecht then said there is no successful way to treat this condition and the plethora of child deaths recently is proof that something has to be done to deal with this type of criminal differently and stop pretending they can be rehabilitated because they cannot.