KCRA Journalists Giddy After Child Kidnapper's Call

Phillip Garrido, the 58-year-old sex offender in California accused of kidnapping Jaycee Dugard as an 11-year-old in 1991 and being the father of her two children over the years she was held in captivity, called Sacramento TV reporter Walt Gray yesterday.

During the call, Garrido urged Gray to pick up a document from the FBI that will explain his actions. "Wait until you hear the story of what took place at this house," he said. "If you take this a step at a time you're going to fall over backwards and in the end, you're going to find the most powerful heart-warming story."

KCRA ran the full audio of the call, but they made a mistake and kept the recording going for some conversation between Gray and others in the newsroom.

After the call with Garrido ends, the following conversation takes place:

Woman's voice: Save it. You gotta save it.

Man: You know what you're doing?

Walt Gray: Yep.

Man: Alright. Don't mess up.

Gray: This is the biggest moment of your life.

Woman: And yours.

Hearing that audio is like catching Harry Potter and Hermione Granger discussing spellcasting among muggles.

Journalism · Crime · Glee · 2009/08/28 · 9 COMMENTS · Link

Comments

The "gidiness"Walt Gray displayed on the call with Garrido - was absolutely disgusting...maybe even more disgusting than giving this troglodyte a public forum for spewing his sick, incoherent, rambling garbage. I couldn't listen to 15 seconds of the recording on principal, and especially after hearing Gray's quivering, breathless set-up. I mean for Pete's sake, he says to Garrido: "So, how are you doing, are you ok?" Who cares how he's doing or if he's ok! Garrido still thinks this is all about him and Gray and his tribe were unfortunately more than accommodating at a time when 100% of the focus should be on Ms. Dugard and her family. And then we even get a disgusting aftermath. The dialog in the newsroom following the "interview" shows that in terms of what Gray and friends view the main thing to be (their big break), these bush league "journalists" aren't so different from Garrido himself. Ugh, ugh, ugh!

#1 · Bill Hughlett · 2009/08/28

I can't blame you for skipping the audio, but it does contain new information about this unspeakable crime. Gray did the right thing by encouraging him to talk as long as possible. It would have served no purpose for him to yell at Garrido the second he got him on the phone.

#2 · Rogers Cadenhead · 2009/08/28

Journalists are just people. Having this interview thrown in their laps would surprise anyone. Remember, this is America and Garrido, even after all that he has "allegedly" done has the right to a phone call. But I do look forward to his cell mates doing what they do to people like him.

#3 · Ted Harris · 2009/08/28

Bill:

"these bush league 'journalists' aren't so different from Garrido himself."

Are you serious?

Yeah, the reporter was giddy. He just got a jailhouse interview for possibly the biggest story out there right now. It was a major coup.

Asking him how he's doing? That's just to get the guy to talk.

You have to understand the way a journalist has to approach their job, especially a crime reporter, when they're up to their eyeballs every day in human garbage. If you wilt like a flower every day, you're not going to last long in the job. It's kind of like operating room humor that surgeons sometimes practice.

Talk to a cop or a medic about how they approach their job.

#4 · Mark Phillips · 2009/08/28

Giddy? Of course, he's giddy. That interview is going to make Walt Gray a prime candidate to replace Charlie Gibson.

#5 · edward · 2009/08/28

About a week after 9/11, I went on a drug raid with police. One suspected dealer asked a cop, "What did I do?"

The cop replied, "We know you're with Al Qaeda. We found one of your pubic hairs at the World Trade Center."

#6 · Jay · 2009/08/28

This is crazy, to believe that the search stopped and she was alive accepting the fact that people gave up on her...damn.

#7 · Thomas Jones · 2009/08/29

I agee as well that journalists are just people. And getting this scoop clearly was a big deal for Gray. Any crime reporter would likely react in this way. Moreover, his reaction is nothing really out of the ordinary for a big story that has yet to be fully revealed. This is a sensational and shocking story.

#8 · james phenternin · 2009/08/30

A strong evidence will speak for the reality. Hopefully they could get the necessary information needed to justify whether the accusation is void or not. It is worth to have a cash advance to determine the truth from fallacy.

#9 · Andrei · 2009/09/05